The future of the automobile – doomed!
 

I work in an engineering office that employs about 75 professional engineers. A good 50% of Asian descent. Every once in a while, I bring my magazine collection to work to share with my coworkers. The collection includes a varied array of titles that includes; Excellence, Road and Track, Car and Driver, Collector Car, plus an array of photography magazines.

Within 24-hours all the photo magazines were scooped-up. And the car mags, not a single one was touched.

I can't believe my office doesn’t employ a single car enthusiast.

Trog, are you sure you're working with engineers? It sounds like you work with a bunch of hair dressers. ;)

How many Boxsters in the parking lot??

:)

...or Audi TTs?

Probably a lot of bicycles in the parking lot? Not a cheap place to live your Vancouver...:eek::eek:

Few of the engineers I worked with at GM were car enthusiasts. When I was a rocket scientist there were engineers in the lab who could not change a tire. One guy came to me to ask about a sound his car was making. From his description it sounded like a bad wheel bearing or a loose wheel. Walking up to the car I could see from 10 feet away that the lug nuts were loose on one front wheel.
Then there was the guy who was having trouble starting he early Honda Civic. I told him how to check for spark - check. Then I told him to pour a little gas in the carburetor to see if it would fire. He dumped a whole quart of gasoline down the carburetor.

The thing is most of the engineers I work for, especially the younger ones, have no mechanical interest outside of work, let alone interest in cars.

I was racing go karts with my kid some years ago, building my own engines. At one setting at work I told them about building a flow bench and dyno in my basement , they were dumbfounded that someone would be doing that at home.

Sad really.

I'm interested in engineering because I like to get my hands dirty and see how things work. That's a lot different than someone good at math getting into engineering. Most engineers I met in school were the math/science kids.

Me too. I left the rocket science biz when they promoted me out of the lab and into an office.

There's a lot of people who aren't mechanically inclined.
I can remember an episode in high school (late 60's for me). I was in a buddy's car and he was going to run it through the 1/4 mile on a country road. He's getting ready to start and pulls out the manual choke knob (I was 15 before I knew there was such a thing as an automatic choke). I said why did you do that. He said because it makes the engine run faster. I didn't pursue the subject with him.
Jim

To be fair, it does make the engine run faster... but makes the car slower... haha

Sounds more like the planning dept. of the city of Portland, Oregon. I doubt you could find more hatred of the automobile anywhere.

EE's?

EEE's?

EEEEEEEE's?

Hey, there aren't too many cities that own their own racetrack within a 15-minute drive from downtown.

You clearly have not visited Boulder lately

Domed...


KT

Domed?

It's a hairdresser term, I think.

Or, Portland, Oregon, for that matter....

..these "photography magazines" are published by Larry Flint?

All kidding aside, this could become a serious issue. Without any enthusiasm for the automobile, the left-tards in government will be free to pass draconian laws that can put our sport into jeopardy. Imagine a law that prohibits all cars older than 15-years from using the roads. Or how about a law that limits passanger vehicle displacement to 1.5-liters. Or how's about forcing everyone the meet current emission standards.

Scary times await us.

Can you explain a bit about the demographics of the engineers in your office? What discipline are they? (Mechanical, electrical, civil, etc). You mentioned they are "professional engineers"; are they licensed? Do they have engineering degrees? Or are they "technical people" that have been given the title of "engineer"?

We have all disciplines, in all age ranges. A few Engineers in training, right up to the old timers. Registered Engineers, technicians, designers, and auto-cad operators. We have Chinese, Japanese, European, Americans and Canadians. Predominantly male.

And not a single car enthusiast amongst them.

Many of us have screwed around in the garage with dad doing things around the car or the house, got our hands dirty and learn how things work. I can't see these young people's kids doing something anything like that. That's frightening.

I too am an engineer and work in the auto industry. I'd say of the 100 employees here, there are maybe 4 of us who are into cars. That's it. Not a bad thing, since we don't actually design the cars....we just build the designs. My best friend worked in one of the Ford plants as a specialized mechanic. He had zero interest in cars. I asked him why. He said "I work on cars all day long...why would I want to come home and do it?" Fair enough.

Frankly, I'd only be concerned if the actual car designer was not a car guy...LOL

Today's youth around the world is turning to gadgets, social media and other soft stuff over cars and machinery. It is especially bad in Europe where cars are practically obsolete in large urban areas. I work in high tech and in my company I would estimate the number of car enthusiasts at 2% and the number of people doing some of their own work at 5-10%. And this is in the L.A. area, where cars are still a BFD.

G

I think much of this is due to sky-high insurance rates and the expensive cost of cars for youth. It's hard to be interested in something you can't afford.

I wanted a 911 - and couldn't afford. My parents couldn't either. I don't think you can explain it with cost. Kids would dream about becoming train engineers, pilots, race car drivers etc. - there definitely is a shift away from that IMHO.

I know several kids that are ready to drive (in terms of age and having a car availalbe) and are dragging out getting their license. WTF???

G

My BIL is a perfect example of the summation of all your posts.

He is incredibly "smart", and is currently killing the GPA in Villanova's Engineering program.

That said...

This kid has 0 interest in anything mechanical, thinks that everything requires a mathematical equation, and nothing can be fixed without "research".

Last summer at the FIL's beach house...he spent 8 hours trying to install a window A/C unit. Once things started flying I went to help (wife made me). He had a note pad full of drawings and calculations. I pushed the window open a little more, put the thing in the window, told him to plug it in. He was awed.

Lets not discuss the Everest task of starting the 50cc scooter the next day! He never heard of carb cleaner.

I $hot U not gentlemen.

Today's generation isn't as passionate about cars as say the boomer generation. I have an 18 year old who has no desire to drive. I live in Chicago and owning a car is more of a burden. My 24 yr old, who also lives in the city, drives a plain Jane Honda. Although he has looked at higher end cars, the practical side of him kicks in. He finds his passion with things other than cars.

I'm a ME by degree and have worked in manufacturing for 40 years. I have heard this argument about engineers being mechanically inclined or car guys. Some look for those types of hobbies as a criteria for being a good engineer.


I love cars. I wanted to be an automotive designer as a kid but my passion is painting in pastels and markers. From some of the previous comments, I probably don't fit the stereotype some of you suggest. Just because I paint doesn't make me a limp wristed ***** - my passion for art allowed me to become a better engineer cuz I look a problem solving from a different point of view. And I am very good a what I do.


My company has hired several recent graduates. All are a mix of women and minorities primarily from Asia and Europe. Out of the 6 new hires, only one is a car guy. The best of the bunch is a Hispanic girl who I amazing - not a car person.

My son didn't care to get a driver's license, didn't really want a car, doesn't really like to drive. Amazing.

I'll never have to worry about any of the GF's offspring borrowing any of my cars: none of them can drive anything with more than 2 pedals.

After being in the right seat with you Jim, I cant blame him. :)

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1361564723.jpg

:D

BTW V^2, I still have incriminating video of me and you at Shenandoah Circuit. :p