Shout out to my 16yo son.

It's taken some time, some head scratching and a little blood sweat and tears, but it's done.

The 635CSI is alive and well again, with a new coil, cap, rotor, crank sensor, and a newsed ECU. Short of some help troubleshooting, it was all on him and he did a great job.

But did he put all the tools back where they belong? Building a good skillset, well done!

Good job! (both of you). He's super-styling with a ride like that, and it caries so much more cred that you didn't just write a check. I'll have to show that to my 16 YO.

Color me impressed. I can honestly say that I don't personally know any sixteen years olds who have any skills at all other than grades and digital abilities.

In reply to NOHOME:

My oldest son had a Tbird for a first car. It required a engine swap when he was 16. I even require my daughter to either pay for her own repairs or do them herself with some help from me.

I'm trying to not raise a bunch of helpless people.

Cool. My son already knows that his first car will be a cheap non runner off CL. Dig the T-shirt. Reminds me of my nephew.

I was near 16 when those were new. I can't imagine being 16 and having a 635CSI.
Too cool

Awesum. Didn't think kids gave a E36 M3 about cars nowadays.

Booyah, sweet ride

I just hope my boys will have the interest in 8 years to do the same. Good job!

Nice!

I also drooled after those when I was a teenager. Hope he recognizes the magnitude of coolness of getting to drive a CSi !

There are still a few teenage car guys out there. In my son's circle, there's only one other kid who can drive a car with a clutch; he's actually has been flipping cars for awhile Wheeler Dealers fashion and currently has a C4 Vette and a V6 Fiero along with a few appliance cars.

Just figured I'd throw this out there as additional evidence that they can still get hands dirty: <img src="" />

At what age did you get him started? and how?

I'm seriously considering building my daughter at least an electric kart for her second birthday but that could be a little early. Trying to steer her to driving and wrenching from the beginning, her first toy was even a stuffed car. I just didn't have much exposure until after I couldn't afford repairs, and it seems much harder learning in my 20's than if I was younger.

My son is 8 but at 4 we modified a free curb find hotwheels go kart with an extra battery from a broken donated razor. It was fast but not enough traction so we hit up a bicycle shop for a throw away intertube and glued it around the wheels. At three he would sit on my shoulders at car shows and ID headers or manifolds on engines. Never can start them too young.

I am jealous. Is the 6er a manual?

In reply to revrico:

I start them pretty young. If they get a bike, they get to help build it and maintain it. I am not their built in mechanic. My job is to teach, not do. Even my wife will change a set of plugs if I am too slow to get it done. I also start them as tool runners at a young age. Pretty much if I'm working on a car, at least one of them is helping.

The 16 yo has a fair amount of experience. He's been helping me for probably 10 years. He's to the point where I didn't supervise him much while he was working on this car. Even when it's up in the air and he's under it. This is the first repair I've told him to figure it out and let him handle it pretty much on his own. For this repair, he had a Bentley repair manual and the internet, I helped with some multimeter testing and I finally tracked down the ECU problem.

Sweat equity is a pretty important part of having or using anything in my house. If they own it or use it, they maintain it. Be it their bike, my cars, or even the lawnmower. That continues into adulthood. My 28 year old son wanted to borrow my truck and camper to go to a race. The cost to him was a oil change and washing the camper and truck and bring it back full of gas.

My 24 yo daughter has a job and makes fair money. Her SC needed plugs, wires and a valve cover gasket. That's a PITA job, because most of the inter-cooler plumbing has to come off. She called around and got quotes for the repair and decided to keep the $800 and do it herself. That one actually surprised me, I was sure she would pay to have it done, but I was a proud Dad when I took this picture. She did 90% of the work, I did the 10% she didn't have the upper body strength to complete and made suggestions. She will not be a helpless female when it comes time to take a car in for repairs. She's been there and done that.

RossD wrote: I am jealous. Is the 6er a manual?

No, it's an auto. He's learning a manual on the Samurai. That's a requirement in this house.

In reply to Toyman01:

that's awesome man, gives me something to shoot for. I didn't even think about the bikes or small toys, that would be a great introduction and teacher. Seriously, great job with the kids. That'll get them far in life.

Toyman01 wrote:

RossD wrote: I am jealous. Is the 6er a manual?

No, it's an auto. He's learning a manual on the Samurai. That's a requirement in this house.

I'm semi jealous of that. I'm going to have buy a car and teach myself because nobody I know has anything with a manual trans.

Chadeux wrote:

Toyman01 wrote:

RossD wrote: I am jealous. Is the 6er a manual?

No, it's an auto. He's learning a manual on the Samurai. That's a requirement in this house.

I'm semi jealous of that. I'm going to have buy a car and teach myself because nobody I know has anything with a manual trans.

That was actually how I learned. I had the basic idea, I'd putted trucks around a jobsite, but never really drove one until I got my first miata. My friends dropped me off at the guys house, and I got to figure it out on the 25 mile drive home, including rush hour traffic. Missed 3 shifts, going 2 to 5 because it had a short shifter, stalled once on the highway. But when you have to learn you can.

In reply to revrico:

Honestly, this wasn't my idea.

It was my Dads. This is how I learned, and I'm just passing it down to the next generation.

Awesome thread.. "We're" in the process of tearing down a bike for the 6 year old.. There was a free bike in our neighborhood in her size, but she wants to clean the rust and change the color, so we're working together to overhaul it. I still have to start a lot of the bolts, but she'll take it apart once it's loosened up.

That's got to be just about the coolest car in the high school parking lot, and will be the topic of conversation at class reunions for the rest of his life.

revrico wrote: At what age did you get him started? and how? I'm seriously considering building my daughter at least an electric kart for her second birthday but that could be a little early. Trying to steer her to driving and wrenching from the beginning, her first toy was even a stuffed car. I just didn't have much exposure until after I couldn't afford repairs, and it seems much harder learning in my 20's than if I was younger.

Sadly, its not an age thing. My daughter was quite the little helper up to about the age of 13. She could actually run a decent TIG or MIG bead and had a good grasp of ratchets and wrenches. (Never really liked the grinders) Did some awesome science project stuff to the point where I took pictures of her doing the fabrication so that she was not accused of cheating.

Then it ended. At 22 she has no interest in anything automotive and does not see herself ever driving. Still a great kid, but Dad's quaint car habit is just that, not anything she wants to participate in.

It is the old horse to water thing.

NOHOME wrote:

revrico wrote: At what age did you get him started? and how? I'm seriously considering building my daughter at least an electric kart for her second birthday but that could be a little early. Trying to steer her to driving and wrenching from the beginning, her first toy was even a stuffed car. I just didn't have much exposure until after I couldn't afford repairs, and it seems much harder learning in my 20's than if I was younger.

Sadly, its not an age thing. My daughter was quite the little helper up to about the age of 13. She could actually run a decent TIG or MIG bead and had a good grasp of ratchets and wrenches. (Never really liked the grinders) Did some awesome science project stuff to the point where I took pictures of her doing the fabrication so that she was not accused of cheating. Then it ended. At 22 she has no interest in anything automotive and does not see herself ever driving. Still a great kid, but Dad's quaint car habit is just that, not anything she wants to participate in. It is the old horse to water thing.

My daughter doesn't necessarily enjoy it. She would much rather be knitting or sewing. In this case, she wanted to keep her money and for that to happen she needed to fix it herself. I'm not going to be her mechanic, though I am more than willing to help.

Awesome!