A maintenance schedule is a plan that tells you when to do things like oil changes or check brakes on your car so it keeps running well and doesn't break down.
Fleet maintenance means taking care of all the vehicles a company owns so they don't break down and cost money. It's like regular check-ups for many cars to keep them working well.
DIY family garage culture means families fixing and taking care of cars themselves at home. This helps kids learn about cars, but fewer families do this now.
Pontiac was a company that made cars a long time ago. They made cars that looked cool and were fun to drive. The story talks about an old Pontiac car someone had before.
The Chevrolet Camaro is a popular American sports car that started being made in the 1960s. The 1965 model is one of the early versions known for being fast and stylish.
The Pontiac Firebird Trans Am is a sporty car from the 1980s that looks cool with black and gold colors. It was on a TV show called Knight Rider, so many people recognize it.
A 'blown motor' means the car's engine is broken badly and won't work anymore. This can happen if you don't take care of the car properly, like not changing the oil.
When a tire has 'wire hanging out,' it means it's very worn and broken, and it's not safe to drive on. The inside parts of the tire are showing, which can cause accidents.
The battery is like the car's power source that helps start the engine and run lights and other things. It can run out and needs to be replaced sometimes.
Belts are parts that help move things inside the engine. If they break, the car can stop working properly, so they need to be checked and changed sometimes.
Hoses are tubes in the car that carry important liquids to different parts. If they break or leak, the car can have problems, so they need to be checked and fixed.
Trading in a car means you give your old car to the dealer when you buy a new one. The dealer gives you some money for your old car to help pay for the new one.
The Monte Carlo SS is a sportier version of a Chevrolet car called the Monte Carlo. It has better looks and performance parts to make it more fun to drive.
Having skin in the game means you care about something because it affects you directly. For cars, it means you take care of your car because it's your responsibility.
The Ford Mustang is a famous fast car from a long time ago that many people love because it looks cool and goes fast. A 'Fastback' means the back of the car slopes down smoothly. The story talks about a dad giving his son this special car.
The 1965 Mustang GT Fastback is a famous old car made by Ford. It has a sloping back roof and a strong engine, making it a popular and exciting car to drive.
Drag racing is a type of car race where two cars race in a straight line to see which one is faster over a short distance. It makes the car work very hard and fast.
A catalytic converter is a part in a car that cleans the bad gases from the engine so they are less harmful to the air. It gets very hot when working, and if it gets too hot, it can burn things nearby.
The main harness is a big group of wires in a car that connect all the electrical parts. If it gets damaged, many parts of the car might stop working properly.
The Chevrolet Blazer is a type of car that can drive on regular roads and rough places like dirt or mud. It's a bit bigger than a normal car and can carry more stuff or people. The story talks about someone who had one and used it a lot until it broke.
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Good morning Niagara! You're tuned into Car Connection where the coffee's hot, the tools are ready, and the talk is always tuned up.
I'm your host, Niall Motormouth Jenkins, coming to you straight from the Car Connection Workshop, where we mix a little humor, a little know-how, and a whole lot of horsepower.
Here it's not just about fixing cars, it's about keeping you rolling, saving you money, and giving you the confidence to understand what's under that hood.
From the classics to the commuters, the weird noises to the what the heck moments, we've got you covered.
So grab your coffee, sit back, join the crew, because this is Car Connection, your Monday through Saturday 8am morning pit stop for stories, smarts, and a few good laughs.
I'm Niall Motormouth Jenkins, and let's get shifted into drive this morning, because we have a plethora.
Yeah, that's a big word for me on a Wednesday morning. Hey, we're one day closer to spring. I'm not counting, but I just thought I'd mention that right out of gate this morning.
Thank you for inviting me into your space as I invite you into mine. You may never be the same, but you are always welcome here.
We'll have our morning swiggy in just a moment if you are joining us for the very first time. Pay attention to the drive-thru. There's no reversing in the drive-thru.
Don't do it. That's a viral video right there. And you might not make it out. I have physically seen that happen in my neighborhood one time.
And I'm thinking, am I going to survive this? I was in the lineup. I'm going, this is like, can we just helicopter me out of here right now? I just want to go home.
So no reversing in the drive-thru. Okay, you got that? Right. Check your order. Always double check your order.
I went through the drive-thru yesterday for the first time. I was on the road picking up auto parts and supplies for the shop.
And they let me out of here for a couple of hours and it took forever. Yeah. Have you ever been locked in an elevator?
The security guard doesn't even know you're there. It's interesting. Yeah, I experienced that yesterday unannounced. Very interesting.
So be careful. If you get locked in an elevator and you know they got the phone in there, who are you calling really? Who's on the other end of the line?
You don't know. You could be calling a pizza place. Anyhow, half an hour they got them out. Anyways, good thing there wasn't any health issues going on because nobody knew they were there.
That's crazy. No service light. Anyhow, before I get off on a tangent. Yeah, we're going to have a swiggy in just a moment.
