The Answers
By William W., Springfield, MA
On the road are all kinds of cars dating from the 1920s to the just-released 2006 models. The one thing they all have in common is that they run with the help of an engine. I‘m interested in engines because I have a vehicle and I want to learn how it works so if it breaks, I can fix it. This fascination started when I was a child; I always enjoyed seeing those cool cars like Camaros and Corvettes. I told myself that I would own a car like that someday.
Even now, I can picture myself driving a car like one of those classics. It‘s not just the looks that catch my eye, it‘s the smell, the sound like a roaring lion they make when they drive by, and those paint jobs that look like mirrors.
And I want to know answers to all the questions that go through my head, like, What makes a car perform as well as it does? Why does the car sound the way it does? How can you make the car faster or get better gas mileage?
Recently I bought a new Jeep that has its problems, as all cars do. When we took it to the mechanic, he showed me some of the parts like the PCV valve; it sounded like he was reciting the alphabet. I want to be able to fix these myself, and hopefully I‘ll have the chance to make a living from it.
My car curiosity always seems to come back to me. My father, who fortunately knows a lot about cars, has taught me all I know, and can answer a lot of my questions. Our family used to have a van and he did most of the work himself, including replacing the radiator. But there are still questions that he can‘t answer. Someday I will have the knowledge to answer all these questions.
|
