fjamal,
Listen carefully to these words from one at the other end of the career -
If there were more young folks like you in the world we would have a much brighter future. Your words seem so rare among those of your generation. Actually take responsibility for your own future? Don't just sit there and wait for more government handouts? What a breath of fresh air! I am hear to tell you just based on your descriptions of yourself that ... you CAN do it! And I don't mean that in some sort of squishy feel-good sentiment. I mean it. You can do it. Your success will help the profession too! We always need more engineers with actual hands-on real world experience. So many design mistakes are made by people that, though well intentioned, really don't know any better because they lack that experience.
There is another reason I believe in you - you are motivated! You aren't just trying to complete some course or fill in some blank. When I was in college, we had several guys that were GI's back from Vietnam or wherever. They were several years older than the rest of us. They weren't there to party or pick up girls or "discover themselves". They had a mission and were there for one purpose - an education. Frankly the rest of us kids resented them a little because they absolutely screwed up the grading curve for the rest of us. Your motivation is the reason you will jump over obstacles that would stop others dead in their tracks.
Unrelated - One tip you have probably already figured out about the automotive industry - cars are designed with an eye to manufacturing cost. In other words they are designed to be put together once by technicians with specially designed tools. The poor schmuck who has to change the plugs does not even enter into their thought process. He is not their customer. You aren't likely to hear a marketing campaign that says "Buy our car because its so easy to work on!"