It's nice and pipe and hot. I can see the steam coming off it, so that's a good time for that. Topic this morning. You ready for it?
Moms and dads, grandparents, aunts and uncles, teaching kids car ownership. What schools do not teach.
We're going to cover things like maintenance, basics, insurance realities, and why young drivers destroy cars financially, not mechanically.
We're going to cover all of that and then some in a diet soda all at the same time. So whatever your favorite morning beverage is, I've just bought you some time to prep it.
Lock it down in your cup holder if you're just sliding through the drive through and give that cup of whatever you ordered this morning a little wink, wink, nudge, nudge and make sure that it's good.
Got it? I've been burned on that one so many times. That's why I take my thermos now. It's like, you know what? If I want to mess up my coffee, I'm going to mess it up in my thermos by myself and know that I did it.
So then I won't be discouraged, disappointed, or having to go for counseling. Yeah.
All right. So that's what we're going to talk about this morning. What do we got going on tomorrow?
Oh, here we go. This heavy duty one. Do it yourself family garage culture. Yeah, we're going to cover that off tomorrow.
So that's Thursday mornings, motormouth morning drive. Come and join us this morning's episode number 96. And why do I mention that? Because it's important. We've got a almost 100 lessons in vehicle ownership.
Things they never told you. We start we begin season two early next week. Yeah, so it'd be 101. The first episode of season two will be episode one.
Zero one. Can you believe that already? But go back. They're all all hundred are in the library. We're about ready to bust out 200 videos on our YouTube channel.
And we need you to give us a super duper push. Get us to 500 subscribers. We need to get to 1000 and it seems to be taking forever.
But thank you to those who have joined us in the month of February all 28 of you. Thank you for doing that and make sure you're subscribed because I'm checking I check analytics all the time because we want to hit our vision for our YouTube channel.
Not only is it a teaching channel, but the vehicles we fix and we have vehicles coming in. I got a van coming in from a single mom and you're going to get an opportunity to hear actually actual story on this van.
I've got her convinced to sit with me in front of the camera and I'll interview her because you have got to hear the story on this van. You have to.
Every single one of you guys you're going to ball your eyes out so prepare yourself. It's not a chick flick but you're going to get your heart a little bit. It is and you need to hear these stories because they're important as we talked about yesterday.
And I wanted to spend a little more time on that I think I'll bring that topic back again as you know when you get a hand me down vehicle and it's given to you by a grandparent parent or it's a parent that's passed away and they left you their car or a grandparent
or an aunt or an uncle or a brother or a sister. What does that mean to you really put it in the comments send me a comment and any one of our YouTube videos and or you know jump on our website which is the biggest toolbox in our entire cabinet where
everything we talk about is. Connectable through our home page everything is there everything is available to you at car connection business network dot com on the home page you'll find all of our platform links for everything that you can connect with it like share follow
ring the bell get the notification. Join us on Facebook. Skippy my videographer puts reels there she's got one in the bank right now she's saving to post on Friday so you got to have a look at that one because it's it's freaking hilarious.
I kid you not. I think it's one of it's it's I got to give it the top three it's definitely in the top three that's getting posted on Friday.
This week that's February 27th because we are yet we officially will have up our fleet maintenance car connection maintenance schedule video you won't want to miss that I break the whole thing down for you to give you a super duper understanding about how companies with fleets of hundreds of vehicles
keep them all running and avoid breakdowns because that costs the company money and they pack hundreds and thousands of miles on these things before they give them up.
So I share how they do that because I created my car connection maintenance schedule based on when I worked on hundreds and hundreds of fleet vehicles and I'll tell you what if I missed any of us text working on fleet fleet vehicles for the same company we were employed by you missed a light.
Even an interior light that wasn't working. You just kind of slid past it. Oh my goodness mayhem. Yeah mechanics mayhem would break out because when the when the vehicle goes back to the fleet and the fleet manager hands the vehicle over to for someone to check all the work that we did to that vehicle.
We missed something and somebody's got a stink guy for us. Let me tell you they would enjoy every moment rubbing our nose in it like a puppy that pooped on the rug.
If you know what I'm saying. So I break that out for you and that video it will be uploaded this coming Friday. So then you'll be able to see the blooper and the real that skippies put together.
It's all wrapped around Groundhog's Day because we have our own official Groundhog in the car connection workshop. Yeah there's Willie and then there's won't he and we have won't he won't he see his shallow shadow.
Exactly you got to you got to stay tuned for that. So again I digress a bit but top right hand corner homepage of our website carconnectionbusinessnetwork.com get yourself signed up for everything we're doing support us help us keep the ignition on and running on all eight cylinders.
We need to get monetized very very quickly so that we can buy the parts fix the vehicles video the vehicles and teach you from those videos what we're working on and what the maintenance is and the five things.
What it is where it is how it works how it breaks and how you could have had some basic fundamentals about owning an automobile and maintaining it yourself it's not a big deal.
