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Basic Car Tool Set for non-mechanical son

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619DioFan

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When you say your son is " non-mechanical " does that mean he has zero mechanical skills or has a lttle as in he can change a tire or do an oil change job ? I am going to assume it means zero skills. if that is the case he will need the following -

Cell phone
AAA membership
The phone numbers and addresses of ( 3 ) reputable shops in his area

The reality is that fixing a broken car/truck in the rain / snow in a carls junior parking lot at midnight ***** enough when you know how and have the proper tools. expecting someone to do it who has never fixed one before is not a good idea in my opinion. I am not trying to put you nor your son down , just thinking what's best for him.
 

M6erfan

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When you say your son is " non-mechanical " does that mean he has zero mechanical skills or has a lttle as in he can change a tire or do an oil change job ? I am going to assume it means zero skills. if that is the case he will need the following -

Cell phone
AAA membership
The phone numbers and addresses of ( 3 ) reputable shops in his area

The reality is that fixing a broken car/truck in the rain / snow in a carls junior parking lot at midnight ***** enough when you know how and have the proper tools. expecting someone to do it who has never fixed one before is not a good idea in my opinion. I am not trying to put you nor your son down , just thinking what's best for him.

I couldn't agree more. Keep it as simple as possible...
 

md21722

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Sometimes these tools are parts are handy because someone may stop and help if he has a problem. I keep spare relays under the driver's seat. One day my girlfriend was out shopping and called "Problem. Jeep won't start." It turned out to be the fuel relay. She changed it with the help of a father with a van full of kids while his wife ran into a store faster than I could get there.
 

gdpolk

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Just my opinion, but I'd get him one of the SMALL mechanics sets and tell him once he outgrows it then he can come back home and learn more about specific tools for specific jobs. In all honesty, without him being really mechanically inclined I doubt he is going to do anything more than the most basic and simple of things with tools and for that you really don't need a ton of tools.

For example, even just this tiny little dinky thing can do quite a bit of basic work with few embellishments beyond maybe a 6pc screwdriver set, a locking pair of pliers, and maybe a larger Chanellock:
spin_prod_940081112.


That's pretty simple but would allow for super basic home stuff and super basic auto stuff. If he doesn't have much aptitude, more specialized tools may not be necessary until his knowledge increases.
 
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PJNJ

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Come on! Can't be trusted with tools?

Having tools in his car, if he breaks down, will at least let someone else help him, if he needs help.

Better make sure that "someone" knows what they are doing or they're honest!

Back in the day when cars still had carburetors, my dad called me one day from a phone booth. He got stuck on the way home from work. He told me that the car seemed like it wanted to start and run but after a couple of seconds, it would stall. I knew he wasn't the best with maintenance and asked him when the last time the fuel filter had been changed. He didn't know (and he had the car for a number of years) so I grabbed a few tools, stopped at the store to pick up a fuel filter and went to find him. Before I got there, two guys showed up to help him. One walking and one on a bicycle. The bike guy told him the idle was too low. Dad had a flat head screwdriver and the guy proceeded to turn the idle screw all the way in with naturally no effect except now it revved up before stalling. Guy on foot insisted the float was stuck and fortunately dad didn't have a philips to take the carb apart. When I got there, he was still rummaging around the trunk to see if he could find a philips screwdriver. Guy on foot told me he was in auto mechanic school and he would bet it was the float. I told I would take that bet for whatever he had on him that it would be the gas filter before the float. At that point he said he had a bus to catch and walked away. I changed the filter, started it up, I turned down the idle and off he went.

That was the second time that type of thing happened - the first time, a couple of years earlier, he couldn't start his car in a pay parking lot and the attendant told him it was the battery and for a small fee he could put in a new battery - he called me and I told him to hold off till I got there. I tried jumping it and it wouldn't start. I was able to reach the starter with a hammer I had and whacked it a couple of times - it started up. He got it home and I changed the starter.

After that I told him unless he was getting towed home not to let anyone touch his car.

Vehicles are a lot more complex these days and I wouldn't let any stranger under the hood to mess around - their mistakes could be a lot more expensive now than "back in the day". Sure, let someone assist changing a tire but that's as far as I would go these days.

As always, ymmv.

