<VV> First car

[Russ Moorhouse]

Rod,

I have to agree with Les on this.  I have a friend who a couple of years ago 
thought it would be a nice father-son project to get a Mustang convertible 
that they could use to go to car shows and such.  He had enough sense not to 
buy a V8, but he did get a rather nice looking 66 Mustang convertible that 
required little work  When his son got his license his father turned the car 
over to him to drive.  The first thing out of the bat he side swiped a car 
on a bridge and then lied that someone hit him.  I would have taken the car 
away at that point, but not this dad.  A few months later he ran off the 
road on his way to school and hit a culvert head on, totaling the car and 
almost himself too.

As for my own experience, I let my son talk me into letting him buy a 1972 
Beetle, this was in 1990.  I went with him and looked at the car and it was 
in remarkable shape and had passed state inspection.  But and old car is 
just that -old and things do go wrong.  Over the 4 years that he owned that 
car, more times than I care to remember, I got calls to come and pick him, 
and tow the car home because something had gone wrong with the car and left 
him stranded.  I'm just glad it was my son and not one of my daughters.  For 
them I bought the safest, most reliable car I could afford.

Russ Moorhouse
'65 Corsa coupe 140 HP
Group Corvair Member
Corsa Member
Kent Island, MD


Message: 3
Date: Fri, 31 Dec 2004 18:28:54 -0600
From: Les <corvair@mts.net>
To: virtualvairs@corvair.org, Rod.Murray@disney.com
Subject: <VV> First car

Unless your daughter is unusually wise & careful beyond her years, that car 
WILL be beat, involved in fender benders, stuffed full of teens with food, 
etc. I wouldn't use a Vair.

As a pretty handy DIY guy, trying to accomplish a balance of safety, 
comfort, and economy, I'd go find a Volvo 240/740 or Saab 900 NON TURBO. (A 
turbo car of either sort is a rocket, not for a first driver). Very safe, 
very comfy, very slow, very DIYable, decent gas mileage.

Les