Ignorant young racers...is there any hope?

[hoffman900]

Ignorant young racers are a lot more tolerable than ignorant old racers. At least there is time for them to change...

[fdicrasto]

Having no money and making shit work is the reason we are all here. Me included to a point!

How absolutely true this statement is. I have pretty much spent most of my life buying up my rich buddies "obsolete" race engine parts. I then proceeded to have a fairly successful drag racing career with those pieces. When I think back on when I first started with my rust bucket 56 belair, I wonder how I ever survived with the stupid, irresponsible stuff I did. I lived and learned however. These newbies can make it happen but many will fall by the wayside. Good luck to all!

[Walter R. Malik]

Racers who work-on and actually make things for what they need to support their racer are not the norm today ... almost everywhere, it seems to be, "I can probably buy whatever I want".
It used to be the innovators were common racers ... those days are long past. It is a shame, really.

Its a shame because one group had no other choice than to make what they wanted? I'd bet heavily that it'd still be going on just the same if you couldn't just buy whatever you need now.

How exactly is it a shame that intelligence, technology and manufacturing have progressed past 1950s?

It's a shame they didn't have access to more and better parts without having to design and manufacture the parts themselves. See what I did there?

I had a similar response in mind. It was quite the pain finding parts and reputable fabricators, a lot of driving and frustration was involved.

THAT is the point ... fabricating some pieces you may need by whatever means you have has become mostly a thing of the past.

The impetus or incentive just isn't there and doing it yourself is no longer looked upon as a good thing; that is the shame of it.

[Zmechanic]

Racing went the only way it could have in a capitalistic society..... into a business.

It started as enthusiasts doing what they love. Those people still exist but are rarer. It's a deeper love for the art and method of it. Those people will do whatever they have to because they enjoy the spirit of it.

But once racing became popular enough, it was only time before it became a business. "Hey, you're doing good, if I gave you some money could you make me faster too?" Then.... "oh crap, I love this AND I can make a business out of it and do it every day!" .

Now a person with means can harness the work of leagues of people. Precisely because it's a business now. And there are people with ridiculous amounts of money.

When it started money could buy you resources you needed, but now it can buy you everything. Is that better? I dont know.

[ClassAct]

Ignorant young racers are a lot more tolerable than ignorant old racers. At least there is time for them to change...

Hmmmm. The ignorant old racers became ignorant as the aged, or they were just ignorant and never learned? An ignorant old racer was an ignorant young racer.

Ignorance isn't age related.

[hoffman900]

Ignorant young racers are a lot more tolerable than ignorant old racers. At least there is time for them to change...

Hmmmm. The ignorant old racers became ignorant as the aged, or they were just ignorant and never learned? An ignorant old racer was an ignorant young racer.

Ignorance isn't age related.

I’m well aware. People are really no different, old or young. Some are ignorant, some aren’t, some are cheats, some aren’t, etc.

[gunt]

getting a bit side tracked guys.

I think the original issue is with drivers and those that don't wrench on their cars , but use to have a serious interest and would know their car inside out but might not have the ability to do any work , where as those that are commenting here have the further interest to do a lot of the work them selves and would be outside the original comment .
I have to admire those guys at home that do , and from a lot of the work i've seen some guys are managing to put work out there far better than what i see coming through the door from other workshops .
and if they don't succeed at least their trying instead of sitting in front of a computer playing racing .

[Krooser]

One point I didn't make in my original post was I see some of the millennials just don't deal with adversity very well. In the case of the guy who's car wouldn't start going home and ordering a new starter from Amazon is the easiest path.

I got a nice surprise yesterday.

I was laying under my Buick in my driveway changing a rear shock when a young fella came walking by and I said hi to him. He came over and we started a conversation.

I asked him if he was a gearhead...did he like cars? He said he took two auto classes in school and he would like to learn.

Man you are at the right place. He even helped me with the shock install! He lives two doors away across the street.

We'll see how this works out...he's 18 and just graduated from HS. Works at the local DQ.

[Truckedup]

So last week there I am changing the rear leaf springs in my wife's 99 Jeep Cherokee...Big wrenches and a big hammer, I take the rusty old spring and fling it into the scrap heap, ARRR manly stuff...My wife came out to help me position the new springs and kick the axle to line up the center bolt to the axle spring saddle...We are both 72...We think doing work builds character..Friends our age never do this and never really did do it...Some think of us as cheap old schoolers....Do you all also do work like this on daily drivers or just on prisitne race cars ?

[FC-Pilot]

I have worked around some millennials and boy do they fit the stereotype. But in fairness there are some out there that want to learn and build stuff. I have two nephews, one does not like the “work” of working on cars and the other often wants to learn while getting dirty than call his uncles for help. He moved near us after graduation to learn from us and have access to my brothers shop and dyno. He is extatic to run a worn out truck engine on the dyno so he can learn about the cause and effect while tuning an engine. I applaud his efforts as he installed a floor shifter in his old “three on the tree” truck and hooked up the linkage wrong. The shift pattern was backwards and he using his brain fixed it.

