Am I crazy? Classic truck for my 16 year old?

[JaSSon]

Good info here guys. I had not seen that video and, frankly, it terrifies me. The only thing I will add is where she will be driving. I live less than 3 miles from where she goes to school . 95% of her driving will be back and forth to school much like her older sister. This would not be a "road trip" kind of car. That was really the only reason I was considering this. I would love to pick it up as a toy for her and I to work on and get another car for her to drive I simply don't have anywhere to put it. This car would be # 5 for my family which is tough when you live in a subdivision

 

I guess I have some more thinking to do.

 

Buck is spot on here man. Buy her a safe/reliable commuter car, and if funds allow, a fixer-upper truck. She's a 16 girl. I don't care how responsible/mature you say she is, at the end of the day she's a 16 year old girl. It's awesome that she's interested in wrenching on something, but a vehicle like that is pretty much a worst-case scenario vehicle for a 16 year old's daily driver.

 

Edit: it's important to point out that she won't be the only driver on the road. She may very well be focused on the three-on-the-tree and NOT texting while driving, but drunk c+ student Not Brian in his 2009 Malipoo who is left of center is going to crush that truck.

[KillJoy]

No, I would not get a "classic" for my child's first car....

 

The Video NB posted is EXACTLY why...

 

KillJoy

[MrMeanGreen]

My first car was a 1978 Caprice with a 305 2BBL. Not fast, but I thought I was the shit with a V8.

 

I wrecked it three times (once my fault, twice someone nailed me). It still took the beating and the major damage I had was to replace the front, steel bumper.

 

I'd put that car up against any Civic or Corolla.

[Green Bastard]

What Anthony said. I had an 83 caddy with the 4.1 (which means it couldn't get out of its own way). I hit a deer in that car going about 50 one winter, I barely felt it. Front grill and fiberglass was destroyed, but that bumper was straight as the day it was new.

[zeitgeist57]

As someone who takes his kids in an '80s pickup with no airbags, I support the idea. Plain and simple.

 

I do worry more about other drivers, but it's also not a FOREVER car. If weather isn't in our favor, I'll take one of our newer, safer, more comfortable vehicles.

 

If she is 21 and needs her one and only car to use on her own, a '64 C10 would be a terrible idea. As a 3rd or 4th car for your family, it makes much more sense.

 

Plus, the experiences she will have with you will last throughout her lifetime.

[El Karacho1647545492]

As someone who takes his kids in an '80s pickup with no airbags, I support the idea. Plain and simple.

 

I do worry more about other drivers, but it's also not a FOREVER car. If weather isn't in our favor, I'll take one of our newer, safer, more comfortable vehicles.

 

If she is 21 and needs her one and only car to use on her own, a '64 C10 would be a terrible idea. As a 3rd or 4th car for your family, it makes much more sense.

 

Plus, the experiences she will have with you will last throughout her lifetime.

 

DING DING DING Johnny what do we have for our winner?

 

While safety is certainly a legitimate concern, you can't live life making decisions based on what COULD go wrong or how dangerous it might be. If you do that, just wrap her in bubble wrap tie her down to the bed and never let her go outside because she MIGHT scrape her knee get a staph infection and die.

[Browning]

Interesting. I think her working on it should instill some pride in it and hopefully the driving would reflect that. If not, at least it is safer than today's plastic cars.

 

Not even in the same ballpark in terms of safety. I'd love to hear how it would be safer than today's vehicles?

[TTQ B4U]

DING DING DING Johnny what do we have for our winner?

 

While safety is certainly a legitimate concern, you can't live life making decisions based on what COULD go wrong or how dangerous it might be. If you do that, just wrap her in bubble wrap tie her down to the bed and never let her go outside because she MIGHT scrape her knee get a staph infection and die.

 

Your view will change once you have kids of age to drive. Especially given the ranking of driving and deaths among teens. Not that your point isn't valid, but IMO when it comes to my kids lives, there's nothing worth the chance that stacks as high as this. Opinions will vary.

