Good Old Days Are Long Gone. Plus a Little Story..

[@wadesr]

I lived in the auto shop in high-school, ended up becoming a mechanical engineer in a nuclear power plant. I still do most of my own work on my car, I love getting my hands dirty. I have saved thousands over the years.

[@robertmedina6875]

Very impressive sir! ❤❤❤❤ That’s soo AWESOME! God bless your family ❤

[@greggc8088]

"J C Whitney" LOL Oh man I'm old. Bought a lot of stuff out of that catalog. Dreamed through it for hours when it came in the mail.

[@bernieromero9366]

Right with you Kenny, JcW was my parts bible in the 60’s. True story I’m 76 and have owned over 100 cars trucks etc. I still work on my cars but miss the good old days. Thank you for your story.

[@dolfinwriter5389]

Kenny, 62 YO retired Navy electrician and submarine nuclear plant operator here. My stepdad was a former dealership mechanic. Later on he worked for the railroad in our small town and moonlighted doing wrenching and bodywork for a used car dealer here in town, and sometimes he would take on jobs he worked at home too. He taught me a lot, and over the years working on my own cars I've learned a lot. I would sit in our basement and read through the boxes and boxes of car magazines he had: Hot Rod, Street Rodder, Carcraft, and many others so I know well what you're talking about. And I'm STILL learning. But let me give you this perspective. I'm writing this at 7:21, so maybe you haven't gotten to it yet, but there are a couple things that irk me to no end that manufacturers and others have done IN ADDITION TO the parts industry: (1) They are DELIBERATELY making cars more difficult if not impossible to work on, and making what used to be simple repairs such that you have to nearly completely disassemble a car to do them. Let's assume for a minute that's necessary for whatever reason and continue; (2) Lawmakers and EPA bureaucrats make these emissions standards that leave manufacturers scrambling to comply, so they come up with this valve and that sensor that MIGHT work well when the car is new, but after four years in the environment where those components live they fail, and you get a fault code. Maybe you live in a state that doesn't require smog testing and you can ignore the CEL at the peril of your fuel efficiency and maybe ultimately the peril of your engine. But if you live in California you MUST fix whatever is causing the CEL before they will even test your car for smog so you can renew your tags. NOBODY seems to know how to do that well, even people who claim to be experts like Precision Tune, and I have a whopper of a story about their incompetence (3) Dealership "technicians" SUCK. They don't want to troubleshoot because THEY don't even know how the damn things work anymore. They want to charge a troubleshooting fee for hooking up to an expensive machine and then they STILL want to just Easter Egg expensive parts at it until it works BECAUSE EVEN THEIR EXPENSIVE MACHINE CAN'T TELL THEM WHICH PART HAS FAILED. Even a supposed Internet expert called parts by the wrong name and couldn't keep them straight. And they sure as hell don't know how to work on today's cars that have to be nearly completely disassembled for simple repairs; (3a) Dealership technicians must sometimes not even be technicians but some clueless apprentice. I had a dealership once (in 1988) change the oil in a "new" demo car I bought at steep discount. WHOEVER DID IT CROSS-THREADED THE OIL FILTER! I only found this out when I attempted to change the oil for the first time, halfway across the country, fortunately home on leave in my dad's driveway. HOW THE HELL DOES ANYONE CROSS THREAD AN OIL FILTER AND NOT KNOW THEY'RE F'ING SOMETHING UP?!?!?!? (4) Part of the reason for #3 is that FORD (and maybe other makers), KEEPS RENAMING PARTS THAT DO THE SAME FUNCTION! (5) The parts industry SUCKS! I have learned I can never buy parts at any store but NAPA or the dealership, other than OEM parts I buy online. I will NEVER again trust any kind of sensor or emissions valve that's not OEM EVER again. I will also never again buy Duralast ANYTHING after getting a pair of rear brake drums for a 2002 Tacoma that were so badly out of round they made the thing hop like it had square tires! Maybe in fewer words, this is a many faceted problem cause by a combination of: (1) EPA bureaucrats and their ever-changing emissions mandates (2) manufacturers who seem to have given up on making quality products but still want to lock owners and small shops out of doing repairs so that owners must take their $40,000 SUVs and their $100,000 pickups to a stealership for ALL repairs to be done only by what appear to be very poorly trained "technicians" who don't appear to have ANY experience even with common vehicles that certainly have common failure parts (3) Stealerships who care only about racking up huge repair bills by charging troubleshooting fees and then just throwing expensive parts at a problem that they charge a premium for, plus labor (4) 3rd party parts manufacturers who have moved all of their manufacturing to China and sacrificed all semblance of quality for a few dollars more in profits In addition to inflation making it difficult for average families to even pay bills and put food on the table, THIS is why so few people are buying new vehicles anymore.

