New generation.

[bigstraight6]

My youngest hates EV’s, rocks an old Polo diesel daily and a ‘68 Mercury Cougar for weekend’s and high days and enjoys doing jobs on my old stuff like this fuel pump rebuild on my ‘64 Zodiac last weekend, thankfully all is not lost just yet! Any other keen on the old stuff offspring?

[Popsicle]

Ah thats so good to see, your positive influence has obviously rubbed off onto him.

We've 4 kids, eldest two are girls, no real interest in fixing cars but both do drive, youngest 2 are boys and the eldest of the two is just starting to learn to drive and has declared that he wants an old Defender and is more than happy to learn how to keep it on the road, time will tell. I've told him to start saving as the bank of mum and dad will buy him a cheap and cheerful first car like we did for the girls but not a Defender.

To be fair to the girls they do show some interest when I work on their cars, I think its more being polite/keeping cups of tea coming and to report back to Mrs P how much swearing I'm doing than anything else. At least they hang around though and spend some time with me, it does feel nice when they say 'what we gonna do when your gone dad'.

[vaughant]

My boy has literally zero interest in such things but an adult apprentice at work told me his youngest brother has just turned 16 and has gone straight to a garage to start work like his old man, has zero interest in anything else. 

I think it's a hard industry to make a good living from if you work for someone else and hence hemorrhages staff to other industries that offer better pay/conditions. 

I'm hoping that changes over time and mechanics get recognised for the complex machine a car is. 

Hopefully the EV stuff will push the wages up.

[DVee8]

N01's son has picked the spanners up since he could walk. He would put his Cozy Coupe up on ramps in the garden.

When I bought the Daimler in 2006, that just piqued his interest. When I would head to the garage, he'd be there. 

The only thing he wanted to do was learn to drive, the first lesson was on the morning of his 17th, and he wasn't frightened to have a go. The Fiat 500 he first had was a little needy. The Abarth after that was more complicated but if it needed anything he got stuck in. The BMW he has now, wow what a car for a 20-year-old but that hasn't fazed him either a fair bit has been changed in pursuit of performance. It's always clean he's always pottering with it but as any 20-year-old he's looking at his next one. 

He'll leave uni this year with letters after his name, what he wants to do is train as a BMW master mechanic.

N02 son had no interest at all until he hit 17 and his first lesson, seemed to flick a switch. The MINI we bought him, belonged to a lad that he gone to uni and had been parked up for a while being used once or twice a month, it had 7ish miles in the tank. But it belonged to him, he isn't mechanically minded but wants to know. The BMW he has now is a 1-owner car but did around 3000 miles a year around the doors, but that's starting to show as it's done around 2500 miles since June and niggley little things are starting to show. It's MOT day for it today.

 

[sierraman]

My youngest announced she wanted a Lamborghini Countach on Wednesday so there’s time yet. Unfortunately for now it’ll have to be Bburago. Eldest has no interest in cars now. 

[Rustybullethole]

Eldest has never displayed an interest. Maybe it was putting that semi auto pit bike into a ditch? Was a mistake on my part that one as they had rode the Ural outfit mastering the clutch whilst too small to reach the bars other than sitting on the tank. Semi autos are shot for learning on I think. Lack of control other than throttle which of course you meed to be moving to master properly. Though clever in many ways practical skills is not their forte.  Flinging spanners is not for them. At 19 they still have no interest in driving. Living and going to uni in London they have no need to either really.

Youngest is different. Mastered clutch and gears solo before leaving primary on both bikes and cars. Like their old man this chavy just picks things up taking/listening to no one really just sees and does. When younger used to help me loads fucking about with old clappers, not now since their teens. 

At 16 years young they have like the eldest declined a 50. Possibly put off by the thought of being gifted the Honda Melody haha. Still pretty keen on driving from what I can glean. Sure the love for mechanics will come flooding back when I gift them a complete shit box as a first car next year. 

[Matty]

I've 2 daughters. Eldest couldn't give a monkeys. Maybe some hope with the youngest as she does ask questions about stuff. And she tells me she's having my car and that Spitfire my Dad's just got.

Unfortunately that means me and me Dad will need to be dead. So she might become an old car enthusiast but on the other hand she's just plain evil.

