[cougar1]

I know I’m not the only one but I just had to throw it out there to you guys and gals. I have 2 kids. Daughter is 12 and my son is soon to be 16.
By the time I was 16 was into cars, mostly 50’s and 60’s cars which at the time were really just used cars (especially the late 60’s cars). My dad was not a big car guy so I was pretty much on my own when I bought my 68 cougar in ‘82 at 18.
With that said, my soon to be 16 year old has absolutely 0, nada, zilch, no interest in cars. I don’t think he would even know what screw driver to get if I told him it was a phillips. He’s into video games, which doesn’t surprise me in this day and age.
One time I was watching pass time and unless I heard incorrectly, someone asked Ken Herring how his son liked his dad owning a speed shop. Ken just hung his head and quietly said his son was not into it!
At this point, I’ve accepted that my son and I will never have a father/son project. He just doesn’t have the bug.
So anyone else here that can relate?

 

[BarneyFife]

im the opposite...from the time my oldest was 1 he and i sat and watched "my classic car" every time it came on. as soon as mr handlebar mustache appeared on TV he would sit down and quietly watch the entire show. now he's 3 and into tools and already has been going over the cougar with me.....and can point out corvettes and cougars and a couple of other cars so far on the road...

my youngest is going to be 2 this august and, although not as interested, he seems to love cars too and knows what screw driver is phillips and which is not already. of course hes the one that can operate an iphone and remote control w/o any issues so no telling which way he'll wind up.

 

[cougar1]

Wow, that's great. I used to take my son with me to car shows but I guess it just never clicked.

 

[1970fastcat]

I am just starting to have kids, but hope they do end up liking them. My daughter is 2 and has several hot wheels, and of course her favorite is the silver Cougar. She always yells "Cougar noisy" when I start mine up, but says it with a big grin. If she walks into the office, and I am on this site, she yells "Cougar" with a big grin if she see a picture. Lets hope she continues liking them, but no big deal if she doesn't.

 

[droptopcat70]

As being a only child i have loved cars since i started walking.My dad on the other hand isn`t into cars like he once was when he met my mom in the mid 60s to the time they got married in 1972.I always loved cars, trucks, and anything that has wheels and rolls.Heck i paint E2D advance hawkeye parts and planes for a living.I love painting them planes i tell ya, but getting back to my dad, when i turned 16 i drove the cougar as my 1st car.I had many other cars and trucks/blazers.But we never had a father/son project cause we butted heads like paul teutul sr and jr do.Then we moved to florida in 2002 and i bought a 70 eliminator project for us to build.He was never into it so i sold it.The 80 chevy stepside truck i am currently working on i am doing by myself cause i dont want him to touch it as he is what some call a BUTTERFINGER and can scratch it or chip/dent it,and its for my mom(long story).Its sad to say but i wouldve loved to have had a father /son project with him but i`m going to be getting married in september of 2012 and the person i`m marrying we dated when i was 16 and she was 15 and we dated when i was driving the convertible which makes the cougar that much more sentimental to me.And her son thats 15 years old loves cars, so im gonna work on the car and get it painted before they move to florida in 2013 and i got a 72 nova pro street project on the mind when they move and i`m going to have him help me and i`m going to show him how to build a awesome street machine.

thanks
pat

 

[ohiocougar]

I fill your pain. my son is the same age and the same way he'll come around once his friends start asking abought the car my doughter know 19 has becouse her b.f's and friends start looking at them and asking quastions just hang in there

 

[cougarshaman]

I'm sure my family (my mom's side Chevy people and my Father was a hardcore AMC guy....) nearly disowned me when I got into cars and came out as a Ford guy when I was 14.

They watch you though. They may not know a carburetor from a microwave, but they do know what kind of person you are by the way you handle your classics. If you finish projects and hold to a good work ethic, or if you take stuff apart and leave it laying or regularly say "aw, that's good enough", they're listening and watching.

The important lessons come through. The rest is just nuts and bolts and paint.

 

[restomodcougar]

With the typical vehicles that are coming out now a days on the market how could you get into cars! "Wow a Smart car!" I think we all got into them because anyone could work on one but now you need a electronics degree to do anything. Do you really thing that we will be going to car shows 30 years down the road to see a 2006 Toyota Echo?? I think not!

 

[Seafoam jcode]

I know I’m not the only one but I just had to throw it out there to you guys and gals. I have 2 kids. Daughter is 12 and my son is soon to be 16.
By the time I was 16 was into cars, mostly 50’s and 60’s cars which at the time were really just used cars (especially the late 60’s cars). My dad was not a big car guy so I was pretty much on my own when I bought my 68 cougar in ‘82 at 18.
With that said, my soon to be 16 year old has absolutely 0, nada, zilch, no interest in cars. I don’t think he would even know what screw driver to get if I told him it was a phillips. He’s into video games, which doesn’t surprise me in this day and age.
One time I was watching pass time and unless I heard incorrectly, someone asked Ken Herring how his son liked his dad owning a speed shop. Ken just hung his head and quietly said his son was not into it!
At this point, I’ve accepted that my son and I will never have a father/son project. He just doesn’t have the bug.
So anyone else here that can relate?

