In an era of easily replaceable smartphones and a more cavalier attitude towards disposable products, it’s more important than ever to impart that do-it-yourself on kids at an early age. Yet we can see why some mothers might be concerned with letting a three-year-old hang out in the engine bay of a 1970 big-block Chevelle, but Power Wheels has been making kid-sized cars and trucks for decades now, and what better way to lure your spawn into the world of nuts and bolts?

This is what free gets you from Craigslist. It didn’t even come with a battery.

Chris M. recently posted his restoration of a faded and busted up Barbie-themed Power Wheels Jeep Wrangler to Reddit, and we reached out to him to get some background on this different kind of Jeep restoration. We found out that it’s a great entry-level project for anybody hoping to bring their child into the DIY club, though be prepared to invest some elbow grease and time into doing it well and right.

“I meant it as a fun, casual project for my son, so I wasn’t too concerned with paint chipping off, or minor cosmetic details,” Chris tells us. “I intend to re-paint it eventually when my son gets a little older, and wants to pick the colors and such himself. We’ll also do the 24-volt conversion, better tires, and other upgrades at that time, but for now, it’s plenty fast for him.”

Chris found the dilapidated Power Wheels for free on Craigslist, though the extent of the work ahead only revealed itself after he started sorting through accumulated leaves and muck. In addition to the faded paint, sagging grille and missing battery, various different screws had been used to keep the Jeep together over the years. Some bolts were in such bad shape that Chris had to drill and tap them to remove the bad bolts properly.

After stripping everything down and bagging and tagging all the powertrain components, Chris got down to the work of washing everything off and repainting the faded Barbie purple a a drab olive green that’s more in line with the Jeep’s Army lineage. The wheels, roll bar, grille and seats were given a similarly appropriate paint job, and Chris’ three-year old soon got in on the action with dad in putting the Jeep back together.

“This is the third ‘vehicle’ I’ve either found or been given in a dilapidated shape, and have fixed and painted for my son,” adds Chris. “He loves them, and after helping me with this one, he talks constantly about wanting to ‘go work on the Jeep’. As an avid do-it-yourselfer, nothing makes me happier than my three-year-old already taking an interest in tools and fixing things himself.”

For anybody considering embarking on a similar parent-child project, Chris has some advice. “If I were doing it again, I would probably use an adhesive promoter like some of the Reddit commenters suggested, and maybe a paint meant specifically for plastic. I’m also thinking about painting the roll bar and windshield piece black, but I wanted to see how they looked un-painted first.”

If you’ve been wanting to get the kids in on your latest DIY project, but the Mrs. put the kibosh on your plans, a Power Wheels restoration might be a perfect compromise. The world needs more do-it-yourselfers, but it isn’t an easy hobby to promote when smartphones and video games are instantly gratifying and more prevalent than ever.

Your best bet is to hook ‘em young, because that feeling of elation related to fixing or restoring something once thought ruined is more addicting than any game console or smartphone. You can check out Chris’ complete restoration album here.