My father is a helicopter mechanic, therefore as I was growing up we never took our cars to a mechanic. I inherited both the mechanical understanding and the tightwadedness(I know this isn't a real word). I am comfortable doing most mechanical repairs and have only once needed to take a vehicle to a mechanic (Quadrajet carburetors are the work of Satan). My girlfriend Katherine and I started a car painting/sales business in 2005 to help pay for school. All told we sold 14 vehicles, and have painted 9.