My 35 year old stepdaughter bought her first car, a 2004 Subaru, from her mom 11 years ago. The first thing we did together on the car was to change all the fluids. I began a step in all the procedures with a lesson on each system. Then she took over with each additional step. She is a research biologist working 250 miles West. The two or three times a year she comes over there is usually something to be done. Like the right rear window stopped going up and down. Sometimes coming over is not an option. About three months ago she called up about how the crank pulley came loose on the Subaru. We talked about it and I said, "I will be over in a couple weeks if you want me to help." She replied, "No I already ordered the parts and I want to do it." Understand this is a street repair process (no garage). A week later, utilizing my famous last words after I do a repair job, she calls and says, "It's running better than it has ever run." Recently she called me about the outboard motor on her sailing boat and how it was running very rough. I suggested it most likely needed a complete tune up with a carburetor cleaning and she might want to take it to the marina's repair shop. She said, "Don't you think I can do it?" I replied, "Just be careful working over the water not to drop any parts." She completed the task the very next weekend. What did she tell me? "It's running better than it has ever run."
Having a 1991 Miata and a 2002 Miata with two parts cars I sold some parts through Craigslist. Two different Miata owners came to get parts. Both 20 something in age. There enthusiasm for working on cars was as I remember my buddies when I was that age. They both loved the Sunbeam collection and we did a lot of "car talk." There is a large part of the population that just doesn't have a mechanical or problem solving aptitude and they leave that to the microcosm of car enthusiasts or go buy another car. Just like I'm not one to repair the holes in my work jeans. I leave that to my Nancy or rotate them to the rag bin.