I was taught to wrench by a guy just like this. He was only 76 at the time I started working in his shop. It was just his way of having a conversation. I learned to say things like, "Harold, why the hell would you say that?" He used it as an opportunity to talk about stuff that was important to him. I later learned from his wife, that he saw me as his protégé, and simply wanted to pass along stuff he knew, but was afraid would get lost. He's gone now and I miss his "opinions".