Pete mentioning of his son and his car got me thinking of this subject.
When I was a kid, my dad was always fixing something. Not really a hot rodder, but he used to buy old VWs and fix them up and resll them, always was dragging lawn mowers etc home. I guess I got my ways from him. My first bike was some piece of crap he found in the dump which we fixed up.I was the only boy (4 sisters) in the family, so it seemed natural.
I had 4 daughters, none of which were very interested in my sickness, a couple had a couple of sportyish cars over the years, but most were basic transportation. That was OK with me, but still feel I missed out on something. One of my daughters boyfriends was a car guy and we worked on some stuff together. Of course, she turned around and married some loser instead......but thats another story
At least someone was not losing my tools over the years, like I did with my dads stuff....lol
I also ended up having 4 granddaughters, none of which seem interested......Then, along came my 1st grandson (will be the only one, it seems)..He is 2 now and loves his toy cars and trains (mostly bought by me)....There is hope
My son is 8 years old and these days he's not overly interested in cars. These days it's more about hockey, soccer and video games. I'm hoping as he gets a little older and gets closer to being able to drive that his interest grows. Time will tell!
My grand daughter just turned 16 last week and got her drivers license. She is interested in cars somewhat but probably not in a turning wrench way. I'm taking a different tact with her. I'll be signing her up for some skid school and hi performance driving on the track once she has some time behind the wheel. I did a bit of slalom racing way back and figured she may enjoy that and it will get me involved in the sport again too. Her two younger brothers aren't into it yet but I think they will come around especially the youngest (11) as he is very hands on.
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Stu
"some things hurt more, much more, than cars and girls"
I have been luckey that my family tolerated the car hobby.It was easy way back in the 70s because we could attend weekend events that provided family orented activites and weekend camping.Those old tent trailers were a treat.We always chose events where there was something interesting for the family to do in the area and they didn't mind going so I think they enjoyed themselves.The two older girls (now in there 40s)had boyfriends that were into cars(If I ever find the one who sold the 402 I loaned him----)and now seam to have normal families.One grandson is starting to restorehis fathers 62 Falcon.My other two kids ,The youngest daughter (25)is the princess of the family No interest except to say thats nice dad.The youngest is the boy(23) and yes he is into it .We always did stuf together ,workin on cars and playing hockey with and against each other.The most fun I have ever had with a car was lineing up beside him at the Picton armdrop drags and racing our asses of all day.He has a mild custom 96 Roadmaster wagon that showes well and goes fast.Families are a very important part of rodding and this hobby can be fun for all . Ed
I'm a fortunate guy. My wife, all 3 kids (25 son, 21 daughter, 17 son) and the two oldest have partners who all love the sport. Drags, paved/dirt-tracks, flat-tracking, we're into a little of everything and like going together. My Mom and Dad loved to go along until he passed away last fall, we'll miss him this year. The first race will be a melancholy one.
My Son is 19. His first vehicle was a 1988 Chev short box P.U. purchased from the local auto wreckers as a rebuild. It's what he could afford and the guys their really worked with him to get him the parts he needed at a very reasonable price to get it back to drivable condition. I found him a mint western box that was only about 2.5 hours away from us. A donor hood, grill, right fender, some frame straightening a battery and some paint and he was on the road. He is now working as a welder/ fabricator at a local shop that specializes in Stainless food grade welding and piping. He now drives a 2006 Chev P.U. that he is constantly changing something on it. Roll pan, seats, window tint, lighting, stuff he can afford. His insurance and bank payments really keep him from doing what he would like to do on it. I told him, all in good time,don't lose your passion. It will come if your patient.
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Proud member of the Brantford Piston Pushers. (Second Generation) & Disciple of Speed of the E.L.T.A.
lot of interesting stories ........ probably will make mine boring to read .............my dad never been into anything about hot rod or collecting cars he was more like in buying and selling cars money money lolll but he was bodyman by trade and owned his bodyshop when i was 11 ..so i did lots of after school at the shop sanding and masking cars .................till i was 14 then he bought a gas service station got into that after school to................
i had a boy and a daughter and the boy still like playing in cars but doesn t have a budget to get into it my daughter ain t afraid to get her hands greasy she works on her ford probe .summer time we been to lot of cruise night both driving the probes mine and hers ...........even made a long trip a few years back to Hamilton meet the onpc club that was a great weekend ...young kids can sure drink .............and both of my kids got there eyes on the Nova in my garage ...........me and my son got plenty of weekends at the demolitionderby he used love tearing them apart and lot of times got the car almost all ready by himself when i work and didn t have time were planning a weekend this june coming it will be his first time back in the pit crew ........since a few years
my 9 year old son is more of a gear head then I ever was at that age . Loves going to Drag races with me ,cruise nights , Car shows, swap meets .Loves using his hands and is very mechanic inclined . Should be interesting to see how he turns out . He and I work on our 33 regularly . He has things on the car he is responceable for and loves to cruise in the old car also .
100% different time for kids these days then when we were young , easy for them to be distracted by video games ,computer , etc. Seems their interests are going to be more tech based and less hands on. Lets hope not.