[@timewa851]

It's the EPA mandates chasing greater & greater efficiency where they should not. So the device gets an incremental 'boost' in miles per gallon as demanded by the governing body but the buyer is left with some very large repair bills years down the road..... Think auto-start technology. Save a quart of gasoline every 48 months. But buy a new starter for $578. every 60 months to 'save' $4.66 of gasoline. BUT that $578. would buy quite a few tanks of gasoline. But the gov't is happy. Because YOU burned less than a gallon of gas you would've otherwise expelled into the atmosphere with auto-start. The government thanks you! And pay $578. Thanks. Wow this green agenda is gettin' 'spensive. Can't afford that last g or ex anymore! : )

[@dolfinwriter5389]

@timewa851 Never mind the additional energy expended and therefore additional carbon emissions to either REBUILD the starter or to build a whole new one! And it doesn't end there! I believe Kenny has done a video on how this auto start crap destroys the pistons and valve trains of those engines. Think of the carbon emissions to manufacture new engine parts and potentially even complete engines with new blocks. Hopefully some of this insanity will end with subsequent court cases challenging this crap after SCOTUS struck down Chevron Deference this year!

[@peterbenson3776]

J.C Whitney was the Sears wishbook of car parts

[@neutrodyne]

So true. I still have my first socket set that I bought from them back in the early 1970s.

[@marshallr4797]

I was trying to recall the name of the catalog the other day. Thanks. Great memories

[@movingforward.]

I loved the motorcycle book!

[@willarddenton4360]

Kenny I can totally relate i am 77. I bought my speed parts from Honest Charlie's Speed Shop in Chattanooga Tenn. My mom was always fussing at me because I had something in the mail every week! In high school we were called Piston Heads!!!! Thank You Great Video it really took me back!!

[@williamdarico2369]

Honest Charlie and Midwest Auto parts is all you needed!

[@jeffneumann7274]

You have nailed it tonight Kenny. You are so right. I love your stories almost as much as watching you wrench.

[@billloomis3907]

Geez Did you bring back memories. My wishes are for nothing but good going forward. Thanks Kenny

[@dannyfontenot2449]

I was 7 in 1963 when I found out how to test the fire on a lawnmower; Dad said, Hold this plug wire and see if it has fire, it damn sure did. I can fix most old now.

[@chiparooo]

I’m with you! Man I miss walking into my parts store and the guys didn’t even have to look up most parts. Just walked back and got it. I almost don’t want to take my cars anywhere to have them worked on. I do most stuff myself. Thanks for sharing!

[@TheLowerman]

Thanks for taking me down memory lane, Kenny. Reminded me of my teens and my ‘68 Falcon. All things you said were true of my street in California. Those days are long gone, but I do have a nephew who comes to my garage and we turn screws on his cars. Good times!

[@mrfixit603]

Hi Kenny. Been under a hood since 12 yrs old, and started pumping Texaco gas. First car was a 61 comet 200 ci that i bought for $40 ,with a bad knock , so my first motor job at 17. Then came a 64 Rambler 220 Flat head, 3 on the tree. After that a 68 Javelin SST 290 high compression , preminm fuel. After that a 73 pinto, 80 Fairmont Wagon, with family wagons after that. Throw in motorcyle 2 strokes, power to weight ratio eh! I managed to get all my tickets auto, truck and trailer, heavy equipment, small engines. Today in my mid 70s, the strength is in short supply ,but i still manage. Know one has fixed my riggin for all these years , but someday i won't be able to, i know. I still tinker a lot on anything mechanical, and only fix for friends. Taking money is to much of a liability. Your vid brought back a lot of memories. I was on a government board doing the test for qualifications, in our trades , and kept a constant eye out for fairness and not trickery in the questions. That was very gratifying in helping to keep the knowledge relevant. If i can no longer physically do the work, I can still talk and mentor. But experience does not seem relevant anymore. Everyone is a you tube mech or a you tube doctor, you name it . Instant knowledge with no experience. What more can i say . Take care from Canada😀

[@emmettrobinson9708]

It took me 3 trips back to the part store to get the correct idle air motor for my throttle body. These kids did not have a clue. They were more worried about their phone than then me there lives the problem.

[@timradde4328]

When working their phones should be put aside. Love seeing cashiers scrolling their phones in between customers. Do they think they are that important they might miss something? Nope. Social media is a bane.

[@spaceghost8995]

Why would you expect them to know anything? They don't wrench on cars and their fathers probably didn't either. They're making minimum wage and probably kept under 40 hours a week with no insurance. Back in the day you could support a family working the parts counter. There were guys that worked the same counter for thirty years. Cars were simple then. Parts for a 307 Nova or a 351 T Bird were easy to remember and to find in a book.

[@garya9875]

At 73 Kenny I can remember everything you talked about. Those certainly were the days I catch myself remembering them at night sitting in my recliner and usually I get a little smile on my face at some point.

[@rickkempsell5076]

I was born in White Plains hospital in 1958 when we lived in Scarsdale. Grew up in Colorado though. Loved the JCW catalog! I have learned a lot from “Professor KZbin” so I appreciate the $ that resource has saved me with my being able to do my own car repairs. In that respect I think the internet has been great. I agree with teaching kids basic car maintenance like tire and oil checks and changes. I wouldn’t let my 3 kids get their DLs until they knew basic maintenance and how to drive a stick shift ( my daughter grumbled but did it anyway 😊). My first car was a ‘68 Camaro with a 327. I did a lot of wrenching on it. Drum brakes were a learning lesson. Disc brakes are so much easier to replace!

