In the past few years that I have been following this site, I’ve observed a steady but certain decline in the apparent mechanical aptitude of posters; especially with such questions as, “what are shock absorbers and where do I find them”? Now I’m not poking fun at someone for not knowing something, and I’m not focusing on the high-tech computer controlled devices that are now so prevalent. It’s just my point that youngsters growing up today have not garnered the knowledge nor the curiosity to learn such basic stuff that I see being posted here.
In my teen and later years, it seemed that all my peers were pretty well versed in the goings-on of automobiles, and mechanical things in general, and could confidently handle many of the questions being posted here. Our culture differed then when most of us grew up with the mindset of having to make do with what we had. That forced us to either learn how to fix things or do without. I suppose that is the price to pay for economic wealth. It is fortuitous that there are still a few knowledgeable mechanics around today to help these posters, but when these few are gone, will there be someone to help, or will we become dependent on a very small field of auto specialists who will acquire the billing acumen of doctors and lawyers.
Sorry to ramble on so much. Just wanted to share my views and show my appreciation to those experts that serve this site so well.
The "no serviceable parts inside" comment made me think of this. In the olden days, people fixed stuff like toasters, and some with minimal aptitude moved up to refrigerators, washers or dryers, vacuum cleaners and cars. My, some even lubed the motor bearings in table fans, box fans, and the circulating pumps or blowers on their heating systems. Now, even refrigerators and vacuum cleaners are disposable. Few kids ever see their parents with a can of 3 in 1 with the table fan so the concept of maintenance is foreign to them, not to mention repair.
"but when these few are gone, will there be someone to help"
Well - for my part, I am planning on living forever, so there will be one of us....
I am a mechanical engineer by trade, and it has never failed to amaze me how many of my peers do not work on their own cars because they don't know how.
Neither of my daughters had any interest in getting grease into their manicures, but I have made them come to the garage and help since they will little, so they understand how cars work and how to diagnose and repair the problems. If nothing else, mechanics won't be able to BS them as much. Both of them have surprised their male classmates when they correctly identified mechanical problems in their friend's and friend's parent's cars, or knew how to PROPERLY and SAFELY jump start a car.
I've followed the forum for a while, but this is the first time I've ever made a post. As a 26 year old, I appreciate and identify with the discussion and would like to add my perspective.
From a young age, I always have had mechanical interests and aptitude. I vividly remember receiving a small screwdriver kit at age 7 or 8, and going around the house checking every screw I could find "to make sure they were tight." During middle and high school summers, I worked in a machine/car restoration shop doing oddball jobs. In my (private) high school, I heard a rumor that the school was considering bringing back woodshop class. I talked to an administrator and voiced my enthusiasm for it, and I was first on the list when it started back up. I ended up pursuing an economics degree in college, but became known as "that guy in the back of the dorm parking lot under his car with a pile of tools."
I do as much of my own work on my cars as I can. I always change the oil and do all the regular maintenance myself. I've replaced starters, alternators, radiators, springs/shocks, and so forth. I installed aftermarket air conditioning that uses all the factory mounts and controls, after I'd been told by my mechanic that if I wanted a car with A/C, to sell it and buy a comparable used one that already has it.
I'll confess that, despite a love for all things automotive, my true love is classic boats, of which I have two. The "new" boat is 40 years old, and is small block Chevy-powered. I'm also in the middle of a keel-up structural restoration on a 50 year old wooden boat, which still has its original 6 cylinder flathead.
In regards to the discussion, I agree that fewer and fewer people share this interest. Perhaps it's the complexity of cars today, or perhaps it's a reflection of society and its "use it up and throw it away" mindset (yes, I too have repaired appliances that say there are no user serviceable parts inside). I guess that, in my case, it's just what I love doing. I'll end with an expression that has become a standing joke with a good friend of mine. It started when we were in 20 degree weather, unloading a rolling chassis for his Chevy truck restoration. "Hey," he says while trying to warm up his fingers, "remind me why we're not into video games..."
A number of years ago, while talking with some of my kids friends about cars, a few of them said they liked to do "donuts" with their cars. I realized that we were in a downward spiral when they looked at me with a blank stare when `i said we did the same thing as kids, but called them 360's. They didn't get that 360 was a full circle in degrees.
You made me laugh, Orangevega. I'll bet more of them know that than know that water freezes at zero C and boils at 100C!
And I'll bet not one out of fifty could figure out how to do the conversion without being given the formula....and only ten of those could work the formula!
Probably one in 1,000 knows what "absolute zero" means.
When in high-school....I was riding shotgun in my friends 65 Firebird. There were a total of 3 cars that pulled into this parking lot...all decked-out Firebirds or Camaro's. The first car speeds down the lot..slams on the brakes and turns the wheel and skids sideways to a stop...Second car does the same thing. and stops right next to him (I was really impressed). Looked like something out of a movie. So now it's my friends turn....Does the same thing...HOWEVER...he mis-judged and slammed into car #2 and car #2 slammed into car #1.
I agree. I don't think we have economic wealth as much as we have easily available credit to buy new or pay someone else to fix whether we can afford it or not. My parents would save up to purchase a new vehicle, and until they had enough, my dad would repair the one we had or buy another second hand.
"No child left behind" ???? EVERY CHILD LEFT BEHIND !!! All of the above observations are a daily gripe for me too. Zipping kids through school just to get "numbers" and ratios up for state accreditation is proving to be "stupidity by law".
Articles in two different papers just last night ( Gallup NM Independent 09/29/08 gallupindependent.com) an AP story by Matt Mygatt "Changing times thin ranks of Native firefighters" reinforces the points driven by our posts here. The BIA southwest Native tribes' type 2 fire crews ( forest/wild fires ) have dwindled from 100 to 55. I see this attitude carrying over to all aspects of industry not just the automotive segment. kids aren't learning the BASICS to the detrimental point that they also DON'T CARE !
It's not all gone. Last week, my wife, daughter, and her twenty-six month old son went to an outlet mall in Mercedes, Texas.
After a half hour, he said it was a woman's mall, and he was bored sick. Well, actually, what he said was, "Go home!" and pointed at the parking lot, but I understood what he meant.
So, I took him to the little fenced in place with little trucks and cows and elephants for kids to sit on, and if you plug in fifty cents, it rocks up and down for a minute or so.
A girl a year or two older came up, and her mom gave her the quarters. That girl sat there, with a big smile on her face while her little pickup bounced up and down.
After she left, I got curious how he would react, so I gave him the two quarters. He clumsily put them into the slot. The minute it started to move, he frantically climbed off the pickup and started running. I was surprised, because he usually isn't afraid like that.
But, when he got to the front of the pickup, he stopped, threw himself on the floor, and peered up underneath to see how it worked. His dad, who is an engineer really laughed when I told him about it.
I feel it is mainly because in the pre-1970s or so cars didn’t have any computerized components. You could actually touch the carburetor and get greasy. Presently, there are so many computerized pieces in a car it leaves us with the feeling of, "OK....so what do I do now?"
09/25/2008 8:39:28 PM
