Hot Rods Daughter wanting classic car for first vehicle?

Have any of you either bought or given your son or daughter a classic car for their first vehicle? She loves VW Beetles but also likes other cars from 1960's to 1970's.

What did you give or get them or did you go modern and wrap them in airbags?

 

As a younger member (26) here, my "first" car was my 68 Camaro at 8 years old, but that car was to learn how to restore a car from the ground up and only drove it high school once and that was the last day of senior year. My first daily rig was a basic 99 silverado std cab short box.

 

An old driver - Nova, Falcon, etc.. Paint the wheels red, add WWW. Everyone thinks they are hot rods. Gary

 

I can't imagine not wrapping a new driver in airbags, tons of steel, or both.

 

Tough question.

You can get a POS modern car for cheap and insure it for a teen driver and not feel bad when it gets bumps and bruises that generally come along with learning the ins and outs of traffic and the cruel driving world.

Insuring a classic car for a teen driver might be tough. If you say it's yours but she is the actual principle driver, they may not cover claims and cancel you for falsification. Also might feel a lot worse when it gets those dings and dents that are almost sure to come (even if it's not her fault, she's also spending a lot of time driving in the vicinity of other new driver's licenses and they are just as prone to do "dumb" things as she is).

Ignoring that argument, New cars are so much safer than old cars there is no comparison. Padded dashes, the afore mentioned air bags, better brakes, better acceleration, better lighting (and a better stereo). While I would be flattered my kid wanted a classis for their first car, I've seen too many "first cars" not make it thru the first year before they were scrap.

Think I would steer you to a semi acceptable modern used car for her, let her learn the ins and out of life with it as she helps in the garage working on her first classis car. With some elbow grease in it, she may have more respect for it and it may live longer. When the time comes to drive the classic she's helped rebuild, she will take more pride in it. She will also have more driving experience by then. When I worked in auto shops the worst cars I ever saw for care and maintenance was the ones daddy handed them the keys to. Those that had to buy their own or earn it seemed to take better care of them. At least after the first one. Sometimes it took one to learn on.

While I would have loved to put my kid in a classic for a first car, I personally don't feel it's a very realistic thing to do. Yes, it can be done and some will get by fine with it, but learning to drive and negotiate traffic is hard enough for some kids. Why throw 50 year old brakes, lights and steering into the mix.

JMO,
SPark

 

I drove a 1965 Plymouth Valiant for the first three years I had my license. Everyday, summer or winter, it was my only car. I still drive old cars daily. My oldest wants the 59 Regent for her first car, not sure she can afford to daily a big block dodge!

 

This is basically a helicopter vs free range parenting question. I can only say that I'm happy I had a free range childhood.

 

Most new cars today are more plastic and tin than steel. Anyone come up with aftermarket airbag kits?

 

You're not gonna start saying that old cars are safer... are you?

 

Been trying to sell this '48 Chev sedan delivery for a very long time, if it doesn't sell soon it will be made road worthy ( I didn't say restored) with a 1975, 6 cyl. 250 and 3 speed and given to my 11 year old grandson for his first driver, blind spots and all. He will be part of the build and decision making. One problem with living here is Winters demand a 4x4 vehicles, front drive minimum, which renders a hot rod useless and only drivable 6-7 months of the year.

 

My first car was a '37 Buick and it didn't kill me. Parents did make me put seat belts in it though.

 

How about a Falcon or a Chevy II?
Both are modern enough to have seat belts, padded dashes U-joint steering, but enough to be cool and parts are readily available.
Plane Jane six cylinders drivers reasonably priced, and both platforms lend themselves to the Hi-Po world.

 

My daughter's first car was a 62 Falcon 2 dr sedan,6 cyl 3 speed on the floor. Drove it to high school, work, still has it. She also did all the work and service on it.( omg, it didn't hurt her, or kill her ) Her senior picture

 

Daughters first car was a 65 Corvair Corsa 2dr. She drove it all thru High school..