[@hangman396]

Kenny, I got my start working in a shop at age 8, the shop was named Tim's Auto Repair. When I turned 16, I was turning as much work as Tim during the Summers, After that I went on to a Phillips 66 station in Rifle Colorado, was there for another 2 years, then went to Glenwood Springs CO to another Phillips 66 Station, doing exhaust systems, and other mechanical work... I still twist wrenches to this day on my own stuff, and man these new cars suck for trying to diagnose them at times... I agree with you that the internet has ruined a lot of it in my book... Keep Wrenching, Speed Safe, and Drive SANE

[@redmesa2975]

Where was Tim’s at ? In Rifle, you probably worked for Duane Piper ?

[@wayne9518]

We had a Western Auto store and the J.C. Whitney catalogs. Request a catalog or buy one thing one time and you were signed up for a decade of “this is your last catalog” messages on your latest catalog. The local foreign car parts store had a 3-ring binder about 4 feet long taking up a whole counter by itself.

[@hangman396]

@redmesa2975 Tim's was at or near the liquor store off the corner of 3rd, and that side street that went left, and half way down the block, for the first shop, the second shop was about 1/2 a mile west, and the third place before I went to work for Swallow Oil was at the body shop on the west end of town... The 66 in Glenwood was not Owned by Swallow oil directly, Yes Swallow Oil supplied the fuel, but it was a private owner

[@hangman396]

@redmesa2975 And yes I remember Duane Piper, but my time was before he got his grubby hands into the 66 stations...

[@toomanybikes]

My grandson has become a gearhead. I and other grandfather are bothering gearheads and it has been so much fun to see him thrive and he wants to be a shop owner in his small town. He has inherited an F100 with a 390 in it and wants to have it on the road by the time he turns 16

[@Barry-v3s]

I’m a bit older than you but I really miss those times. Growing up on a farm taught me a lot because my Dad could fix almost anything. I had a great Auto Mechanics teacher in the late sixties/ early 70’s. My friends and I built sbc and bbc engines ( some with 6-71 blowers) literally under a shade tree and spent a lot of time drag racing. I went to diesel school and was a mechanic until going to work training people to build big trucks for a major manufacturer. At 71 I’m trying my best to tackle the electronics! Keep up the good work and videos. I have relatives in Durham and hope to meet you sometime.

[@michaeltichonuk2176]

I grew up in VT. Farmers can fix anything. Still have that respect for them. Money was scarce then. We had to fix our own stuff. No body knew everything or had all the tools. We had friends and tight community. Real social networking.

[@Binthehole]

Remember the 6 inch thick "parts books" they had in the "book rack" behind the counter in the parts stores to look up parts ? LOL.

[@klwthe3rd]

Yep. Those binders were huge! All the parts for all the makes of cars/trucks were in those binders.

[@superdav]

I can relate, had a 1974 Toyota SR5, needed brake pads, went to the parts store and old Tony without looking in a book, reaches back on the shelf and hands me the right pads.Awesome.

[@neebob2]

All you said is so true . Grew up in the 70's and worked on parents car and built my own mini bike .Another point is the over regulation on aftermarket /hotrod parts . Moved from CT to Ma with a jacked up wide tire cherry bomb Lemans ( all illegal in MA ) .Met many officers in a hurry and learned you don't want that spotlight on you at 17 yrs old and who had the best shop for your inspection sticker .Loved all my shop classes and especially my motorcycle drivers -ed . 50yrs after graduation and still enjoy doing whatever I can on mine and others cars .

[@dennislyon5412]

The cars back in the day needed frequent oil changes, wheel bearings greased and ignition tune ups every 12k miles, coolant every 2 years, and tires that lasted about as long as Kenny’s. You needed to know that maintenance stuff to minimize your expenses, or be “hands on” just to keep an old car going. These days, we’ve lost the focus on the workings of a car, because they got harder/more complex and we have too many choices and interests pulling us in so many directions.

[@sheerwillsurvival2064]

Read all the hot rod magazines went to hot rod nationals . Had 327 v8 Vega , 70 roadrunner 440six pack , 69 fast back cuda dropped 440 into it with a cross ram . 70 challenger 383. So many great memories. Worked at a dodge and Chevrolet dealerships as a technician in the 70-80

[@williamwelling4872]

Thank you for the memories kenny those were the days the 70's and 80's and a lot of 50's cheers and thanks

[@TrakSpock1]

As a former ASE certified Parts Manager, i can tell you the customers changed too. Twenty-five years ago, when I worked in the parts business, customers started coming in wanting you to diagnose their car. It was obvious they had no clue, so we'd tell them, "Maybe you should take your car to a mechanic?". They'd say "no" and proceed to tie you up for 30 minutes and buy a bunch of parts they'd return a couple of days or a week later. We quickly realized some customers weren't worth it, and you couldn't re-sell the parts because they were all greasy and had already been installed. The knowledgeable parts salesman still exist. The parts stores set them up in the back of the store with a private office or calling area with a completely different phone number, and they do Fleet Sales far away from the stupid moronic customers.