:beer:
 

ez-duzit

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I can see how such a traumatic childhood experience could make you allergic to other people carrying tools in their cars. :)
 

PJNJ

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I can see how such a traumatic childhood experience could make you allergic to other people carrying tools in their cars. :)

Didn't happen during my "childhood" and those experiences weren't traumatic. If they fit your definition of "traumatic" - maybe you have some issues to work through. :headscrat
:)
 

Dirtylawnguy

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A good set of long jumper cables so he can jump his friends cars as well as his own. Parts can be bought once in need.
 

mrjaw14

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- LED Flashlight
- Jumper Cables
- Breaker bar & Lug socket(s)
- tire gauge and 12v compressor
- pair of gloves
- very basic hand tool set
 

pepi

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No such thing, any tools would be useless to someone like that. Keep the battery charged on the cell phone bet he can use one of those. These kids today are just so smart.
 

M6erfan

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These kids today are just so smart.

Lol, I couldn't disagree more. Kids today are plenty smart, you need to put yourself in their shoes. They grew up very differently than we did. They live in a world where the cheapest car can go 100k miles before it needs any maintenance, where TV's & electronics are not worth repairing, where parts for new appliances make it uneconomical to fix, etc. etc.

"Kids today" are plenty smart. But they have very different skill sets prioritized by the world we live in; IT, coding, app development, etc. I may have the knowledge to fix a lot of stuff around the house and garage that they don't, but they can run circles around me in other areas of life in today's world.

Yes, we need plumbers, electricians and welders too, and from what I gather there is a resurgence in trade school enrollment, so I think we'll be fine...
 

Fender1325

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Dec 30, 2014
Messages
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Thank you all for your replies.

I think I will add a hammer and a crescent wrench to the list. I will also add some basic fasteners, clamps, wire, fuses, and tape. I was planning on those, I just wanted to talk tool list. He has a spare belt.

The truck is in good shape. It had a major service at 100K (plugs, wires, cap, rotor, trans service, belt tensioner, belt, hoses). It has had an a/c compressor, water pump and antifreeze change, and new tires in the last 1000 miles. Battery is 2 years old. Brakes are OK. It will get an oil change before it leaves. Tempted to do starter and alternator but they are working so I think I will leave alone. He has AAA and a phone.

Cap and Rotor? Is it a 97 or an 87?....or 77?!? Haha.


Anway,

http://www.harborfreight.com/20-inch-four-way-lug-wrench-94110.html

CRUCIAL!!!

That and jumper cables is all he needs. He aint gonna get ANY deeper than that. I promise. Cell phone and AAA will cover the rest. If you do get a cheap socket and ratchet set skip the 1/4 and just do 3/8, and a 6" extension. Call it done.
 

DaveIRL

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May 21, 2016
Messages
319
what type of college is he going to.

i am from Ireland. alot of young lads in their twenties myself included have balers twine in the boot for trying up loose parts. one of the lads had an exhaust pipe fall onto the ground, and we used bale twine to tie it back up until he could get if fixed at his house over 3 hours drive. another lad tied his boot down with it.

if there is a trade school nearby he could ask the technicians or instructors for get some help. one had had to change wheel bearing so we brought the parts to the workshop when there were no classes on. and dismantled and repaired the brake hubs. :pimpflash:rocker:
 

moron88

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kalamazoo, MI
Lol, I couldn't disagree more. Kids today are plenty smart, you need to put yourself in their shoes. They grew up very differently than we did. They live in a world where the cheapest car can go 100k miles before it needs any maintenance, where TV's & electronics are not worth repairing, where parts for new appliances make it uneconomical to fix, etc. etc.

"Kids today" are plenty smart. But they have very different skill sets prioritized by the world we live in; IT, coding, app development, etc. I may have the knowledge to fix a lot of stuff around the house and garage that they don't, but they can run circles around me in other areas of life in today's world.

Yes, we need plumbers, electricians and welders too, and from what I gather there is a resurgence in trade school enrollment, so I think we'll be fine...

pretty much. i'm 23, so i fall into the "kids today" category. i had an unusual (for my generation) upbringing. my mom lived with her dad most of my childhood (still does, as do i). thing is, my grandpa lived with his dad! the man was born in december of 1905 and died in january of 2005.

he was the first of at least 5 born to poor farmers. i honestly dont know if he finished high school (no diploma i know of and never thought to ask) but he did have a degree-by-mail in radio repair. i know over the years he had a small radio repair business, built coffins and was a landlord. i'm sure he spent many a day tending to the fields and undoubtedly worked as a laborer.

he provided a good life for my grandpa and great aunt. my grandpa was born in '41 and my aunt was born some years later (between '45 and '48). my grandpa enlisted to "get it over with" and my aunt went to college. when he got honorably discharged he went to work at a local factory as a janitor. my aunt went to work for AT&T. my grandpa isnt a mechanical person but knows how to turn a screwdriver (lack of interest vs ability).

