Kids First Car?

[2LaneCruzer]

We had many VW buses, a bug, and a Karmann Ghia. One of the buses, I think a mid-year early 70's had an "experimental" engine in it, so the mechanics told my dad. It had dual two-barrels. If you launched it, and started timing pumping the gas pedal with the bounce, you could get it to start hopping the front tires about a foot off the ground over and over. :laughing:

Very clever, these German engineers! :laughing:

 

[Steppenwolfe]

So the kid's first car is a Lexus. Must be a liberal, and votes Democrat. 'Has expectations that future employment opportunities will accept her requirements for vegan latte frappes and contributions to animal rights foundations.

Get a grip, make them buy their own "first car".

YOU piss me off!

deleted

 

[Alan W.]

My parents gave my son some money toward a vehicle. He bought a 05 150 extended cab with 200,000 miles on it. Did all his own work on it, which has been a lot. I helped him buy the parts he needed. What he was proudest of was that he took his drivers test in his truck and not a borrowed sub compact like all his pickup owning buddies did.
He is driving it to college and work now.
Helping your kids won稚 cause them to be spoiled bums, expect more or become unappreciative. They will be how you raised them growing up.

 

[4570Man]

My parents gave my son some money toward a vehicle. He bought a 05 150 extended cab with 200,000 miles on it. Did all his own work on it, which has been a lot. I helped him buy the parts he needed. What he was proudest of was that he took his drivers test in his truck and not a borrowed sub compact like all his pickup owning buddies did.
He is driving it to college and work now.
Helping your kids won稚 cause them to be spoiled bums, expect more or become unappreciative. They will be how you raised them growing up.

I’ve probably drove a less than “full size” vehicle less than 500 miles. The drivers license test is a joke. If you can’t pass that in your regular vehicle than you don’t need a vehicle at all.

 

[MossRoad]

I’ve probably drove a less than “full size” vehicle less than 500 miles. The drivers license test is a joke. If you can’t pass that in your regular vehicle than you don’t need a vehicle at all.

The road portion of the driving test around here kinda depends on who you get at the DMV, what kind of mood they're in, how polite you are, and really, a large portion of it is if the examiner feels you're comfortable and confident driving.

For example, my oldest rolled a crosswalk at a stop sign, changed lanes while going through an intersection, and bumped the curb parallel parking. The examiner just told her to make better stops even if no people are around, don't change lanes while going through an intersection, and "nobody parallel parks very often anyway." And passed her.

Our friend's daughter did something like failed to use a turn signal and failed instantly.

The only differences between the two girls is my daughter is a pretty confident driver and the friend's daughter was extremely nervous and timid. I felt comfortable driving with my oldest daughter right off the bat. Our second child.... yikes! :laughing:

 

[4570Man]

Around here you have to drive around the block and make a few lane changes. The only parking is back at the DMV which has a huge parking lot.

 

[MossRoad]

Around here you have to drive around the block and make a few lane changes. The only parking is back at the DMV which has a huge parking lot.

Both my kid's rides were about 20 minutes around, across and through downtown in mid-afternoon. Lot's of traffic on multi-lane one-way streets with left and right turns. Then parallel parking on side streets. Then back to the DMV.

I was sitting there actually wondering what was taking them so long.

I'll have to say that in the past 10 years, the Indiana DMV has really stepped up. The last time I was there this spring, I got in at 4:45, had 6 people in front of me, got waited on, did a title transfer and got plates for 2 vehicles and a trailer and was out at 4:58! :shocked: 13 minutes!! :shocked:

 

[ultrarunner]

I just dropped something off for my nieces... asked where is the RX and they said Mom and Dad drove to a wedding in Monterey and are spending the night...

Maybe it is too nice... if she will have to complete with Mom and Dad!!!

 

[4570Man]

I had to renew my license recently. It took about 45 minutes to have my picture taken and print a disposable license. I still haven’t got the hard copy. We deal with plates and titles at the courthouse where things are run much better.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

Growing up we were just happy to have wheels... no one gave us a car unless you had an old aunt or uncle.

Things change and today the kids of people I work with are very particular with first cars... it is either a new Civic or Corolla if not a family car... no real in between... especially for girls... safety really sells and so do warranties...

My nephew loves his 96 F150 and makes me happy to have helped.

My 17 year old niece is a very good girl... works hard, respectful and really has little free time outside school, sports and work.

Her father and mother mentioned they were considering getting another family car... I heard of a 2 owner RX330, garaged kept with 70k miles... no rust in California.

They came to look at it and her father said it was only taking a look... they drove it and liked it... parents offered to match the 3k she had saved... owner wanted a lot more... I asked my niece if she liked the car and she said she loved it... her parents and the seller were stuck $1000 apart... I asked her again and she said Dad said not to get her hopes up...

So speaking out of turn... I said they could split the difference and I was willing to kick in the $500... everything went silent... for the longest time.

Sort story is they made the deal... and it did my heart good... she was beaming when Dad said OK...

I did have an ace in the hole... I have an old 66 Mustang she has asked about fixing up... and the mere mention of this has her parents in a tizzy...

