5 Reasons a Father and Son Should Work on a Car Together

When the family car breaks down, everyone knows it is time for a repair. However, there can be better options than immediately taking the car to a repair shop. Let’s take a close look at five reasons a father and son should work on a car together.

Bonding

First, working on a car is a bonding experience. As we all know, these repairs can be tricky and drawn out over several days. Mechanical work will allow a father and son to share some time together and catch up on recent events. Because some car work is relatively relaxed, there is plenty of downtime to talk about things other than the vehicle. When you do run into trouble, it will take your combined brainpower to figure out a solution. You can bounce ideas off of one another and ultimately find something that does work. Succeeding together will make the project that much more fun and special. Bonding is all about finding common ground and similarities, and a broken car is something that everyone can relate to. Overall, it is just a very memorable experience that will stick with both of you for years to come.

Educational

Working on a car is also an educational experience. If your son is on the younger side, he might not be familiar with cars at all. This is a good opportunity for the father to teach him a few things about the vehicle. Show your son some of the basics and things to look out for while in the backseat. On the other hand, your son might be a teenager learning to drive, and he will soon operate and own a car of his own. No matter how much he can learn from a textbook, hands-on experience is irreplaceable. Even if your son is grown by now, there are secrets that can be passed down from generation to generation. Who knows, in the process you might even learn a trick or two as well.

Obscure Parts

This takes the educational aspect to the next level. If something is seriously wrong with your vehicle, you might need an in-depth repair that goes beyond the surface. In the process, you will likely run into some obscure parts that you’ve never seen before in your life. These could be rotary vane vacuum pumps or unknown fluids in the engine. No matter what type of part you’re dealing with, it’s a good idea to look it up in your car manual. Your son will learn something interesting and so will you.

Cost

The cost of working on a car on your own will typically cost much less than visiting a repair shop. To be fair, it’s not always obvious whether you have the knowledge to complete the repair on your own. However, if you are indeed capable, it is a much better option. Depending on the problem, this might be the right choice for you. Because you’re only paying for parts from the manufacturer and not a service charge, you could be saving anywhere from 25 percent to 50 percent of the normal fee.

Actual Repair

Finally, the actual repair that you can get done with your son is worthwhile overall. In addition to being a great bonding and learning experience, you can legitimately get your car back in shape and on the road in no time. Maybe it broke down due to an oil leak, which means you can’t drive the car to work the next day. Your son has to bike to work instead, and this isn’t a sustainable solution for long. With the manpower of two people, you guys can figure out the problem and an appropriate solution in no time. While you two might not be mechanics, a father and son can make a surprising amount of progress on a car.

When all is said and done, there are many good reasons why a father and son should work on a car together. Instead of immediately scheduling an appointment at the repair shop, considering working with your son on the vehicle. Try it out together and see how it goes. Even if you don’t end up being able to fix it, you can still bring it into a repair shop. This can be an exciting experience that forms lasting memories for your household!