how bout a 4 door 50s car they are cheap and cool enough for a first car and they are great to learn on without worrying about messing it up too much
My oldest sons first car was a 66 Rambler American. Bought it for $250.00 in 1990 and put in a SBC w/ 350 turbo automatic. WE fixed it up and he was proud of what he drove, bottom line, he took care of it! I believe that if they drive some old piece of shit that's how they will treat it. This is the time to teach them respect for cars, both thiers and other peoples. You don't have to spend a fortune to have a nice car, there are still some pretty nice early to mid 60s cars out there, and you and him can work on them and he can get a basic understanding of how stuff works. My son still talks about that car today. We need to bring back some of the emotional aspect to these kids when it comes time to get a first car. They will thank you for it for years to come. I speak from experience.
Got to agree with mid-late sixties 4 doors, better shot at power steering or brakes, and a better shot at a car that hasn't dogged to death. 4 doors are cheaper, and it give him the ability to learn to work on it and become familiar with that particular model, without dropping the big bucks for the 2 door hardtop, big block, 4 speed, posi reared, bucket seat, you really want.
Shouldn't he be picking out his own first car? And buying it with his own money? I did, I bought a 1974 Plymouth Duster and it only took me ten days to wrap it around a telephone pole...
I'll approach from a slightly different direction... What has more value, a 'cool' older car or the life of the driver? Apparently most of you have forgotten all about being 16, and also fail to consider how many other 16 year old drivers (and stoned drivers, and drunk drivers and...) are on the road. Buy the kid a 90's something box with abs, air bags, 4 cyl, 5-spd and front drive. This will be safer than any 50-60 whatever and will save a pile of money on fuel. If the kid decides that dad's ride is the way to go then he can dream about having his own when he finishes school. .
The newer the vehicle it's safety increases. Cars from the '60's aren't that new and not near as safe as newer vehicles. VW bugs are cheap, parts are cheap, and I wouldn't want either of my kid's first car's to be a bug because of the safety factor. The responsibility characteristics of the young adult in question would have a lot to do with my decision of what my kid can own/drive.
Wow, what a bunch of Nancy boys. The kid wants a cool old car and everyone panties are in a wad. Wow. I guess Big Daddy was prophetic with "I remember when cars were dangerous and sex was safe." You guys act like an old car is a death sentence and no kid is responsible.
I had a 57 Chevy Bel Air 4 door sedan. Built like a brick shit house, 283 small block never killed me on gas, got me everywhere I needed to go, and parts were cheap. You can always add seat belts for safety if the car doesn't have them. My vote is for any 50's ride with 12 volt and a SBC or SBF. Adequate power and milage, combined with excellent parts availability and low cost of ownership
Not all kids are bad drivers , i never put a dent in any car till i was 30. Give the kid a chance let him sink or swim.
Before you go with a 50s big Chevy, check out this crash test video I just found of a crash test between 59 Chevy vs an 09 Malibu..... Just kidding...we never need to see that video again
Yeah that video was bullshit, looks like the inner fender wasn't bolted in and a bunch of other shit. I've crashed a 57 Buick and I can tell you that DID NOT happen. It decimated the car that pulled out in front of me and I drove home.
My girls were horrible drivers as long as they were driving cars I bought them,,, They started out with a 84 mustang convertible,,totaled it,,they ended up with a buick electra 225 ,,,they couldn't destroy it and it was built like a tank,,when the were done with it the car gave up it's engine and tranny for a project car. HRP
Being 16 myself, I wish I could have gotten something from the 50's, 60's or even 70's. I've been driving for almost a year now, gotten straight A's and stuff. I wish I had options for my first car! your son is really lucky! Although I'm not complaining about my 1994 Sonoma v-6
For a first car, practical considerations are probably more important than style points. Reliability is one of the most important issues to consider; keep in mind that even a shitbox car (cheap) from the 90s is likely to be more reliable than practically any older (pre-70s) car. Cars with major components (drivetrain, suspension) that were in production for a long time, or have been in production recently are going to make the hide-and-go-seek for parts (new or used) easier. When I was picking out cars for this mission (for my daughters), I tried to find ones not too small, with moderate performance and good brakes.