my mom was born in '70. she is the 3rd daughter of my grandma, the second of my grandpa. she didnt get an easy life, living in decidedly lower income areas for most of her childhood (with the acceptation of one rich stepdad) but she rarely did without the basics. she is capable of some basic household repairs (she's changed the kitchen faucet at least 3 times) and her biggest shortcoming in that regard is physical ability, not know-how.

then you come to me, born in 1993. as a kid, i had 3 generations of people to to learn from. i spent many a day in the shop with grandad (that's what i called my great grandpa). he had all kinds of woodworking and metal working tools. some of them older than my grandpa, many older than my mom. when i was 5 he built me a a vise where both sides had handles and screws. i still have it somewhere. that is where i got my interest in tinkering.

this resurgence in manual laborers is from people like me who the public education system failed. i was a smart kid, and i'm still smarter than my education would suggest. the problem was/is that the schools focus on the mythical "average child" which is more often than not, 1 child. they were going too slow to keep me interested and too fast for others to keep up. but it was too close to put is in specialized classes. as such, a lot of us just dont finish school, at least not in a traditional way. i became home schooled, many just drop out and a few make it to votech.

yesterday's carb tuning is today's hard drive formatting. welding is now coding. rebuilding an engine is now backing up a system and doing a clean install of an os. some can do both, many can do one. there is sufficient value in both for trade to occur. for the record, i can tune a carb (at least on a 2 stroke), format a hard drive, weld and do a backup and clean install.

sorry for the wall of text, my fingers wouldnt stop.
 

bczygan

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DETROIT! Arsenal of Scrappers
My 18 YO son leaves for college next week. It is 500 miles away. He has a '97 Blazer with 110K miles. It has been pretty dependable. He is a good boy, but not at all mechanical. I want to send a small set of tools with him. I am thinking:

common and Philips screwdrivers
10, 12, 13, 15mm combo wrenches
basic 1/4 drive socket set
vice-grips

I can fix a lot of things with that. Do you have any suggestions of other must-haves for even the non-mechanical?


The key words are in red above.

What does HE want?

Would he even use the tools you gave him?

And isn't it time for him to make his own way, his own plans and mistakes?

Stand in his shoes for a minute.

Bill
 

M6erfan

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Well said '88, no reason to apologize, I like the story...

I think another reason for the interest in trade school is that the pendulum is starting to swing after years of "The American dream is a college education for every child" (really? Every child???). Anyway, I know a couple of trade workers that are making more than some lawyers I know. Go figure...
 

wafrederick

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Holton,Mi
Instead of the jumper cables,get him one of those micro jumper boxes.Lot easier to use and don't have to wait for someone to help him out.Get him a good socket set with a good lifetime warranty.The tire plug kits,don't buy the rawhides which don't seal worth a ****.I have pulled them out real easy with a pair of pliers wondering why the tire goes down.
 
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moron88

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Well said '88, no reason to apologize, I like the story...

I think another reason for the interest in trade school is that the pendulum is starting to swing after years of "The American dream is a college education for every child" (really? Every child???). Anyway, I know a couple of trade workers that are making more than some lawyers I know. Go figure...

thanks.

i know many people with the same mindset. why accumulate hundreds of thousands in student debt to land a 90k/year starting position 6 years from know when they can go to the local community college, spend 10k all in and start making 40-50k in about 3 while also holding down a job in the mean time? there is demand for machinists and welders here (ever heard of stryker? if you have ever been to a hospital, you likely saw some of their products).
 

ChevyEFI

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Laminated directions with the order in which those jumper cables are to be hooked up.
Red to Dead
Red to Good
Black to Good
Black to Ground

Calls from Dad to see how things are going.
 

jd_1138

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I went to Dollar General this morning for some milk and bread, and as I was getting out of my car I noticed a circa 2002 Pontiac Grand Am that just pulled up. The back of the car was really low, so I figured the tire was flat. I walked beside and sure enough the rim was riding on top of the flat tire. I let the young lady know she had a flat.

She was 100% clueless and had no idea how long she had been driving around on it like that. She said she didn't have AAA and didn't know what she was going to do. I told her I'd put the spare on. Of course the compact spare was flat too, so I aired it up with my 12V compressor and put it on. The lugs were pretty tight (no regular tire rotations). I told her to go and buy a new tire because you can't trust the other one due to driving it while flat. And plus it had no tread on it anyway.

