My son is 8.....On occaision he would like to assist with my onging ressurection of an '85 300D.....I'm trying to develop a menu of things that he can help me with that will be safe (for him and the car) and can be dropped as their interest wanes....I want to garner their interest with short bursts rather than drag them through something that would snuff any interest I might spark......Cleaning vac. lines with a wire and pipe cleaner is a perfect example that I will try with him....to date he's helped undue/reinstall fasteners and things like that. he's slowely learning the tools and names of the components and systems.....We came in for dinnner the other night and my wife asked me what we were working on, I glanced at my somne and he said we reinstalled the main vacuum line to the pump.....

He's got safety glasses but I'm looking for small disposable nitrile gloves for him....

So? Anyone have any suggestions?

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

This is a subject more important than 99% of the posts here. Turning kids on to understanding how things work. Recently, my 9 year old daughters helped me test the thermostats- I had 2 -we put them in a pan with water on the grill and a candy thermometer and heat cycled them to verify proper operation. Then, they each did a complete radiator change. The first new radiator had a crack in the lower tank from shipment, so we actually did the job twice. I placed the new radiators in so they wouldn't get dropped but they made all the connections. What a thrill to see them logically choose an alternative tool based on their body type and position - boy, do they learn fast!

About 3 or 4 years ago when my son was that age I employed him to hold ignition wires and a metal shield while I soldered it on my Blazer. He was between the hood and air cleaner - an impossible position for an adult - he was quite a trooper and a big help!

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'82 300SD - 361K mi - "Blue"

"Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgement."

listen, look, .........and duck.

My daughter, just turned 7 wears my gloves. Sure they aren't tight, but they keep her hands clean. Although if you do find some kid sized ones she'd probably think that was the neatest thing. To date she helps me with tools and things on top of the car. I won't let her get under it with me.

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'84 300CD Turbo 132k (Anthracite Grey) - WVO - My daily driver - Recently named coo-coo-coupe by my daughter.
'84 300D Turbo 240k (Anthracite Grey) - Garage Queen
'83 300D Turbo 220k (Orient Red) - WVO - Wifes daily driver

I'm not a certified mechanic, but I did stay at a HolidayInn Express last night.

My 8 year old daughter helped me bleed the brakes after my pressure bleeder erupted the brake reservior.
She did a great job and talked about it for weeks. All kids (young) like to help their dad.

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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

I wouldn't want my kids under anything on jackstands just on principle alone. In replacing the radiator, it was on 4 wheels. In fact, I do most work under my car without jacking it up. For kids, this is ideal - perfectly safe (with multiple wheels chocked) on a level garage floor, and they can wiggle around easily in places Dad has trouble squeezing his fat butt through.

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'82 300SD - 361K mi - "Blue"

"Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgement."

listen, look, .........and duck.

The key is quality time. If I had kids I would not hesitate to let them under a car on jackstands or ramp. In my younger days I would have worked on a car just under a jack but properly placed jack stands are to cheap of insurance plus really necessary for most jobs. If they have a good time working with you then they will really take to it. Some kids will have an aptitude for mechanical things and will catch on quicker and will most likely enjoy it more. My love of working on cars is part aptitude and part summers I spent on the farm with grandpa working on farm tractors(also contributed to my love of diesel). Always make it as fun as possible and share the reward of a job finished in a way a child can understand. It also helps if you have an understanding mother for those children!

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My Daily : 96 E-300 Diesel with 195,000 miles
Retired: 92 300D 2.5 T 345K miles and for sale
Retired: 95 E320 157K miles and currently parked with blown engine

Both retired cars are for sale as is my w124 shop inventory

I think that I am starting to understand more about the origins of my love for beer.

Personally I am not looking to have kids but I am inspired that you guys are spending quality time with your kids. that is awesome and I wish I saw more of that kind of stuff.

Kudos

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1979 Thistle Green 300D 272,xxx miles
1984 Orient Red 300 D 4 spd Euro Import - 189,xxx miles
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Lofat Productions
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Absolutely! A kiddos can start out by helping dad with the tools, handing you stuff you need while under the car etc...car wash day is always big fun too. At about 6-8 they may have the stamina and focus to get involved w/more lengthy projects say an engine rebuild. Make sure you have a project that is "their's" too. Rebuild a bike or something like that where they have ownership and the pride of seing something go full circle.

There is no better quality time than that spent, elbow-deep in a piece of machinery alongside your offspring. Thing One (now 24) started out at about 4, riding with me a half-day while I ran appliance service calls. It gave Mom a break and I had a helper...it didn't take long before he learned what a nut driver was and the differences between the red, yellow and blue ones. All too quickly, it was time for him to drive. We didn't hesitate to buy a clunker and fix it up. None of which would have ever have happened without envolvement from an early age. That blue Ford is long gone but Thing One still referrs to it as the best truck he ever owned. And, you can read all about the exploits of him and his 300TD, Passion Flower, in this forum.


