I didn't read all the posts, so sorry if this was covered, but you say that you have writing ability and are unhappy as a mechanic. I would suggest that you set your sights higher and go to night school with the intent of being a technical report writer.
The two owners of my company came out to my jobsite, and when I told them they didn't need to be strangers and stop back out they told me, "If you see us out on the jobsite it's usually because things aren't going well, so the less you see of us the better."
I couldn't agree more. Just keep up with the direct deposit.