Think you are smarter than us older generation people?

[.ghoti.]

Fifty years ago, the owner’s manual of your new car detailed how to adjust the valves.

Today, it tells you to not drink the contents of the battery. 

[Michigander]

Maybe I should copy that old timey language for instructions on how to use the features on new cars so people that had cars fifty years ago can stop calling me to ask how to turn their headlights on or work their GPS.

 

We're not smarter than previous generations; just differently knowledgeable. Solid safety tip about the battery juice though. There's stone cold idiots in every age bracket, I just think we have the privilege of better documentation of that stupidity. ? 

 

 

[DitchPanda]

Ill go along with what Michigander said. My dad is 65...very knowledgeable in alot of things..can build you a house, wire it,plumb it. Taught me to change a tire, head lights, basic car maintenance. Also the guy who took 3 hours to figure out how to turn his cell phone on...god knows how long it took him to learn how to text.

I think the battery thing represents 2 things: yes there is an abundance of stupid people...also that people are sue crazy and will start a lawsuit up for anything. 50 years ago if you drank battery contents good riddance to bad rubbish. Now if you do it your family will come after GMC for 50 million. Most likely get it too.

[MN Fisher]

I turn 61 tomorrow and grew up learning so much.

Things my dad taught me when I was growing up

Basic house wiring

Sweating in pipes

Framing carpentry

Finish carpentry

Basic vehicle maintenance - oil change, lube, tuneup

Basic home appliance repair

 

Whole heap of other things.

 

Years ago the wife got a refrigerator magnet specifically for me - "The Fabulous Mr. Fixit Lives Here"

[Bankbeater]

When I was about 11 my mom told me that some of the smartest people you know, will be some of the dumbest people you'll ever meet.  When I was in my teens I realized she was talking about book smarts and common sense.

[CountryboyinDC]

You needed to have those instructions so that you could get oil slung all over you, the engine compartment and the garage as you set the lash and not wonder if you were doing it right.  I don't miss the old days with cars except for the 60s-70s styling. 

 

I don't know which category I'm in, but I definitely think the skillset is changing and there's a divergence among the younger generation.  There are some that are fiercely independent and try to know how to do everything, and others that make twenty bucks an hour and still pay someone to do everything for them including washing their clothes.  We had person interview with us still in college that had her personal assistant set up the interview.  She was what was essentially an assistant job.

[Michigander]

1 hour ago, Bankbeater said:

When I was about 11 my mom told me that some of the smartest people you know, will be some of the dumbest people you'll ever meet.  When I was in my teens I realized she was talking about book smarts and common sense.

Critical thinking skills are a much better indication of intelligence than how many facts you can recite, that's for sure.

[TnRiver46]

I’ve witnessed the valves adjusted on my fiancé’s car and on my Honda clone boat motor, pretty cool process that I might be able to handle solo now 

[MN Fisher]

5 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

I’ve witnessed the valves adjusted on my fiancé’s car and on my Honda clone boat motor, pretty cool process that I might be able to handle solo now 

I think the worst job I did was rebuilding the carb on my old Charger SE. Carter AVS - those things were a pain in the rumpus.

 

Oh - found a pic of mine - no more grabbing a shot from the inter-webs. This was taken from the balcony of my apartment when I was living in Bellevue, NE while I was in the Air Force.

[Columbia Craw]

Some things are like beating your head against a brick wall.  It feels good when you stop.

[Last_Cast]

I'll remember that when your phone stops working!

 

In all seriousness,

The older generations are some bad ass people. Tough, can think for themselves, and work hard..luckily my grandfather beat a lot of those values and senses into my head..glad im not the idiot drinking tide pods and staring into my phone 24/7

[slonezp]

On 11/19/2020 at 5:39 PM, MN Fisher said:

I turn 61 tomorrow and grew up learning so much.

Things my dad taught me when I was growing up

Basic house wiring

Sweating in pipes

Framing carpentry

Finish carpentry

Basic vehicle maintenance - oil change, lube, tuneup

Basic home appliance repair

 

Whole heap of other things.

