son got his first car/project car

[id10t]

Son took to wanting to drive late, took to wanting his own car late, but he's finally in it at 19....

Without even asking me about and knowing his grandma has a goodly amount for his first car (just like his older sister and younger sister in about 6 years), on his own he saved up $1400 and found a car, then asked about buying it. He told us he wants to save the money from grandma for a car "later" when he's sick of having a project and actually needs to get to work reliably, etc. (Actually I think he wants to use it for his next stated project - a C4 vette)

So he's got a 2002 Mitsubishi Lancer Oz Rally. Certainly a project (lots of prior mods were already removed, needs wiring cleaned up and such and new tires) but good engine and transmission, price was certainly cheap, and parts are relatively plentiful. As a bonus, it is big enough for him (6'3") to be comfortable in, see out the front and back and sides, etc (this is a problem in my truck and the wife's new CX30). He starts the automotive program here at the college I work for next August so he'll be getting even more skills to help keep it going.

[id10t]

[Tobra]

Like those, non turbo FWD Evo

[KFC911]

Looks like a great first car and I know nuthin' about 'em. Beats a '74 Pinto any day !

Naw .... I didn't have one .... but drove a few.

[sugarwood]

Great chance to pass on tools and wisdom
Good luck !

[id10t]

Originally Posted by sugarwood

Great chance to pass on tools and wisdom
Good luck !

Sadly my dad had no mechanical skills. I'm great at fixing rusty electrical grounds and the only reason I can work on my 356 is a old copy of Muir's Idiots Guide to the VW (appropriate, nu?) for the what and where and a copy of Elfrinks tech specs for the how much/far/tight/close

Lots of wisdom though like "Dont drive a 10+ year old car without an AAA Plus membership and a charged cell phone" and "If you need special stuff to remove lug nuts etc then be sure to have what is needed in the car at all times"

[sc_rufctr]

Cool... I already fell sorry for him (a life time of fixing old cars)

[id10t]

Originally Posted by sc_rufctr

Cool... I already fell sorry for him (a life time of fixing old cars)

Any hints on getting him into metal work? The 356 is rusty ...

[sc_rufctr]

Originally Posted by id10t

Any hints on getting him into metal work? The 356 is rusty ...

Sorry no... That's one of the few things I farm out.

[sugarwood]

Originally Posted by id10t

Sadly my dad had no mechanical skills. I'm great at fixing rusty electrical grounds and the only reason I can work on my 356 is a old copy of Muir's Idiots Guide to the VW (appropriate, nu?) for the what and where and a copy of Elfrinks tech specs for the how much/far/tight/close

Lots of wisdom though like "Dont drive a 10+ year old car without an AAA Plus membership and a charged cell phone" and "If you need special stuff to remove lug nuts etc then be sure to have what is needed in the car at all times"

Your dad told you to drive with a charged cell phone?
Are you a millennial?

[id10t]

Originally Posted by sugarwood

Your dad told you to drive with a charged cell phone?
Are you a millennial?

No, the cell phone is mine.... dad's version was "Have an AAA card and a few quarters for a pay phone"

[KFC911]

Originally Posted by id10t

No, the cell phone is mine.... dad's version was "Have an AAA card and a few quarters for a pay phone"

My dad taught me how to walk home....

Thanks Dad !

[fastfredracing]

On Saturday, I told my 17 year old son, that I got him a Civic with a bad motor . We will spend a weekend and put it together and he will have a nice reliable little car that is cute and good on fuel etc..
He took a hissy fit , that I expected him to have to work on his car for the whole weekend, his other friends parents just gave them a nice car .. I should give him my car and get a new one for myself
I told him " fk it then, your bicycle is out in the shed"
Here, I thought I was making a great dad moment , and teaching him something, and giving him something to be proud of .

[GH85Carrera]

Originally Posted by KC911

My dad taught me how to walk home....

Thanks Dad !

When I got my driver's license, on my 16th birthday, my dad gave me a quarter he said to put in the glove box and if I break down to call him. He then went on to tell me that if I run out of gas, don't bother calling him, as that is too stupid of a thing to do to deserve his help. And my 1960 VW bug did not even have a gas gauge! To this day I have never, not even once run out of gas.

I was responsible for 100% of all costs to own and drive the car, except the insurance. He did pay for that, and room and board as I was only 16. Dad did give me an interest free loan for the car, but I had to pay all of that back.

I had to learn to work on my cars to afford to have them.

[GH85Carrera]

Originally Posted by fastfredracing

On Saturday, I told my 17 year old son, that I got him a Civic with a bad motor . We will spend a weekend and put it together and he will have a nice reliable little car that is cute and good on fuel etc..
He took a hissy fit , that I expected him to have to work on his car for the whole weekend, his other friends parents just gave them a nice car .. I should give him my car and get a new one for myself
I told him " fk it then, your bicycle is out in the shed"
Here, I thought I was making a great dad moment , and teaching him something, and giving him something to be proud of .

At the local high school in my community, the kids drive much nicer cars than the teachers. There are several very affluent areas, and brand new cars are common in the high school parking lot.

One of my wife's friend's grandsons is going to that high school. He said one kid there got a brand new Mustang for his 16th birthday. He was upset that it was silver, and he wanted a red one. So they bought a new red one for the spoiled punk.

It is insane on all levels to buy a 16 year old a new Mustang.

[id10t]

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

At the local high school in my community, the kids drive much nicer cars than the teachers. There are several very affluent areas, and brand new cars are common in the high school parking lot.

One of my wife's friend's grandsons is going to that high school. He said one kid there got a brand new Mustang for his 16th birthday. He was upset that it was silver, and he wanted a red one. So they bought a new red one for the spoiled punk.

It is insane on all levels to buy a 16 year old a new Mustang.

At the college I work for the janitorial staff drive much nicer cars than most instructors and department chairs (and IT workers)

[jyl]

That looks like a great first car/project!

Parts should be plentiful and cheap, practical with four doors/trunk, I’ll bet it can be made quite fun to drive.

My first car was a VW Dasher station wagon. Definitely more on the practical than the fun side. Good for moving to/from college, sleeping in ski resort parking lots, and sipping gas. Next car was a 65 Mustang Hi-Po. Way more fun even if it handled way worse.

[sugarwood]

Originally Posted by fastfredracing

On Saturday, I told my 17 year old son, that I got him a Civic with a bad motor . We will spend a weekend and put it together and he will have a nice reliable little car that is cute and good on fuel etc..
He took a hissy fit , that I expected him to have to work on his car for the whole weekend, his other friends parents just gave them a nice car .. I should give him my car and get a new one for myself
I told him " fk it then, your bicycle is out in the shed"
Here, I thought I was making a great dad moment , and teaching him something, and giving him something to be proud of .

Must be a huge disappointment.
Maybe he'll come around in the future

[sugarwood]

Originally Posted by id10t

At the college I work for the janitorial staff drive much nicer cars than most instructors and department chairs (and IT workers)

They must be adjuncts who work for minimum wage.
They are not real faculty members.

Also, driving a nice car does not reflect actual salary.
Lots of broke idiots drive nice cars they can't afford

[Tobra]

Originally Posted by KC911

My dad taught me how to walk home....

Thanks Dad !

Dad made my sister and I walk in front of the car and he drove slow behind us, on I-80, in the middle of Wyoming, in January. We would not stop tussling in the back seat, he warned us, and was not joking.

He never had to tell me anything twice again.