[caseyctsv]

I think we are going to compromise to a certain extent. My thought now is she can drive it back and forth to school / work and some weekend cruises but she can take one of our other, safer cars for other needs. I may change my mind but we will see. Nothing is more important to me than her safety but given how we intend for it to be used I think the risk is minimal. She won't want to take this thing on the highway anyways. I know I can get the moneuly back out of it if needed.

[V8 Beast]

I already started looking for cars for BJ. I googled crash test ratings, and went back from here

 

Not sure if you listed it.. but whats the price range?

[caseyctsv]

6-7000 probably.

[Otis Nice]

I read statistics similar to this many years ago and although this survey is pretty old I'm sure the statistics haven't changed much because too me at least they make sense.

http://www.drivingtoday.com/features/archive/crashes/index.html#axzz2Za0uNG9F

 

Cliffs if you don't want to click the link:

The answer is Progressive Insurance, in a survey more than 11,000 people who reported a crash in 2001. As part of an ongoing claims satisfaction survey process, Progressive asked all 11,000 crash victims how far from home they were when their accident occurred, and the results confirmed the old adage that most accidents occur at home. Interestingly enough, this data is not typically gathered by law enforcement or insurance companies.

 

The survey found that 52 percent of reported crashes occurred five miles or less from home and a whopping 77 percent occurred 15 miles or less from home.

 

 

These always crack me up. 77% of accident occur where we spend 95% of our time? You don't say. If we rarely travel outside of that perimeter the odds are drastically decreased.

 

In other news, most accidents inside the home occur within the home 84% of the time.

 

I personally don't think it's a bad idea. Show her that video so she understands. No, it won't prevent another idiot from hitting her, but it will make her think about the things she can control. Same principle my BIL (SSgt USMC) took with training his 3 young children the difference between there toy guns and daddy's hunting guns/service pistol. At a VERY early age he took them out hunting tree rat and turkey and showed them the difference between what a real gun can do vs. there toys. They saw first hand that life was ended and know they aren't allowed to mess with daddy's guns. He keeps them stored safely and locked up, but he still took the time to instruct them properly. Do the same with her and this truck and enjoy the time with your daughter.

[Browning]

I have always said new drivers need a beater for at least the first 6 months of every day driving. Find something under $1000 and upgrade later once she actually knows how to drive.

[kirks5oh]

Buy the truck.. use it to take to car shows on the weekend.

 

Decent/newer economy car for the daily to school and texting while driving type car.

 

This. Buy the old truck for her to tinker with and drive short distances. You don't want her driving that truck at highway speeds with very little safety equipment.

[Xyster101]

I am a high school teacher and it is pure entertainment to watch the student parking at the end of the day. Weekly there is an accident.

It doesn't matter how responsible or mature your daughter is, the chance of her hitting something or someone hitting her is high. She might make a novice mistake in the rain and slide into a fence OR she might miss judge another car and put herself in danger.

Monthly one of my 50 students who could drive would tell me of an accident they were in.

I don't have kids, but I would not put my child in a 60+ year old car to learn to drive. Especially if it does not even come with seatbelts?! I would not DD that truck, just a weekend fun truck.

 

There is a reason cars crumple in impacts, it allows more time for the occupants to slow down reducing damage to the body. This is long, but a great watch dealing with crumple zones and physics (I show it in class). It would be good to show your daughter who would understand it too:

 

 

I can't get it to embed

[xlr8tn]

These always crack me up. 77% of accident occur where we spend 95% of our time? You don't say. If we rarely travel outside of that perimeter the odds are drastically decreased.

 

In other news, most accidents inside the home occur within the home 84% of the time.

 

I personally don't think it's a bad idea. Show her that video so she understands. No, it won't prevent another idiot from hitting her, but it will make her think about the things she can control. Same principle my BIL (SSgt USMC) took with training his 3 young children the difference between there toy guns and daddy's hunting guns/service pistol. At a VERY early age he took them out hunting tree rat and turkey and showed them the difference between what a real gun can do vs. there toys. They saw first hand that life was ended and know they aren't allowed to mess with daddy's guns. He keeps them stored safely and locked up, but he still took the time to instruct them properly. Do the same with her and this truck and enjoy the time with your daughter.

