Virtual Car Repairs

My son is 19, and has purchased his first car. It's used, a bit older...but kinda cool in it's own funky retro way. And it has issues. Many, many little niggling issues.
 When I was a kid, I was a complete gearhead. Pistons, crankshafts and Holley carbs were my world. Number one son grew up in a digital world, and didn't go down the greasy fingers trail.
 Good enough for me.
 But when he started to struggle with mechanical issues on a limited budget, it was time to help out, the best I could. I live in Vancouver and Jr lives in Victoria now, it's along distance father and son thing. We communicated and discussed the basics by text messages ( cheaper for him ) Complex conversations had to done on the phone, but were really only about 10% of the total.
 One day, I suggested that he send me a video of the engine starting noises, so that I could be a bit more accurate in diagnosing the problem. He recorded a brief clip on his phone and emailed it to me.
It's right here

Your basic starter issues...likely solenoid related, maybe or maybe not drive gear/ring-gear damage. So, how do you relate this to someone who has never seen a car starter do it's thing? I thought it was important to give full and complete info, so that proper decisions could be made.

You know the ones, have a running car...or eat.

 So I decide to scan the auto repair related Youtube sites for applicable videos that would give a visual description of the issues. I came up with the videos you see here.....

These kinds of short videos help to reinforce the text message or phone conversations

So then we are all on the same page, talking about the same things. It doesn't change the fact that some bucks need to be be spent...but it does reduce some of the shop-time that would need to get shelled out for diagnostic work.
The point of the  story is...the whole conversation was digital...text messages, cellphone calls, cellphone video, email and youtube video. It was a ton of fun to finally be useful, because you know fully well, I'm not going to be assisting him with computer issues...and I know for fucking sure ...he's not going to ask me for relationship advice


Here's a couple pics from my wasted youth...the 57 wagon was a three year project that went from 15 to 18 yrs old....from engine rebuild to massive "Bondo" application and a partial pic of the family 56 4-door with whitewalls and mags

There's quite a story that goes along with the pretty yellow 71 Corvette....and I don't see myself writing it down anytime soon

I guess I've always had a thing for the 5-6-7 Chevy's....and stylish shoes