Both our son and daughter went for pick up trucks and still have them. Son's 2002 Dodge Ram is a gas hog but he still uses it to haul and tow stuff but took my 2006 Ford FiveHundred car to drive to college to save money after I got the 2010 Subaru Forester which is mainly parked as I debug the 2010 Ford F150 with 209K miles I got to haul the tractors to tractor shows. I will go back to the Subaru (I think) before winter. I have never had a car or truck ride and handle like this high mileage F150.

 

[Alan W.]

This talk of the drivers test and what MossRoad said about it depends on who you get, reminded me of my class A drivers test.
My appointment was for late afternoon on a Fri. 15 minutes past my appointment time and the Troopers had not showed up. Just when we were getting ready to leave two cruisers came rushing in, the trooper got out took my papers and quickly started the first part of the test. He was rushing through it and I said to myself he is just trying to make up time for being late. After an very abbreviated pre trip and manuevers we headed out for the road course. Pulled out onto the main highway, never got out of the low side when he said turn here. I knew this wasnt the course and that we were going back to the staging area. We pulled back into the parking lot and just as I was about to ask him what his problem was he stuck out his hand and said congratulations you passed, jumped out of the truck and left. My buddy came up to get in the truck and asked me why I failed. When I told him I passed he said it all made sense. The other trooper had been talking to him while I was testing and told him that the trooper with me was recently divorced and had his first hot date lined up. Thats why they were late and he was in a hurry. Aint lust great

 

[Howling]

All three on my kids went to same driving school. They have skid pan. Cover with water. Kid up to speed pull parking brake to make car spin and have kid recover. Kids experience and learn before they have to respond on snowy roads. My youngest was the gas peddle to the floor. Enjoyed the spin. Then 'can I go again?'

My road test, decades ago, was creeping out of RMV past parked truck saw traffic coming. Stomped gas to missed traffic (chirped the tires). 3 point turn on hill curve. back to RMV and got license.

Between me and kids MA changed law so can get license with driver ed at 16-1/2 or without at 18 years old.

 

[Jstpssng]

^^^^^
That skid training sounds like time well spent. I remember the first time that I ever drove on snow; I had to make a flower delivery with our '66 Ford Fairlane. I was scared of crashing so on the hill 1/2 mile after leaving the flower shop I shifted down into D2 to take advantage of the engine braking. I still wanted to slow down so shifted into D1; which caused me to do a 180 in the road, slamming into the snowbank backwards. The momentum of the spin kept the front end sliding which pulled me back out of the snowbank, and I found myself headed in my original direction so hit the starter I continued on my way.

 

[ultrarunner]

Remember the first time I hit a patch of ice on State Route 50...

The Olds Cutlass did a 360 and came to rest... no damage... considered my self very luck... I was going slow and careful...

The next day in the newspaper the headline said road closed after numerous spin outs... several cars collided or hit the guard rail.

Looking back I was REALLY lucky.

California driving test had nothing in it about snow/ice back in the day.

My brother shows up on his birthday for his driving test in the 68 Mustang we restored... all back to stock and showroom new... even printed a window sticker... the driving test person was so enamored by the car she commented if you restored this car you will pass 100%.... and he did.

 

[MossRoad]

This talk of the drivers test and what MossRoad said about it depends on who you get, reminded me of my class A drivers test.
My appointment was for late afternoon on a Fri. 15 minutes past my appointment time and the Troopers had not showed up. Just when we were getting ready to leave two cruisers came rushing in, the trooper got out took my papers and quickly started the first part of the test. He was rushing through it and I said to myself he is just trying to make up time for being late. After an very abbreviated pre trip and manuevers we headed out for the road course. Pulled out onto the main highway, never got out of the low side when he said turn here. I knew this wasnt the course and that we were going back to the staging area. We pulled back into the parking lot and just as I was about to ask him what his problem was he stuck out his hand and said congratulations you passed, jumped out of the truck and left. My buddy came up to get in the truck and asked me why I failed. When I told him I passed he said it all made sense. The other trooper had been talking to him while I was testing and told him that the trooper with me was recently divorced and had his first hot date lined up. Thats why they were late and he was in a hurry. Aint lust great

Love triumphs again! :laughing:

 

[MossRoad]

My mom and dad did it for me, and I did it for my girls.... we went out to snowy parking lots and did donut after donut, slide after slide, brake lock after brake lock. Loose control many times. Several nights a week all winter long. Just plain fun and great experience in how to control a car on snow and ice.

Modern twist.... I'd take the kids out and it was actually hard to lose control. So after many tries and them thinking they had it down, I turned off the traction control! :laughing: Opens their eyes as to how the car actually saves their bacon without them knowing.

Oldest had a close call with a semi-lost control and the car straightened itself out with stability and traction controls. She was quit shook up but knew those features probably saved her from harm.

 

[Jstpssng]

Every weekend for several years up on Moosehead Lake in Maine they had ice races, then in the summer they had an oval dirt track. They stopped holding them before I made it up to watch though. They allowed kids as young as 13 to drive in them, and one of the reasons cited was that it was a good way to teach them to drive on ice.