Ignorant young racers...is there any hope?

[Orr89rocz]

Whose fault is that the cars dont run or have issues? Not everyone is meant to be a racer or have a fast car. You gotta learn how to do it and tune it. Goes for all ages. Dont paint with a broad brush just cuz you havent done it or seen it

https://youtu.be/As5HtVix8t8

Sbc hyd roller street driven 2500 miles a summer. 8.80s on pump 93. 8.24 at 169 best on 110 gas. 3814 lbs in street trim. 18x8’s up front. C5 brakes. No chute no issues.
Car in other lane that spun has seen some street time in the past but been more limited now but registered and plated/insured. Been 7.17 at 197 on pump e85 gas. 275/60 tires.

[Kevin Johnson]

... Not everyone is meant to be a racer or have a fast car. ,,,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LidF1gF3YQ

[Nefario]

I work on the bigger forklifts and the container handling machines.

Just curious, what brand? I work with special applications of similar machines that are usually made in Nijmegen . And we can't find mechanics either.

[GARY C]

A couple weeks ago I was in the pits at the local dirt track and one of the young drivers was getting ready to load his car because it wouldn't start.

I asked him what broke and he told me the starter died. He didn't carry a spare.

I asked him if it would start with a push (SBC with a Bert two speed trans) he looked at me like I had three eyes!

I got his three young buddies together, he strapped in, and with a few grunts off he went.

Kinda reminded me of a few years ago when I bought some used suspension parts from an up and coming 20-somthing pavement racer financing his operation with his grandma's $$$.

When I was leaving with the parts I asked him what engine he was running in his car...concept? Crate? Open?

His reply...I THINK it's a Chevy!

Oh boy...we are doomed.

Isn't that where we start and how we learn? I didn't know you could push start a car until I learned you could push start a car.

[modok]

before I was 20 i figured how to drive a car with any possible malfunction
without using the clutch
stuck in one gear
no starter
no battery
no fuel pump
no brakes
missing a wheel
no engine (coasting)

And later, how to drive if the steering wheel falls off, which turns out isn't far, just however long it takes to stop.... but you get better at everything with practice.

But m I a good driver? probably not. It's a different kind of skill.

[ClassAct]

before I was 20 i figured how to drive a car with any possible malfunction
without using the clutch
stuck in one gear
no starter
no battery
no fuel pump
no brakes
missing a wheel
no engine (coasting)

And later, how to drive if the steering wheel falls off, which turns out isn't far, just however long it takes to stop.... but you get better at everything with practice.

But m I a good driver? probably not. It's a different kind of skill.

I got my first dirt bike when I was 10. I learned most of that stuff very early. My bike didn't have a battery, but my dad made me work on the bike and do all I could. He'd help, but he always made sure I did what I could at my level.

[GARY C]

I guess my first build was a push scooter built with 2X4's and metal roller skate wheels, then building bicycles, I didn't get my first store bought bike till middle school.

My first car at 15 was a 68 Pontiac station wagon and my first mod was a straight pipe with antenna pole, hack saw and a bumper jack at it's top setting.

Dumb youngsters don't scare me as much as adults that think they were never dumb youngsters!

[novadude]

Not just young racers. Seen my fair share on them as well but younger mechanics as well. I work on the bigger forklifts and the container handling machines. So a general knowledge of hydraulics, Electrical and transmission is needed as well.
Our team apprentice is quite eager to learn and tries his own thing as well with building a older car as a hobby.
A couple of months back he helped another team out for 2 weeks that works on site with mainly warehouse forklifts. Biggest is like a 2ton machine.
Their team has 2 mechanics and 4 apprentices. And one mechanic were on leave so extra help needed.
Now the best part, our apprentice showed him and fixed a unit that the brake master cyl failed.
Its a single piston design that splits to the 2 front wheels. As basic as can come. He striped the cyl and seals are worn, he tells the "mechanic" to get new seals and then he can fix it, the guy ordered a new cyl as he was scared in replacing the seals. The guy is in his early thirties and been a mechanic for close to 10 years and a 2nd year apprentice is actually teaching him how to fix a brake master cyl that only has 3 seals in it.
To me they are just parts replacers, cause a mechanic would fix the problem. To most of them its just a job, so no passion for what they do.

Chevyfreak.

Along these lines, one thing I've observed on many of the late model forums is a real "copycat" mentality, and no real desire to learn, experiment, and understand how stuff really works. Someone posts some fast ETs with brand "x" converter, and brand "y" cam, and pretty soon the whole forum is on that bandwagon. Just open up the wallet, buy some stuff that another guy has found to work, and bolt it on without really caring about WHY it works. Of course not everyone fits that mold, but it seems to be pretty common.

[GARY C]

Not just young racers. Seen my fair share on them as well but younger mechanics as well. I work on the bigger forklifts and the container handling machines. So a general knowledge of hydraulics, Electrical and transmission is needed as well.
Our team apprentice is quite eager to learn and tries his own thing as well with building a older car as a hobby.
A couple of months back he helped another team out for 2 weeks that works on site with mainly warehouse forklifts. Biggest is like a 2ton machine.
Their team has 2 mechanics and 4 apprentices. And one mechanic were on leave so extra help needed.
Now the best part, our apprentice showed him and fixed a unit that the brake master cyl failed.
Its a single piston design that splits to the 2 front wheels. As basic as can come. He striped the cyl and seals are worn, he tells the "mechanic" to get new seals and then he can fix it, the guy ordered a new cyl as he was scared in replacing the seals. The guy is in his early thirties and been a mechanic for close to 10 years and a 2nd year apprentice is actually teaching him how to fix a brake master cyl that only has 3 seals in it.
To me they are just parts replacers, cause a mechanic would fix the problem. To most of them its just a job, so no passion for what they do.