And after you watch the fleet service maintenance video you'll see it's not a big deal to keep those vehicles you have running long term like I do. I just run the same checklist I'm teaching you on myself.
That's why I have older vehicles that are in great shape. You have to put some elbow grease in. That means a washi and a wipey a shampoo and set. Don't jam that half eaten tuna sandwich or muffin under the seat.
Don't be a car slob. Remember one time I'm going to digress for a moment. Keep speaking of car slob had a couple of clients that would come in. Literally we would have to take a garbage bag industrial garbage bag and empty out the car into the garbage bag and put it in the trunk so we could work on the car on the inside.
I'm not kidding. And all the stuff all the junk and it was junk. It was Popcans it was juice jars. You know the list just went on and on napkins Kleenex and yes we gloved up and masked up at that time.
But here you know we don't want to diss the customer but at the same time I don't want to I don't want to sift through and work through all that whatever you know what could you catch you know my my worker Jimbo and go I ain't going in there.
Well I worked on it last time. I checked the service file. It's you this time Jimbo. There's the bag. There's the gloves. Put everything in there. We know the routine stuff it in the trunk and we'll let the customer know everything we had to move is in the in the bag in the trunk.
And you know what the next time the vehicle came in that bag would still be in the truck. Just saying so don't be a car slot. You got to look after it on the inside the outside and then the mechanicals and you know what you got a vehicle looks amazing drives amazing and is saving you and making you money every single day that you drive it.
You don't need to get stuck in the never never plan paying interest making principal payments for five seven years then by the time you pay it off you got nothing left but a wheel nut and steering wheel and you got to go get another one.
You know you got to get your money working hard for you not you working hard for the money that's that's the mice getting smarter than the cat. I'm just saying.
Yeah. So top right hand corner. All the links are there. Click on like subscribe. Make sure you're subscribed. We have 93%.
I want to make mention of this because it is very important that we let you know what's going on so you can help us because once we're monetized we can buy parts and do the labor shoot the video and everybody gets something from that.
And we can take care of the widows the orphans the seniors those are going through financial cramp and you know single moms busting butt out there trying to raise a couple of kids on their own and working.
Man my hat goes off. That's not easy. I don't have any kids. At least I don't think so. Anyways that's another topic for another time. That's a part of my life I don't even talk about.
You got one of those sections in your world. Hey if you like real world car advice and no BS garage stories hit that subscribe button because 93% of you watching our YouTube channel aren't subscribed.
And if you subscribe we'd be at the thousand. The algorithms go welcome aboard. We love you. You're putting three videos up every single week since you started and you have almost 200 videos. Come on in.
We're friends and then they'll start running some commercials and then the money comes in and then you know what we can buy the parts and the supplies and everything and take care of business take care of people that's what it's all about it's not about putting another shiny thing on my table.
I don't need it in fact I had that conversation yesterday with someone here in the studio I go it's not all about me it's all about people and serving. So if you haven't subscribed what that tells me is YouTube showing this to the right gear heads.
Join the motor mouth crew and let's keep your ride on the road that's what we're trying to do for you trying to keep your ride on the road and put money back in your pocket as I've been for four plus decades in the automotive service trade like truck passenger and heavy equipment and highway trucks and coaches and I can tell you how they keep their vehicles on the road.
And if you just change your mindset and this is this all wraps in with teaching the kids. Yeah because here's the thing kids will do 10% moms and dads of what you do right.
They'll do 100% of what you're doing wrong and accurately every single time and you say well you just said you don't have any kids well I really wanted kids but it didn't work out and I took a course called growing kids God's way and it was brutal.
Brutally good I mean they show you and teach you how to work with kids properly and you know so it's not the days of thunder and lightning screaming and yelling and you know kids respecting kids you're respecting the kids they're respecting you and things get done.
It was a great course and it was tough because I was going to foster parent and I did it over a winter it was six months miss a class you're out and it was a certificate class I got my certificate.
So I do know some stuff but I sure learned some stuff. So when I see meltdowns and stuff in grocery stores I could fix that.
Yeah without any you know language or colorful metaphors or anything breaking out so if you need some help in that direction.
I do my best to my best I like learning and like I said I wanted I was interested in becoming a foster parent and so you have to take this class in order to qualify and I signed up for it.
Yeah and I did it and I got my certificate anyhow let's move on this morning let's have our morning swiggy together brought to us by all our amazing program partners and sponsors that help make things possible we always have room for more sponsors.
And again and when we get monetized we won't be chasing sponsors they'll be chasing us and you know what that that really shifts the load off my back.
31 years I've been on the road with radio and our own pro live call in show car connection on several different networks.
And I have to be on the road lining up our own program partners to pay for the air time it is that's a full time job let alone everything else on its own on the road sales so all of you who are listening to me this morning do on the road sales.
Hey God bless you guys and gals are amazing out there because it's not easy doing sales and especially right now in this economy it's a tough go it's like pulling pulling rope with knots in it.