High Quality Time

Starting out pretty much the same way, Thing Two (now 21) spent the better part of a couple of summers dring high school either under her Toyota pickup installing a clutch or under the hood, rebuilding the top end of Toyota's nefarious 3VZE. Today, she is responsible for my W115...but, it never needs any work.

Be careful of what you may get started; Thing Two is in her junior year of engineering, pulling a full load, playing Div III volleyball, holding a 3.65 GPA and tries vainly to explain differential equations to me.

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Never a dull moment at Berry Hill Farm.

I teach behavior disordered students and every year after state testing I try to show my kids at school their way around the engine compartment and how to do simple tasks such as check the oil, tire pressure, trans. fluid, etc. I know that with liability issues we obviously can't do any mech. work but....
I am surprised at the number of kids who don't have a clue as to how to even check the oil. Either their parents have never shown them or they don't know themselves.
My point is this... I had a kid who graduated from high school this year who came back to tell me how much he appreciated my taking the time to show him how to check things on a car - I teach middle school kids. That was time well spent as far as I am concerned.

Well my boy is just 2.5 years old For now I teach him the basic things like .."don't TOUCH IT!!" Otherwise I'll hand him a select clean wrench to hold around. Got to keep his fingers clean because he sucks on them all day long!

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Peter
1984 300D MB "Klara"
1996 4Runner SR5 "Toy"
1997 Impreza Outback "Subie"
80's Diesel PU Rig (to be purchased)

IMHO, there's a very strong correlation between being a good engineer (mechanical at least) and having first hand knowledge of machinery. Reliability and maintainability of installed machinery in this country has never been more important than it is today. Sadly, these concepts were not well taught when I was an engineering student and I'm afraid it's still that way. Any engineering graduate with that knowledge today has a big advantage. Whenever I interview a potential engineering hire I always ask questions to find out what they KNOW how to do.

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'82 300SD - 361K mi - "Blue"

"Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgement."

listen, look, .........and duck.

1) Reliability isnt strongly taught (soon a Mech. engineering technology graduate myself...) becuase of its affect on Cost. Design it to last for X years, and then who cares... When desigining long-life span equipment, most of it has been done before, (ex: ASME boiler codes and water chemistry control= long life power plants) you have to go really high tech (and specialized) the find engineering products that need to last a long time that we dont already know how to make.

Not that we should stop, at least give the consumer the option of buying a well made-long lasting piece of equipment.

2) Teaching children to love learning is what this is about. They can learn about writing, about cars or about computers, but the desire to learn is what I think is most necessary, and will keep them competitive when they (like me) need to find a job...

3) My wife and I will have kids soon..we'll need to work on that "how much working on cars can our child do at age XX" question... =)

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2009 Kia Sedona
2009 Honda Odyssey EX-L
12006 Jetta Pumpe Duse
(insert Mercedes here)

Husband, Father, sometimes friend =)

Start 'em early with the tools and with the safety glasses and the secondary containment (newspaper in this case).....This is a few years old but you get the idea..........

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

There is not enough that can be said about getting the kids involved (in almost everything). Looking back at all the years my son turned wrenches with me, I never thought of the gain as any more than some good practical experience that might give him the confidence to save a $ and tackle a problem himself one-day. He graduated High School and started college last summer. He found real quickly that frying meat and working in “C” stores was not going to give him the cash flow that a 19 year old needs. At the end of last summer he “cold called” on the local GM dealership for a job. They hired him! Of course he started out changing oil and working the trade-ins but be stuck with it and earned his stripes. GM has provided him with some excellent training and he wears the official Goodwrench outfit and works at the Hummer Lot. Still in college, has the $$’s all is good. I met the service manger for this dealership at an un-related social function. He was amazed at my sons understanding of diesel engines – that made me feel pretty dam good

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BENZ THERE DONE THAThttp://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/...c/progress.gif
15 VW Passat TDI
00 E420
98 E300 DT
97 E420 Donor Car - NEED PARTS? PM ME!
97 S500
97 E300D
86 Holden Jackaroo Turbo D
86 300SDL
(o\|/o)

I have some first hand knowledge of being in the childs seat on this one as my father has been wrenching on cars since he was 17. I am 18 now and do all my work myself (its even safe to say I know more about MB specifically than my father though he has me out-knowledged on every domestic and german engine in existance...espically CAT.)

I used to help him with cars and whatnot all the time when I was growing up. Restoring a my 69 bug when I was 16-17 with my father was a very fun experience and is memorable. Most automotive experiences now are us sitting around something domestic cussing out the poor craftsmanship and how "if this was only a german car...." lol

It also makes a bond between father/mother and son that is hard to beat later in life. Its kept me out of all sorts of trouble always having something to wrench on.