When Thing One started to drive we found a beater F100 that needed brakes, an alternator and a clutch. Before that vehicle ever left the driveway with him behind the wheel, he had enough hands on experience and sweat-equity in it to have a fair amount of respect for what it took to keep a car going. Thing Two went through the same lesson with the vehicle that is now called "The TOAD" and when the Toyota pickup she bought from her brother finally puked a head gasket, I said that I'd be happy to rebuild the top end...but only if she was willing to get in there and work whenever I worked on it....Scout is a trooper and we worked hard side by side until we had it going again. The benefit being that now there's one more young woman that won't be hoodwinked by a mechanic and a mechanical engineering student walking the planet that has real hands-on experience with working on something functional. After that project (and my cussing about it) you can bet too that she'll never willingly design something as stupidly positioned as the exhaust downpipe flange on a Toyota 3VZE.

FWIW-That Toyota project had to be some the best time I've EVER spent with my children.

Nellybell, the W115 240D, is Scout's daily driver and has achieved some level of notarity at her school since it is practically 30 years older than the plethora of SUVs and other Detroit junk in the parking lots there. Remember, this is a gorilla knob car with series glow plugs and she's fully qualified in troubleshooting potential starting issues.

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Never a dull moment at Berry Hill Farm.