How many of you are mechanically inclined?

I drove Volkswagons for years, But couldn`t afford a mechanic. My Leatherman got me home more than once.
 
I first started helping my dad work on the cars when I was 8 or 9, and now 30 years later I generally do everything on our five cars myself. Except for the occasional warranty repair, they seldom see the inside of the dealer's shop. Newer cars are more difficult to work on because everythig is computerized, but since all cars past 1996 have OBD II on them, they'll generally tell you what's wrong (many without a code reader), but then you have to figure out if it is just a sensor or a "real" problem. I was only stranded on the road once in nearly half a million miles of driving, and that time it was a faulty computer with an intermitent problem that "fixed itself" after letting the car sit for 45 minutes (before AAA got there), and got us the remaining 100 miles home. I generally try to keep my cars all in excellent running condition to avoid as many unforseen problems on the road as possible.
 
I can do the basics..I carry an assortment of Snap on tools in my truck,I also carry extra fuses and bulbs for tail light/brake light, and other misc items all in an action packer container ,a PSK for my vehicle of sorts,I would probably gain 2-3MPG if I did not carry so much junk...but the day I leave it home..MR Murphy would be waiting..LOL !
 
I'm a fair shade tree mechanic going back to my teen years, having owned a variety of vehicles of dubious condition. Doing as much of my own mechanical work has been both a necessity (no money) but also a pleasure, since I enjoy tinkering with things. In April, I acquired a 2005 Russian Ural motorcycle/sidecar rig. It is of better quality than I would have expected, but it is still much like owning an antique from WWII, and requires the laying on of wrenches fairly regularly . . .
 
I know my way around some farm/garden equipment and power tools, as well as a few things about older cars, but I am really not the mechanic in the family. My boy, on the other hand, is a journneyman mechanic. He has tried to teach me a few things over the years, but I grow impatient and just can't be bothered with the technical jargon. I am more of the "show me what piece goes where and I'll remeber it in my head" sort of person. I don't really care HOW a carburetor works, I just need to know where it goes. The rest, hey that's why I paid the big bucks for my son to go to school. It probably cost me far less to do that than it would have to pay a garage everytime I needed something fixed over the last 15 years, especially as everthing becomes more computer controlled with sensors and all that stuff.
 
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