I wonder if you have done any work on cars since you stopped doing it for a living? The field has changed radically since the 1980s. An auto mechanic is working as much with a laptop hooked up to the car as they are with a wrench. Tools are lighter, and more are powered. Yanking out a component and simply replacing it eliminates dealing with it on the work bench. The work is cleaner and less physically challenging. I just saw an ad for an oil change service (Valvoline?) that featured a uniformed female technician.

With the present shortage of good, skilled workers, this would be a good time for women to move into what is a high paying, absolutely neccessary trade.