My Son's 1968 Fastback

Not gonna lie, I'm pretty jealous about this one! I'm 23 now and would have killed for ANY mustang at such a young age lol

Originally Posted by johndoe000

Not gonna lie, I'm pretty jealous about this one! I'm 23 now and would have killed for ANY mustang at such a young age lol

This is me in 1988 with my first stang. We tried to get this car back first because my son really wanted to drive my old stang to school but the people didn't want to sell it back us. It has been sitting in the same spot since 1989 just rotting away.

Im with ujt389 on this. dont wanna start off with high horsepower car. make him pay for gas, insurance, etc.., and he will have a good deal of respect for the car and he'll treat it right. thats what i did. im 21 now and didnt have my first car till i could buy it myself my senior year. bought my first car, 69 mustang, with money i had earned, payed for gas, insurance, and all the performance stuff i wanted to do with it.

I bought my first 67 coupe from my dad when I was 15, he repoed from some guy.
It was trashed, he worked the same deal. He took care of the insurance so long as I didnt get a ticket, I took care of the parts and gas.
Now he and my mom pissed and moaned about the hot rodding part, they didnt like the loud cars etc - I was a "red neck".
I learned to drive it, learned to handle fast cars by hanging at the track and watching/listening, most of all I learned responsibility of having to WORK at a JOB to pay for the things I wanted. My dad made me pay him for that car, he never gave me a dime for parts. When I got cute and thought about dropping out of school to make more money, thats when the "the day your smart enough not to go to school, is the day your smart enough to earn enough to pay buy your own house or pay your own rent, so long as your in high school and college, you have a roof over your head".
That same work ethic has followed me all of my life, no one is going to give you anything, if you want it, go out and work for it.
I would recommend you make your son pay for it, saw to many of the "Daddy bought me a car" go to hell in a hurry. My old man loaned me some bucks from time to time, but I had to pay him every week.


Enjoy it, my daughters will buy my Mustang from me one day, I have two girls, one car - highest bidder?

My first car was a '93 Probe GT, bought in '97 or '98, whenever I was 16. My Dad bought it for me, $7200, had I think 40K miles on it. I loved that car. I don't see anything wrong with a Father being excited to buy his son a first car, I'm excited to buy my kids their first cars but that's because I'm not going to give them everything they want growing up. If a child doesn't have everything handed to them growing up, it's okay for the car to be the exception. If it's the other way around where someone spoils their kids their whole lives then decided to make them buy their first car to finally teach responsibility, that probably is the worst of the two because after 16 years nothing was ever taught.

I grew up in a military family, rules rules rules that's all I got to say. I've always had a job since I was 16 but not excessive hours to pay for the car. I hope one day I will buy my kids their first cars, let them take part in sports and stay focused in school and the reward will be a balanced life because in the end, the car won't make them a spoiled brat, I'll be preventing that for the 16 years prior to the driver's license. Some times a car can teach gratitude from the kids and realization that their folks have been busting their kids ass their whole life to be successful but that they got a willingness to help outside the authoritative stature. I was surprised when my Dad got me my first car, it was maybe the first sign to me that this military soldier wasn't such a hard ass and made me want to be succesful enough to do the same for my kids one day. Not a typical thought at 16, but I remember thinking that. Probably a deeper lesson taught. But to each their own!

I'm not going to make either of my kids pay for there stangs it doesn't seem right. They are not allowed to work outside of the home except for mowing the lawn, laundry etc. Your only a kid once and there is not a person on this site that wouldn't like to be a teenager again. I told my kids they will have work the rest of there lives...so enjoy it while you can because it doesn't last long. I'm content with straight A's, Sports, Band, and not getting into trouble.

Originally Posted by frdnut

Wow what a lucky kid!...I hope he doesn't do what most kids do to their first cars..

LOL! I got my 71 when I was a teenager and got my fair share of exibition of speed and other citations, happy moments in the car when I should be in class, and only 4yrs in and I blew the motor to smithereens from racing the new Navy recruits that was housed on a military Base near our school. Lots of good memories! I can only wish this kid doesn't do the crazy things I've done and much luck with this super cool muscle car. Stay in school, be appreciative and don't take things for granted. Have fun but do it safe and smart. Look around for cops before burning rubber
DJ

this is compelling enough to tell my story: Dad helped me out with the paper route I did in high school. We folded papers together, then I'd go out on the bike. I saved up enough to get the '70 Mustang convertible I have now. This was 20 years ago, I was 15, and it sat in a garage before I could drive but we would take it out together to keep it in running shape.

