[defrost]

> just how many people build an internal combustion engine themselves to learn about it?

At least 30 kids in Transport class when I went to high school, more if you count the kids in years before and after.

Not a full build, mind you - only some parts were cast, but we did do full strip downs and rebuilds of six cylinder ICE's as well as having a cut-away display engine in the shop.

My son did better (IMHO), he got to build an entire light aircraft over three years as part of aviation in a public high school in Western Australia. He missed out on the ICE building though.