took a semester of auto shop in high school, worked on a lot of small block chevy engines throughout my teens and 20s (well, actually, well into my 30s, too), learned to rebuild Rochester carbarators in my lap in the passenger seat, built a few hot rods in the 1980s, but these modern four-bangers intimidate the hell out of me. I have no problem changing heads on a '78 chevy, just don't ask me to point to the fuel injectors on my Acura.
Also took several semesters of electronics in high school so I'm comfortable with a soldering iron, but again, this was pre-computer stuff. As recently as last year I was building high intensity LED lights for mountain bike racing using Li-ion batteries, Cree and Seoul LEDs, with buck pucks for drivers.
I can't weld for $#!+, but it's really something I'd like to learn for numerous projects, both automotive related and home projects (want to build my own solar cell housings that will be photovoltaic on the front, but backed by a solar hot water system; would keep the panels cooler and more efficient while supplying most of my domestic hot water with less total roof space used). I also have some wood stove designs I'd like to play with with a hot water jacket to preheat water for my boiler and/or tankless hot water heater.
My work is entirely unrelated and while I could tell you what I do, then I'd have to kill you.
