Has anyone else been a "bad" influence on their children due to their interest in trucks and auto repair. My 8 year old is wanting a baja bug to work on, my 7 year old wants my old truck to drive and a Karmann Ghia to rebuild. The wife just got her old car to drive (once it's painted - she won't drive it with the primer very often).

Am I leading them down a path of torn knuckles, grunged fingernails, ruined clothes from gas, creative use of language, all nighters looking for the "noise". I can hardly drive down the road without a scream about some vehicle they see behind a house, they can recognize all major cars from the outline under a tarp, they can smell old cars (honest - the bad gas pumps) in a parking lot, and my 8 year old knows where the guy with the old ford wagon works!

What is this world coming too? Had to vent - boys are up and want to search for old muscle cars and fire engines on line. Hey, anyone have an old fire engine for sale? maybe an open cab? Just missed out on a 30 foot REO...........Whoa...I just don't know where they get their ideas.

 

Based on my experience, if your sons are gearheads, you can't stop it. My father had no interest in cars or most things mechanical. Like many of you out there I was building soap box racers and taking things apart as soon as I could hold a tool! See my gallery for a pix of the beginning. I have one son that is a gearhead and one that is artistic. Both however like cars. The gearhead is still fixing his artistic brother's (age 36) car.

 

my older half brother was rebuilding carbs at age 5. All the mechanics working on vehicles would come to a snag, and he would chime in with his opinion, and they all kinda chuckled about it...until they found out he was right. Now 20 years later, he's a mechanic and works at a parts store. 24 hours a day he lives for cars and trucks. Too bad he drives a 50 che^y 1 ton. But it's better than sitting in a basement playing video games and getting high.

 

Finding old firetrucks isnt that hard! Can normaly get then a t a fair price also. Many arkansas-(and others states im sure) have volunteer fire departments. Old trucks get bought and sold often. About 2 years ago i sold my 64 ford ambulance to a local department. Mabey your boys canbe mechanic on a fire department some day!!

 

Could be a lot worse -
I think it's sad that todays society is producing a lot of young people that can't even change a light bulb. Don't worry about this - encourage it. Buy 'em tools, parts, teach them all they'll absorb. It won't be time wasted later on, and they won't be restricted to just cars and trucks. And the best part - all the money they make as teenagers is going for parts, not drugs!

 

I'll repeat my post from the running board thread about my buddy's 8 year old granddaughter who just won her first main event in a 1/4 midget. Kids need something besides TV/computers/video games. just mho of course

 

Keep up the hard work of keeping those kids happy. My dad and his car buddies (I think his buddies more, hehehe) have been a "bad" influence on me too.

hotrod48

 

I tried as much as possible to foster an interest in older vehicles. It's worked on one but not the other. The younger lad bought his first vehicle this past summer - a fixer upper 78 El Camino. He's helped a bit on my truck over the past couple of years, so he sorta knew what he was in for. We've put a couple of grand into his already with a few more to go....

As already stated - it helps to keep them away from drugs and it gives them a little more respect for vehicles (i.e. lessening the abuse of them, knowing what it takes in effort and $$$ to repair them). He's already talking about his next vehicle - a 30's coupe of some sort....

So I did alright with one... The other appreciates a nice set of wheels but they're mainly just transportation to him....

 

I may not have any children yet, but I will admit that I have been a bad influence on my younger brother. He's currently got the bug to find a truck and may have found a possible project. He just keeps asking questions and has me dig through my piles of stuff to help him do his "homework". I guess he's going to be calling a guy soon about a 66 F-250 he recently came across.

The funny thing is, if he does buy a truck, he's going to tell his wife it was all my idea... oops

 

My son heard the stories of my 54 when I was 16 but he never wanted a old car or truck. So he got his rice burner and did the import thing until I got my 56 and he drove it for the first time. His eyes got big when the 390 kicked in 2nd gear. I just looked at him and said you should have listened to me. Now his interest in old school rides has grown and we cruise together.

 

Hey, my dad was always into old cars and trucks ... and that's how I had my 1960 F-100 to drive to my high school graduation. I wouldn't have it any other way.

 

I don't have sons, but have three daughters. i do have two nephews (now 14 and 18) that I spent a lot of time with in the shop, building go-karts, minibikes, etc with.

Now the 18 YO Nephew has some, albeit slight, mecahnical knack...he's kinda lazy and would rather save money up and pay someone to change his oil...so not really sure where's hes headed just yet..hopefully for some cushy 6 figure job.

I lost the younger nephew to video games and the internet. Can't get him to do anything phsyical for more than ten minutes, then e's back in from of a computer ot game. Hopefully he'll cone around again soon.

Funny thing is two of my daughters have caught the old-iron-bug.

My 10 YO refuses to let me sell my '59 Chevy Pu, and has told me she wants it painted red with flames.

My 4 YO won't let me do anything outside by myself, she has to ride the tractor, has to help me work on my cars, etc. I even had to get her own auto darkening helmet so she doesn't get a flash when I'm welding. She wants to know it all.

My 8YO is in the GAIT program and damn near a genious, so I'll let her pick her own way.

Bottom line is I'd rather them scraping knuckles and swearing about a misfire, then out doiong who knows what when they get older.

Who knows though, it could all change in a few years, but I'll enjoy it while I can.

 

Bad influence? No. Perhaps my role as ancient ancestor who has a hotrod truck has made my grandchildren cultivate an interest in trucks. My beautiful granddaughter (15) came by in her big black dually to pick up her formal altered by Granny. She delighted in showing me the big engine and enlisted me to paint her rims. Also solicited my opinion on the chrome or black brush guard for the front. I'd post a pic but its not a Ford truck. Sorry, guys, rules is rules.

following guidelines, himmelberg

 

Bad influence? NO..... We need more of this younger generation getting into these old american cars and trucks. I'm 15 years old and am 1 of 2 kids in my high school of 300 that is interested in these vehicles. I'm one that isn't afraid to get dirty and will work on my own truck and others. I get tired of hearing all these ricers driving around and my classmates telling me to get somethine new and them talking about how cool ricers are. I love the sound of an American made V-8. I find it funny walking in school after i changed my point gap on my y-block and people smirking about the grease on my arms....i just responded by havne't ya had to work on something. All i'm saying is we need more people going into these old vehicles like i am. Most of this new generation seems to be a bunch of sissys in my opinion and we need more of em to be like me and my friends.

 

The other day I mentioned too my 5 1/2 year old son Khye that he might get a new bike for XMAS.

He immediately turned around and said "Can I have Josh's (my 8 year old) old bike instead. We could paint it flat black and pinstripe it like the ones in your magazines. With ape hangers too"

I don't know where he gets it from