[ta6point6]

I just recently changed rear discs on the Trans Am, I orginally changed rear pads on car in my later 20's. Well needless to say 20 year old me was not much into detail or actually looking up how to do this properly. 20 year old me asked a buddy of mine who worked at a brake shop how hard it would be. He said it was easy just take out old pads pop in new ones and cycle the emerergency brake to adjust. Well taking rear brakes apart I noticed 20 year old me did not index rear piston correctly, rear discs were heat checked and for some reason one of the emergency cable springs on caliper had some electrical tape wrapped through it. In my 20's I lived pretty much paycheck to paycheck so I am thinking that is why I took some short cuts when doing rear brake pads. I dont think I would let 20 year old me work on car now though without direct supervision
How about you guys would you let 20 year old you work on your car now?

[nytrainer]

Absolutely! Started my Autobody shop then (worked at it four years prior) and while I still enjoy the process my body can’t keep up with what my mind thinks it can do in the same timeframe.

[Bruce Meyer]

Yes I would. I stated wrenching when I was 14. At 20 I already had 6 years experience.

[b-man]

I started at age 15.

By age 20 I had built 3 engines and resurrected and modified 4 cars already for myself and built one engine for my sister’s friend. In one of my personal cars I swapped out the air-cooled VW engine for a Buick V6. I also knew how to weld and do body work.

[400 4spd.]

Sure! My Dad had an ultimate set of tools!

[Chief of the 60's]

When I was 20, I was tuning my '65 GTO at the dragstrip.

Today, would I let a 20 year old work on my car? Absolutely!

We all bitch and whine about how our hobby is dying due to the lack of interest by the younger crowd. Well, if there is a young person showing an interest and the willingness to get involved in cars, I'm all for it and they will get my full attention.

[Chris65LeMans]

I’d let 20 year old me work on my car, sure. I’d just kick his ass first for other reasons.

[Sirrotica]

My father worked as a mechanic most of his adult life. His first job automotive related was in a Pontiac dealership as a timekeeper in the service department. He then graduated to the grease rack and then onto the floor as a regular service technician.

He had his own garage, and also a service station, worked in dealerships as well as independent garages. Later on he maintained fleets for businesses that had their own trucks.

He really didn't want me to take up wrenching as my profession, one of the first things he did to dissuade me was install a reman engine in a bread truck at the ripe old age of 9-10 YO. This wasn't simple because it had to be installed through the front of the truck with a crane. To this day I believe he had me do it to try to discourage me from taking wrenching up as a vocation.

Well it did just the opposite, and I just thought it was great when that engine fired up initially. I was all about wrenching on everything that had an engine on it. Mini bikes, go karts, lawn mowers and he even had me helping him work on our daily drivers with his supervision. My older buddies were asking me to work on their cars before I even had a drivers license. I had 2 years of vocational training in high school plus all the extra help and guidance from my father.

I learned to use a cutting torch, and oxy- acetylene weld by 16. I also took a night course to learn to arc weld after graduating from my Vo tech school. I needed to arc weld to build roll cages for dirt cars....there was an ulterior motive for learning how to arc weld.................

I was probably more advanced at 20 than many older mechanics were that were older than me. At 20 my age was against me because not many people thought someone as young as myself could know anything. I had people that didn't believe I could do the job as a mechanic, because of my age.

So yes I'd hire me, but I had advantages many people at 20 didn't have, my circumstances were not what most 20 year olds have.

Having run my own garage, and of course hiring people that sold themselves as mechanics, I've run into more disappointments, than successes. I've had people that came out of the military that worked as mechanics in the service that knew absolutely nothing. The same goes for people that had graduated from Vo Techs. I didn't want someone I don't have to stand over and critique everything they do and check all their work, I might as well do everything myself, if I have to teach someone everything.

I hired a guy from my old Vo tech. The first job I gave him was to pull a 400 out of a 69 GP, the car was junk so he didn't have to worry about hurting anything, I just wanted the engine and transmission before it went to the scrap yard. 12 hours later the engine was still in the car and not ready to pull. I sent him down the road, and a day or so later my old Vo tech teacher stopped by to say he was sorry, but that guy wasn't a good representation of what they were turning out of the school.

