Gearheads tore apart old cars. Today, life moves faster, with more choices and more options. Video games have replaced mechanical entertainment devices. Cars are so reliable, they hardly ever need to be repaired. When they do, the electronic ignition and fuel injector control systems make it impossible for the mechanically curious teen to tune the engine.
Consumer products are better and cheaper than ever before.
They don't break, and when they do, it is easier and less expensive to discard and purchase new, rather than to repair. Students now enter the university without childhood experiences that bring them into intimate contact with mechanical devices. Buck the trend. Don't be afraid to be hands-on. Don't be afraid to take something apart.