Veterans & Community Auto Skills Center

Veterans & Community Auto Skills Center Providing affordable repairs, hands-on training, mentorship, and community support for veterans, families, and people in need.

Driven by Service — Built for All.

06/10/2026

Can old dogs learn new tricks? I guess we’re about to find out.

One of the things I’m most excited about with the Veterans & Community Auto Skills Center is that teaching goes both ways. We spend a lot of time talking about helping others learn, but there is just as much value in sitting down with someone who has decades of experience and being willing to listen.

Robert has forgotten more about fabrication, machining, and building things than most people will ever know. The opportunity to learn from someone with that kind of knowledge is rare.

I’ve turned a lot of wrenches over the years, but there is always another skill, another technique, and another perspective waiting to be learned.

Looking forward to the lesson. Looking forward to the stories. Looking forward to seeing what happens when experience, curiosity, veterans, students, and community members all come together around a shared project.

Can old dogs learn new tricks?

Absolutely. That’s the whole point.

The more time I spend talking with Robert Metcalf, the more I realize this isn’t really about automotive work.It’s about...
06/06/2026

The more time I spend talking with Robert Metcalf, the more I realize this isn’t really about automotive work.

It’s about preserving knowledge.

It’s about mentorship.

It’s about creating a culture where experienced people pass what they’ve learned to the next generation instead of taking it with them.

Robert has spent a lifetime solving problems. Engineer. Machinist. Fabricator. Race engine builder. Author. Teacher. He’s built things, raced things, written about them, and spent decades learning how and why things work.

What stands out isn’t just what he’s accomplished. It’s that he’s willing to teach.

We talked about race cars, machine tools, engineering, fabrication, science, education, military hobby shops, scholarships, internships, and giving people opportunities they may never have known existed.

What I think Robert sees is something bigger than classes.

A place where people can learn.

A place where questions are welcome.

A place where curiosity is encouraged.

A place where someone can walk in knowing nothing and leave knowing something.

A place where a veteran, a student, a homeschool kid, a mechanic, an engineer, or someone simply looking for direction can discover what they’re capable of.

The military taught me that knowledge should be passed on. You train the next person. You help the team. You leave things better than you found them.

That’s what resonated with me.

The project isn’t really about machining, welding, race cars, or even automotive repair.

Those are just the tools.

The real goal is mentorship, craftsmanship, problem solving, and helping people discover opportunities they didn’t know existed.

We’re still in the early stages, but I believe San Angelo is ready for something different.

A culture of learning.

A culture of mentorship.

A culture where knowledge, craftsmanship, engineering, and curiosity are valued again.

And that’s something worth building.

06/02/2026

A flashing check engine light is your car screaming, “STOP DRIVING ME.”

Summer heat is here, and I just looked at a 1997 Buick LeSabre that had been driven back and forth to Pecos with a flashing check engine light. A quick diagnosis found a dead ignition coil. Cylinder #2 wasn’t getting spark.

Too easy, Gunny.

The problem is that driving with an active misfire can damage your catalytic converter, waste fuel, reduce power, and eventually turn a simple repair into an expensive one.

Those old 3.8L Buicks are tough engines and can take a lot of punishment, but even they have limits.

If your check engine light is flashing, don’t ignore it. Your car is telling you something is wrong. Catching it early can save you thousands.

Veterans & Community Auto Skills Center

Driven by Service — Built for All.

I had a really interesting conversation today with a local craftsman who has spent years in racing, machining, welding, ...
05/30/2026

I had a really interesting conversation today with a local craftsman who has spent years in racing, machining, welding, fabrication, and engine building.

Nothing is official yet, but it got me thinking about what could be possible here in San Angelo.

There are people in this community with incredible hands-on knowledge, and there are young people, veterans, military families, and others who would benefit from seeing those skills up close.

The idea is simple: small hands-on classes where people can learn from experienced craftsmen. Things like basic fabrication, welding concepts, machining, engine building, race car history, and real-world problem solving.

I would also like to eventually record some of these lessons so the knowledge can be shared beyond the room.

This is still just a conversation, but it feels like the kind of thing worth building toward.

Preserving trades. Teaching skills. Giving people a place to learn

05/25/2026

What I learned in service is that people from different backgrounds, countries, cultures, and beliefs can come together and get the mission done with integrity.

Some of the best mechanics I ever worked with came from Panama, Trinidad, the Philippines, and all across America. Different perspectives and techniques made us stronger. In the shop, there is a universal language: make it run, keep people moving, and look out for each other.

That belief is the foundation behind Veterans & Community Auto Skills Center.

This Memorial Day is not a celebration for many veterans and families. It is a day of reflection, grief, memories, and honoring people we lost. The best way to respect their sacrifice is not endless war or division. It is building stronger communities, helping people, teaching skills, treating each other with dignity, and making life better for the next generation.

Driven by Service — Built for All.

05/21/2026

That’s exactly how these older GMT800 trucks keep going. Half mechanic skill, half “I know I saved that part for a reason.” Good feeling when the used blower motor fires right up instead of dropping $100+ on a new one.

On the water pump bolts for the 5.3L Chevrolet Avalanche — torque matters because the pump seals against the timing cover with a gasket. Too loose:

* coolant leaks
* uneven sealing
* warped gasket

Too tight:

* strip aluminum threads
* crack the pump housing
* distort the gasket surface

The timing cover is aluminum, so it’s easier to damage than old iron blocks.

