<VV> Re: First Car

[Gary Swiatowy]

Seeing as how you asked. When I was a kid around 15, my dad told me I better
get a job because if I ever wanted a car I had to buy it, and pay for my own
insurance because there was no way I was going to drive his car. Before I
turned 16, I owned a car, paid for by myself, and had a down payment for the
insurance. Because of this, I certainly wanted to take care of that car as
now I needed it to get to work!
Friends my age who had parents who were beter off financially, just bought
the kid a car which pretty much got trashed and asked daddy for a new
one..............

Told my kids pretty much the same thing, except that I had a couple of
"spare" Corvairs I was willing to let them have if they would help me work
on them. My oldest proceeded to poof can every part in the motor compartment
a different color, and helped himself to one of my AM/FM cassette decks, and
actually bought some used household box speakers for the back seat. That was
as far as we got as he would rather play nintendo than do any sanding or
mechanical work with me. Also he swore he could not get a job until he had a
car on the road..............he ended up not even getting his learners
permit until he was 18. My youngest helped me for about 2 hours and got
bored. He did though get a job and bought a K-car which he liked better than
the Corvair. The biggest problem in my area is a lot of their peers had
parents working at Delphi who threw money at the kids to keep them
occupied..............

If a kid, even a girl has no investment, they will not appreciate the car
and will figure daddy will just buy her another one.

A few years ago I was sitting in a friends garage having a beer with him
when his daughter, who did not live at home, pulled into the driveway with
her pontiac smoking and knocking. The oil light had been on for a week, and
she didn't have money for oil, nor did she know what to buy or where to put
it.........she finally got around to stopping in at dads house to see if he
had any oil. The motor was trash, she had no money for a new one, payment on
the car was overdue..........my friend ended up installing another motor,
and chauffering her around until it was done..............

I don't know your daughter, or how responsible she is, but if a child has no
investment in a car, they will certainly not take care of it............Just
my opinion.........your results may vary

Gary Swiatowy

> Here's one for the dads...my 15-year old daughter is due for her license
next
> summer, so the inevitable "1st car" is not too far behind. Am trying to
put
> my
> pro-corvair bias aside for a minute while considering if a vair is a wise
> choice. Safety, reliability, and cost to buy, operate, maintain, and
insure
> are key elements - uniqueness is an added bonus...
>
> Looking for some input here...if it were your daughter, what would you do?
>
> Thnx
>
> Rod
> 66 monza convt