2 hours ago, Marty Roth said:Our kids and grandson learned how to observe an engine compartment and look for anything obvious, and to change a tire, long before they earned their driver's license.
Each also was eventually awarded "Youngest Driver" on AACA and VMCCA tours, having been properly brought up to respect both the vehicles and the people in the hobby from the time they were in safety seats. Of course, back then we were the young folks in the hobby and our kids had multiple surrogate grandparents. I was lauded as exceptionally brave (absolutely not!) to take my 3 year old grandson on the Founders Tour in Madison, Wisconsin in our '52 Caddy convertible when my wife couldn't attend. The car, the kid (now 28), and I all survived and even got to enjoy the Barnum & Bailey Ringling Brothers Circus at their Baraboo, WI home.
Now a classically-trained professional musician, he also drives towing & recovery to pay off a mountain of student loans, and helps other folks on the road.
We, ultimately over the past 55 years of touring have replaced an alternator in Ft Stockton, TX, a rear wheel seal in Pennsylvania, a U-Joint in Cleveland, TN, a fuel pump in Canyon City, Colorado, and many, many years back a wide white wall tire in Chattanooga, TN (thanks to Harold Coker - of blessed memory). But all of these things could just as easily have happened to our modern transportation too.
I now have a three year old (soon to be four)grandson who loves cars mostly hot wheels and sitting in my old car honking the horn and pretending to drive.Id love to take him to car shows but I can't put a car seat I my old car,no seat belts and wood framed. Well maby I could.