Funny, your story takes me right back to being an 11-year old kid living in northern California (Walnut Creek). Only for me it was Mongoose BMX bikes; trying to take them apart, make them better, replacing the coaster brakes with free-wheel axles and caliper brakes, etc. I must have spent 1000 after-shcool hours there in the side yard, next to the garage, tinkering with bikes and loving every minute.
Now it's a Vette in the garage and the free time is harder to come by, but when I've got the car up on jackstands and my hands covered with grease, I'm still that little kid loving the process of taking things apart and trying to make them just a little bit better.
Thanks for the post -- it's great to learn about that side of you.
Rich