Auto Mechanics books for Tweenagers

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bentvalves
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Re: Auto Mechanics books for Tweenagers

Post by bentvalves »

Do you ride motorcycles?

Get him a dirtbike weather you ride or not. And promote him to an 80-125cc two stroke as soon as he is ready.

He will need riding boots (not timberlands), chest protector, and a helmet. When your working on your shit, he can be working on his shit at the same time.
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Re: Auto Mechanics books for Tweenagers

Post by ptuomov »

bentvalves wrote: Tue Apr 24, 2018 5:55 pm Do you ride motorcycles?

Get him a dirtbike weather you ride or not. And promote him to an 80-125cc two stroke as soon as he is ready.

He will need riding boots (not timberlands), chest protector, and a helmet. When your working on your shit, he can be working on his shit at the same time.
I’d go with a 50cc four stroke single cylinder bike initially. Lower the peak power rpm and lower the bmep, the safer it is and the easier it is to make changes that increase power.

Modern 125cc two strokes are too fast and already too optimized. One ends either dead or disappointed tuning them! Unless if one is ready, but ready is a high hurdle with a modern 125cc two stroke.
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Re: Auto Mechanics books for Tweenagers

Post by englertracing »

kart racing?
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Re: Auto Mechanics books for Tweenagers

Post by englertracing »

kart racing?
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Re: Auto Mechanics books for Tweenagers

Post by Schurkey »

groberts101 wrote: Mon Apr 23, 2018 9:01 pm Not sure about books. But maybe find his favorite types of cars and tailor towards that?
Far as I know, he doesn't have a favorite type of car, unless it would have a gun mounted to it--a tank or some artillery piece. Mobile missile launcher...that sort of thing.
groberts101 wrote: Mon Apr 23, 2018 9:01 pmI do know a gocarts and minibikes gets most of them hook line and sinker though!
I can believe that. I think the riding lawn-mower is going to have to suffice in that regard.
GARY C wrote: Mon Apr 23, 2018 9:37 pm You may be better off taking him shooting and teach him the respect and proper use of a fire arm, if he hasen't ever shot before then the kick of a twelve gauge may change his interest but trying to get him interested in your hobbies without understanding his will probably go nowhere and may even shut down a much needed communication.

I was taught to load and shoot the family 38 at about his age because my dad didn't want me playing with the house hold gun, it was for protection and he wanted me to understand that and be able to use it if needed, my extended family was into hunting and shooting I wasn't so the shot gun I got for Christmas sat unused but I was into cars so I learned from neighbors with the same interest, when I got my first car my dad said he would pay for needed parts but I had to do the work my self.
This has nothing to do with guns, at it's core. It has to do with politically-correct bullshit in the metro public schools. Grandma would have starved to death as a child if the entire family weren't hunters. Grew up in Montana, dirt-poor, lived on a ranch. Three kids rode a horse to one-room schoolhouse. Grandma knows all about firearm safety and legitimate uses of firearms.

The problem is that the kid goes to liberal-nutjob public school, and if he continues to talk about guns on school property, she's afraid they're going to label him seriously demented and get him expelled, or put notes in his PERMANENT RECORD. She has swallowed the gun-violence-in-the-big-city propaganda hook, line, and sinker.

I tell her that it won't be any better if the kid goes on about cars. Cars are almost as evil as guns to these nutters.
GARY C wrote: Mon Apr 23, 2018 9:50 pmjust start by taking him to the store for a coke in your hot rod and see what his response are questions are.
Absolutely in the plans...when he gets here. I'm looking to prime the pump in the months before he shows up. Car books, car movies, that sort of thing.
Speedbump wrote: Tue Apr 24, 2018 9:14 amThe most successful class I ever did for freshmen level students revolved around a model called "The Visible V-8." I think it's still available.
The kid is Lego-crazy. The Visible V-8 is a possibility. Currently about $70,
ijames wrote: Tue Apr 24, 2018 8:56 am When I was a young teenager I read a couple of racing novels by Patrick O'Connor and loved them, but 11 may be a bit too young. Go to amazon and search for "Patrick O'Connor black tiger".
Speedbump wrote: Tue Apr 24, 2018 9:14 amI read an author named Henry Gregor Felsen, who wrote a number of simple fictional books based around hot rods. I still remember them.
Me, too...but I'd long ago forgotten the names of the authors. Thanks for that. That exactly the sort of books I want to get him...but I was hoping they'd be more current instead of being same ones I read as a kid.

