Are their not car shows near you? Where im at even the smallest towns (talking like, less than 1000 people) have car show meetups where people gather to display their cars and discuss the work theyve done on them
So about this car show: does it have an internet presence, or is it AOL^H^H^HFacebook? A mailing list? IRC? Slack? What's it got? Is it actually "alive"?
Calling (phone calls, not internet) around, it became apparent that there is more interest around vehicles like this in "farm country": if I'd wanted to drive 50+ miles I'd have several mechanics to choose from.
They're also run by active shade tree mechanics clubs that get together once or twice a month to talk and get greasy.
I guess the reason I'm saying this is because sometimes the things you want aren't where you are, and that's just how it goes?
I drive by the family compound in Parkland maybe once a month. They own / owned Marymount, the former military boarding school; for lack of a better characterization they use it as a garage. There are auto and motorcycle shows there annually (and also gun shows). Walking one of those shows and talking to people is certainly on the table, but it's not a "need to do something now" option.
Meanwhile, talking to people (Burns Towing, the good people, as opposed to the sh*tshow on Hilltop which the City contracts for impounds) and making phone calls has generated some promising leads on the mechanic front anyway. I went and visited a guy a week ago who has a lift (and his old race car) in his garage and wrenches older US metal as a semi-retired pastime. He might find time to help me out if along with paying him decently I provide him with some home brewed beer.
We talk about "free beer", but in fact beer is not fungible on the internet.