She was probably 20 years old or so. All the people around her failed her by not teaching her the basics.
 

kctyphoon

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These threads can get crazy sometimes.. people might suggest so much unrealistic stuff he'd need to tow a trailer around with him.. Prepare for the simple things like a flat and dead battery. Get a basic self contained mechanics tool set, a lithium jump pack and some fix a flat. Maybe some gloves and a flashlight too. Add a good cell phone for roadside assistance. You be better to invest in a few bottles of water and an MRE then alot of tools that wo t be used. Get a small milk crate and make sure it will all fit inside.
 
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GJoustra

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OP
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markdtn

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Wow! Lots of various opinions. To address a few of the posts:
-He wants to have some tools; I am not "forcing them" on him. I am letting him make his own way. He got a scholarship and works, if he continues the path he is on, he will graduate with no debt with a business or marketing degree. But that is now up to him.
-He is a good boy. Absolutely no trouble. He is an artist at heart, just didn't get the mechanical interest. But he is not lazy, I did not mean to imply that.
-He is going to Southern Florida so snow/cold is not really an issue.
-AAA and a cell phone (which he has)is fine, but somebody has to do the work. My hope is that with some basic tools if he has a breakdown that I can coach him through it with the help of YouTube and FaceTime.
-He can change a tire so that is not a problem.

Here is what I bought him: (and he was very thankful)
-3/8 socket set; metric and standard with an adapter and 1/4 sockets
-Metric and standard allen wrenches
-metric combo wrenches 9-17mm
-standard combo wrenches 3/8-5/8
-Screwdriver handle with large and small bits
-small hammer
-crescent wrench
-vise grips
-misc clamps, wire, terminals, tape
-carry bag to keep it all in.
 

johninct

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Dec 21, 2010
Messages
2,592
I did not read all of the posts but realistically, being non mechanical, what can he actually fix? He could actually make things worse. I trimmed down my cars road boxes to some basic cheap tools because I know that I probably can't fix anything anyway on the road because I do not have the parts and I know that when I am doing a repair in the shop, the tools that I use can be so varied that short of a service truck, can't do the repair. You can guess what tools you will need but I am sure that you won't have everything. I do not want to carry around 1/2 of a Snap-on box..
 

Coach James

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pretty much. i'm 23, so i fall into the "kids today" category. i had an unusual (for my generation) upbringing. my mom lived with her dad most of my childhood (still does, as do i). thing is, my grandpa lived with his dad! the man was born in december of 1905 and died in january of 2005.

he was the first of at least 5 born to poor farmers. i honestly dont know if he finished high school (no diploma i know of and never thought to ask) but he did have a degree-by-mail in radio repair. i know over the years he had a small radio repair business, built coffins and was a landlord. i'm sure he spent many a day tending to the fields and undoubtedly worked as a laborer.

he provided a good life for my grandpa and great aunt. my grandpa was born in '41 and my aunt was born some years later (between '45 and '48). my grandpa enlisted to "get it over with" and my aunt went to college. when he got honorably discharged he went to work at a local factory as a janitor. my aunt went to work for AT&T. my grandpa isnt a mechanical person but knows how to turn a screwdriver (lack of interest vs ability).

my mom was born in '70. she is the 3rd daughter of my grandma, the second of my grandpa. she didnt get an easy life, living in decidedly lower income areas for most of her childhood (with the acceptation of one rich stepdad) but she rarely did without the basics. she is capable of some basic household repairs (she's changed the kitchen faucet at least 3 times) and her biggest shortcoming in that regard is physical ability, not know-how.

then you come to me, born in 1993. as a kid, i had 3 generations of people to to learn from. i spent many a day in the shop with grandad (that's what i called my great grandpa). he had all kinds of woodworking and metal working tools. some of them older than my grandpa, many older than my mom. when i was 5 he built me a a vise where both sides had handles and screws. i still have it somewhere. that is where i got my interest in tinkering.

this resurgence in manual laborers is from people like me who the public education system failed. i was a smart kid, and i'm still smarter than my education would suggest. the problem was/is that the schools focus on the mythical "average child" which is more often than not, 1 child. they were going too slow to keep me interested and too fast for others to keep up. but it was too close to put is in specialized classes. as such, a lot of us just dont finish school, at least not in a traditional way. i became home schooled, many just drop out and a few make it to votech.

yesterday's carb tuning is today's hard drive formatting. welding is now coding. rebuilding an engine is now backing up a system and doing a clean install of an os. some can do both, many can do one. there is sufficient value in both for trade to occur. for the record, i can tune a carb (at least on a 2 stroke), format a hard drive, weld and do a backup and clean install.

sorry for the wall of text, my fingers wouldnt stop.