I can definitely relate. My son, also 16, loves cars, but has no interest in wrenching on them. I had offered to ship my first '68 Cougar out from CA to restore it as a father-son project, but he declined. His first response was "Yes", but as he thought about it more, he changed his mind. I've had this car up for sale on and off for over a year, but with no responses. Fast forward to about two months ago....My 13 year old daughter asks me; "Dad, will you teach me how to work on cars?". "Do you think we can ship the Cougar out so I can restore it with you?" Bingo! So, it seems my first '68 will be a father-daughter project!!! This is really a great excuse to also modernize the engine, trans and brakes to make it as safe and reliable as I can make it for her. I'm pretty stoked, to say the least!

 

[ZMAN]

Don't have any kids. Wish I had someone to work on my car with maybe that would get me going on it.
Dad and I never really did a Father/Son project but we did do stuff. The most fun I remember was going to the local dirt track every Tuesday night.
He knew the owner of the track and some of the drivers, would take me in the pits after the races. That was pretty cool. Got older started going to the races with my friends, was fun, but not as much fun as with my Dad.
One thing we could have done was: He was a pilot, and a great one, loved to fly. I would go with him sometimes even though I was a little afraid of flying.
He signed me up for flying lessons, but I never took any. Still regret that.

 

[Al Bundy]

It's OK if your son isn't into cars. Find some common ground with him and give him your time. Play a video game with him. He'll always remember the time you spend with him. Maybe someday you will have that father/son project because he'll want to make that connection with his dad.

 

[Bad69cat]

I've noticed that it's just the new gen thing now - cars aren't the in thing so much with the younger crowd. If you could text, update facebook or youtube with it - that's be a different story. ( I think partly because it's almost expected you have one so why think about them) Seems like this generation is going to be as disconnected as it can and it's likely to get worse from the looks of it. I like the idea of getting them away from the technology for awhile though...go camping, fishing, anywhere the phone doesn't work. Heck even a family night of old style board games should be on the agenda at least 1 or 2 nights out of the month. They would be surprised at how much fun it can be - but I guarantee they won't like the idea as they get older, until they actually play.

 

[ZMAN]

I know I’m not the only one but I just had to throw it out there to you guys and gals. I have 2 kids. Daughter is 12 and my son is soon to be 16.
By the time I was 16 was into cars, mostly 50’s and 60’s cars which at the time were really just used cars (especially the late 60’s cars). My dad was not a big car guy so I was pretty much on my own when I bought my 68 cougar in ‘82 at 18.
With that said, my soon to be 16 year old has absolutely 0, nada, zilch, no interest in cars. I don’t think he would even know what screw driver to get if I told him it was a phillips. He’s into video games, which doesn’t surprise me in this day and age.
One time I was watching pass time and unless I heard incorrectly, someone asked Ken Herring how his son liked his dad owning a speed shop. Ken just hung his head and quietly said his son was not into it!
At this point, I’ve accepted that my son and I will never have a father/son project. He just doesn’t have the bug.
So anyone else here that can relate?

Is he driving yet.
Show him how to do a burnout with the Cougar, maybe that will get him interested.:burnout:

 

[Don Rush]

Check out this cute story... You will have to scroll down past the pictures to see it.

 

[ZMAN]

Check out this cute story... You will have to scroll down past the pictures to see it.

That's a great story. Thanks!!!

 

[droptopcat70]

Great story

thanks
pat

 

[jsv]

I have twin sons- age 16, just beginning to drive. Neither is much into the Cougars, and a have a bunch. I secretly find it disheartening and wish they would have the desire, but they don't-at least for now. Interestingly, their friends think it is very cool; maybe that will stimulate interest. I agree with the angle that we need to find whatever common ground there is and work from there: video games, cars, music, etc. The time together trumps the topic.

 

[Don Rush]

I have 5 kids, a couple show some interest but in the end they may all have 0 interest and while I wish it were not so it is still OK. Keep in mind we who love cars are the oddballs, not them... Restoring old cars, refrigerators, radios or what have you really makes no logical sense when you really think about it.

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[elimin8r]

With the typical vehicles that are coming out now a days on the market how could you get into cars! "Wow a Smart car!" I think we all got into them because anyone could work on one but now you need a electronics degree to do anything. Do you really thing that we will be going to car shows 30 years down the road to see a 2006 Toyota Echo?? I think not!

Darn it. I better get that 2003 civic out of my climate controlled room.

 

[mmmeat]

Y'all are making me feel a lot better! My Daughter is in to cars if it means a vacation to Arizona or a car show..although she can clean one with a lot more vigor than the Cheerleading team that I "hired" a couple weeks ago to do my truck..wow was that excrutiating! (you mean it needs to be wet before I scrub with this broom!?)

The Boy loves driving and riding, but wrenching? Not really. He loves the '84 Diesel that my Father gave him, so I'm pretty happy that his tastes are cheap, ugly and slow, though

The more I think about it, the more it makes sense..in this day of instant gratification and texting and Computer games/Video Games..it's tough to get a kid patient enough to take weeks and weeks to get a car up and running, let alone spend 2-6 hours doing a full-on detail that is a backbreaker for the Old Man

Sweat and work and broken knuckle skin is becoming a thing of the past..sigh..