My oldest son is not a car guy at all no interest which is ok but he does feel left out at times. So I need to spend time doing the non car stuff with him. As for the younger one I started him out wrenching on bicycles and he has a collection of low riders and banana seat muscle bikes built from scrap we found in junk yards and flea markets.
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///// Join THE LOSERS c.c. of Ontario Ask me how/////
I started out going to the races with my Dad and Uncles when I was really young. Always loved the sound and smell. My Dad used to race carts and when I was around 5 or 6 we discovered that I was pretty good at hurtling sideways into a corner and steering with my right foot. We were at the St Catharines airport one afternoon watching a fly-in of a gaggle of Pitt's, as one swung around near us and the prop wash sent the smell of av-gas over us my daughter - who was about 4 at the time looked up at me and said "Dad, that smells just like the drag-strip!" Made me chuckle, my wife commented "you've taken another one to the dark side"
Our kids have their own stuff going on,
Bryan - 25 was into trucks and 4X4's but after having an un-attentive driver head-on and total his last Jimmy he decided to save for a house so most projects are on hold. He is looking into dropping a VW diesel into an Aerostar though, just to see what happens and also has an industrial flathead 4 that will look good in an early sprint-type street project. His girlfriend loves any kind of racing.
Baillie - 21 has an '89 Mustang convertible. She just pulled the passenger side door and fender to get at some rot in the hinge post. Did all the work herself, she's also half decent with a mig so she'll cut and patch the damage as her boyfriend(mechanic, also likes racing) and I observe.
Braydon - 17 has a square body Dakota given to him by his brother. Pulled the engine to rebuild it and will change the stump-pulling gears to something more streetable in the spring. Also has a '76 Ventura from West Virginia, 350/4spd. In the process of collecting bit's and pieces before starting the project. Girlfriend is rebuilding HER Chev short-box 4X4 with her Dad in their shop.
Have to admit, I am only the age of some of your kids...
Growing up all I ever heard was stories of my dad's cars. Couple reasons, he was diagnosed with PXE and due to loosing his eye site he lost his license when I was 5, the other reason I never got into anything motorized real young was my mom, with her complete fear that I would do something stupid given the chance to drive something with an engine, then there was the money factor. The cars I heard the most about was my dad's mid 60's Ford Cortina, done up as a bit of a sleeper, ton of engine work and went like stink supposedly. The other was when he first came to Canada he had a '72 RoadRunner, which was sold long before I was even thought about.
Not sure why I have the bug to be honest, just something I have always apprecaited and until I had the money to get into it I never really thought too much about it. There was some car guys that lived around my neighborhood as a kid, the one in particular had a '56 Chevy, and to this day a tri-five is on my bucket list to own.
As far as my kids my daughter is only 2, and the second kid is less then a month away from showing it's little face to the world. My daughter likes to play with toy cars, and it constantly asking me to make her a "garage" with lego for her to put the cars into. Any time she see's an old car, picture or real she states "that's daddy's car" so I have some hope that she will have some interest in it all, only time will tell.
This is my son's project 79 Camaro. He told me he was going to re-do it but I would not have guessed he would have gone this far. Nice thing is he has done it all on his own. Kinda makes a daddy feel proud...lol I told him he now has to get a beater shirt and some gold chains...lol
nice topic I have 2 kids my son who is 9 is more into skylanders (video games) than into wrenching on cars its funny when he was 4 he loved to help me in the garage but kind of lost interest. my daughter who is 6 likes to help me in the garage and she has the knack for it. better than some of my buddy's who would apply way to much force on parts. wayyy better than you would find working at CDN Tire! as far as my son, I would never push my likes on to him. I ask him questions about what he likes and some days he asks me questions about the old truck if he comes around cool, I would love that but we still manage to have fun as a family.
Oldest daughter hasn't much interest in car stuff, racing etc.
However my youngest daughter and son are into it, We spent considerable time together at the stock car races, drag races, and have been in a number of demolition derbys.
Son has wanted a muscle car for some time and now has a Chevelle SS that we hope to race a few times this summer. He teaches auto mechanics at the college here, my daughters favourite pastime in the winter to get a break from household duties/kids etc is plowing snow with an old 4x4 truck they have, she does son inlaws garage lot, home and a couple of neighbours driveways.
Great reading here you guys, involved with your'e kids, great to read about!!
It's great to read these stories of kids growing up and catching the same bug as we have. After we got married my wife found out she couldn't have kids so I lost out on what yourselves have been able to experience. But I have spent a lot of time with my buddy and his son racing go karts lately at Flamboro Speedway on Saturday mornings. His son has learned more than just working on the kart and it is fairly inexpensive to get into.
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Keep your stick on the ice and don't pull your goalie.
Anybody involved with their kids or neighbours/ friends kids,,, Someday those are going to be all great memories for those kids.
Sadly there appears to be a whole "Lost Generation" of kids out there with no experience or even an interest in much other than sitting pushing buttons! Some of those kids do not even know how to thread a nut on a bolt!!
One of the best things i see going is the Junior Dragster class, kids learning and having fun/dissapointments in the mechanical end of things , and creating memories with adults.