It's tough to get a deal so thank you to Crystal Ridge Dream Center being our faith based nonprofit organization out there and they're doing it.
They're working and serving men women children seniors young adults and single moms they've got programs going all week for all those areas of life.
And they serve meals out the door now they're almost up to 300 meals Tuesdays and Fridays.
They're serving love hope and changing lives one at a time in the Niagara region and take a look at them on our website all the logos are there for our program partners click.
Click on the logo it opens gives you an amazing profile page and all the pages are the same so navigation is super duper easy and again remember all the links top right hand corner.
YouTube Facebook Instagram Stevensville on the web because my parents live there and Skippy our videographer is a Steve Stevensville Loneon and put together that unique website to bring community and the business owners together in Stevensville.
So we have a profile page there they put it there and Skippy looks after that and she's a great gal she created it to help businesses and community work together and I think that is just so so cool.
And there's a lot going on in Stevensville great eateries there and that's where Safari Niagara is located so lots of stuff going on there and our I heart radio link is there for you and our online store.
To tell you just a bit about our online store if you're just joining us for the very first time when you make a purchase and get some car connection motor mouth gear.
Safely through our online website or your size your color what you want pay for it securely freedom expression ships it right out to your door and that's one of the companies that are on the campuses of the total freedom addiction centers open to Canadians and American residents.
So we're helping through the sale of our merchandise helping those struggling with addiction be able to get to a total freedom addiction campus where a new life waits them there so come along be part of the crew and help us to help those who are struggling with addiction.
Thank you to city auto sales and leasing providing low mileage quality vehicles at fair prices and I'll tell you they look like brand spanking new Earl Louise Grant husband and wife team they are car guys to the core.
They have earned the moniker of being greater Toronto areas premier pre owned auto store by with confidence be treated with nothing less than honesty and integrity they have quite an inventory but if you're looking for something specific let them know they have the resources save you a thousand steps.
Thank you to rainbow motors and garage up in Scarborough read in remission to the brothers up there.
Sales and service you can trust so they service all makes and models including light commercial vehicles and again they have a small car lot they don't sell any junk either.
And some of the vehicles qualify for aftermarket extended warranties and if you're looking for something specific and you don't see it in the inventory again trust them trust them to source that for you with their years of built up resources.
That's rainbow motors and garage sales in service you can trust.
Thank you to our certified financial planning professionals Tony Mealy and Larry Tito 50 years experience as fiduciaries with IG wealth management rather not management that's a new word management.
They take care of investment portfolios they'll review that for you if you've got an investment portfolio with the bank you're making pittance they're making lots of money you might want to ask some questions here.
A debt retirement estate planning powers of attorney health proxies a whole nine yards they do the whole thing and it is rock solid do not do that stuff yourself.
You're a state planning wills powers attorney it's not a cake mix you want to buy in a box they arrange mortgages they have a great mortgage department I haven't had a mortgage with a bank for a long time.
Hallelujah for that let me tell you great rates great people to deal with think almost 20 years now.
Life insurance critical illness insurance all available for you to sit down leave your wallet at home and pull in and sit up and pull that chair in and have that hour and a coffee with Tony or Larry and get your questions answered by those who have the fruit on the tree.
So you get an hour discovery meeting at no cost and these two guys are the most decorated CFPs in Canada and they're very humble.
They don't need any more clients but they're reaching out if our car connection listeners need a hand up or someone to answer questions form they're there to do that for you.
Niagara block the Greenville family at 5000 Montrose Road Niagara Falls building Canada since 1931 with building supplies hardscape landscaping materials.
You want to check in and get everything lined up right now and get a contractor and they can help you with that give you a referral help you to pick out products that you want to beautify your backyard and create that outdoor living space and hang out space your Oasis.
But you want to get things started now because March is marching in next week. That's right. We are there. Well the weather conditions for today.
We have snow again overnight here in the south shores of Lake Erie.
This is the first time the lake has been totally frozen in the last few years like last year was just a gray dreary wet winter.
And the year before and the year before that we did have snow but the lake did not freeze and that caused lots of problems for lake effects.
We had some miserable winter weather along the south shores of Lake Erie three years ago. We had a four day blow here and no electricity. It was interesting.
It certainly was very interesting. So we have to have a 72 hour plan down here and that's real. That's for real because you guys like Burlington in the Niagara region Niagara on the lake St. Catherine's.
You get nothing and we get crushed here. So we're going to show you that Skippy and I are going to go out and shoot a really cool video and let you into our backyard and all of you who may live in a place somewhere around the world.
Listen to this podcast may never see something like that a great lake completely frozen and looking like Antarctica.
So it looks like a giant white marshmallow this morning here 32 degrees right now with windy conditions. Wind is making it feel colder about 16 degrees.
Cloudy conditions expected around 7am this morning. Today's temperature range will be from 24 degrees Fahrenheit to 35 and I don't use Celsius.
