scared the crap out of a 12 year old yesterday. Ryan are you out there?

So, yesterday I am getting home from the store and I saw a kid walk into my drive way. I pulled in and hopped out rather quick. He seamed pretty scared, but managed to say "that's a cool car." I said thanks and kinda started interrogating him. "What's your name?" "How old are you?" "Live around here?" Turns out he is twelve and likes old cars. He lives over in North Beach of Ballard area. His name is Ryan. He really seemed to know his stuff too. Identified most of my cars...Thought the A was a 32 I let him take a couple pictures of the cars. He was with his mom who was waiting in the car. He said his dream car is a 56? chevy hot rod.....He muttered something about lakes pipes. Anyways, It was kinda cool that he stopped by, I invited him back. Shoulda told him about the HAMB. Maybe he is on here? Good to know there is a generation interested in these old clunkers after mine.

 

good that you took the time to talk to him, and that he stopped by when he did.

 

That's awesome that ya took the time to chat with the kid and let him have a look around. It's pretty cool when I drop my 8 year old off at school or pick him up in my 55 Buick. The reaction by the kids is overwhelming and they really do ask some pretty good questions. I remember showing interest in neighborhood hot rods and a few muscle cars as a little kid, and it meant the world when a few of the guys let me hang around awhile. Good on ya for inviting the kid back. It's great to know there are younger generations that still have a spark in em for old hot rods and customs.

 

Very cool, if he lives around you, maybe a ride is in order? With the mom's permission of course.

 

Thanks For taking the time to talk to the kid. That was awesome!

 

Good man! I think everyone of us should take the time to get kids interested in cars.

I remember the first time I took my Desoto to a show. I sprung a pretty good fuel leak and ended up under my car in the middle of the show, gas dripping down my arm well into my armpit. Some kid walks up "what'cha doin?" At the time I really didn't want to be bothered, because I wasn't happy about the gasoline bath I was getting. I still took the time to explain what I was doing. His mother told him not to bother me, but I told her that he was no bother. Next thing I know the kids under my car with me, haha. I'm sure that made his day, Hopefully someday he'll have a hotrod of his own...

 

Good to hear people are taking the time to relate to the younger hot rodders. A friend has a teenager and I told her to bring him to the local carshow and talk to us.

 

That's awesome Hitch...more people need to do that! I'm impressed he had some knowledge to go with his interest! Makes me wanna cruise the neighbor for kids....wait, that just sounds bad...

 

I was that same kid 35 years ago, and it was guys like you that mentored me and helped me along. I would ride my Schwinn down the block and hang around the guys with the '55-'57 Chevys. They had some pretty stout street machines, and I was hooked.

 

Our club supports a local children's group home (school clothes, birthday presents, etc.) in addition to taking our cars and visiting a local juvenile detention center. I can't emphasize enough how important it is to have adults who aren't taking advantage of them visit and spend time with kids. Last time we were at the juvenile center we took our cars inside the facility and the guards broght the kids out one house at a time to visit and check out the cars. Our '50 Ford has shaved handles and one little girl (14ish) had a puzzled look on her face and finally asked me how to get in the car. I explained that it had solenoids that I operated with a remote. She looked at it for a moment longer and then said "that would sure make it hard to jack (steal)". She went on to explain that she really likes cars which is how she ended up in the center. Hopefully she will grow out of that mindset.

 

man id love to get a bunch of young guns to hang around the shop with me.besides being able to teach them what little i know and to help them along in thier love of old iron look at all the free labor i could get.lol

 

When I was little I always used to run over to my neighbor's house when he had the garage open. He always took The time to talk to me and answer my questions and I think he's the one who made me the gear head I am today.

 

Well played.

 

Nice job giving that kid a lifelong memory!

 

That was me many years ago. Someone on my block saw me riding around on my bike. Going back and forth..back and forth. And finally said,
"Hey kid..go to the 7-11 and get us some smokes and a slurpee if you want (in '76 ten year olds had no problem getting cigs for Dad).
Gave me some money and off I went. I got back in no time flat, handed over the goods and stood there.
"Would you like a ride?"
Hell yes I said
The rest of the afternoon was spend doing burnouts in a number of different cars.
I even got to speed shift off the line once or twice.
I've never been the same since.
Thanks strangers!!

