is it a good idea to fix your kids' cars for them?

MuuMuu101 said
I'll throw in my two cents. My father wasn't very mechanically inclined or just chose not to be so growing up so no one really taught me how to be hands on.

same here.. my father tried but just couldn't do anything mechanical. just one of those guys with good intentions that just could never pick it up..

i did luck out that a neighbor knew quite a bit. i would run back and forth when i had a question.

i remember the first clutch i ever did. charlie told me where to start. when i got the trans and drive shaft out o ran back over to his place and asked what next. step by step i did the same thing. in the end i had the clutch in and it actually worked properly..lol

I have to make assumptions and learn on the job and tend to do the stupidest things, unable to complete even the smallest job 50% of the time.

thats how most of us started. learn by trial and error...

I honestly don't know how some people can just look at something for the first time, take it apart, learn everything about it, and then put it all back together. I guess I was never born with the knack.

thats just a gift they were born with...

It's taken me almost a year, on and off, for me to try to fix my brake situation and I'm still not done. I bet if anyone else on this board were given the opportunity to do the work that I've done and plan to do, it would take them a couple weeks tops. I keep looking at the job and seeing how easy it can be, but at the same time I just don't have the motivation to work on it due to the fear of not doing it before and screwing up.

you need a friend that can help you through that stuff.