It's always English standard version for me and it's going to feel like 14 degrees to 23 degrees in precipitation. No rain 0.95 of an inch of snow. We've got about three inches out there now and it's still coming down.
So take it easy out there that could be a little bit slick and slickery and you don't want to be spinning off and wrecking a car and it just turns the world completely upside down.
Thank you to Total Freedom addiction campuses for bringing us the daily weather this morning and providing healing and restoration to individuals and families enslaved by cycles of addiction and destructive behaviors.
Remember friends you can't fight what you can't see and that is so true. I had a relationship like that and that's why it was it didn't work out because you got to be able to you got to be able to get to that point where it's you.
And you know it's you and you're ready to change and you're ready to get it fixed and you're ready to do whatever it takes to get there. A new life awaits those who have made that decision and they get to Total Freedom addiction campuses.
All right on three two one pass over the 16 pack of crayola crayons and the unique car connection workshop laptop made out of a folded up leaf bag. Take some notes get your copilot take some notes if not just go to our I heart radio icon on the home page of
our website click get into our library almost 100 episodes there for you all the topics are written down the episodes are there the dates the flight dates everything is there for you to find and listen and re listen and share so on three to one.
It's not coffee but this this apparently makes me healthier it's not bad I'm getting used to it.
All righty then got your crayons ready let's jump into the topic this morning it's a good one I'm just saying.
All right tomorrow DIY family garage culture is disappearing and here's why that matters we're going to cover that tomorrow this morning teaching kids car ownership and what schools do not teach.
And they don't they don't teach it and so where's that information and knowledge going to come from where the kids learn some basic fundamentals.
Our YouTube channels their form get them connected they're going to learn about it just handing the kids a set of keys and saying there's your car that's good now that has become a headache for you.
Because yeah they will a drive it and abuse it and ding it and dent it and scratch it and bust stuff and you're going to have to tape it on like NASCAR.
Screw things back together Jerry rig the car so things aren't falling off if you don't teach them some basic fundamentals.
So like I said earlier when I was looking into becoming a foster parent I had to go through a child rearing program which was absolutely amazing.
If you're not looking after your automobile the kids are going to mimic that 100% because kids will do 10% of what you're doing right and 100% of what you're doing wrong.
So if they see you treating your car like a bad bad donkey and don't care about it it's just a piece of sheet metal rubber guess what they're going to do to the nut.
So if you buy them a car moms and dads and you give it to them guess how they're going to treat it because they're watching how you treat yours.
If you're you give your vehicle no respect and you're signed up for the never never plan and constantly making interest and principal payments on a vehicle in partnership with the financial lending institutions.
What are you teaching your kids.
Exactly that.
You know I've often wondered why they took economics classes out of the schools because they taught part of that in the economics classes.
And I remember one time it got me it got me into some really deep trouble because sometimes I do speak my mind I do it's just that's what you see is what you get I've had some amazing automotive instructors over the years and I had a military
mechanic instructor and I'll tell you if it wasn't for them seeing more in me than I saw in myself I wouldn't be sitting here as a master automotive service tech on light trucks and heavy equipment and highway trucks and coaches and
the big monsters because they pushed me they saw that I had what it takes but they really need to push me to do it.
And I'm grateful truly grateful to all those fellas that took the time to really be hard on me and it paid off.
I respect them today but back then I want to just thump them one you know that's just the way it is.
But what are your teaching you know I remember I said to this the economics teacher I go well if you're following everything you're teaching us about economics how can we don't get a new economics teacher every year because you guys are making so much money behind the scenes.
But implementing what you're teaching us about economics and finances.
I said why are you here.
Why are you still here.
Yeah that got me a detention and a trip down the hall.
Yeah the guidance counselor.
But it was a legit question it's kind of like you know why don't she shrink shrink when it rains.
They're made of wool.
You know that's a legit question I think so anyways I think that's why they took economics out of the schools they don't want the kids to be financially trained to be financially free because that gives you power.
So anyways that's a topic for another day but I believe that's the whole reason why is why would you not want to teach kids a how to be economically sound.
I don't know why would you not want to do that.
Well I think it's a political thing but we won't turn that we won't sign up for that class this morning cars are the same way.
Do you want your kids going out the door into the world thinking that they have to have a car payment for the rest of their stinking life.
Work their butts off to make the car the stinking car payment and be car broke and barely making ends meet.
The answer is no you don't have to do that but you do have to do your due diligence.
Remember I'm going to keep reminding you your kids will do 10% of what you do right 100% of everything you do wrong and correctly.
So if they see you treating your vehicle like it's just a trash can and when it's done you go get another one.
You put the car out to the curb and go get another one guess what they're going to do that's exactly what they're going to do.
And I'm going to pick on my bro my big bro just a little bit he's probably not listening to this I hope not but anyways he's a great example.
Because I never got to touch the family car I'm the middle child yes feel sorry for me but it's okay I am the peacemaker but I hide now.
