Paul’s Garage Roanoke, VA
From European cars to Imports & Domestic. I even do offroad vehicles. Explore the site for my work in both IT and automotive. Contact me for the best quality service, parts, and prices.
Networking
Enterprise routing, switching, and RF at ISP scale. 17+ years in.
Automation
Python and Ansible pipelines, vaulted secrets, everything in git.
AI & Homelab
Local LLM agents that write real infrastructure code.
Fabrication
CAD, 3D printing, welding, engine builds, off-grid solar.
Projects
From auto repair to networking and software development
Automotive Restoration, Engine Rebuilds, and Car Repair
Engine builds, swaps, maintenance, and refreshing/restoration
Tech Projects
Networking, automation, AI, and homelab engineering — from Ansible pipelines to local LLM agents
Latest Tech Articles
Write-ups on homelab, automation, AI, and automotive tech
- A Local AI Search Engine for My NotesMarkdown notes synced phone to PC with Syncthing, summarized and semantically searchable by a local LLM. No subscriptions, nothing in the cloud.
- Migrating ESXi to Proxmox Without Losing Your ZFS PoolsI swapped a 2020-era ESXi box over to Proxmox and moved TrueNAS CORE to SCALE in one afternoon, with a USB stick as the whole rollback plan.
- No Plaintext Anywhere: A Secrets Pass Over the Whole LabBefore mirroring my repos to GitHub, I audited every place a credential could hide. Found a few. This is what the pass looked like.
About
I set up Paul’s Garage as a kind of Journeyman’s Journal — part portfolio, part project log, and hopefully a resource that helps others along the way. Being handy is worth passing down — it builds confidence, saves money, and gives you skills that last a lifetime. I’ve taken on everything from carpentry and roofing to AC, plumbing, wiring, and even a home addition. When the right tool doesn’t exist, I make one — whether it’s a custom part for a rare car or software for a business problem.
Get in Touch
Reach out to discuss automotive projects or tech collaborations. For car work make sure to include Make, Model, Year.
Contact form coming soon — in the meantime, reach me through the links on the right.