He could never have made a living as a mechanic, he just didn't have it in him. He actually was near tears when I told him he wasn't going to work out.

Had some success stories too, but that was the exception.

[PurelyGTO68]

I took my car to get the front wheels aligned. They actually did a 4 wheel alignment which I didnt think was possible with these older cars but they were able to get all settings well into the green so that was cool.

The lead technician who did the work looked to be in his early 40s but his apprentice was around 20 years old. It was cool to see the younger generation learning a trade and appreciating the classic vehicles.

Edit: I didnt mention any special details about the car. If either of them has a Pontiac enthusiast in their circle back home they would never believe that a 68 RA II manual trans convertible was ever in their shop.

[Ben M.]

20 year old me was already having to learn things the hard way after being screwed at 19 by a dishonest shop. I came here and to CP and started asking questions to do it all by myself. This was in the 2000s.

The only thing I wish 20 year old me had done differently was have a mentor helping them out. I had to wait until 25 and a lot of screwups made.

[389]

Defiantly!! We have farm kids here that I'll put against any of the worlds best mechanics...

[David Jones]

20 year old me?
I'd let 20 year old me do basic things but 62 year old me didn't learn most of the stuff that got the GTO where it is until I joined this site and others when I was 40 something year old me. 20 year old me had the ability, just not the knowledge.

[Shiny]

Yes.. he enjoyed working on cars, was stronger than I am now, could crawl under the car and get up off the ground, was meticulous, and didn't care if the new yard needed to be put in as a priority. He would have had my car running. I haven't touched it in a year. Where is this youngster?

[Keith Seymore]

He still is.

I've been wrenching on my Chevelle for 42 years.

'Course, some of the work looks like it was done by a high schooler and needs to be redone...
K

[Hikin Mike]

When I was 20 I didn't know a lot about cars. The 20-year-old me now still doesn't...lol!

[grandam1979]

20 year old me yes no problem now if you said 16 year old me that’s a different story I would keep a close eye on that kid.

[MUSLCAH]

Drag racing my 66 Chevelle @NewEngland Dragway at 18....swapping motors...rear ends...slicks... open headers ...all the fun stuff....1974...

[Half-Inch Stud]

Geez, at 20 i had 6 years of Pontiac Engine, trans, rear, body and interior work figured.

A couple things that got me:
1. The modern rear disc Calipers that needed a trist tool to collapse the piston. Luckly this baboon did no harm while trying.

2A. Long Branch manifolds fit a 68 GTO when you are 20.
2B. Long Branch manifolds don't fit a 68 GTO when you are 45.
2C. HO Manifolds perform well when you are 55.

[mgarblik]

Yea, I would. By 20, I was working at a Pontiac Dealership as a Line Tech, ASE Certified, and "thinking I knew what I was doing" I was young, did make some mistakes, but I tried to do my best. Being stronger and with good eye site at 20 was a real plus. Of course 42 years later, I am much more experienced, and that does help especially in diagnosis. I caught the bug early and was repairing small engines for pay at 12 years old. Got my first job at a Gulf service station at 14 with a work permit. They did real repairs there. I remember vividly when I first started there, the owner pulling and completely disassembling a Jaguar XKE V-12 engine! I remember thinking there was no way in the world he would ever get it back together much less get it running again. A week later is was back together and purring like a kitten. Today's 20 year olds, who I teach are not much different in many ways than we were. They have much more interest in all things electronic. Most prefer not to get really dirty and greasy, but they can repair the cars with proper training and a desire to do the work.

[RocktimusPryme]

I was working on my third gen camaro heavily as a 16 year old. So the heart would be there, but no. I would not let my 20 year old self work on my car now unsupervised. He would do dumb stuff. He didnt really know how to make power.

I would more likely challenge 20 year old me to a build off and race at the end.

Current me would for sure win, I know more speed secrets and have considerably more budget lol.