Car for my son

[Walt34]

I'll take a different view. While I don't have any kids I was one and clearly remember that I was just thrilled to have a car - any car - at 16. Dad paid $50 for it at a junkyard and Walt had to put the transmission in it before I could drive it. That and a lot of other things but the transmission was the big item.

Remembering that chore, I did not abuse the drive train. Ever. Some sweat equity does a lot to encourage that.

It remained titled in Dad's name but unless there was some other shortage in vehicles I had pretty much exclusive use so there was always the possibility of having the keys pulled and I knew that too.

As you can see from the first photo it needed some TLC when we got it but we did drive it to PA quite often to see my grandparents.

 

[obgyn65]

I do not have children but I agree with travelover.

I think that 16 is too young to own your own car. Let him get a license and use this car for very specific needs (like work or sports), but otherwise it is just a new toy and a distraction. I say this based on personal experience, having been a 16 year old kid with his own car.

 

[Larro Darro]

Nice looking car Walt. I drove my Mom's 64 1/2 Fairlane for several years before the title was put in my name. But I can't say I was as easy on her as you were yours. That old 289 would get on down the road.

I was lucky and never got in a wreck. {still haven't for that matter} But we did have several kids get killed from our school in back to back years. For a small town like Altha, it is a major shock to lose four or five kids at once like that.

 

[Animorph]

I have two DS's, 21 & 25, but no accidents (that I or the insurance company know of). Both car/driving/racing aficionados and early drivers, but also thoughtful and careful. They both drove our spare car to high school and when home from college. The younger one, now a senior in college, just bought a Mazda Miata by himself. We made sure the insurance fit within our umbrella policy, though at 21 in a different state with his own car and insurance I'm not sure how liable we'd be or if the umbrella would even cover him. But anyway, it's not 100% certain a 16 year old will get into accidents. And while we helped with buying a car after college, we didn't hand them out.

 

[Bikerdude]

This would work for me.