[danthecapriman]

I don’t have kids of my own, but last year had a couple of kids from somewhere round here knock on the door asking about the Mercury! 
They seemed really genuinely interested in it so I went out on the drive and showed them it, let them sit in it and take a few photos. They were really polite ‘good’ kids so I thought it was a good thing to try and encourage their interest in old cars. 
I thought that was that, until a few days later they turned up again with another friend asking if they could see the Capri and Volvo!!😆

Im not completely sure I’d want my own kids knocking on strangers doors and asking about their cars and I’m pretty sure their parents wouldn’t like them doing it, but fair play to them! They all seemed really interested and keen so it’s a really good thing to encourage I think. 
Maybe it might be that little spark needed to give them either a career or at least a lifelong interest and hobby. In this day and age that’s a good thing imho.

[reb]

I'm too young (and terminally single) to have kids old enough to be into cars, but when I still had the 850 the young brother of the guy in the next workshop would wander over and ask questions about it. He would have maybe been around 10, has his own set of overalls, and the questions he was asking showed that he is well on the way to being the sort of guy you find squirreled away in a workshop fixing stuff every weekend. So there is hope yet!

[auntiemaryscanary]

My eldest daughter is 16 in 10 days. I asked her a month or so ago if she wanted a moped. She looked at me as if I was from Mars. Not even interested applying for a driving license. She will help with DIY, especially demolition, so that's something.

Youngest dtr doesn't even like getting in the mint green Corsa. When I had a Perodua Nippa (purple) she'd put her coat over her head so her mates wouldn't see her.

Summary: generation no

 

[Metal Guru]

My son (20s) has always wanted a van rather than any car and recently got one. Moans about “all the young lads at work” who are mad on MX5s.

[Dobloseven]

Of our eight,eldest was helping me with car repairs since he was a toddler.First car before he could drive,ran a few old motors before buying a couple of new Fiats on finance.Company cars since the noughties,but current partner has a 13 year old 230k mile A3 he keeps running for her.Second son has no interest at all in cars and runs an Astra.Third lad likes old cheap cars and I've supplied him with a couple.Hoping to buy a bungalow with a garage and driveway so he can indulge himself.Eldest daughter is in Dubai but has a house in Yorkshire where they keep a 20 year old Smart For Four which needs fettling every summer when they come home.Another son has a 13 reg Adam he bought new and a 57 reg Touareg they use for towing their horses.Youngest daughter lives in Dubai as well and has a new Kia.Last but one son has never driven and currently lives in China.Youngest is probably the most shite of all,with his 22 year old 325ci and has just sold an exAS spaceship Civic.He's managed to keep both running himself,with a little help from the old man.Would like a Saab one day.So really at the moment oldest and youngest are the biggest Shiters.

[Rust Collector]

My son Jensen is coming up to 2 in November. ‘Car’ was one of his first words, and he’s car mad at the moment. Toy cars, real cars, lorries, busses, trains, trams, planes - if it’s some sort of drivable machine then he’s obsessed with it.

Assuming he keeps the interest then I can’t wait until he’s old enough to drive round the farm tracks at the stables; I would’ve loved that as a kid, as cars and driving were pretty much all I was interested in.

Outside of cars, if he sees me working on anything else then he feels obliged to come and help*. Whilst of course he can’t actually do anything meaningful, he watches me and then copies what I do with the tools - puts screwdrivers on to screws, spanners onto bolts etc. which makes my heart melt 😅

I hope I can teach him what I know as he grows up, as I’d love to send him out into the world with the skills to be self sufficient in maintaining and repairing the things he owns.

My daughter Amélie is only 7 months old, but she dotes on her brother. She’s on the cusp of learning to crawl, and when Jensen is playing with toy cars or brio trains then she likes to be put down beside him so she can join in. I suspect that if Jensen grows up with an enthusiasm for cars, then Amélie will too - my partner is gutted at this prospect 🤣

[auntiemaryscanary]

That's a great picture @Rust Collector of your son with the screwdriver on the Briggs & Stratton mower engine! It's a good skill knowing how to replace the priming bulb on one those things. 

[chadders]

My two, late 20s early 30s, have absolutely no interest.

There was a wish for a VW T2 camper by one some 15+ years ago which we bought but he soon lost interest after we'd spent the summer holidays trying to repair it.

Like most of their friends and colleagues cars are in the same category as 'white goods'.

[auntiemaryscanary]

2 hours ago, auntiemaryscanary said:

My eldest daughter is 16 in 10 days. I asked her a month or so ago if she wanted a moped. She looked at me as if I was from Mars. Not even interested applying for a driving license. She will help with DIY, especially demolition, so that's something.

Youngest dtr doesn't even like getting in the mint green Corsa. When I had a Perodua Nippa (purple) she'd put her coat over her head so her mates wouldn't see her.

