| Author | Message | ||
     Milt |
The good news is that my youngest son just got his drivers license. The bad news is that my youngest son just got his drivers license. | ||
| Mr_grumpy |
Hide the keys. | ||
| Fast1075 |
Find him a '65 Opel Kadet like my dad did when I got my license....you can outrun it on foot, it's indestructible and practically makes it's own gas... Ok...it's not likely you will find one still running....but you get the picture. First cars need to be slow and ugly...with a GPS monitor... | ||
| Etennuly |
I've been through it four times. After the first couple you get kinda numb to it all, but ya still keep your fingers crossed.  For a while, you don't sleep until you know they are home. I made a deal with each of them as they came up. After a careful explanation of insurance rates, coverages, deductibles, and having them call around to see what their rates would be under their own policy, the deal was that if they had or caused an accident that was their fault, they would no longer be on my insurance policy. I also explained to them that they would not be driving anything without insurance. It seems to have given them something to think about when stupid opportunities arise. I guess we have been fortunate thus far, a few minor incidents here and there(that I know of) and the youngest will be nineteen in a week. His time to choose his direction that will determine if he can stay on my policy. College, military, or on his own. | ||
| Etennuly |
Find him a '65 Opel Kadet  My brother had one! A wagon. Those German cars of the era always had that interior smell. I think it was from the grass matting in the seats. I started with a '68 VW Beetle. A great slug to start them with now days is an S-10 with a 4 cyl, or the equally slow 2.8. 4x4 makes it even slower. Throw in the standard shift and you will be producing an adult that can drive anything!  | ||
| Milt |
If I came across a '68 Bug, I'd keep it for myself. I learned to shift on my buddy's '59 (!) VW. Great car, right down to the gasoline heater. Etennuly, great advice re: insurance. | ||
| Buellboiler |
A 1965 anything is a bad idea, particularly old German cars. See a 1959 Bel Air in an offset front impact with a modern Impala (see URL below). The results are shocking and I like old cars, I've got a 1960 Buick LeSabre convert. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xwYBBpHg1I A newer large car with ABS, air bags, crush zones, etc. is the best answer to keep your son alive should the worst occur. A late model Crown Vic is cheap and parts are plentiful, yet provides the modern safety features that make a modern car the best answer. | ||
| Hex |
Hide the keys. uhh, that didn't work for me, I found the spare set by the time I was 13. | ||
| Guell |
i started out in something turbocharged  it only helped the stupid opportunities. | ||
| Iman501 |
so whens he getting a bike?!!! | ||
| Milt |
No interest in motorcycles. Can't pass my beloved Thumper to anyone in the family.  | ||
| Iman501 |
what kinda 16 year old kid doesnt like bikes?!!! and if you really wana get rid of the blast, i'd be happy to take it...not sure what i'd do with it, but i'd figure something out ha ha | ||
| Nm5150 |
My sympaties.In Arkansas you can ride up to 250cc when you are 14.Somehow i agreed to get my oldest a bike when he got his learner's permit.He recently got his early Christmas present.A 1981 Honda CB125 in pristine condition.Does about 60mph so he can get into town and back and keep up with traffic and look cool at school because it ain't a scooter.He can still only ride with his old man(me)and is doing pretty well but I will still find it hard to cut him loose when it is time.This may be a mistake but any advice will be considered.We will hit a MSF riders course. | ||
| Milt |
I've done MSF twice, and both times there were a father/offspring team attending. It's a really nice thing to do together. | ||
| Iman501 |
well being somebody that just turned 18, i can tell you from a kids perspective that he'll love it!!! its good that his bike wont do any above 60 b/c my first bike def would do more! (fun hint for you parents! i've got a buddy who's been away at college this year without a car, and while he was gone his mom bought herself a new mini cooper, just plain model, not the "S" and when logan came home for break the other day he took his moms mini out to go visit friends and all. (well logan likes to drive fast) yet his mom had her GPS in the car and logan thought nothing of it. but it turned out that the GPS tracked were he went and what speeds he went....well long story short, he's grounded now for going 95 in a 55 lol (p.s. you didnt hear that idea from me, i dont want angry emails from all your kids!) | ||
| Etennuly |
The problem with a Crown Vic, they will run 120 mph stock. With a mid eighties S-10 like I described, you get a solid stout vehicle that on a good day won't go over 85. It will also take enough time getting there they might get bored and give up the chase. I would not recommend a 60's car either, but it is what we had at the time. | ||
| Court |
>>>p.s. you didnt hear that idea from me, i dont want angry emails from all your kids! I was a total horse's ass to my two sons. Bought them Mustang 5.0 GT's when they were in high school and put a ZERO tolerance system in place. ONE infraction or ONE arrival late at home and the car was gone. NO second chances, no appeals, no nothing. Both did great. I also took them both to high performance driving school and spent many days taking the Mustangs and SHO's to icy parking lots showing them the difference between front and rear wheel drive and ABS vs. non-ABS. I didn't want them learning their first maximum braking or spin recovery late at night on a rural road. Seems to have worked well. The kid in Beverly Hills (young one) is a car nut, the older one (in Portland) owns a car but seldom drives . . he's a confirmed bicyclist. | ||
| Sayitaintso |
My rule for a first car is going to be (eeks only 1 more year till she's driving)slow and as little room inside as possible, with bucket seats. I don't want to make it any easier on the teenage hormones than I have to. I remember what I was able to do in a car with plenty of room (mom always asked why I wanted to take the station wagon....like she didn't know before she asked) The S-10/Ranger is right in line with what I'm thinking about. ooops, forgot that it has to have a rusted out bed too (Message edited by sayitaintso on December 23, 2009) | ||