[@frank9649]

Let's not forget the car clubs, where you could go and work on your car...if you were a member, we had them on base, well every base I was posted to ! Lesnik was our car part store , they had everything and I mean everything, it was the place to hang around on Saturday mornings, they had a sitting room with coffee and donuts.....man oh man those were the days...good... no, great days! I truly miss them !! Thanks for the vid! Be well !

[@brettvaughn1058]

My father went to a convention in early 1970s and had to rent a car. He rented an AMC Javelin. He liked it so much a few years later it was time to replace our 1961 Impala with the 2 speed superglyde transmission and he chose a 1972 AMC Matador station wagonn (used). The Alabama State Troopers had bought the Javelin, it was fast. But the Matador was no Javelin. It was an adequate car but we soon learned it would not reverse on cold mornings. It had a rubber band reverse that slipped when cold. So we backed into the carport at night and started out in Drive in the morning. By the time you needed to reverse the transmission was warm enough. I wish I had the opportunity to drive a Javelin because there are a lot of awesome talk about their performance.

[@klwthe3rd]

I grew up not far from White Plains NY, across the state line in Connecticut - Fairfield County. And we had the absolute best family run auto parts store - Levine's Automotive. They were huge and everyone that worked there was extremely knowledgable about cars/trucks. As Kenny said, they had the huge binders of books on the counter and whatever part you needed, they would go to those binders to look up the parts numbers then go into the depths of the backrooms to get your part. They were so well known back then because they also had a full machine shop and paint department too. I can honestly say, i NEVER got the wrong part or one that was broken(out of the box) back then. It was the right part, the first time, always. I've now moved away and I believe Levine's is still there. They maybe survived the Autozones and O'reilly's taking over the whole country but i can reason to believe they are NOTHING like their former self. All the old timers that were parts gurus are gone. No more binders only computer screens. Employees gearheads replaced with parts cannon sellers. I feel privelaged to have lived through that time when i can remember when buying parts for our cars was easy and seamless. I cringe at the thought of going to autoparts stores now. So much so, i don't. I buy everything from Rockauto. Great story.

[@MarkEye-r5d]

Hay Kenny ,Good story, I remember changing header gaskets in the winter and freezing my finger tip off.on 1968 Firebird.

[@73ac39]

Kenny,same here,read all the magazines ( none left) built model cars swallowed up everything I could. Could not get enough,still can't. My father and grandfather showed me the basics. I think that's where it starts-the exposure to cars. Problem today is aside from a few cars they mostly suck. No more cheap cool stuff being made.

[@chuckthomas6576]

Right on Kenny. I started my first parts counterman job in 1969.We had a parts catolog rack that was 15 ft. long. Good times.

[@glennfields8121]

Hey brother Kenny, you sure flooded back the memories with this video. Thrush mufflers, Mickey Thompson drag tires, Hooker Headers, High rise aluminum intake manifold, 4.11 rear gears and so on. You made me laugh when you described those Cooper tires after 2 weeks, mine would have been gone in a week. I love the days of J.C. Whitney catalogs. The internet has little on them.

[@71rcode72]

My .02. In high school in the early 80s, we didn't know if our vehicles were going to get us where we wanted. Points ignition, carburetors, etc. You almost had to know what you were doing to drive a car back then to keep it on the road. Plus no cell phones. Of the 100 guys I know my age only three or four still turn wrenches on the vehicles we drive every day. We also turn wrenches on our houses and everything else in our lives. In so many ways and I know many of you guys as well. We are dinosaurs and are better for it!

[@jthonn]

'69 Javelin, I remember those well. I wasn't that lucky, my first car was a '65 Doge Polaris that my Aunt gave to me. It needed everything, and I did it all, ran like a clock. Well I ended up selling it to another Aunt on the other side that needed a car. Long story short I went through a few cars, pick them up for 2, 3 hundred bucks, fix them up and sell. My favorite car was a '72 Cutlass Supreme. Man I miss those days, I'll take the points and carburetors, no problem. My story is similar to yours, but I did party. The kids today I feel are missing a lot. Not just cars, but many things. When was the last time you saw a kid build a clubhouse or treehouse? Try to fix a lawn mower or anything? They will never have a clue on how to turn a wrench or use a hammer and nails, don't give them a saw or a drill. Like you said it's a shame. I'm sure there are a couple of exceptions out there somewhere, but few far and between. Well thanks for the story Kenny, hope the knee does well, and I hope Meg is well also.