 

My first car (late 90's) was a '67 IH Scout. 266 V8, 4 spd, manual everything and cold as a witch's tit during a Minnesota winter, but it would start right up at -30 every time and never left me stranded. With a set of 34" tires, Posi front and back, and the dual range transfer case, there wasn't a ditch, swamp, or tough spot it couldn't get back out of on it's own. And trust me, that little truck found it's way into a lot of ditches....

I passed it on to my little brother, and once we had both learned how to drive, he restored it to a very nice little cruiser.

Teenagers will most likely wreck their first car or 2. Just food for thought.

 

I love old cars as much as anyone,but I know they can let you down in bad places.Ever had to push a car across a intersection? I have.Ever see someone elses old car shit the bed,and pull over so you can help them push it out of traffic? I have...several times.Theres always something missed on the best restoration that will haunt the car.When it does it to me I get under it,and figure it out.If it happens to a modern teenager?

 

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ New cars never " shit the bed " ?

 

Guessing at the age of this photo a 62 Falcon WAS safer than a new car. LOL! Late 1970s?

 

My grandmother gave me my first car. It was a 56 Chevy. It was 40 years old at the time. Never got into an accident even when the single reservoir mc failed. I babied and loved the car. She was one smart old lady.

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

 

My daughter's first car (7 years ago) was a 73 MG Midget. She picked it out herself. It needed some mechanical work, which she helped with, and then she drove it all summer and into the fall to school. She had some breakdowns, and even a big one in the middle of the busiest street in town. I got a crying call on the cell, but had to tell her I was out of town for work. It helped her realize that not everything is reliable.

But, when winter started creeping in, she saw the old MG's crappy wipers, heater, and defroster weren't going to make for a good Iowa winter car. We bought her a 20 year old Pontiac to use during the winter.

The MG still sits in my garage and may get fully restored some day.

 

First of all, you are not going to purchase a "Classic Car" for your daughter. The Classic Car Club of America is extremely strict of which cars, Cadillac, Auburn, Stutz, Brewster, for example, they allow in their club. You are thinking about a collector car. As a new driver I agree with pat and insist that until she gets some miles under her belt, she needs to have all the safety features that newer cars have. Some of those examples listed don't even have seat belts as standard equipment. Rule with your head and not your heart.

 

Their fist car should be something safe but never a classic car or collector vehicle. Those are not my words but rather they are from my daughter, now a 31 year old safe driver of a classic VW bus. The reason for her advice is that she totaled the cute little VW cabriolet I bought her and then proceeded to drive the Volvo 2 door sport coupe with 5 speed and a sunroof under a dump truck trailer she didn't "see" turning in front of her. She regrets the loss of both cars and wishes she had them back. The last accident she was lucky to walk away from and frankly, I'm glad she had a car shaped like a tire chalk that day. And for God's sake, no motorcycles for young drivers!

 

I agree with the guys saying no way.
I have a friend at work, he has bought his daughter 3 cars now since she started driving.
Only one of the accidents was her fault and one of them would have resulted in her death had she been driving an old car without the front and side airbags.
A beginner driver needs all the help and safety they can get.

Sure a lot of you have posted that you grew up driving old beater cars because they were cheap etc., however to say that those were different times is not a cliché , they really were different times.

Think less traffic volume and no cell phones and other electronic distractions for a couple of examples.

 

My son came home with a Vette. I had to do a pile of body work, then shot a coat of paint on it. One of the badges broke so the Chevette just got the Vette part of the badge installed. Great first car but no big horse collector

 

With the respect due to you and your daughter she should be aware that the attention was not strictly limited to the Mustang.

 

My daughter wanted my Bugeye Sprite to be her first car. She also wanted my 49 panhead.
Her first car was a new Subaru.
Of course I drove shit beaters in the 60s. But wouldn't ever forgive myself if something happened to my kids driving "classics"
That's not being a helicopter parent. That's being a realist, with all the dumb fucks on the road with a phone up their ass.

 

My son, turning 22 tomorrow was given a 64 falcon HT, 6 cyl AT at 16 along with a 98 VW jetta.

 

Nice 4 door Falcons & Chevy II's can still be found and are simple to work on, I wouldn't want mu daughters driving a old VW although they are cool they offer little in the way of protection. HRP

 

1/2 ton full size pick up truck is the only way to go.