Hey Sam... You remind me of ME when I was about your age. I was building models mostly and learned a lot about cars assembling those, especially the highly detailed kits. When I was about 12 and my brother was 11 our Dad had us replace the clutch in his '46 Chevy "enclosed driveline" P/U truck. Took us all week over Easter Vacation (Spring Break) with Dad checking our progress every day after he came home from work. I gotta say, at the time it didn't seem like WORK at all, it was an adventure of sorts and ended up being a win-win situation for all involved. He got his new clutch and my brother and I taught ourselves how to drive... (Dad spent some years looking for a gas leak that he could never find... we started refilling it with lawnmower gas...) Alas... I have some simple recommendations for you that are rather general in nature. 1. Congrats on your Bar Mitzvah and becoming a man. Good men make good choices and try to be wise and discretionary. DO NOT SPEND your Mitzvah dollars on a car. That money was given to help you move into adulthood and should be saved and spent for an education at a college or technical school. When I say "move", I'm speaking figuratively, literally you can take a bus, bum a ride, ride a bike or purchase a car with what OTHER money YOU earn. The money they gave you is kinda sacred, respect it and them by spending it appropriately. ( I can just hear you now... "Look Aunt Sadie, I spent the money you gave me on a '66 Turbocharged Covair that doesn't run..." Or... I can hear Aunt Sadie say... "Look at my nephew Samual, he's such a mensch and is saving his Mitzvah money for college..." Your choice, Sam!) 2. Flipping burgers for minimum wage? For minimum wage you could sweep, clean, wash cars, detail them, assist in maintenance, do oil changes and minor tune-ups and the like at a dealership, used car lot, a repair shop, body shop, vintage gas stations or even at your school's Auto Shop if they still have those. If they like your work, your passion and ambition, they would most likely want to move you into a higher paying field than to hire another. I was extremely fortunate to attend a GM Cooperative Work Training program right out of high school. I would attend classes, do bookwork, pass tests, actually did hands-on work like R&R-ing transmissions and the like, disassembling them and then reinstalling them into brand new 1966 Cadillacs so the instructor could drive one home! Two or three weeks in class, two or three weeks at the dealership. It was an amazing program and after working two years at the dealership, as well as the draft for the Viet Nam war, I enlisted in the Navy and became an Electronics Technician and that became my new field of endeavor. That, along with computers, degrees, and middle management positions became my WORK, leaving autos (Sports Cars, Hot Rods, Tractors, etc.) to be my HOBBY to enjoy! 3. If and when you do settle on a car you REALLY want like the Corvair, find and JOIN a car club where the Corvair is their primary or exclusive focus, and in person if practical. With enough passion, you won't necessarily need a car to join, but getting a car... well, what better venue is there. You'll probably walk away with one of another member's car he/she no longer needs in their fleet. Join online if a club is not available nearby, but these folks will still have the experience, parts, contacts, knowledge, etc. etc. PLUS the same passion for the same car and... Most likely their hobby and specific cars and owners are fading from the hobby as well as this planet... and MOST will welcome youth into their midst to keep the passion going. They also usually have events or get-togethers and can/will actually offer to assist you with your project. Unfortunately, there are some clubs and types of folks that are snooty and can be offensive, mostly online... but that's OK, they don't deserve your friendship, there are plenty of there sites to explore. Hope this helps, good luck, mozel tov... and Ciao! Tony Natoli
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