Im 15, in case you people didnt know. Sadly though, I have never worked on a car with my father. I did work on tractors with my grandfather in Indiana, but I could only do that when we had the time to drive the 100 miles over there.

I have learned the most from research and then going out there to do it!

I have just recently completed an engine swap in my 1985 300SD

It runs like a top.

I didn't do anything with my dad either, but it was age and health reasons. He was 50 when I was born, and by the time I hit my teens, the 3-4 packs a day had started to really take it's toll on him.
My son, now 17, lives with his mom, so he isn't here when I do most of my piddling. He has a Dodge Ram, and just wants to drive it. He is more into guitars and his Christian band. He's a good son, but isn't interested in mechanicing. He does like the Mercedes, though, and I hope to have a better example one day.
Pic is the day he got his license. Wow he has grown up in the year since then!

Attached Thumbnails

 

__________________
Jimmy L.
'05 Acura TL 6MT
2001 ML430 My Spare

Gone:
'95 E300 188K "Batmobile" Texas Unfriendly Black
'85 300TD 235K "The Wagon" Texas Friendly White
'80 240D 154K "China" Scar engine installed
'81 300TD 240K "Smash"
'80 240D 230K "The Squash"
'81 240D 293K"Scar" Rear ended harder than Elton John

What a good thread topic.

Kids love getting dirty, so what better than an old leaky 617 diesel to start them on


My mother has a picture somewhere when I was 2 or 3 handing my dad a wrench while he was working under his Capri.

__________________


1980 500SE/AMG Euro
1981 500SEL Euro
1982 380SEL
1983 300TD
1983 500SEC/AMG Euro
1984 500SEC
1984 300TD Euro
1986 190E 2.3-16
1986 190E 2.3
1987 300D
1997 C36 AMG
2003 C320T 4matic

past: 1969 280SE 4.5 | 1978 240D | 1978 300D | 1981 300SD | 1981 300SD | 1982 300CD | 1983 300CD | 1983 300SD | 1983 380SEC | 1984 300D | 1984 300D | 1984 300TD | 1984 500SEL | 1984 300SD | 1985 300D | 1986 300E | 1986 560SEL | 1986 560SEL/Carat | 1987 560SEC | 1991 300D 2.5 | 2006 R350

If I had a machine shop at home I would drool over it constantly.
We already have a mill, a few drill presses, welder, plasma cutter, oxy-acetelyne, and a huge assortment of power/air tools. I realize this is a lot more than most forum members have but nothing beats a good mill and lathe.

I learned how to operate/machine on a lathe and mill when I was 16 and its amazing knowledge when it comes to looking at something and appreciating its craftsmanship. Besides not many people my age have machine shop experience anywho

Don't worry, when he actually starts driving nire he will probably become interested in at least maintenance and upkeep...I know that about 14 months ago after I got my license, I drove for about a week before I realized I didnt know how the hell this contraption worked...so I popped the hood and read up.

__________________
1985 CA 300D Turbo , 213K mi

This got me thinking. Today it's called quality time. We called it chores or work. I used to pull my ears when thinking and I remember a grade school teacher trying to get them clean before she figured out they weren't going to get clean. She taught me to put my hands in my pockets when thinking and my ears have been clean ever since. Mother must have been a saint to put up with greasy clothes and greasy kids.

At any rate, give the kid something broken and you guys play 50-50. He works for you on your stuff and you work for him on his stuff. He'll learn tools and pride of ownership real fast and you'll learn patience. You made every mistake he's going to make, and at the same age if you're lucky. On your stuff give him the disassembly jobs first so he learns to not misplace bolts, etc.

__________________
daBenz - 1970 220D

I've got you beat. I did my first paying job on a lathe in my Dad's shop when I was 12. All bragging aside I really enjoyed reading the posts on this thread. The downside is now I wish I would have gotten married and had kids so I could teach them the trade like my Dad taught me.

__________________
1983 300-D turbo
1985 300-D turbo
1959 Harley Panhead chopper
1929 Ford coupe restored
I hang out with Boneheaddoctor at Schuman Automotive OBK#5
All liberals are mattoids but not all mattoids are liberal.

The question is...when was this?
Sadly machine shops and hand built trinkets are fast becoming scarce

well i started when i was three by removing the threshhold on the back door of my house. although i dont have kids i teach my two younger bro's to work on cars and i just tought one of my 21 yr old friends how to use a wrench for the first time when i did the headgaskets on his camero.

