Millenials - a generation without a wrench

S

strokerlmt

Moderator
IMHO opinion it is a generational thing Sal. The new group have computers, boxes, video games, texting. My newphhhh had his phone taken away for doing 5800 texts in a month. When did he sleep. I'm 60 and my father taught me wrenching. BUT I didn't have a TV in my room or a cell phone. My incredible daughters seem to be well rounded and we don't press them on anything and they are excelling in areas of comfort. I am a very fortunate man because my youngest , Zoe, loves to hang in the garage with me. She has her own bench where she does projects ie I got her some tools and she made some bottle cap belts. They earn their own money, have savings accounts and we tryyyyy to not give them anything. Try to have a "here this is what you wanted but this is how you can get it". BUT they still don't have the understanding that I had re how much a dollar is worth.
Sorry to ramble......hang in do the best you can.....
LMT
 
Bonniebret

Bonniebret

Rocker
T-boy said:
My dad didn't know a wrench from a screwdriver. I do know the difference, but that's about it. I'll always try to do something myself and if I f-up I learn something from it. If it's too complicated I'll let the professionals handle it. Sure, I wish I was a backyard mechanic, but I'm not.
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I'm in the same camp as you.
 
Texas94fs

Texas94fs

Hooligan
Hell my mom was just glad I didn't have a kid 2 weeks after I turned 17 like she did. I turned 23 last sunday, pay my own bills, have paid for my own bike, have a kickass woman (some of you know her as leeloo) and find out how much i suck at wrenching by doing it. I see too many kids these days that are just afraid to get dirty, yet its a hurculean effort to find a 15 year old virgin or one who doesn't abuse some substance. Its generational I suppose, but a lot of it is the pussification of america and the PC world we live in these days where proper child rearing is saying no and then not beating the little shits when they do it anyway. Of course some kids are just gonna be kids and not learn their entire lives. its just the way it is. Do the best with the knowledge you have and hopefully it takes. I'll stick with my dog though. At least she doesn't talk back.
 
msc66

msc66

Two Stroke
I've always worked on my own junk. I didn't have the money to pay someone and my dad wasn't going to do it so it was up to me to learn. That being said, I hated it. Sure I was a gear head and I loved cars and bikes but I swore that I'd never be a mechanic for a living. I don't mind working on the triumph and I have an old car that I restored in my back yard but maintenance on the daily drivers? Ugh! I do it because I don't trust shops but I sure don''t want to.

My kids are 14 and 9. They like riding in my old Buick and on the bike but show no interest in the hobby or the work and that's ok. Everybody's different and I will encourage them in what ever they decide to pursue but that being said, when it does come time to get a car they will know how to do the basics. Its part of the responsibility of driving. And when they move out they will know how to change a light bulb or the float in a toilet or the furnace filter. Having to depend on someone else for everything out side your job is not good.

Being my own mechanic put me in the minority when I was young and with how complicated cars are today its no wonder the minority is getting smaller. I'm just gonna teach my kids how to take care of themselves and if the crack pots are right and the economy goes to shit well then they'll be the ones to survive.
 
Skeeter

Skeeter

Rocker
i learned all i know from my dad, legos and takin stuff apart. i work in a body shop and have no "formal" learning or skooling in body work. im 26 tho.
 
S

strokerlmt

Moderator
My father was a pilot with aero engineering. When I was 5 he gave me a Licon Log Set for Xmas. Next year was Mecano Set, then Erector Set, then a great set that had clear plastic tube, valves, joints etc....it pumped colored water all over the place. Then a clear plastic model of teh human body. We spent hours figuring out the body. Then it was modeling ...putting airplanes together. When I was 10 yrs old we found out I needed glasses big time. I had always wanted to be a pilot but in that era glasses counted you out. So I shifted to model boats and sailing even though I think he was disappointed I wouldn't be a pilot he backed me up with sailing and scuba diving by the age of 13 yrs. He helped me write a letter to Jacque Cousteau asking for a summer job when I was 15. When I was in college I bought a red MGB with no 1st or reverse. I drove it home for the weekend for some food, laundry. I lived in an apartment on downtown Montreal. He said what are you doing....no 1st....I said no big deal I will get to it. On Saturday early we dropped the tranny....broke it apart....found the broken bits....went to the yard and I was up and running Sunday PM. He also made me take the 4 tires off while i was on blocks and he got me new rubber at Canada tire. I learned a lot from him...but as I said no TV, no texting, xbox, vidoes etc.....
Different times......
LMT
 