[@MexicanMovie]

I'm your age and to be fair, back in those days it required the IQ of a tennis shoe to work on vehicles. These days the electronics can be overly complicated, and the parts store workers have to go by the parts the computer tells them is the correct part, which is wrong sometimes. The whole auto repair system as a whole is screwed up. I was a mechanic in the military (USAF) for 6 years and then changed career fields long, long ago..... but i STILL have to pretty much do all of my auto repair work because techs are in so much of a hurry that i get crappy work almost every single time I've taken our cars in (due to no time or some other reason). Took my Silverado in for 4 new Toyo Open Country A/T III tires and wheel alignment. Vehicle came back with steering wheel cocked way to the left and hard to even drive, whereas it was perfectly straight before. . I called the next day and they grudgingly looked at it and fixed it. Brought it home to replace a transmission line and the wheel the tech had to remove to fix his error needed a 5 foot long cheater pipe to break the lug nuts loose. And they text me every 6 months to say they haven't seen me in a while and they hope it isn't something they've done.... Even worse experiences with my wife's suv at the Kia dealer....... Pay should be strictly by the hour (not book time) with payroll deductions when you screw up a customers car. Not too mention many techs care more about social media. Good mechanics like you are hard to find, wish you were in my area.

[@InTime-x3j]

My father gave me a pair of vise grips to play with because I would annoy him when He worked on his 1948 chevy truck. I took to using vise grips to a level unheard of. LOL I did everything with them!!!

[@migvinu8620]

JC witney omg . I`m in my 40`s now my dad used to buy all his car parts via jc witney.They even do COD you had to have money order ready for ups man. Talk about thing we never see again... i was always checking jc witney and crutchfield for car audio pre internet days.

[@timr31908]

I think it was the government that created most of the problem for the Auto industry... Kenny I think you're a really groovy dude and me and Janis Joplin would love to hang with you..😊

[@APOKreations]

I think it’s the fact that so many cars have an abundance of electronic bits and bobs. Back in the day, you had your engine, transmission, and a handful of wiring harnesses and plugs. It’s just not the same. Half the owners out there can’t even figure out how to check their oil. My first car was Mrs. Wrenching’s 1970 3-toned VW Beetle

[@johnstapler5956]

I used to love browsing the JC Whitney catalogs, especially since I had Beetles and motorcycles. Good days gone by

[@kidkv]

It's the school's, and all of the tech, that's made it harder working on cars. If one thing go's down, you have to chase it down. I watch a few KZbin channels, an ABS module went bad and it was messing up the Guages.

[@citizengroovesboogienation2242]

I remember when I stored my 1st car for the winter (76 Gremlin), I decided to pull the motor to tear it apart and check/learn about it. Slid the motor on its oil pan down the carpeted stairs and into the basement. My parents werent too happy about that but they put up with my curiosity. To this day, I still learn and fix. No matter how complicated the problem, when you've mastered the basics, theres no problem too big to figure out.

[@dereksimenac8844]

I was one of those guys growing up with hotrod and fixing everyone else's vehicles while working as an Iron worker, Pipefitter and government railway safety inspector so when I retired I turned my electronics and automotive hobbies into a sideline supporting local garages and amateur mechanics when they are stuck.

[@robertjospeh1097]

Great stories and the kids nowadays expect everything to be done for them because that's what they've been taught.

[@stevenskowronski4951]

Yep! Right on Kenny. My first car was a ‘66 SS Chevelle. A 10 year old rusted out beater. The word clone wasn’t used yet. Bought it for 100 bucks. Kids today will never know how good we had it. Thanks for sharing!

[@thomasculligan4348]

Great video Kenny. Personally, I love hearing your stories. I’m looking forward to hearing more of them. They always make me smile!

[@billywalker9223]

I started working in an auto parts store when I was 13. Developed an inventory system before computers. Learned to fill batteries, make hydraulic hoses, and bend exhaust pipes. We stocked nearly everything except for body parts. I was rebuilding carburetors in the back by 15. Ran into a car dealer today who lamented that nobody could work on older vehicles, until I told him that I had rebuilt around 400 Quadrajets, and drag raced my El Camino with a Quad. Today's parts store kids will argue with me if I ask for plugs for a 1968 Z28 with a 302, because they think that Ford made the only 302. They don't even know what points are. I'm not a mechanic, but I can do enough to keep my vehicles running.

[@dolfinwriter5389]

@billywalker9223 That's pretty bad to not know about the 302 built specifically for the legendary Z-28 by putting a 283 crank in a 327! It's damn certain they don't know where the Z-28 moniker came from either. RS package was Z-26. SS package was Z-27. They had to build and sell a production version to race it, and they wanted to market it as something beyond a SuperSport. I do wish I had learned about carburetors though. Small engine carburetors kick my ass to this day--lawn mowers, Chainsaws, log splitters...

[@yellowdeer7163]

Life was a lot simpler back then. Working on 55's, nomads, and mustangs, and Nova's was the thing back then.Then came the Road Runners and muscle cars. Those were the days.Definetly a girl magnet too!

[@kmath50]

My High School offered an after hours vocational auto repair class. I enrolled in it. I got a lot of experience working on both student and teacher's cars. While I ended up going into IT, I gained a lot of skills that I still use today.

[@Dave-ty2qp]

Jc Whitney had everything for VW's Jeep and all the auto accessories. I also loved Western Auto stores. Lots of stiff for bicycles, auto, household appliances etc. LOL Good days.

