When you have a young child in the house, some traits become apparent quickly. Do they pull out the pots and pans and use the stirring spoons to beat them into submission? You might have a drummer. But maybe little Timmy has been watching Daddy in the garage. Does he open the hood to his toy cars to mess with what’s underneath? If I were that child, I’d be upset that all that is there, if anything at all, is a molded lump of plastic that kind-of looks like an engine…if you squint hard enough. That just won’t do.
Meet The Car Lover’s Engine Repair Set from Hammacher Schlemmer. This Murcielago/Pro Street/tuner hybrid might be a quick laugh to an adult, but what it does for a kid is wonderful. This safely introduces young Junior to working on his own car, allowing him to make such repairs as brake jobs and spark plug changes with the tool set that comes with the “car”. The air filter can be changed and the oil checked. And once he’s got it back together he can get behind the wheel, crank the key over, and listen as the car fires up, all without putting anyone in danger or having a nosy neighbor alert Child Protective Services.
The Car Lover’s Engine Repair Set retails at about $120 and can be ordered here.
That does seem kind of cool, but it’s about the same price as putting a motor with a cracked block on an engine stand. 🙂
When I was 8 my dad gave me a q-jet carb to learn with
I was 8 before I was 9
When I was like five I got an old vacuum cleaner with the cord cut off to take apart and re-assemble as many times as I wanted and then a small single cylinder 2-stroke motor that came off an air-compressor or something (had giant belt pulley attached, but also a magneto and single spark plug) to take apart and re-assemble as many times as I wanted. I did both plenty of times.
I’d love to give one to the 28-year old (with ADD/ADHD, I’m guessing) down the street who is randomly destroying a fair-to-middlin’ ’37 Buick survivor.
He started out with putting a 200-amp charger on its 6-volt system and trying to start it. He destroyed the starter and I replaced a buncha burned [cloth-insulated] wiring and got it running by keeping him away from the vehicle.
A buck-twenty is a little high for an experiment in watching him figure out how mess up the “learning tool”. I’ve watched him on several “repair” projects which he knew nothing about and am convinced he has his procedure solidified.
His first step would be to lose the tools after stripping the fasteners (he’s still not grasped the righty-tighty, lefty-loosy concept). Other parts would magically disappear as well.
He would then spray-bomb the remaining parts with whatever colors he had laying around.
The remains would end up under things, strewn about, and eventually in a sack or box for eternity.
Note: there is not one b.s. statement in this story! It’s a wonder I’ve never sustained a neck muscle pull from shaking my head while watching him “work”, eventually disabling everything from numerous bicycles to lawn mowers.
Final note: Chad, ‘remember the guy with me when we met at Pleasanton 2-3 years ago? That’s him.
Oh the big ol’ charger was 12-volt!
That’s really cool!
I learned from hanging out with my dad working on whatever POS he was driving at the moment( the “good” car was my moms). First thing I learned was to watch what direction the wrench he just threw went, because shortly I would going off to find it.
As time went by he showed the actual work being performed, and the way he knew how to do it(not always the right way as I learned over the years). Since then I have “taught” neighbor’s kids & nephews what I know and tried to give them an appreciation of building a strong engine, changing out a gear set, of rebuilding your own trans, even painting your ride. It stuck with some(now full on gear heads) others not so much. But at least we tried.
If this saves one 37 Buick from the hands of (a little more hands on then hands off) then it’s worth it.
My research shows me they aren’t worth much, ’cause no one’s buying them.
My problem is with the guy deciding it’s his victim of the day and starts messing with it.
He claims it was left to him by his grandfather, but the title is in his [doo-dah] father’s name and hasn’t been registered nor non-opped in probably 10 years in California.
The guy doesn’t have two nickels to rub together, lives at home, and doesn’t work. He has, however, destroyed his father’s Navigator and a Lincoln Town Car through his ineptitude. Both went “on the hook” to junk yards.
I don’t want the car, the guy claims it’s NFS, but I just hate to see it go to waste, knowing he’ll never be able to use it.
Oh, I didn’t mention I jerry-rigged the wiring, un-stuck the clutch, and had him de-glaze the brake drums and shoes. The guy’s dad actually drove it around a really big block ’cause the guy couldn’t drive a standard shift.
Maybe I’m just crying in my beer over all this…
I know many will read this as a preposterous tale, but every bit is for real.
Ah fixed it.