Of course, I had an accident . . . in a parking lot, during an argument with my girlfriend. Didn't do much to the '70, just a new bumper and grille, but it did a decent amount of damage to the Honda Civic I hit. And that's not even counting the time I got the family car, a VW Dasher Diesel station wagon (not a performance vehicle by any stretch, lol) hit by a delivery van.

I know I learned responsibility from saving up to buy it, but I can't say I was a very responsible driver, but what teenager is? Don't know if I'd do the same thing as a dad, knowing what I know now, but I'd for sure give him some serious defensive driving training . . .

Anyway, lucky kid, and nice ride!!

We bought my 3 daughters thier first cars. They got the cars when they were almost 17. This was with the understanding that they either had to buy it from us at trade in value when thier younger sisters were old enogh to drive or the younger sister (they are all three years apart) got the car and they had to make other araingments for transportation. It was also a rule that if they got ANY moving violation that we would no longer pay for insurance. They all have gotten good grades and so far no tickets. The youngest is almost 18.
We decided that it would be better to buy them a car that was dependable for them rather than make them buy thier own and only be able to afford a cheap and thus unreliable car.
Set some rules for your son when he starts driving, It is a BIG resonsibility because they now have the power to change thier lives and anyone else on the road if they drive unresponsibly. One of the kids I went to school with killed 2 people when he was speeding and didnt see a stop sign. My father in law was killed in an accident caused by a 17 year old. Make sure he understands that.

This is what concerns me, and I see/saw a lot of kids succumbing to peer pressure when they had that car that daddy bought. I paid for mine, and I admit, I too fell prey to my friends egging me on. When you have a cool car, no matter who pays, you get what you get - Ferris Bueller anyone?
I have a good freind, who doesnt have his daughter, her freinds family bought thier daughter a Mustang convertable, bunch of kids out having fun, rolled it, no seat belts - you get the rest. My other freind is the fireman who had to clean the mess up, these things go well beyond the initial tragedy, especially in a small tight community.
No matter who pays for the car, this is going to be a concern and possibility. The faster the car, cooler the car, more kids in the car, then you have problems.
I wouldnt sell my car to my daughters, highest bidder, I was kidding. I will ensure my daughters do have reliable transportation like you point out. I kid that I bought my daughter a brand new Volvo, I just get to drive it for then next 11 years. I wish I had an answer where you could make your kids safe when they are in any car. Doug Herbet is doing much with his BRAKEs movement. My bud shows up at all the car shows with a contract that he encourages kids and parents to sign (do this with your kids, my girls always buckle up in thier Barbie Mustang).
I can tell you from personal observation, I have seen much difference in kids that come from a back ground where they worked, had outside activities, and were taught responsibility at home, both from the military and being a public school teacher.
There is no formula, my MOM taught me right from wrong, my dad drilled responsibility for my action into my head. I survived by luck and grace, so I guess it worked for me, same parents, my brothers and sister, not so much the same turn out.
Really nice car, your a great dad, sign that contract with your son, teach him to drive and most important limit who/how many kids he has in the car (some states have made this a law) and both of you enjoy having that car and each other.

Originally Posted by Ronbob

We bought my 3 daughters thier first cars. They got the cars when they were almost 17. This was with the understanding that they either had to buy it from us at trade in value when thier younger sisters were old enogh to drive or the younger sister (they are all three years apart) got the car and they had to make other araingments for transportation. It was also a rule that if they got ANY moving violation that we would no longer pay for insurance. They all have gotten good grades and so far no tickets. The youngest is almost 18.
We decided that it would be better to buy them a car that was dependable for them rather than make them buy thier own and only be able to afford a cheap and thus unreliable car.
Set some rules for your son when he starts driving, It is a BIG resonsibility because they now have the power to change thier lives and anyone else on the road if they drive unresponsibly. One of the kids I went to school with killed 2 people when he was speeding and didnt see a stop sign. My father in law was killed in an accident caused by a 17 year old. Make sure he understands that.