[@dougdrake7663]

today if the computer doesn't tell the counter person the right part they just say sorry. The good ole parts people you can walk in with a part and they turn around and and get it without asking you a question. Being around several GM people they would tell you when it came time for that vehicle to go down the line, IT WIll run when at the end, no matter what they have to throw on it to get it rolling out the door.

[@stendecstretcher5678]

Spot on.

[@barrygrant2907]

If you remember JC Whitneys, you should remember Herter's hunting and fishing catalog, the precursor of Cabela's. All the vocational classes at my old high school have been shut down--electrical, machine shop, automotive shop, all of them. Mike Rowe has been warning of this for years and trying to reverse the trend.

[@daviddubeck2436]

J.C Whitney was part of Warshawsky and Co. in Chicago. I remember going to that place. They had a couple of Amphicars on the floor to check out. They had parts that you couldn't find at your local auto parts store. They moved out of Chicago years ago, and they are in LaSalle, IL. now. Great story Kenny, brought back alot of memories.

[@omahanb1]

I spent two days in jail for allegedly rolling through a stop sign at a 4 way stop on my neighborhood road at 6:15 AM going to work on a Saturday in February on one of the coldest days on record when nobody had even marked the ice that covered the streets in Texas . Trust me I stopped enough. And out of nowhere appeared a hero cop to give me a hard time and a ticket I refused to pay. You never stop!

[@Leroy63]

I went to high school (81 grad) and we had a full wood shop, electrical shop, small engine, automotive shop and a body shop that the school closed about 5-8 years after I graduated, man was I mad. at 61 yrs. old I have used more skills learned in any 1 of those classes than all of the other classes combined. I miss the days of the local owned parts stores.

[@gerardgouvion7437]

I was raised on a farm and my father did all his mechanical work. As I got older that was my job to change oil and diagnose and repair the farm equipment. That lead to high school shop class, 8 years total as a light wheel mechanic in the Army, master auto mechanic, 4 year degree in technical bachelor of science, and 30 years in the big three. I hate to say it but young kids, after raising three are not interested in doing that kind of work. It is sad to say but at 57 could go back to work as a technician and write my own check.

[@robertdiehl9003]

I grew up on J.C. Whitney catalogs . Still remember the smell of the printing ink with the thin newspaper paper feel. Same thin paper used in yellow/white telephone books....

[@cavecookie1]

What is a "telephone book"? LOL!

[@pedroequis9396]

Love to see you and your grandson working on some cars !

[@markl4593]

Hate all the plastic, computerized, transverse mounted front wheel drive crap. Just give me a real frame, carbourated, rear wheel drive and I’m happy. I’m 63.

[@leandrolaporta2196]

That, specially computerized crap (and I'm a electronics eng., But I recognize cars has too many unnecessary gizmos that break and you can't do anything about because there is no info) they don't want us to fix anything, tossed , buy new, buy in large, that's the new moto

[@joebutchko2223]

Around 1965 I was in 9th grade and getting set up for high school the following year. I wanted to drop the college prep course and switch to auto shop. I'll never forget the guidance counselor: 'Joey, you don't want to do that- cars in the future are going to be disposable, nobody is going to be fixing anything. Besides, they're going to be powered by something the size of this thing' (as he picked up the stapler from his desk and plopped it down again). Mr. Ruland, what do you say now?!

[@emilecrotteau7312]

🇨🇦THANK YOU FOR THE MEMORIES FROM A RETIRED MECHANIC

[@kurtvogler8417]

Man, I used to go through those pages in J.C. Whitney and pick out every part I wanted. Only thing was, I didn't have any money to pay for it.

[@HouseCallAutoRepair]

You NAILED IT! ... SCHOOL! When EVERYONE was exposed to a skill, SOME realized "WOW, I CAN DO THAT!"

[@ronlind1757]

Somewhat related.. I went to trade school in the 70's for Tool/Die/Moldmaking. There was a waiting list at most schools to get in, my school was almost a year. Today, those schools don't even offer those classes anymore.. and when I retired from the trade they can't find any young people to start a great career.

[@tc6580]

I have been in the trade over 40yrs , and here in PA shops cannot find machinist/toolmakers. Us old heads are getting ready to retire.

[@gregcowart8229]

It’s true, I’m 54 now and been working on cars since I was a kid, l get a great satisfaction repairing my vehicles, Anywhere from Chevrolet to a BMW I repair them all to a certain extent I can’t do exhaust or front end alignment because I don’t have equipment LoL

[@gskjr01]

WOW Kenny you have described how I grew up, but I still fix cars and teach young people to get into the repair business

[@wallebo]

Yes, I have very similar memories. I spent many hours reading and rereading all of the popular car magazines of the day. Sadly, it's all gone now.

[@claytonmalcolm6017]

You are truly telling the truth. They even got rid of tire displays in a freaking suppose tire shop

[@SeeItBelieveIt-n6m]

Nice times. I am Canadian but have almost the exact same story to my growing up. Right down to being a paper-boy and knowing the cars of my neighborhood

[@nickb1488]

Everything you said is so true! I grew up in Dumont NJ and went to Bergen Tech. Great memories!