Summary: generation no

 

My 2 daughters don't know it yet but a condition of getting their 1st car will be boring old dad showing them how to check fluid levels, tyre pressures etc. I'll also on a drip feed basis explain the importance of a good battery, where the fuse box is, how to change a tyre & wiper blades etc.

I think the eldest will be receptive especially when we have an exciting* trip to Halfords to show how much they charges for essentials and the extra to fit them - she knows the value of money! She'll get a limited run down of alternative suppliers of automotive stuff. (She'll never experience ECP - I couldn't afford the years of therapy she'd need!)

They'll also get a mini dual home/car toolkit. If when they leave home they can keep an on eye their car and change a plug/fuse, connect a new washing machine in etc I'll be more than satisfied.

[Matty]

Proper result already @Rust Collector! I sometimes feel I missed out not having a lad, especially coming from a big family of men. Then I remind myself that one of my best pals is up at the crack of dawn every Saturday and Sunday for various football games and I think, maybe I'm alright after all 🤣

[reb]

I remember when I was about 20 I got sent on an electrical safety course for work, basically learning how to PAT test. I was the youngest there by about 15 years. One of the tasks was to wire a plug. Cue lots of jokes about how I wouldn't be able to do it.

I was the only one who was able to do it such that it followed the regs.

[MrGTI6]

My son (11) doesn't show any particular interest in cars at the moment. In fact he has very little interest in anything outside of playing football, playing FIFA, or watching videos on YouTube of other people playing FIFA (yes, that's a thing now!). 

He might show more of an interest in cars by the time he's old enough to drive, however by 2030 there probably won't be many interesting cars left on the road anyway!

[Rust Collector]

39 minutes ago, Matty said:

Proper result already @Rust Collector! I sometimes feel I missed out not having a lad, especially coming from a big family of men. Then I remind myself that one of my best pals is up at the crack of dawn every Saturday and Sunday for various football games and I think, maybe I'm alright after all 🤣

I’ve lucked out in that my dad loves sports whereas my brothers and I hated it, so my dad has already said that he wants to take my kids to any sports they want to do. I think he wants to make up for what he didn’t get out of me and my brothers, which I’m more than happy for him to do 🤣

[Bren]

Eldest has just passed his test.

He likes american police cars - last model of crown victoria is his favourite.

[stuboy]

oldest son 23, never had an interest, though growing with me fixing cars, vans and mopeds, youngest 6 wants my tools etc etc..

[somewhatfoolish]

The dog doesn't look too thrilled.🤣

[Rust Collector]

8 minutes ago, somewhatfoolish said:

The dog doesn't look too thrilled.🤣

He’s something of a reluctant sentinel; he’s not mad keen on having the kids bother him, yet he follows them around the house like he’s their shadow and rarely lets them out of his sight 😅

[Matty]

36 minutes ago, Bren said:

Eldest has just passed his test.

He likes american police cars - last model of crown victoria is his favourite.

Can't think of a better first car tbh. No safety worries 🤣

[Matty]

19 minutes ago, somewhatfoolish said:

The dog doesn't look too thrilled.🤣

Good dog will do that. Our greyhound Izzy (much missed) was like that. Big lump that she was she fussed over the kids more than we did tbh.

[Garythesnail]

12 hours ago, somewhatfoolish said:

The dog doesn't look too thrilled.🤣

SAS dog - didn't even see the dog until you posted!

[warch]

12 hours ago, Rust Collector said:

He’s something of a reluctant sentinel; he’s not mad keen on having the kids bother him, yet he follows them around the house like he’s their shadow and rarely lets them out of his sight 😅

Most pictures of our kids when they were babies have been photobombed by our collie, My dad suggested bringing an article of baby clothing back from the hospital for her to sniff so she knew who they were. She often used to sit with her head resting on the frame of their bouncer. 
 

Both of my daughters (pre teen) take an interest in my old cars. They’ve both had a go at driving my Landrover and I’ve caught my eldest sitting in my Astra, I’ll be teaching her how to drive in five years time.

[timolloyd]

I reckon my 2 might get into cars eventually. They love Dad’s ‘Turbo Frog’ (Caterham 7) and are somewhat fascinated by their Great Great Grandfather’s Herald, in the garage.

[bezzabsa]

I have 4 kids (32, 29, 28, 21) and NONE of them have any desire to learn to drive... Youngest has Autism so I'm glad in a way he doesn't want to learn.

1 daughter lives in Liverpool with my 2 grandkids and uses public transport as its supposedly better than down here in the Midlands..