You want drama I just say no to drama but they know if they call me motor mouth can get it he'll get it done.
So anyways my brother's a great example.
My pops wasn't always great looking after his vehicles I mean he beat up some really nice vehicles and I was just thinking about one this morning.
I had a big block 454 in it beautiful Chevy Dooley blue and white four door it was a beast biggest truck I ever saw yeah that's gone.
It had another gorgeous truck Chevy truck it was gold it was like 1970 or 71.
I have the side marker lights for that in stock it was gold with a white top I love that thing it was gorgeous but I couldn't touch it I could not.
We had a Grand Torino Brome before that we had a Pontiac Prisien and before that was when I was still a youngster was a Chrysler New Yorker two door buckets with a console 440 Hemi.
Yeah that's the one my brother put the drive shaft up through the floor it just happened.
That's what I remember I don't know that it just happened the drive shaft was shaped like a banana.
I remember that in the back by the backseat the tunnel was like pushed right up into the car like the floor was pushed right up.
Yeah it just happened what do you think he was doing the Grand Torino he killed it totally killed that car I watched it go to the scrapyard again it just happened.
So then the lecture came I think it was around 15 at that time I'd already bought my first car and I was working on it working up to getting my license the next year I fixed my car up that I bought for 500 bucks.
I paid for everything myself because the lecture came if you think you're going to use the family car to truck your friends around and drag race and do all that stuff when we're not around all the things that you should not be doing.
Think again using the family car for anything you will never see or feel or touch the car keys ever while you're here.
You buy your own car if you can't buy one you'll walk if you buy one and you can't afford to fix it you'll walk if you can't afford to pay your own insurance you won't be driving it.
If you can't afford to put gas in it you'll be walking get the picture that was the lecture so I bought my car at age 15 spent about a year fixing it up.
It was a jalopy but I made it something I turned it into something it was good it didn't have any heat or any dash lights but it was my car absolutely and it ran like a dream.
So I say that to say this is the story continues so what did my brother learn?
He wrecked a 65 Camaro then he got a 66 Camaro and destructed that then he got the night rider Transam the black and gold it was a pretty car.
I like that car it was sexy he wrecked that yeah he blew the motor up in that one didn't bother changing the oil or checking it yeah that's generally what he liked and tires with the wire hanging out.
So when I had my shop on Hampton Mountain I used to save those tires for him say hey bro I got a really good set of tires for you they're amazing exactly what you like with the wire hanging out.
So what did he get after that so let me think where are we at 65, 66 Camaro I can't remember what year the Transam was it would have been an 80 something I guess.
Yeah it was the night rider car to a T black with the gold eagle and the trim and the wheel caps and stuff all black and gold that car was.
Yeah wrecked I can't remember what he got after that but it got wrecked to and then I have one here that is mine but it was his and he wrecked that to he blew the motor up.
Because we don't check the oil we don't you know change the oil and blew the motor up and it ended up in my shop and I put a motor in it and brakes battery hoses belts calipers the whole nine yards and then he didn't pay the bill.
But he got the car but then my dad says is your brother already any money I go yeah he owes the shop a pretty good coin to pay for the parts well he's trading it in he's getting something else.
So I ended up having to pay it out so that I could get my money back in that car sitting here and we've shot some videos on it we're bringing it back to life.
And that may be one of the vehicles that we offer up as well after the Monte Carlo SS that you'll be able to have a chance to win so yeah.
So what did he learn that's where I'm going he was a kid in our family that's right you can pick your friends but you can't pick your family do I lend him my car never.
No absolutely stinking no.
At all period so yeah that's a perfect example of you know he followed my pops my pops was hard on vehicles way back then and changing them out all the time we got something different all the time.
So if my brother didn't wreck them my pops did but he's really good with his vehicle maintenance today he's 89 he's still driving got all his faculties but he's really really good the last 10 15 years of really taking care of the automobiles and the repairs and maintenance and stuff
and I'd like to think that maybe I had something to do with that but the long and short story is moms and dads they need to have skin in the game.
I know I know I would if I had kids I would want to spoil them too but it reminds me of a commercial how many remember the commercial where the father and son are in the driveway.
And he's got a 65 Mustang GT fastback and he pitches the kid his son young son the keys take her for a spin.
Do you remember that commercial I can't remember what it was for you wouldn't do that with my brother at that that would not be a good idea at that time.