[@fubartotale3389]

J.C.Whitney? Dude WARSHAWSKIS! The king!

[@TimTurner115]

I miss the old days when we would hang out at my dad's used car lot in Dallas. Growing up with three or four motors cars and people around. My daughter is going to automotive school now. To understand the newer cars.

[@cavecookie1]

Back in the 80s, there was an old guy in my town who rebuilt old auto starters, generators, and miscellaneous auto electric items in his garage. If you needed a starter for a '36 Chrysler, this guy had one! Wonder how many of these old-school folks are around these days.

[@michaelhomdus4945]

Great story time Kenny. You sound just like me. Started wrenching for pay in 1966 at 16 years old. Cruising K street on fridays and weekends. The good old days. Oh, my first car a 1959 Hillman Minx, three speed on the column. No it wasnt a hotrod, but my first car. Like you say, keep wrenching.

[@davidanderson2523]

You are correct my friend. I had a 72 Plymouth Cricket and that car was literally a fit it daily car. It had the 90weight oil filled Stromberg carburetor with the rubber diaphragm. It was always breaking down. It also had the "Glass Bowl" fuel pump. One day while I was driving it the glass bowl broke spewing gas all over the hot engine, there was an off duty fireman in back of me luckily, who pulled out his extinguisher from his trunk and put it out.. My silly father rewired the harness, and installed an electric fuel pump, and I drove that silly car for another 3 years until it did not go anymore. Everything I learned about cars was from tinkering with that junk to keep it running.

[@thomasgreene5750]

Your stories about working on cars in your youth brought back memories. We had a large basement one could drive a car into, with wood and metal shop areas. In the late 1960s, beginning before I was old enough to drive, I would buy a VW Beetle with a blown engine (people were prone to letting the oil level get low, which was death to those air-cooled engines) in the fall, rebuild the engine and detail the car over the winter, and sell it in the spring. John Muir's shop manual and the J. C. Whitney catalog were constant companions. Those old Beetles were great vehicles to learn on--they were small, relatively simple, the parts were inexpensive, and the tools needed were pretty basic.

[@tonywestvirginia]

I graduated high school in 1979. The cars we had was 60's- 70's stuff. Our go to for parts was Gratiot auto supply in Detroit. Oh, to be young again...

[@dm7097]

I absolutely loved going through the jcwhitney catalog!!! I was always daydreaming cause there wasn’t a whole lot of money, but it was fun nonetheless.

[@58scottyd]

I’m that old too, I remember JC Whitney catalogs, auto part/speed shops with guys that knew stuff- they had catalogs, not computer screens. It is sad that the average person can’t do much of anything beyond an oil change. There was always a guy at the dealer you could stop by and ask a question, it’s awful today, I feel for independent shops having to buy licenses to get information. I’m 66 and counting, keep wrenching Kenny

[@haneyoakie14]

JCW was the dream book. At age 10, I had two goals in life 1. To be able to drive, and 2. Be able to vote. I still do both as often as possible.

[@robertmedina6875]

We’re about the same age, Kenny! It was great taking a trip down memory Lane with you. I love your videos and I have worked on cars since I was a kid! Love the channel God bless you and your family.❤

[@jimthetrucker]

I use KZbin to find fixit how-to videos for troubleshooting issues for my vehicles including my semi truck. I am about the same age as you man, so I totally get it.

[@vettrious]

Been servicing my vehicles since I was 17, always been an OEM replacement king. I have never seen such a problem with sourcing parts like it is today. Even though I buy online most of the time now, I still have so many returns because of damaged or wrong part scenaros. I always have a backup vehicle because of the time factor, just to keep going to work.

[@clearasabell]

You've hit the nail right on the head with your video.

[@weloveups831]

Parts stores back then had good replacement parts. Didn't have to buy OEM for much of anything!

[@AreaThirteenThirteen]

I remember taking auto mechanics in high school in the early to mid 80's since I always liked tinkering with things and wanted to learn about working on cars, it ended up being the only class I actually enjoyed and looked forward to going to and made a solid A grade in, old cars and trucks were everywhere for cheap and easy to work on, not to mention that aftermarket parts were also affordable and of decent quality.

[@Davidnichols-p7w]

The internet has ruined a lot things. I think it has made society lazy. I miss the 80s when the full service has stations were still around. Great video Kenny! Keep wrenching..

[@goodcitizen64]

Thanks Kenny

[@MikesMoparShop]

The good old days are gone but not so much for me. I'm old school and still run my carbureted engines with a dual point distributor, a 4 speed and a sure grip rear in my 69 Barracuda. The parts stores don't have parts guys anymore they have customer service reps, it's disgusting. I remember when mechanics fixed things but now they just throw away stuff and put on a new part and have to use a computer to tell them what to do. I say the same type of things on my channel also lol Great video bud 👍

[@dolfinwriter5389]

Kenny, now at 10:07 you're talking about wiper blades. Let's talk about wiper blades! (1) You can't FIND just replacement inserts anymore. You have to buy and replace the entire thing, and they have become UNGODLY expensive! (2) There are at least a half dozen different attachment schemes for wiper blades to wiper arms. SOMETIMES you get the right parts in the "universal" kit to replace them. SOMETIMES these "universal" parts DON'T FIT what they are supposed to. I once had to return blades that were SUPPOSED TO FIT my dad's old 1991 Dodge Dakota, that didn't. Then when I went on eBay and bought the same kind he had last time, I STILL HAD TO REMOVE parts from the old blades to install NEW ones because the new "replacement" supposedly identical parts were made to some other spec and DIDN'T fit.