There's a hole in your plan. Usually when something gets bumped into, it's expensive to fix what they bumped in to. I had that plan too, until my stepdaughter "bumped" into the front clip of a new Dakota, a school bus full of children with a driver that needed work comp, and an unsold car at a dealership.
I have two thoughts on this. 1. If you want it and earn it, you'll always take better care of it. 2. First cars are awesome, but growing up I was always racing around on go-carts, golf carts, mini-bikes and anything else with an engine. Had plenty of chances in the alleys and vacant lots in the neighborhood to push my luck, spin out, bang shit up, and learn a thing or two about handling a vehicle. I understand that this stretches the theme of this thread, but I believe those experiences from such a young age allowed me to develop skills and become a much safer driver then most kids at 16. If I ever have a child, I think they'll have thier first "wheels" pretty young. ....An ounce of prevention I suppose...
I'm 17, my parents wouldn't let me buy a car until I got a job, then I could buy whatever car I wanted. The only catch was I had to pay for it. I bought myself a 1956 Buick Wagon and I hope I'll get it one the road before I leave for college. When I do get it on the road I will have to pay for gas and most some of the insurance (the difference between what it costs for me to be insured on one of their cars vs insured on my own). Truthfully I think its a pretty good deal. I've had to get a job and learn how to ration my spending and in the end I can say I did it all my self. I've also maintained above a 3.0 all through high school, it does help on insurance. From my experience the biggest factor I would say is getting a car with readily available parts, some parts can be a little tricky and expensive on my Buick. Also starting with a running car or at least one that will turn over is good. My sister (shes 20) just bought a 1972 VW Beetle for her fist car last summer and that was a good buy. She paid $1200 for it and has put a couple hundred more into fixing it up and its a nice car. Reliable, good gas mileage, cheap parts, and looks pretty good to boot. I'm amazed at what that tiny little engine can do, it keeps up with traffic no problem. Just my 2 cents. Ryland
i would say old vw bug ( ive had a few) but they arent as cheap as they used to be (pre 66 anyway) and since you did mention SAFE i'd have to steer clear of vw's how about a 60-66 chevy truck ? you can still find them pretty cheap ( long beds are really cheap and dont look bad on this body style , as long as its a fleetside) parts are everywhere and they are built like tanks . just my 2 cents FINK
Great plan! By the way, my first car was a '75 Duster, loved that thing, had it 8 years. Bought it myself. Went from a slant six to a 440. Wish I still had it, sold it to move to Arizona.
I should also say that I totaled my mothers 2000 Subaru Outback 5 months after getting my license, I took a corner a little fast and hit some gravel and the back stepped out and I didn't know what to do. Ended up doing a 180 and hitting a dirt embankment. I actually didn't do much damage, no broken glass and didn't set off the airbags, even drove it home. The insurance company actually said it wasn't totaled then called us back saying they had re-adjusted to current labor costs and it was. If I had known what to do and not freaked out when the car started to slide my mom would still be driving that car today. I would suggest finding a gravel lot or something and take him there to practice getting out of a slide. There she is:
Back in the 70s, my dad wanted me to buy a 57 Chev P/U when I was 14, all stock, and needing some attention. I passed on it for a 66 Ranchero. I should have listened to Pops. I would vote for a truck, 50s-early 70s, 2wd, and something that you and he can work on. Trucks are somewhat safer and have some utility purpose as well.
old VW, honda even a scion. the insurance on a scion Xb is cheap cuz insurace companies consider it a station wagon
Pick up a 65 mustang six cylinder,,can buythem pretty reasonable,or maybe a older ford or chevy pickup with 6 banger for gas milage,I wasn"t lucky enough to have one bought for me why not try telling the kid what you are going to spend and let him get on the computer and find something,you might be surprised what he finds.
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