ssjones

ssjones

750cc
This generation is interesting. I live in a rural area and still find farm boys love to tinker with motors. I have two daughters, 22 & 28. Both were taught to do oil changes/tire rotations when they got their license. After that, I left it up to them. They could do it at home with my supervision and supplies or get it done somewhere else and pay out of their pocket. The oldest always did it herself to the point of when she was 19, I could easily trust her to do it solo. She still drops by the garage and does it herself, always puts my tools back, cleans up etc. She had a bike, but totaled it last year. Despite a pretty scary wreck, she still wants back on a bike, when her finances can afford it.

The 28 year old lives with a motorcycle mechanics instructor, who also races bikes. They are always tearing one of his machines down in their garage. She gets a kick out of contributing. Last month, I went with him to a bike hill climb where he knew most of the AMA teams/wrenches. They were all young guys who were basicially just volunteering their time. His school is in PA near an HD plant. Since HD began their layoffs last year, he's been getting a group of new students who are older guys. He says despite working for 20 years in the factory, their basic mechanical knowledge/apptitude is pretty low, which seems odd to me. So I guess it bridges generations.

The 22 yr old, could care less about her car and just pays to have it done, despite usually being low on funds. It's just not her thing.

There is a number of young bike builders on the Jockey Journal forum, some are pretty good wrenches. There is hope...
 
B

Baltobonneville

750cc
thearcticsea said:
The generational thing holds no water for me.

This is the important part: The popularity of motorsports all boils down to the types of machines companies are producing.

The reason people aren't into "wrenching" isn't because the're young and lazy. It's because the most popular cars in America are Honda Accords, Toyota Camrys, and Toyota Corollas.

Now these are fine cars, but they're not quite inspiring.
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Kids around here love the Honda Civics and do all kinds of things to them. I understand what you're saying, but you might not be quite right.

Mechanical aptitude can be learned if there's a willingness to learn. My brother is that way. I have it naturally (which doesn't mean that I don't make a lot of mistakes).

Some people don't have it and aren't interested. They pay for their services, do without, or get us to do for them. That's just the way it is.

Different people have different talents. There's not a microgram of creativity in me, but I can wire and plumb a house and fix a lot of other things. Other members of my family are quite artistic and can paint beautiful pictures and play wonderful music. I can't do those things.
 
Oxblood

Oxblood

750cc
Wrenchin' came semi natural to me... My dad bought me a 71 beetle for my first car so I got off lucky in that i didn't have to pay for it but I had to pay for gas, maintenance, repairs and insurance on my job at Wendy's when I was 16 so I learned to fix and maintain that little 1600 quick to leave me some spending money :) He pretty much bought me the car and a chilton manual and say here have fun.
 
Skeeter

Skeeter

Rocker
Oxblood said:
Nope, too much shit thats a super pain in the ass to replace in 10 years not to mention half a century.
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ahaha true... sadly i have a "minitruck" and im thinkin s10 will have a come back in 50 years
hate all you want but i biult it
IMG_0197.jpg


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R

Ryan

Scooter
We're not all like that...

I've done my fair share of break'n, wrench'n, fix'n, etc... I sometimes ask my friends how they "fix" things, other than their PC, and they claim that its easy just throw money at it... Whereas a large percentage of that is saved when doing the work yourself: in their case saved for more video games.

I would certainly like to say that there is something different about this generation. They seem afraid to "get dirty", grab a shovel or wrench, help an old lady, be chivilrous, do household chores.
 
Hedge

Hedge

American Infidel
If it is not a Fucking Video Game they have no interest whatsoever! I have my wifes sister staying with us right now while we renovate our bathroom and her kid sits in his room for 15 hours a day playing "Fucking Games"! White as a Vampire Ghost, skinny as a stick, and as motivated as a person on unemployment; (wait a minute . . . I'm on unemployment!) But at least I'm looking aggressively everyday!
:cya:
 
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Skeeter

Skeeter

Rocker
D9 said:
Skeeter, that truck is mean lookin' and lower than low... I like... good work!
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thanks dude, means a lot comin from you.
shes for sale. 2200 takes it. im not takin it to AZ. ill use the money and biuld something cooler and older and lower.
it lays door, kut the rockers off and has a 2x3 frame under the cab. too much stuff modd'd to explain but i biult the entire thing.
 
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