| Mr_grumpy |
I had my mum's 2dr FIAT 127, what my parents didn't know was that there was a bar under the seats that you raised to lay them flat. 1st gear handbrake off.  | ||
| Kustomklassix |
My first car was a 1990 Acura Integra hatchback with 220,000 miles. Great car, good on gas, lots of interior space, topped out at 90 (coulda used some work) and cost $1000 from an old farmer. Second car was even slower (95 Suzuki Sidekick) but WAY more fun (it will seriously go anywhere offroad). Court, my dad was like you, ZERO tolerance for anything, and I think it made me a better driver (well, that and him screaming at me everytime I drove with him with my permit). Unlike most kids, I actually had my motorcycle license before my car one. A year before infact LoL. Got my first ticket on a 99 Honda Rebel 250  Oh, and I'd be happy to buy your Blast Milt! | ||
| M2nc |
We are getting to this point at our house too. The question I have is what to let her drive. I could do like many and get her a cute little car. Or let her drive my new to me Jeep Commander. We drive old vehicles, our Suburban has well over 200,000 miles and the mini-van the Jeep replaced had over 160,000 miles. So the Jeep as a 2006 with less than 50,000 miles, is the nicest 4-wheeled vehicle we have owned in a long time. The issue for me is that the Jeep is also the safest vehicle we own. My poor brother has been hit twice in his Jeep Wranglers by Honda Accords driving down to see me in NC. In both cases he was in the right, in both cases the Hondas were totalled and towed away and in both cases he drove over 700 miles back home before getting the vehicle fixed. In the latter event, a drunk driver hit him when he was stopped at a light and she was running 60mph. Jeeps are built very tough for their off-road purpose. Now on top of their toughness and the normal safety stuff like ABS, the Commander has all-wheel drive, traction control, side curtain air-bags, rear-facing radar when backing, it even applies brakes if it detects a tip-over, to right itself. I learned to drive in a tank of car, a 76 Ford LTD Station Wagon. Four of us kids did the best we could to kill it. The Jeep out weighs that old Wagon. Add the V-8 and her buying her own gas, it will also limit her time on the road. Am I off pace here? (Message edited by M2nc on December 23, 2009) | ||
| Sayitaintso |
M2nc, I really don't think there is a wrong answer. Kids are going to do what they want no matter what limits you place on them..... Its what you've instilled in them up to this point that matters. Not having room inside the car wouldn't have stopped me and my girlfriend (now my wife) from doing what we wanted just like Court's zero tolerance wouldn't have stopped them from drag racing if they wanted to. | ||
| Milt |
Kustomklassix, PM me if you're really interested the Thumper. I can send pics, lots of narrative blather, etc. | ||
| Ridenusa4l |
Well ill be 19 in january, my first vehicle was my grandpa's(god rest his soul) 1991 (same year i was born  ) Ford F-150 4x4 with the 300 (4.9L) I6 automatic, which was given to me in his will. I can tell you that no matter what ur kids have they will have some obligation to "show off" to their friends lol, its just gonna happen. But you cant easy on them, my buddy was taken it easy on, and he disrespects EVERYTHING he's EVER owned, and it didnt help that he didnt pay for a damn thing... Well i had a job and payed for EVERYTHING ive owned, and i take great care and pride for that, although i use everything i own to its "full potential" hahaha, i know if i break itm then i have to fix it. So try to make a system like that to wear if they screw up, then its all on them lol. IMHO.. Also my very FIRST motorcycle is my 2008 1125r, and thats an experience lol I have learned to respect it..especially since i wrecked in in the first couple months of ownership... and had to wait 3 MONTHS to get it fixed, i now am MUCH smarter about doing "dumb" things lol.... I know im just rambling but, i like telling stroties haha BTW- My truck is an absolute TANK, ive done things with that truck, that destroyed others haha that 300 I6 is the most bullet proof thing ive ever seen, its got a redline around 4200rpm (i think) and ive had it up to 5500rpm, playin in the mud and it didnt skip a beat!!! and the low-end torque, is diesel like!!! lol Jake | ||
| Jammin_joules |
Wife & I both ride several m/c's, kids never knew us without bikes, and I work in the industry, yet when our 20 yr old daughter said she took the MSF Rider Safety course, we did a double take. But woah is me, no way a motorcycle sales person be hypocritical - no way. Then in the next summer our 21 yr old son did the same. Time passes, mistakes happen, and it is hard for me to think right now of anything more gratifying than the family of four going out for a ride together. | ||
| Nevrenuf |
we have to sign a waver saying that we won't let our son use our vehicles because of his indiscretions. and although he's made his own mistakes and paying for them. he actually turned out pretty good. he's 25 now and right before he turned 21 he bought his car on his own signature and just a couple months ago, he bought along with his fiance a brand new town home on their own signature. some get it and some don't. there's nothing more you can do than what you've already done. | ||
| Buellboiler |
Jake, You are right on the track. I started with my Dad's old Maverick. Replaced the brake cylinders, fixed all four tires at least once in the first year, went through the carb and ignition (points), and painted it before I turned 16. The last thing I wanted to do was to scratch the paint job by doing something wrong, I had too much invested in that car. It served me well through high school and college. I lost it when I was interviewing. An 84 year old man ran a red light and totaled three cars in an instant. | ||
| Iman501 |
An 84 year old man ran a red light and totaled three cars in an instant. lol my cousin who's now married totaled three cars the day she got her license! ha ha, it was all in a parking lot, and everybody was ok, but still three cars totaled within having your license less that 24 hours! lol | ||
| Ridenusa4l |
Vince, Thanks man, yea thats the one thing i have learned is that if u put ur time, money, blood, sweat, and tears into it, u'll respect it and take care of it... Iman, the key word is SHE.....hahahahaha just sayin Jake | ||
| Iman501 |
ha ha ha yea the families given her that kinda crap for years now ha ha |