Sounds like you had a good upbringing with many good people to learn from. I never knew my grandparents and always wish I had.

I will say you were not failed by the public education system. If you were failed by anyone, it was your community. Your elected school board and local community leaders determined how your school operated and what the priorities were going to be.

Coach
 

kctyphoon

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If you going the tool bag route with a pretty decent tool set, this is what I would add..

An "emergency use only" credit card
Make sure your socket set does not skip sizes... The gearwrench and tekton sets are great. They are "complete" sets if you buy a dedicated 3/8 set. Gearwrench has a deal that you get the 1/4" set for free.. That's what I have, they are worth every cent, and are not expensive.
FUSES
10" channel lock type pliers
8" diagonal cutters
Needle nose pliers
Utility knife
Electrical and duct tape
Spare hose clamp (large enough for a radiator hose)
Zip ties
The 1/2" extending harbor freight ratchet - this is basically a ratcheting breaker bar and ratchet all in one.. I can't say enough good thing about this.
A HF or husky 1/2" drive flip lugnut socket set ( to use with the ratchet, and this way he can help out a friend with the multiple sizes with the lug socket set) these are GREAT for tire changes, and to use with a scissor jack if it can be driven with a socket.
The free HF. Multimeter - it's enough to check a battery and alternator.
Tire plug kit
Small 12v air compressor ( I've used the last 4 items the most)
Small lithium jump (booster) pack. The Costco one is suppose to be good, and will charge cell phones/tablets too. It will fit in a glovebox easily.
A flashlight or headlamp. The Capri tools / Neiko cordless lithium worklight is on sale right now for $37 shipped. I just ordered my second one. I have a TON of work lights, and this is the best IMO.
Mechanics gloves
 
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squeakz28

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Jul 24, 2014
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Nashville, Tn
What we did for my sisters when they went to college was a milk crate full of the basic car needs. Jug of pre mixed antifreeze, couple of quarts of oil, a funnel, few shop rags, a 4 way, and a roll of those blue paper towels. There may have been a couple of screwdrivers included and maybe a pair of pliers.

If you wanted add some tools to do basic things, I would include whatever was needed to change a belt, (wrench or ratchet for tensioner and a leverage pipe) and the what was needed to replace a battery (probably a 13 for the hold down bolt, a 6" extension and an 8mm for the battery cables). From there just a basic set of sockets and wrenches, a few screwdrivers and couple pairs of pliers. Guess it really depends what you want him doing, vs you or a mechanic.
 

Jure

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Croatia
Wow! Lots of various opinions. To address a few of the posts:
-He wants to have some tools; I am not "forcing them" on him. I am letting him make his own way. He got a scholarship and works, if he continues the path he is on, he will graduate with no debt with a business or marketing degree. But that is now up to him.
-He is a good boy. Absolutely no trouble. He is an artist at heart, just didn't get the mechanical interest. But he is not lazy, I did not mean to imply that.
-He is going to Southern Florida so snow/cold is not really an issue.
-AAA and a cell phone (which he has)is fine, but somebody has to do the work. My hope is that with some basic tools if he has a breakdown that I can coach him through it with the help of YouTube and FaceTime.
-He can change a tire so that is not a problem.

Here is what I bought him: (and he was very thankful)
-3/8 socket set; metric and standard with an adapter and 1/4 sockets
-Metric and standard allen wrenches
-metric combo wrenches 9-17mm
-standard combo wrenches 3/8-5/8
-Screwdriver handle with large and small bits
-small hammer
-crescent wrench
-vise grips
-misc clamps, wire, terminals, tape
-carry bag to keep it all in.
and where's the flashlight? i mean its hard to do anyting without one if you are stuck in the middle of nowhere at 11 pm...
 

kctyphoon

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this resurgence in manual laborers is from people like me who the public education system failed. i was a smart kid, and i'm still smarter than my education would suggest. the problem was/is that the schools focus on the mythical "average child" which is more often than not, 1 child. they were going too slow to keep me interested and too fast for others to keep up. but it was too close to put is in specialized classes. as such, a lot of us just dont finish school, at least not in a traditional way. i became home schooled, many just drop out and a few make it to votech.

yesterday's carb tuning is today's hard drive formatting. welding is now coding. rebuilding an engine is now backing up a system and doing a clean install of an os. some can do both, many can do one. there is sufficient value in both for trade to occur. for the record, i can tune a carb (at least on a 2 stroke), format a hard drive, weld and do a backup and clean install.

sorry for the wall of text, my fingers wouldnt stop.