 

it's the same as people thinking because they only live 5 miles from work they're safer.

[TTQ B4U]

6-7000 probably.

 

Lincoln Aviator :gabe:

[Otis Nice]

it's the same as people thinking because they only live 5 miles from work they're safer.

 

Would they not be statistically? Driving 5 miles one way everyday means far less time on the road than driving 30 miles. Less time on the road means less time for an accident to occur. Not saying they can't, that would be absurd.

 

Example: If I am on fire for 5 seconds I'm more likely to be better off than 30 seconds. If I'm trapped under water for 5 minutes I have a much better chance of living than 30 minutes.

 

[Otis Nice]

Especially if it does not even come with seatbelts?! I would not DD that truck, just a weekend fun truck.

 

He already stated he would be modding it to add safety features. Not that it would be AS safe as other options, but I doubt he'd let her go without seatbelts.

[PRD2BDF]

What about a newer old truck like a 87 silverado? That was my first car then has a 87 cutlass with t-tops that I drove a lot including winter

[xlr8tn]

Would they not be statistically? Driving 5 miles one way everyday means far less time on the road than driving 30 miles. Less time on the road means less time for an accident to occur. Not saying they can't, that would be absurd.

 

Example: If I am on fire for 5 seconds I'm more likely to be better off than 30 seconds. If I'm trapped under water for 5 minutes I have a much better chance of living than 30 minutes.

 

 

no because if you drive 5 miles to work 5 days a week and drive 30 miles somewhere else once a week the odds are your wreck is more likely to happen on one of those 5 mile trips. I'm not getting into the fire and drowning scenarios because that's stupid but sticking to the subject at hand most people think they're safer because they live close to work when the statistics say otherwise.

[Otis Nice]

no because if you drive 5 miles to work 5 days a week and drive 30 miles somewhere else once a week the odds are your wreck is more likely to happen on one of those 5 mile trips. I'm not getting into the fire and drowning scenarios because that's stupid but sticking to the subject at hand most people think they're safer because they live close to work when the statistics say otherwise.

 

Makes potato sense. Think about what you're saying. People who live 5 miles from work ARE safer than those who live 30 miles from work, mathematically speaking of course. We're not talking the exceptional road trip. If you are truly wanting to compare apples to apples you have to compare a 5 mile commute DAILY vs. a 30 mile commute DAILY.

 

With your twisted logic, if I were to drive 30 miles to work 5 days a week, but 5 miles to a store 1 day a week, I'd be more likely to crash on the 5 mile trip. Again, sure it COULD happen, but mathematically the 300 miles going to and from work on a weekly basis would make me more prone to an accident than the 10 miles weekly.

 

Cliffs: Longer DAILY commute = more risk. Shorter daily commute = less risk.

[ShoMeSomeFun]

How did the teens in the 60s survive? What did they drive? Unless the generations of people have drastically gotten dumber over the years Id say go for it.

 

What were the statistics of road fatalities/serious injury during the 60s compared to that of today? Keeping in mind population fluctuation.

 

On another note things happen, my first car was a 1993 transam with a v8 and a six speed. Parents did not approve at all, but I went ahead and paid for that car with money that I had been saving from cutting grass since I was ten. I totaled it in the first month by being inexperienced on a gravel road. I was responsible enough to save money all those years but not responsible enough for the road or that car, so things do happen to derail people that are on the brighter side of the population.

[Guest GMoney]

Buy the truck for her. Yes it isn't as safe as a new Toyota or something and don't put to much into that bel air video. The bel air has a X frame and an off center hit is probably the worst case for that car.

[Xyster101]

He already stated he would be modding it to add safety features. Not that it would be AS safe as other options, but I doubt he'd let her go without seatbelts.

 

A car that comes with seat belts from the factory will be better then adding aftermarket belts.

 

 

 

O.P. mixed opinions here. Moral is, it is an awesome old truck that is not as safe as today's vehicles. I would think of getting it as a weekend/fun truck then a DD.