Paul’s Garage
Network Engineer with 17 years of experience. This site tracks some of my projects in both tech and automotive
Featured Build: WeissWave
A Python stock screener and backtester. It benchmarks every trade against buy-and-hold, only uses data it could have known in real time, and verifies fills against real intraday bars, and its results match an independent open source engine on all 38,453 trades tested. Full S&P 500, DuckDB, and a web front end where every backtest trade is a verifiable receipt.
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
Tech Projects
Networking, automation, AI, and homelab engineering — from Ansible pipelines to local LLM agents
Automotive Restoration, Engine Rebuilds, and Car Repair
Engine builds, swaps, maintenance, and refreshing/restoration
Latest Tech Articles
Write-ups on homelab, automation, AI, and automotive tech
- Isolated Enough to Be Safe, Integrated Enough to Be UsefulThe controls between my AI agents and the systems they touch: VLANs, unprivileged containers, scoped AppRole tokens, contributor-only Git access, mandatory secret scans, and fixed automation templates.
- Keeping AI Coding Agents Moving on Multi-Step ProjectsThe useful part of an AI coding agent is not the first hour. It is whether the work still has direction after the context fills up. A few plain files and clear verification gates make the difference.
- The Restore Is the BackupA backup job that finishes is only the first link. Recoverability depends on consistent capture, validation, retention, an independent copy, and a restore test.
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.
Email me directly at paul@paulsgarageva.com.