Tim I think your right on with your videos if there are some that think they are to long they should just pull a book and go do the repair. My story is similar to yours I to am a late baby boomer and also a retired Fire Fighter( CDf'er you know what that means ha ha). I took all the shop classes in High School and then ended up going to UTI out of High School. I ended up going to work at a Dealer-ship after getting out of UTI after three years I got picked up full time working for CDF.
The amount of money saved by me and the wife is into the Tens of Thousands of dollars if you factor in payments interest, insurance and California Licencing fees. We have owned only two new cars a 1993 Geo Metro and a 2002 Honda Accord EX-L both we drove till the wheels fell off. We currentlly have two 2001 4Runners a SR5 and a Sport model 2wd. One of them has a JDM engine swap and the other I rebuilt the engine. I would not hesitate to drive either one any long distance the wifes SR5 has made 3 Vegas trips and 3 trips to Northern California from Temecula.
Keep up the good work