I enjoy working on real race cars as you have to fabricate most of your parts. Even better for me is building v-drive race boats as all the rigging needs to be made from scratch.

Paul

[BigBro74]

I agree with Hoffman 900 - the young ones are usually easier to deal with than the old ones.
This thread says ignorant- which to me means they just don’t know what they don’t know. If you want the problem fixed- teach them.
I am a high school industrial technology teacher, so I gripe about this sort of thing often (I was an auto tech. For 14 years before I went to school for my teaching degree) Kids come through and know less about how to do things every year because of some mandate from government about what they need to know on some stupid test, so they get less school that deals with learning how to do things in the real world. It’s a shame. Many want to know, never had an opportunity for that because most of our society wants their children to have a prestigious career (whatever that is!!)) . Society has not realized that some people are happy being plumbers and carpenters etc. so all of the metro types are ramming them through college for no good reason and less life satisfaction.
I try every day to give kids those opportunities. Kid doesn’t know how to use a hammer- I stop what I am doing and teach them. Kid wants to learn on a project - I make it work so they can do it and turn it in for credit.
You have to meet people (like young ignorant anyone) where they are at. We as a society (not anyone one individual here) has robbed them and “infantacized” them by trying to shield them from having to go through the same hardships that previous generations have had to deal with.

There are still a lot of sharp kids out there.
^^^^^^^^**
Many do not have the same persistence because they have not been allowed to learn from failure. That is the fault of the people who raise those kids (and it takes a community) . Rant over/ give them a n opportunity
Jason

(Sounds like Krooser is doing just that!)

[Dave Koehler]

..Do you all also do work like this on daily drivers or just on prisitne race cars ?

You mean I can pay someone to fix my DD junk so I had more time to keep my pristine junk running?
Good Lord, no one ever told me that was acceptable.

[In-Tech]

I agree with Hoffman 900 - the young ones are usually easier to deal with than the old ones.
This thread says ignorant- which to me means they just don’t know what they don’t know. If you want the problem fixed- teach them.
I am a high school industrial technology teacher, so I gripe about this sort of thing often (I was an auto tech. For 14 years before I went to school for my teaching degree) Kids come through and know less about how to do things every year because of some mandate from government about what they need to know on some stupid test, so they get less school that deals with learning how to do things in the real world. It’s a shame. Many want to know, never had an opportunity for that because most of our society wants their children to have a prestigious career (whatever that is!!)) . Society has not realized that some people are happy being plumbers and carpenters etc. so all of the metro types are ramming them through college for no good reason and less life satisfaction.
I try every day to give kids those opportunities. Kid doesn’t know how to use a hammer- I stop what I am doing and teach them. Kid wants to learn on a project - I make it work so they can do it and turn it in for credit.
You have to meet people (like young ignorant anyone) where they are at. We as a society (not anyone one individual here) has robbed them and “infantacized” them by trying to shield them from having to go through the same hardships that previous generations have had to deal with.

There are still a lot of sharp kids out there.
^^^^^^^^**
Many do not have the same persistence because they have not been allowed to learn from failure. That is the fault of the people who raise those kids (and it takes a community) . Rant over/ give them a n opportunity
Jason

(Sounds like Krooser is doing just that!)

[GARY C]

..Do you all also do work like this on daily drivers or just on prisitne race cars ?

You mean I can pay someone to fix my DD junk so I had more time to keep my pristine junk running?
Good Lord, no one ever told me that was acceptable.

My Saturday night ball joint job on my 3/4 ton and my up and coming front suspension, paint and body repair where I was hit or my latest DD adventures.

[GARY C]

I agree with Hoffman 900 - the young ones are usually easier to deal with than the old ones.
This thread says ignorant- which to me means they just don’t know what they don’t know. If you want the problem fixed- teach them.
I am a high school industrial technology teacher, so I gripe about this sort of thing often (I was an auto tech. For 14 years before I went to school for my teaching degree) Kids come through and know less about how to do things every year because of some mandate from government about what they need to know on some stupid test, so they get less school that deals with learning how to do things in the real world. It’s a shame. Many want to know, never had an opportunity for that because most of our society wants their children to have a prestigious career (whatever that is!!)) . Society has not realized that some people are happy being plumbers and carpenters etc. so all of the metro types are ramming them through college for no good reason and less life satisfaction.
I try every day to give kids those opportunities. Kid doesn’t know how to use a hammer- I stop what I am doing and teach them. Kid wants to learn on a project - I make it work so they can do it and turn it in for credit.
You have to meet people (like young ignorant anyone) where they are at. We as a society (not anyone one individual here) has robbed them and “infantacized” them by trying to shield them from having to go through the same hardships that previous generations have had to deal with.

There are still a lot of sharp kids out there.
^^^^^^^^**
Many do not have the same persistence because they have not been allowed to learn from failure. That is the fault of the people who raise those kids (and it takes a community) . Rant over/ give them a n opportunity
Jason

(Sounds like Krooser is doing just that!)

In my early 30's after several years as a project manager building million dollar houses I realized thats not me, I am a fix it guy, give me a tool belt or tools and let me do what I am good at and everyone involved will be much happier.