Not trying to single you out, and this is not directed towards you, but I hate reading things like this - about how the school system "failed THEM"

Coming from 8 years of Catholic school, and then going to a public NYC high school, I was a full year ahead of what they were teaching in HS when I started. My freshman year I didn't even open a book, and that was in the more advanced classes at that, and I still got grades good enough to be in the national honor society. My senior year (cause the last year doesn't matter anyway), I went to school everyday with ONE piece of paper and a pen.. I went to one class twice a week, didn't do any of the mandatory home works, but still showed up for every test. When I asked the teacher at the end of the year if he was at least going to pass me - he told me "you're never here, do no homework - and still get better grades then everyone else, how could I fail you?? "

Another generational difference I find is the "they are suppose to cater to me" concept.. Why should I have to do this? Why should I have to put up with that? Or - well then THEY should.... If school was "THAT EASY" , then there is no excuse to not have gotten good grades and graduated with honors or at least high scores.. Public schools offer a variety of courses, some easier, some harder. Some geared to prepare students for RCT exams, others designed for regents and even harder (if they still use those - but I wouldn't be surprised if by now these were considered "socially biased" exams by now because of other "complaints")

School was always easy for me - but I still had the sense to go to classes, do my homework, and study for tests for the important years. Public schools are not suppose to be the day care centers many people expect them to be. They are not going to hunt people down and BEG them to show up for their education. They are not there to "cater" to everyone. They offer what they do, and it's up to the student to decide how much effort they will put in. If kids don't show up, that's on them. If homework doesn't get done, that's on the kids AND the parents. If people aren't "challenged" enough in school, then the school system didn't fail them. They failed themselves. Personal responsibility is to blame, not the Board of Education. If something is easy and people don't have the drive to coast by and finish it, it's very doubtful something that was hard would keep those same people exerting a constant effort. It's laughable to see parents protesting in front of public schools, blaming the teachers for their children's low grades, as most of those same people have probably never even made a phone call to find out how their kids are doing in class, never sat down to make sure homework gets done, and never disciplined their kids when they come home with failing grades.

I finished school and went to college to be an architect. Even kept a 3.5 gpa. But I was too interested in hanging out with my friends and drinking at the bar back home, then I was about having a career that would put me in a million dollar home, so I didn't finish. Now at 40, I don't blame the colleges for that. I blame myself, but I still had the sense to stay out serious trouble and get a good job where I can make decent money and not have to kill myself at work. I like what I do now, and probably enjoy it more than I would sitting at a desk everyday. But I make no mistakes about WHY I'm here, and I can't complain too much because I still do pretty OK for someone that doesn't have a degree, and could have made far more money.

This isn't meant to be harsh or point fingers. But at some point the whole politically correctness will have to stop, and schools will need to start pointing fingers back at the kids and at their parents as well. If there are students pulling in 95's on exams, then it's pretty hard to blame the teachers and the schools cause the other students didn't make a good investment of their time and the opportunity when they were there.
 
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AffableCurmudgeon

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 26, 2009
Messages
1,906
Location
Triad Area NC
My 18 YO son leaves for college next week. It is 500 miles away. He has a '97 Blazer with 110K miles. It has been pretty dependable. He is a good boy, but not at all mechanical. I want to send a small set of tools with him. I am thinking:

common and Philips screwdrivers
10, 12, 13, 15mm combo wrenches
basic 1/4 drive socket set
vice-grips

I can fix a lot of things with that. Do you have any suggestions of other must-haves for even the non-mechanical?

A Honda Civic with low miles and a kit for changing oil.
 

wasabiboys

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 16, 2010
Messages
76
No disrespect at all to the person's kid buttttt why do people age 16-22 today have no interest in fixing their cars or anything mechanical. the hell you do all day haha?
If I got a flat and could not change it myself I would hang my head in shame.

You have to learn and start somewhere!
 

amlv20

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 6, 2012
Messages
2,524
Location
CEN-CAL
Highest level of AAA membership and a go phone to keep in the car.


If he is not mechanically inclined,don't give him the tools to screw up.i see to many college kids and their cars come in on a tow truck because the hooked up jumper cables wrong or tried to replace their battery and screwed up their cars.dont give the opertunity,AAA is the safest for him and his car.
 
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