I'm 64, I've been working on vehicles since I was around 6 or 7 years old when I was watching my father tuning up a 1955 Chevy, he looked at me and said you've watched me do this many times can you put the contact points in the distributor?, I was scare to say yes in case I messed it up but was more scared to say no...so I said yes, so he sat me on top of the engine and watched me replace the points and adjust them to the proper gap with a thickness gauge..A.K.A. a "feeler gauge" because you had to "feel" the friction to know when it was correct....he put me down after I was finished and said go hit the ignition....that 265 V8 fired right up and I was strutting around like a rooster, after that I have never stopped working on vehicles!!!

That being said I have never had anyone ever work on my family's or my own vehicles.

I'll be 30 this year. I've been working on all my own cars since 16. It took one shitty oil change at a quick lube place that left me with a mess in my driveway to say "never again". Had never turned a wrench but my step dad showed me how to change oil, put on a spare, install spark plugs etc.

First repair on a car was when I got sediment in my tank on a 07 cobalt and needed injectors and a fuel pump. Dealer told me to pound sand even though the car was a year old. They wanted $2,200 in parts and labor to fix. Bought OEM parts online and made a mess in my driveway for about $400. The mere satisfaction of doing it myself was worth the cleanup. Vowed to never take my cars to the dealer after that.

I've never stopped and never will. I've even taught myself to weld lately. Hope I'm still at it at the age of some people on here.

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Good Stories!! This thread has potential. Pure Americana!!

This society is getting too spoiled and under skilled. Just because our lives revolve around a screen and a keyboard doesn't mean we shouldn't bust a knuckle once in awhile. Most of the kids under 30 I work with can rifle through an app or computer problem in a hot minute, but ask them to do some basics with a hammer? I get a blank stare like the black screen of death.
My old man could do a valve job on our old 390 Ford and the next day fix a microwave or TV. Let's hear some more stories!!

and

Teach your Children Well!! -Crosby, Stills, Nash.

I'm 30 and do my own work. Just replaced the suspension and have more to do. Oil was done the other day.

Been working on cars since being around my dads shop when I was young. Still have a scar on my hand from the first car I ever really remembering working on. 1987 dodge aries. the whole front clip, grille and headlights came off in one piece. It was hanging so I decided to just mess with it. Got it off and figured id try get it back on and tightened down, slammed my thumb and have nice nike looking scar there now! reminds me of it everything I look at it. First of many scars.

I have 3 kids 4,7,8 and they all have some interest. When I was putting the last strut in the 4runner my 4 year old daughter sat and watched me and was checking out the tools I had out.

I plan to teach them so at the very least they won't get taken at a shop. Alot of that going on.

Today I stopped at a welding shop to have him look at the rusty rad support since i dont have the means to do it. He had to be around 70-75 just got down and took look. Then showed me his 3 tacos all in beautiful shape. oldest being a 94 with 35k on it! The other one had a frame off restoration done to it that he just did himself.

I also just picked up a 04 camry with 96k on it. Has a slight tapping noise on the top end of the motor. good price so I'm gonna tinker with it and get it all cleaned up. Either flip it or have nice lower mileage 4 banger to drive around in.

67 here.
I change 4R fluids (engine, diff, ATF,power steering,coolant),serpentine,spark plugs, install new audio Sony AVX, clean MAF, pray every night for the head gasket, etc. Nobody would do it as carefully in my truck as I do it.
This forum and You tube makes it easy in my first Toyota.
Thanks guys.

I'm turning 26 tomorrow I've done nearly all my own service since I had my first car (a 2001 Dodge Neon) last year successfully changed my timing belt, water pump and other things on the way out. Only did it because of this forum following threads and pictures. I was raised without the money to take cars to the shop all the time and since my dad owned two Ford's I got quite a bit of experience growing up lol.

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Cool how your kids will soak up many of your sayings when you don't realize it. I've heard both of my boys saying "I'm bleeding so you know it must be fixed properly" or "no blood, this may not work"....lol.

I like this thread. BTW, I'm going to be 53 and have tinkered with engines and such for as long as I can remember. I must have got it from my father as no one else in the house at that time had any natural mechanical ability. Some it's natural, others have to work at it. Youtube and forums sure do help.