Appreciated, all.
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Re: Auto Mechanics books for Tweenagers

Post by GARY C »

I know what you mean on the modern day culture, I don't know if you saw the link I posted a few before yours on DV'S books but here is a really good NASCAR engine seminar... kids these days may need the advanced to excite them.
"Earnhardt-Childress Racing Engines (ECR) Technical Director Andrew Randolph gives a speech on the inner workings and engineering of a 2010 NASCAR engine."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBZCnG1HwDM
Please Note!
THE ABOVE POST IN NO WAY REFLECTS THE VIEWS OF SPEED TALK OR IT'S MEMBERS AND SHOULD BE VIEWED AS ENTERTAINMENT ONLY...Thanks, The Management!
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Re: Auto Mechanics books for Tweenagers

Post by Truckedup »

Always has to be the fault of something like schools or liberals... :roll: ....What's gonna happen when the boy gets interested in girls? Cut off his johnson? The boy is interested in guns, as mentioned show him gun safety and go to a firing range..
Go kart racing , yes, who is going to pay for it and take the boy to the track....Small motorcycle/ATV is also good if he has a place to ride ....
Motorcycle land speed racing... wearing animal hides and clinging to vibrating oily machines propelled by fire
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Re: Auto Mechanics books for Tweenagers

Post by groberts101 »

Another couple ideas. Take him to the local go cart track. Or get him hunter safety certified(most are online now) so he has the basic gun safety stuff under his belt and then take him to the gun range and teach him how to trap shoot. Not the cheapest hobby's either way he goes here and both can be just as dangerous if either is disrespected but at least he gets some of the basics under his belt.
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Re: Auto Mechanics books for Tweenagers

Post by NewbVetteGuy »

B Original wrote: Mon Apr 23, 2018 9:21 pm Getting a poster of a Lamborghini Countach with a bikini Bay model posing on it LOL that got my interest when I was 12 years old.

There's a real good series on Netflix that you might get into watch that my Intrigue him it's called Fastest Car it involves several episodes leading up to a championship of the producers finding a Supercar and pitting it against three sleepers that turn out to be some really well engineered and fast everyday cars that people build in their garages. I think something that pits the supercar against the underdog that wins sometimes Maybe Aventuras to someone that age
I was just going to recommend a video instead of a book and that series in particular. Totally agree with Fastest Car.
Some of the more juvenile humor Automotive YouTube channels, potentially too. Cleetus McFarland comes to mind very quickly.

If he's into electronics / computers at all EFI tuning can be an interesting subject: make a car go faster by playing around with it's computer/ make it go faster "for free" = Win.


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Re: Auto Mechanics books for Tweenagers

Post by David Redszus »

If he expresses an interest in firearms, don't suppress that interest. Find an old rifle or shotgun and take it
apart, piece by piece. Explain the function of each component. And that it was designed and built long before
computers were available. Teach him about internal and external ballistics and shooting techniques. Remind him
that it is a science based on engineering principles. Concentrate on safety. Buy him a NRA membership.

Then move on to a small engine; any small engine. Take it apart and restore it to a new condition. Teach
him shop procedures and use of tools and shop safety. Teach him how to think logically.

Books to read include: The Unfair Advantage, by Mark Donohoe.
Racing novels by B.S. Levy
Magazines include RaceCar Engineering, the Carroll Smith series.
All sorts of YouTube videos on cars.
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Re: Auto Mechanics books for Tweenagers

Post by cjperformance »

Schurkey wrote: Mon Apr 23, 2018 8:54 pm My nephew is 11, and according to his grandmother, has an unhealthy interest in firearms. I have been tasked by her with getting him interested in "something else".