 

Years ago the wife got a refrigerator magnet specifically for me - "The Fabulous Mr. Fixit Lives Here"

Gone are the days when you could change a belt on the car with a wrench and a 2x4

[MN Fisher]

2 minutes ago, slonezp said:

Gone are the days when you could change a belt on the car with a wrench and a 2x4

Still some things can be done...past couple months me and the guy across the street have done a couple things to my 2001 Silverado

New rear leaf-springs

New brake system - master cylinder, lines...the works.

[Angry John]

I'm not exactly a spring chicken but not near old enough to be wise.  I try to listen to the wisdom of the older generation and learn from both.  Heck most of my friends are gentlemen with more gray than anything else.

[slonezp]

17 minutes ago, MN Fisher said:

Still some things can be done...past couple months me and the guy across the street have done a couple things to my 2001 Silverado

New rear leaf-springs

New brake system - master cylinder, lines...the works.

Been some time since I did work on a car besides basic maintenance. 30 years ago I could be found laying on my back underneath my Cutlass swapping out a transmission and nowadays the best I'll do is swap out a set of plugs. The necessity for me to do the work is no longer there. I gave up doing brakes probably 10 years ago. I've installed both hardwood and tile floors, drywall, both rough and fine carpentry, and electrical work. My background is in commercial refrigeration. I'm 50 and crippled. Destroyed my shoulder in 2012. Between that and arthritis, I'll pass. I do still like to tinker around with stuff but I'll leave the heavy work to the young guys.

[Guitarfish]

We went travelling in my wife's car a couple of years ago.  The car had to struggle to keep up to speed on the grades. I thought the tranny was slipping.  When we got back a few days later the check engine light came on.  Code reader said one cylinder not firing. Hmmm.

Turns out the mechanic shop we paid to do a tune up 3 months earlier had skipped changing the rear bank of plugs because it was a bit of a pain.  The plugs had no anode left, completely gone.

Didn't bust him, just stopped going to him.

Trained my son to do lot's of things over the years.  But now he makes more than me and pays for everything to get done. My daughter worked with me over the years and knows how to do proper wire connections.

I gave them a start, but my work is done, lol.

[Boomstick]

[ThatZX14Fella]

Nope. I'm just a dumb redneck millenial.

[slonezp]

On 11/20/2020 at 9:38 AM, MN Fisher said:

I think the worst job I did was rebuilding the carb on my old Charger SE. Carter AVS - those things were a pain in the rumpus.

 

Oh - found a pic of mine - no more grabbing a shot from the inter-webs. This was taken from the balcony of my apartment when I was living in Bellevue, NE while I was in the Air Force.

Ex wife had one when we dated in high school. Car was dark green with a 318. 

[MN Fisher]

7 minutes ago, slonezp said:

Ex wife had one when we dated in high school. Car was dark green with a 318. 

Mine had the 400-4 under the hood.

[slonezp]

17 minutes ago, MN Fisher said:

Mine had the 400-4 under the hood.

I'm pretty sure the Charger was relatively rare for that year. That was the year of the Chrysler Cordoba and Ricardo Montolban was the spokesperson. The Chrysler had Corinthian leather

[MN Fisher]

Just now, slonezp said:

I'm pretty sure the Charger was relatively rare for that year. That was the year of the Chrysler Cordoba and Ricardo Montolban was the spokesperson. The Chrysler had Corinthian leather

The Charger SE for 75-78 used the Cordoba body...mine had velour interior.

[slonezp]

Just now, MN Fisher said:

The Charger SE for 75-78 used the Cordoba body...mine had velour interior.

Been a long time but I think hers had vinyl. 

[Bluebasser86]

I got hit with the "Respect your Elders", line for the first time in my life at the boat ramp Friday. Long story short, being older than someone earns you no respect when you want to treat someone poorly and that guy found it out the hard way.

[NYWayfarer]

On 11/19/2020 at 4:14 PM, .ghoti. said:

Fifty years ago, the owner’s manual of your new car detailed how to adjust the valves.

Today, it tells you to not drink the contents of the battery. 

If I showed my 17 year old son this I can picture what he would say.

 

”Sure, but you need help from the battery drinkers to set up your cable, Facebook, phone, etc.”