 

Nice. That kid sound like a future hot rodder to me. Nice job.

 

Long story short, went to a swap meet-show and their was this one car that was in short not really done well but that the owner had a smile on his face and was very proud as he wiped the car down as it was drizzling(many negative comments under peoples breath) kids love this jalopy,they swarmed to it and he would take the time to talk and would even put them on the seat to hold the steering wheel(ever see a 5 year standing on a seat with both hands on the wheel,smile from ear to ear) this guy recruited more future hot rodders in one hour than I do in a life time!! When it was time to go he fired it up and drove off still smiling,( He made me smile too) Pete

 

This is funny...

If the "kid" was 17, I bet most of the responses would be:
"Lock your door"
"I woulda shot the thief"
"Hope he can outrun my pitbull"
"I would of punched him so hard his father would feel it"
"I asked out his mom..."

Glad to see the "nice" responses today. I guess my hippy-love side ends up showing through when a story has a feel good ending...

 

If a kid ask questions, answer them. If the kid wants to sit in the car, let em. If they are really fired up, give em a ride. We are amb***adors.

 

The kid already had the spark. Now, you just fanned it a little. Good job. Sometimes I forget how much of an influence we can have if we just spend a little time. The kid's mom sounds like she's pretty cool with it too.

Well put, Tman!!

 

Life long memory you made for that kid. When I was 14-15 I would hang around watching some older guys two doors from me working on one guys '51 Olds Coupe that he drag raced. I would ask them questions when they were radiusing the rear wheel wells or welding up a set of headers. Looking back, I was probably being a pest, but the owner(Doug) always took the time to explain why they were doing whatever task they were working on. I guess he appreciated my auto-enthusiasm 'cause by the time I turned 16 he had sold the Olds, bought a '64 Corvette Roadster, and when he washed it which was like every day, he would have me drive it around the block just so he could watch the car come down the street. That was quite a thrill for me and 45 yrs. later, I still remember it like it was yesterday...............Don.

 

I'll never forget, I was ten years old and a group of hot rodders got together and gave a bunch of us neighborhood kids a ride from Boston up to Nahant beach. I picked a 63 vette cause it was bad *** looking! I'll never forget that ride and how all the guys were, treated us kids real nice. Nothing like it, I remember side pipes and the way it boomed going thru the tunnel!

 

Kids(that is 6-26) these days don't really care much about how old, like 56 vs. 36, or about many doors, like 2 vs. 4, they just have a nice broad appreciation for old cars in general. In their world the old lines like pre-49, pre-55, pre-60, pre-65 don't mean much either. At least they're for the most part not thinking a 78 Bonneville 4door is a cool old car. After all, from the 70s-90s all cars looked alike and from the 2000s-now they still do.

So, you did a good thing and the word was spreada little farther. Good on YOU!

 

Nice.
Without the ability to share what you have with others, this hobby would have no appeal whatsoever.
Imagine if nobody looked, nobody asked questions, nobody was interested.
That would pretty well takes all the joy out of having something cool.

 

There will be an extra star in your crown for what you did. Well done, sir, well done.

 

This is so true! My dad was a Lincoln/Mercury mechanic in the 50's so I grew up around repairing automobiles but there was a kid down the street from me who bought a 55 Ford 'vert and I would spend endless hours down there learning stuff, holding on to the dumb end of a wrench or just bench racing. I think my background may have helped some but this kid and his friends let us youngsters hang out and get hooked on cars even more!

 

That's cool, thanks for sharing the story.

 

Great day for you and the kid.
Hope you see him again.
These little encounters can have a BIG impact on life and you as these stories have shown.

Yep tman, we are amb***adors

 

Thats great to hear! I see a future gearhead thanks to you taking time to talk to him.

 

...hope you told him about this place and your name here so he will have someone to mentor him...kinda like adopting a puppy, ain't it?