He's coming to visit this summer, I can pull him into the shop where we'll play with engines and "stuff". I'm looking for books he can read prior to his visit that might pique his interest.

Anyone know of teen- or pre-teen-level books on autos, auto repair, perhaps colorful race cars...anything of the sort.

Any other ideas on how to engage him in the automotive field?
Interesting as i was also gun crazy as a kid, but was also intersted in engines, cars, tractors, steam engines etc and did have books and acess to people who supported these interests. My uncle , who was also into cars, much to my parents horror!, bough me an air rifle when i was 11 or 12 and taught me all the right ways to use it, i got into a small bore rifle club and i just had the knack for it and although i could easily out shoot the kids with big dollar target guns and took a few trophies from them using my .177 'daisy gun', i soon lost the gun craziness but continued on with the car interests.
I still have that air rifle now along with a couple other guns that i picked up along the way but i probably only fire half a dozen shots a year from the air rifle and dont even use the others yet i still like to keep them.
I think in you cant just steer someone away from a burning interest. What you can do is use that interest as a way to connect, gain trust and a good relationship and use the time together to keep throwing in new interests or building on existing non gun related interests to show other good avenues in life.
He will probably always be interested in guns, the best part you can play here is to teach him safety and respect and give him positive avenues to use the guns so that he does not need to experiment behind everyones back and do something stupid.
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Re: Auto Mechanics books for Tweenagers

Post by Old School »

Take him a ride in a stout car. We all remember our first ride in a hot rod, the smell, the noise, the acceleration. Then he will know why we work on cars, to get them to go faster, quicker. If that don't interest him you may as well forget the car thing.
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Re: Auto Mechanics books for Tweenagers

Post by NewbVetteGuy »

Schurkey wrote: Tue Apr 24, 2018 6:10 pm The kid is Lego-crazy. The Visible V-8 is a possibility. Currently about $70,
Lego makes a v8 and a v10 Lego engine set that actually works for the $15-$30 range.

You can also 3D print a part that lets you hook the crank up to a battery powered drill and turn the engine over.

THIS GUY: has built a lego "dyno" (more like a spintron) that lets you test your lego engines: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIjyKTV4pQA


One step up is the "LEGO Technic Power" set which has electric motors that you can use to make working machines.
One more step up ($80 range) is the "Lego Mindstorms" which are robotics -they can be easily "programmed" with easy-to-use "WeDo" software from Lego. -They have kits for building robotoc lego spiders, bull dozers that can recognize objects and push them to where you tell them, or to play basketball and steal a basketball from another robot and try to put it in a hoop.

Note: Someone has made a Lego "chain gun" that shoots like 100 rubber bands a minute; it could easily be combined with some lego MindStorm sensors to detect a person in the room, pivot to them and shoot them with 100 rubber bands... although I realize that's probably very counter productive here; lol!


Not exactly auto-related, but Legos make an easy transition to Robotics and 3D Printing- which are going to be hugely expanding industries that are and will continue to impact the automotive industry.


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Re: Auto Mechanics books for Tweenagers

Post by BigBro74 »

David Redszus wrote: Fri Apr 27, 2018 12:27 am If he expresses an interest in firearms, don't suppress that interest. Find an old rifle or shotgun and take it
apart, piece by piece. Explain the function of each component. And that it was designed and built long before
computers were available. Teach him about internal and external ballistics and shooting techniques. Remind him
that it is a science based on engineering principles. Concentrate on safety. Buy him a NRA membership.

Then move on to a small engine; any small engine. Take it apart and restore it to a new condition. Teach
him shop procedures and use of tools and shop safety. Teach him how to think logically.

Books to read include: The Unfair Advantage, by Mark Donohoe.
Racing novels by B.S. Levy
Magazines include RaceCar Engineering, the Carroll Smith series.
All sorts of YouTube videos on cars.
David this is a very right on post fora kid 11 years old IMHO
he (the kid) can't learn any younger :D
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