__________________
have no worries.....President Obama swears "If you like your gun, you can keep it

five years ago when I just bought my '95 E300D my 11 year old son asked if he could help wash the shiny new Merc. Pleased that he wanted to be involved I agreed with overview from myself (the car was very shiny and still is)

We have a gravel drive (you can guess whats coming next.....) , I turned my back for 2 minutes when I looked again he had placed the wash bucket on top of the hood . I was really proud of my parenting at that point in that I managed to stay calm.

Keith

__________________
Keith

1995 E300D auto Wagon

Started wrenching on cars out in self defense. Dad was an accountant, but since $$ were tight, he did most of his own repairs. He was a big bear of a man with unexpected strength for his occupation. He had open and box end wrenches and a 1/2 inch socket set. That gave him way to much leverage. If the bolt was big, he was ok. If the bolt was small, well, I was going to be drilling and tapping. I started doing the wrenching on the smaller bolts just so I wouldn't have to replace them. Eventually, I bought him a 3/8 socket set and things calmed down.
There was no job inside the house he would not tackle. This was good since we lived in an old house and things always needed work. I can do just about any job inside of a house because of working with him. Plumbing, paint/plaster, electrical, wood working, roofing, whatever. I'm slower than the pros, but can do a decent job. It all comes from dad saying "here, hold this" or "put that there and tighten it down". He would just give me part of the job and turn me loose.
I made a big mistake awhile back. I bought a 2 year old house and then had kids. I should have bought a 102 year old house and had kids. My kids can paint and that's about it. They never got the practical experience I received.
My oldest did get fair amount of auto work. Had him doing ball joints on a VW with me when he was 10-11. Daughter likes doing some work on her car. 14 year old son is taking an interest in working on cars now.
I guess there are really two schools of thought. One says get a good paying job, hires pros for work, and play golf on weekends. Other says "I can do that, just let me go out to the forum and ask how" Not near as much golf, but don't have to find a plumber at midnight when it's raining INSIDE the house. I choose the latter style, but I don't fault the former style. To each his own.

May I give the other side of the argument? My dad was an electrician and was always fixing things around the house. I grew up thinking that's the way things are, it still surprises me some of the things others hire people to do. So I got into fixing cars, houses etc. and I'm sorry I did. I wish I had worked more on social skills, salesmanship, mental mastery, manipulating and bull****ting. I would be a lot better off with a lot less work. It seems the more important your job the less money and respect you get, while the more useless you are and the better you are at bull****, the more money and respect you get.

my dad usually paid others to do his dirty car work. So we spent most of our time washing and waxing. this was every saturday for 3 cars and 2 boats. Once I was 15 I began detailing cars for neighbors and most of the cars were W124s. Converts, Sedans, Wagons, there was a 400E too. Prob why I love those cars so much, and why I want a 93 2.5 turbo now.

I learned the mechanical stuff on my own, fixing computer printers, changing my oil, changing my timing belt...then changing my motor, Dad has a pic of my standing in my engine bay where my engine should be, he loves it.

Funny thing is I have spent more "car time" with my parents than anything else. Replacing light bulbs (which takes longer and longer on newer cars), Cleaning the interiors, changing cabin filters, the more everyday stuff that still gives them satisfaction of knowing their cars inside and out.

The best part is driving the car afterward to dinner or on a trip together seeing your work first hand.

People ask me why I love cars so much, it reminds me of home.

__________________
2002 VW Golf TDI-169,000 miles B20

The gloves in that small size are made.
They can tell you where to get them.

My daughter is eight, and helps me all the time, if the work is not too dirty.

__________________
ASE Master Mechanic
asemastermechanic@juno.com

Prototype R&D/testing:
Thermal & Aerodynamic System Engineering (TASE) Senior vehicle instrumentation technician.
Noise Vibration and Harshness (NVH).
Dynamometer.
Heat exchanger durability.
HV-A/C Climate Control.
Vehicle build.
Fleet Durability
Technical Quality Auditor.
Automotive Technical Writer

1985 300SD
1983 300D
1984 190D
2003 Volvo V70
2002 Honda Civic

https://www.boldegoist.com/

bestgloves.com is sending me some XS samples of their disosable nitrile gloves....

__________________
Rob M
Norwich, VT USA
1980 240D Euro delivery 4 speed manual silver/blue
~160K miles