Chevyfreak.

Along these lines, one thing I've observed on many of the late model forums is a real "copycat" mentality, and no real desire to learn, experiment, and understand how stuff really works. Someone posts some fast ETs with brand "x" converter, and brand "y" cam, and pretty soon the whole forum is on that bandwagon. Just open up the wallet, buy some stuff that another guy has found to work, and bolt it on without really caring about WHY it works. Of course not everyone fits that mold, but it seems to be pretty common.

Yes the down fall of our youth are the adults teaching them... computer programs are not helping to broaden young peoples horizons either.

[Dave Koehler]

Need to understand the modern street 7-9 sec owners?
Eh, I will just leave this here.
Go to 11:13
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wYM7Me09zA

[Orr89rocz]

Need to understand the modern street 7-9 sec owners?
Eh, I will just leave this here.
Go to 11:13
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wYM7Me09zA

Not sure what that was suppose to imply or what meaning that has for this topic. Sorry i struck your nerve. You say you been doing this a long time and dont believe. Sounds like you just dont have experience with the ultra high power stuff. No reason to talk down to those that do

We are guys who started with 12-13 sec cars and worked up. I owned mine since 2003. I learned alot and it shows on the strip. Still got alot to learn.

[Orr89rocz]

Not just young racers. Seen my fair share on them as well but younger mechanics as well. I work on the bigger forklifts and the container handling machines. So a general knowledge of hydraulics, Electrical and transmission is needed as well.
Our team apprentice is quite eager to learn and tries his own thing as well with building a older car as a hobby.
A couple of months back he helped another team out for 2 weeks that works on site with mainly warehouse forklifts. Biggest is like a 2ton machine.
Their team has 2 mechanics and 4 apprentices. And one mechanic were on leave so extra help needed.
Now the best part, our apprentice showed him and fixed a unit that the brake master cyl failed.
Its a single piston design that splits to the 2 front wheels. As basic as can come. He striped the cyl and seals are worn, he tells the "mechanic" to get new seals and then he can fix it, the guy ordered a new cyl as he was scared in replacing the seals. The guy is in his early thirties and been a mechanic for close to 10 years and a 2nd year apprentice is actually teaching him how to fix a brake master cyl that only has 3 seals in it.
To me they are just parts replacers, cause a mechanic would fix the problem. To most of them its just a job, so no passion for what they do.

Chevyfreak.

Along these lines, one thing I've observed on many of the late model forums is a real "copycat" mentality, and no real desire to learn, experiment, and understand how stuff really works. Someone posts some fast ETs with brand "x" converter, and brand "y" cam, and pretty soon the whole forum is on that bandwagon. Just open up the wallet, buy some stuff that another guy has found to work, and bolt it on without really caring about WHY it works. Of course not everyone fits that mold, but it seems to be pretty common.

100%. They want a recipe for bolt on success! Internet has created that mentality. Guys pull a junkyard ls out and slap on a budget china turbo and run half decent, now everyone wants the same thing. Theres no experimentation or science behind it. Rarely do you see outside the box

[GARY C]

Need to understand the modern street 7-9 sec owners?
Eh, I will just leave this here.
Go to 11:13
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wYM7Me09zA

No different then when we were growing up all believing we had 400 HP small blocks... I still know a cpl of guys that haven't had a muscle car since the late 80's and still think their old car (220 hp) would out run most things today.

[GARY C]

Not just young racers. Seen my fair share on them as well but younger mechanics as well. I work on the bigger forklifts and the container handling machines. So a general knowledge of hydraulics, Electrical and transmission is needed as well.
Our team apprentice is quite eager to learn and tries his own thing as well with building a older car as a hobby.
A couple of months back he helped another team out for 2 weeks that works on site with mainly warehouse forklifts. Biggest is like a 2ton machine.
Their team has 2 mechanics and 4 apprentices. And one mechanic were on leave so extra help needed.
Now the best part, our apprentice showed him and fixed a unit that the brake master cyl failed.
Its a single piston design that splits to the 2 front wheels. As basic as can come. He striped the cyl and seals are worn, he tells the "mechanic" to get new seals and then he can fix it, the guy ordered a new cyl as he was scared in replacing the seals. The guy is in his early thirties and been a mechanic for close to 10 years and a 2nd year apprentice is actually teaching him how to fix a brake master cyl that only has 3 seals in it.
To me they are just parts replacers, cause a mechanic would fix the problem. To most of them its just a job, so no passion for what they do.

Chevyfreak.

Along these lines, one thing I've observed on many of the late model forums is a real "copycat" mentality, and no real desire to learn, experiment, and understand how stuff really works. Someone posts some fast ETs with brand "x" converter, and brand "y" cam, and pretty soon the whole forum is on that bandwagon. Just open up the wallet, buy some stuff that another guy has found to work, and bolt it on without really caring about WHY it works. Of course not everyone fits that mold, but it seems to be pretty common.

100%. They want a recipe for bolt on success! Internet has created that mentality. Guys pull a junkyard ls out and slap on a budget china turbo and run half decent, now everyone wants the same thing. Theres no experimentation or science behind it. Rarely do you see outside the box

That reminds me of a pod cast I was just listening to, their resident expert made his success with box heads and shelf cam turbo LS engines and constantly spews opinion as if it were fact because no one calls him on it, although someone on the show did counter his opinion with fact tonight and he was speechless probably the best 45 seconds of the show.

[lefty o]

ignorance isnt something just restricted to the young. to be fair at least the young guys have lack of experience as an excuse, the older crowd....not so much.