Factory water pump bolt specs for the 5.3:

* First pass: 11 ft-lbs
* Final pass: 22 ft-lbs

Very important:

* Tighten in a crisscross pattern
* Sneak up on the torque evenly
* Don’t hammer one bolt all the way down first

That slow even clamping pressure keeps the pump flat against the block.

And honestly? A dealership or chain shop today:

* Water pump job: commonly $700–$1400
* Blower motor replacement: another $300–$700 depending on labor and parts

You already had the part and the know-how:
“Make it work, yep.”

That’s exactly the kind of practical skill your whole Veterans & Community concept is built around. Older vehicles stay alive because somebody is willing to diagnose instead of just throw money at it.

Circa 2009. Third deployment.A group of us were giving shoes to Iraqi special forces soldiers’ kids because many of them...
05/19/2026

Circa 2009. Third deployment.

A group of us were giving shoes to Iraqi special forces soldiers’ kids because many of them weren’t safe outside Victory Complex. This little boy ran up to me smiling. Just a toddler. A kid.

Honestly, I do not know if he made it.

I remember drinking tea with Iraqi soldiers in tents, smoking ci******es, and talking about family and life through broken English and hand gestures. In those moments, politics disappeared. They were just people trying to survive the same war we were.

Years later, I look back differently at Iraq and Afghanistan. We completed missions. We served honorably. A lot of good people tried to do the right thing in impossible places.

But war leaves wounds that do not always show.

While I was inpatient at Landstuhl, Germany, I met a soldier broken by what he had lived through as a Humvee driver. I was hurting from my own trauma too, but the pain in his eyes stayed with me. Some wounds do not get fixed by treatment. People learn to carry them.

That is part of why I’m doing what I’m doing today.

I want to build something centered around mentorship, humanity, purpose, and community. A place where veterans and young people can reconnect through skills, helping others, and looking out for each other.

This one’s been a full journey.Started with a clogged, leaking evaporator, which turned into pulling the entire dash and...
05/18/2026

This one’s been a full journey.

Started with a clogged, leaking evaporator, which turned into pulling the entire dash and HVAC box. If you know, you know that’s not a small job.

The HVAC box was packed with mud, debris, and even bullet casings. This truck has lived its life on a farm. These models didn’t come with a cabin air filter, so while it was apart, we added one to help protect the new evaporator going forward.

Since then, it’s turned into a full refresh:

New evaporator and heater core
Full A/C system: compressor, condenser, receiver/drier, or***ce tube
Radiator hoses and thermostats
Oil pan done
Transmission filter and fresh fluids
Water pump replaced
Door panels, window motors, and regulators replaced

Then came the electrical side. I finally found the exact dash wiring harness down to the pin layout.

This is what I do: real work, real fixes, no shortcuts.

I’m building something bigger than just repairs — helping, teaching, and getting people back on the road. I’m here to help, so hit me up.

Call or text: (325) 212-7612
Text is preferred so I can save your contact and vehicle info.

Post-fire project update on the old Duramax.What started as coolant leaks, oil leaks, and a completely clogged evaporato...
05/16/2026

Post-fire project update on the old Duramax.

What started as coolant leaks, oil leaks, and a completely clogged evaporator has turned into a full dash and HVAC electrical rebuild.

This truck has dual digital climate control, rear HVAC, Bose amp in the center console, 4x4, and a lot of option-specific wiring that GM changed depending on packages. Finding the correct dash harness has honestly been one of the hardest parts of this project.

Huge thanks to Nate over at Firestone on Knickerbocker for helping me track parts down, and also the guys at the Cadillac dealership parts here in San Angelo. They’ve been incredibly helpful with diagrams, wiring schematics, and comparing junction block layouts and pin locations.

The harness I found was close, but after comparing the pin layouts and HVAC sub-harness, it looks like it may be a little older than expected. The seller said he would refund it, which I appreciate.

Sometimes you get close, but there’s no point forcing something that could create more problems later. If possible, I want this to be as close to plug-and-play as I can get it.

So for now, I’m at a standstill again over a harness. But that’s part of the process.

This is the reality of working on 20+ year old vehicles. Sometimes fixing things safely means slowing down, researching, asking questions, and working with people willing to help.

That’s also what this nonprofit project is about. Building connections in the automotive community, helping people when we can, and keeping good vehicles on the road instead of giving up on them.

05/12/2026

This is what I do, and I’ve been doing it for years.

Right now I’m working through the IP cab harness on this 2004 2500HD. Older dash work is always challenging, especially on a high trim 4x4 diesel with the Bose amp in the center console.

A brand-new harness would be ideal, but these parts are discontinued. So the goal is to do the safest, cleanest work possible with what’s available.

At this point, I’m taking on small specialty jobs that a lot of shops or mechanics don’t want to mess with. Wiring, A/C, odd problems, older vehicles, and the kind of work that takes patience.

I don’t promise everything can be fixed in 10 minutes. Every issue is caused by something, and the job is finding the real cause instead of guessing.

I do what I’m able to do, and I’m building from there.

Text is preferred so I can get your contact info and vehicle details.

Call or text: (325) 212-7612

Together, we can help people.

Address

San Angelo, TX
76905

Telephone

+13252127612

Website

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