No not to do that I don't know how he is with his vehicles today I don't you know I'm out of touch but anyways that commercial reminds me of how I would be if I had a son I would teach him and we build cars together if they enjoyed that and I would I would certainly
instill in him the importance of being the car caregiver and not abusing it but enjoying it and yes I would pitch him the keys I could be that dad in that commercial and pitch my son the keys and no I don't need to be with him he's not hot rodin around town
he's not you know doing donuts in the Walmart parking lot or at Costco and getting busted none of that stuff's going on I would know he's going to treat it with the utmost respect and bring it back the same way it left the driveway that's what I that's the type of dad I would be
would I hand him a car no would I help him build a car sure absolutely I help him pick out a car yes but would I pay all the expenses no I would not they can get a part time job you gotta let them have skin in the game because then it's their money if they're going oh I need gas money
oh I need another 50 bucks for gas money where are you going you know just home and school well you know me and my buddies they wanted to go out and have something to eat and blah blah blah well what are you freaking taxi
yeah my buddies used to do that when I turned 16 I had my car they go hey you know like now let's go to the movies I lived in the country and going like that's like an hour's drive or so who's paying for the gas
well you know we're your friend I go you want to go to the movies I need a fiver from each of you
what but we're buddies I'd go then we're not going to the movies yeah it doesn't run on farts in a jar come on
so everybody was my buddy even my typing girls that took care of my typing yeah that's a different story yeah they took care of that for me and I gave him a ride home after school
that's right it was a it was a trade-off do my typing homework which is paying me back tenfold now I do more typing than I ever did in my typing class
yeah Mrs. Blanc she said to me she was my typing teacher she goes one day Jenkins you're gonna need to really know how to type
and I said to her yeah when hell freezes over I betcha she's rolling over laughing today oh my goodness but anyways yeah it was Marcia and Dana
I just they came into my head Marcia and Dana take them home after school and they did my typing homework help me out anyhow
you gotta have the kids into the game what does that mean they need to put some money into the car to buy it don't hand it to them
they need to be made responsible for the repairs you drive it hard you need to give them the same lecture I got if you can't put gas in it you'll walk
if you can't pay for your own insurance and just earmark that we're gonna come back to that in just a second if you can't pay for your own insurance you'll walk
if you can't pay for the repairs you're walking they will learn to respect that automobile if they know that when they're working part time job they need to pull some of those bills off and pay to keep the car going
that's a luxury yeah it's a luxury that's what they need to learn that it's not a given it's a luxury you abuse it you use it and abuse it until there's nothing left of it
but then you're buying the next one a hundred percent yourself you're not doing them any favors mums and dads grandparents you're not you're not doing them any favors doing it all for them
they will never have any respect for an automobile and they'll be paying dearly for the rest of their life replacing them continuously driving them into the ground
I'm just saying I'm the guy looking from the outside and I was the guy constantly patching these things up and mom and dads would be flitting the bill
and I'd be going that wouldn't happen in my house yeah I left home at 16 just so you know
I wanted to be independent I knew what I wanted to do for a living and I just wanted to get at it and get it done and not have the drama of my siblings
yeah I said siblings that's right my siblings and you know what it may be who I am today independent I don't need someone holding my hand
I don't need someone telling me don't drive the car like that I don't abuse anything even jalapes I take care of them clean them wash them
10 to them because then they if you don't they cost you more money so if you don't teach the kids that you're setting them up for failure in life and that's the bottom line
you're setting them up for failure and I'll share one more story here as we go a little long this morning I know that's why they call me motor mouth
I'll just pick on one particular kid and the father lending him the car it was I think it's safe to say their names because you know it's probably been 40 years now
Joe and Joe junior the father nicest man oh my gosh quiet never said two words paid the bill see you next time now thank you
well Joey junior gets his license and you know it was interesting because the father and the son they could have been brothers you ever seen that before
absolutely manualism is right down to the nut if you've seen one you see the other well Joey gets the keys to the sob 900 turbo
and that thing is being towed into my shop almost weekly so Joe senior comes down to have a chat with me goes now what's going on with this thing
you know this this wasn't happening before is your work getting sloppy and I'm going no it's not it and I knew what it was
Joe junior was the next drag racing queen in the city of Hamilton and the cars coming in on a flatbed I mean broken oh beyond
and stuff we already fixed absolutely exploded he blew the axle shafts out of it three times the third time my trans axle rebuilding company out in
Hamilton David just retired a couple years back he said now this somebody has to you got to have a talk because the kid I can't keep doing this for free
it's not the axle shafts it's not the CV joints it's the kid he's racing it and spinning the wheels and then when the wheels grab they bust the axle right off
so I had to call Joe senior and say I'm putting an axle in again today you need to come and see me and bring Joe junior with you
so Joe juniors throwing me under the bus to his father Joe senior so we're standing in the shop looking at it I got it on the left and I go everything's back as it should be
but David sent the other shit the third shaft back you need to see it he goes wow that snapped right off I go yeah how did that happen Joe junior
would you like to tell your father would you like me to tell the whole story what you've been doing to me and my guys is throwing us on the under the bus
well you're out there drag racing your father's 900 s Joe senior turns his head slowly well what have you got to say yeah he's right
