My first husband, from forever ago, is a mobile mechanic, and for his call out fee, will tell you the brutal truth about your car. When I was shopping for my last secondhand car, I paid him to come with me to the car yards and help me choose a car. Endlessly useful advice: not that one--that model has a reputation for requiring engine rebuilds at 150 000 kms, and so on.

It's possible that his skill as a mechanic is reflected in the fact that he's still my mechanic, and my mother's mechanic, and my ex-wife's mechanic.