dcb - thank you for the google search link.
it may sound silly but i have done several google searches but did not use the magic words you used (and got less than magic results!).
also, i appreciate your mention of beer, barter, and the big reality of my situation.
no wonder my mechanic didn't jump for joy when he heard what i wanted to do!
nonetheless, i am grateful for your post, and will probe a bit further before i decide whether or not to ditch this project as beyond my resources.
i'm in the san francisco bay area; if anyone wants to work for beer on this project, then just let me know!