he says well you're you're going to pay him back for all the labor that he's done for free you're going to pay him and he looks at me he goes you make a bill for all that labor for the other three axles
Joe junior is going to pick the tab up for that yeah and he almost set it on fire well it was on fire that's how it ended up coming in the fourth time was he got the catalytic converter so hot
and on the sob 900 the catalytic converter is right in the hump underneath the console and he got the floorboard so hot that the carpet started on fire melted the main harness that powers up everything
and it took me two months to fix that car and wire about 150 to 200 wires cut out the melted spots well and solder in a new piece and match the wiring and the insurance paid for it
so that was when Joe junior got his own vehicle it was a little purple Chevy Blazer and he destroyed that within a couple of months so that's a great story that's not the only story
I experienced this at the shops with mums and dads with daughters to get the angels with the black wings mm-hmm yeah so if you don't teach them to look after their vehicles the schools no longer provide that service
they will destroy the car completely body trim paint there won't be a straight panel on the car anymore and they ruin them completely financially there's no value left to it when they're done
I have vehicles coming in that were beautiful and then they weren't there wasn't a spot on any side of the vehicle that didn't have a dent to scratch a piece of trim missing something hanging off they were beat up how does that happen it just doesn't
no there's no respect for it they don't have any skin in the game now I'm going to finish off here because we've almost gone an hour this morning but this is a hot topic and it's still going on and that's the recipe the recipe for disaster is
just handing the keys over here's your car honey or here's your car sunny Jim that is danger for the rest of their life
and then there's that kid that really really appreciates it and looks after it and washes it and vacuums it and tends to it that's a rarity I can tell you that that's a rarity insurance if you have your son or daughter on your insurance policy and they're out there doing this stuff just remember they get a ticket your premium goes up
it affects you moms and dads and I remember when I was getting my own insurance my pop saying you're getting your own insurance on your own car
and he told he called our insurance agent at the time and said when now comes in he does not go on a family car he gets his own policy or he doesn't and he doesn't drive it
because everything they do in that vehicle on your insurance policy will affect your insurance premiums and your driving record moms and dads just so you know they have a wreck that's on you your premium goes up for seven years
they have another wreck that's on you they have a clean record because they don't have a policy with their name on it
yeah you need to not do that they need to have their own insurance off to the side
because a ticket a wreck parking ticket it all goes on you your policy will go through the stinkin roof and when they get their own policy they're starting at zero clean spotless record but you don't because your kids wrecked it
so that's the super duper danger zone you just do not do that they have their own insurance record it's their own deal
otherwise I have experience where parents were paying going from paying eight or nine hundred dollars a month to six thousand dollars a month to drive their car back and forth to work because of their kids
this wreck that wreck oh it just happened oops it didn't mean to do it and that's it there's the story we're gonna end it there something to really ask your insurance agent about don't just put them on there something to think about
and are you teaching your kids how to be a caregiver of an automobile and not be paying through the nose for the rest of their life because they think they gotta buy a new car every three to five years because that's ridiculous
that's ridiculous so till tomorrow happy motoring happy healthy motoring I hope I gave you some food for thought and didn't beat you up too much but this is a heavy duty topic that really needs a heavy duty discussion and then some
because it's the danger zone teaching kids car ownership the schools are teaching them nothing with regards to maintenance basics insurance realities and why young drivers destroy cars financially not mechanically no skin in the game
happy healthy motoring friends and we'll see you tomorrow drive safe out there hope you have a wonderful Wednesday and put the coffee on we'll come to your house bye for now
About this episode
Niall Motormouth Jenkins dives into the often overlooked topic of teaching kids about car ownership, covering essentials like maintenance, insurance, and the financial pitfalls young drivers face. With his signature humor and real-world anecdotes, he emphasizes the importance of practical knowledge that schools don’t provide. The episode also touches on fleet vehicle maintenance insights, the value of keeping cars clean and cared for, and the emotional stories behind hand-me-down vehicles. Listeners get a blend of useful tips, personal stories, and a glimpse into the Car Connection community’s mission to empower everyday drivers.
Schools teach algebra, but they don't teach car ownership - and that's why young drivers cost families thousands of dollars.
In this episode, I break down what kids should be taught before they get the keys: maintenance basics, real-world insurance consequences, financial responsibility, and why putting your kid on your insurance policy can haunt your premiums for years.
From real shop stories to hard truths for Moms and Dads, this is a must - listen for parents, teens, and anymore handing over a set of keys for the first time.
Parents: What did your kid's first car teach you? Young drivers: What surprised you most about owning a vehicle?
More episodes and... project links are available at Car Connection Business Network .com
(ccbusnet.com) you'll find everything on our homepage if you'd like to follow the build/repair work we do, click the logo to connect with our program partners Thank You!
Merchandise available at (ccbusnet.com) grab some Motormouth gear join the crew in helping those struggling with addiction get to a Total Freedom Addiction Campus Canada & USA where New Life awaits them there! Nile Motormouth Jenkins.
tnx for Watching, commenting, Listening, Following Supporting us on all platforms it helps us grow and keeps the ignition on running on all cylinders! Happy Healthy Motoring Friends, NMJ