[@rharris7635]

Sad but true. Thanks for helping the next generation get grease on their hands!

[@bobby9195]

Hello Mr Kenny hope y'all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I personally missed your stories and am grateful to hear another one from you. My favorite so far is the one about the lady who owns the Volkswagen and couldn't quite pronounce the name 😂😅. Tell Mrs Meg I said hello and thank you sir 😅

[@worco100]

Great video love your stories I’m originally from England and moved to Canada in 65 always loved automobiles it was very easy in the 60s & 70s to look after your own car I’m a machinist by trade so hands on skills came easily to me. It’s sad that so many people don’t have basic skills do do there own simple repairs or how to check their car or house to fix basic stuff anymore.

[@robertmassmann228]

I must be old, as I may have bought car stuff from JC Whitney. I love the challenge of working on my cars. My current project is a 2012 BMW 750i Xdrive. Had to replace the engine. It has taken awhile but it is almost ready to drive now! In high school I took art, but would good to metal shop during my study halls.

[@christinamoneyhan5688]

Kennedy , back in the 60’s old mechanics became parts dealers and if you needed a carburetor for a Studebaker, Hudson, Packard, they could pick it up off the shelf before looking into a book for the model. I need spark plugs for a Chevy ,Oh, ya! That’s a x y z here you go.

[@wayne9518]

Speedy recovery Kenny!

[@RussellBooth1977]

I went to a Burton type of high school from 1990-1995 here in Australia so when they Department of Education & the local tech ran an initiative called the J.S.S.T (joint school secondary education & TAFE with TAFE meaning Technical and further education) courses I chose metal fabrication & automotive industrial for 2 of my electives 30 years ago which means that I was away from school for 1 day per week (2 × 4 hour courses), so I didn't want to end up planted at school & growing with a whole lot of them with the exception of students who were matriculated meaning smart enough to enter university. I had done some Work experience as a mechanic & an electrician the year before & I was told not to become a mechanic but I wasn't told not to become an electrician. I decide to study an automotive course to find out why except for the low wages & bad working conditions where I did work experience as a mechanic why they didn't want me to become a mechanic, after I did that course they shut down the automotive part of that campus, meaning that I couldn't do any more automotive courses the year after. They didn't tell me why they didn't want me to do any more automotive courses but the next year I studied carpentry & an introductory course in the electrical trade during my last year of high school. I did the Certificate III in electrical trades for about 2 1/2 years off my own back untill 1998 which was my 3rd year at tech, about half way through I scored an apprenticeship repairing power tools & I became an electrician after my apprenticeship where I picked up electrical fittings experience afterwards such as panel wiring, etc. I do work on my own car but in the electrical trade they wonder why I am not a mechanic,I told them about my work experience, they didn't want me to bee 🐝 a mechanic, also they kept telling me about the low wages and bad working conditions. I still drive a 2002 model Holden VY SS Commodore which runs the 5.7 litre Chevrolet LS1 V8 engine & T56 Tremec transmission, there's not many of them on the road now in Australia, it has done over 401,000 kilometres now or about 250,000 miles. I think that they expected me to trade that car in for a Mitsubishi Outlander or Lancer after Holden stopped selling cars in 2020 & stopped locally manufacturing them in 2017, that's what a lot of people have done except me. I know that my sister in laws 15 year old low kilometre Mitsubishi CJ Lancer is always off the road & they're always driving my brothers 438,000 kilometre old 2000 model Subaru Forester instead. Like I can scan my own car using a basic scan tool to diagnose faults,I would not buy a Mitsubishi after my dads bad experience with their short engine life & my sister in law B& brothers bad experience with a failed experience ABS module & he's not telling us that the engine blew up in that Lancer. My other sister in law got rid of her Lancer after Mitsubishi replaced the engine for free under warranty & the new engine was just as bad at burning oil as the old engine, so she got rid of it at about the same time her mother got rid of her Outlander for the same reason. I wonder why no one in the electrical trade has talked to me after being unemployed for 18 months,I heard that a previous employer wants to employ me as an electrical engineer this week. In my area the reason that there's no gear heads left except me is because they have a mechanic whose a Hutt & he's a Burson as well, he's hopeless ,!

[@dankabes1081]

Thank you for the memories!

[@grumpy2.0]

The death of the Car Mechanical Magazines. Has done so much Damage. I'm the Neighbour in my close who gets the knock on the Door. For the "do i need to take it to the Garage to fix this?" Question.

[@johnmeyer6537]

i love the Christmas spirit in the field at 8:47