Cars

[Mr. P]

used volvo....boxy but good....oh and remove the back seat and wire the dome light to on at all times....

With barbed wire of course!

 

[manu1959]

With barbed wire of course!

how about one of those spy cameras in the dome light?

 

[Mr. P]

how about one of those spy cameras in the dome light?

Of course! I'll just move it from where it is now...

 

[manu1959]

Of course! I'll just move it from where it is now...

webcam?

 

[Mr. P]

webcam?

GPS too..Dad Knows ALL!!!

 

[manu1959]

GPS too..Dad Knows ALL!!!

my daughter is 2.......taking notes....lead on

 

[Mr. P]

my daughter is 2.......taking notes....lead on

Scanners tend to pick-up portable phones.. I hear.

 

[no1tovote4]

Used Camry. Safe, reliable transportation.

This is a good suggestion, a very good suggestion.

 

[The ClayTaurus]

I put my kids in a Chrysler LeBaron first. Subsequently they went into old Olds, Chevys and Fords-the bigger ones. Now they drive-Pontiac Grand Am, Maxda RX something-from the 80's, (that's the college kid that works in the summer and is paying for college through scholarship, RA, and loans), and Honda Prelude. All are in their 20's now, I'm not as nervous-well except for my daughter-she the one that says that cars and trees have come out of 'no where'.

RX-7? Your kid gets bonus points.

 

[speederdoc]

I was thinking Jetta too. I don't know much about their reliability, but I see a lot of pretty girls in Jettas.

OR if she really is a driving enthusiast, and doesn't have a lot of highway driving to do....a Miata. They really are fun, and they sort of force you to pay attention to the road. Only one passenger = less distractions.

 

[The ClayTaurus]

I was thinking Jetta too. I don't know much about their reliability, but I see a lot of pretty girls in Jettas.

OR if she really is a driving enthusiast, and doesn't have a lot of highway driving to do....a Miata. They really are fun, and they sort of force you to pay attention to the road. Only one passenger = less distractions.

Not exactly the safest car for someone to start out on, though.

 

[fuzzykitten99]

my first car (1997) was an 89 ford tempo that i bought with my own money. but it got totaled by a ditzy blonde in a minivan, not paying attention.

so with the insurance money, i bought an 87 grand am. i bought it with 188k on it, one owner. body had rust, but engine was sound. i drove that thing to 250k, and sold it for $100 to my dad's co-worker (2000) who uses it as a winter car to drive the 35 miles one way to/from work. he still has it, and now it is at 350k, and all he has had to replace is the alternator and starter. i see it from time to time, as he stops at my dads for a beer after work sometimes.

if you want a tank, and an easy fixer, try a 95-99 series monte carlo. those are as close to a tank as you can get with a car. the turn radius on it is nearly as wide as a truck because of the long wheelbase. my sister who is 17, is buying my 99 from me, and she loves it. it just turned 120k, and never an issue with anything, and i originally bought it used with 40k on it.

a great site i ran across, that i still keep in favorites, is www.crashtest.com
you have to scroll all the way to the bottom to get past the ads, and see the list of manuf'rs to see their results for all their cars, for the past 20-30 years, depending on model.

 

[manu1959]

This is a good suggestion, a very good suggestion.

i drove one for years....very good car...camry

 

[Shattered]

Monte Carlo's are great cars to get speeding tickets in... Try a nice, tame little Honda Accord.

 

[archangel]

I'm thinking 1957 Chevy..Easy to work on..cheap to insure..and it's a Tank..

No new car or SUV...Just looking at this point, and looking for something cheap enough she can foot the major part of the bill, but safe.

a really good 57 Chev will run ya around $12,000.00 to $20,000.00 in todays market a cherry will run around $30,000.00... so ya are in a delimma..
Ya need something economical,safe and still the kid will take pride in ownership...so I would suggest a 89-95 Ford Mustang with a Fuel injected 4cyl get some really nice exhaust system so she will think she is going faster than she actually is...will run ya between $2500.00-$5500.00...Gave a 93 Mustang conv to the grandaughter..has the fuel injected 4cyl with tuned exhaust...all her friends love it and she can afford the insurance and gas...and still be safe!

 

[fuzzykitten99]

Monte Carlo's are great cars to get speeding tickets in...

yeah, only if you're speeding! they all come standard with cruise control which helps against unintentional speeding...my 99's throttle and ride is so smooth, that occasionally i caught myself doing 80-90, not realizing it. So i make sure I set my CC at the legal speeds whenever possible.

Try a nice, tame little Honda Accord.

but he said he was looking for a tank, not a tin can! :tng: j/k

 

[dmp]

Not exactly the safest car for someone to start out on, though.

Except it is safer than I think ppl give it credit for. Being able to AVOID an accident makes a car safer, too. There aren't many cars nimble and small enough to stop on a literal dime, and fit in tight places (such as swerving onto the shoulder of a freeway to avoid a pile up, etc). Great economy and EXCELLENT reliability too.

But yeah - just don't get hit by much.


Mid 90s Ford Probe, or Mazda MX6. Properly taken care of, the KLDE V6 in either of those would run 200K miles or more. They still 'look nice', yet don't have enough power to get somebody in TOO much trouble. Excellent crash (Frontal) ratings, and decent economy, too.

http://www.familycar.com/Classics/images/97probe.gif

 

[The ClayTaurus]

Except it is safer than I think ppl give it credit for. Being able to AVOID an accident makes a car safer, too. There aren't many cars nimble and small enough to stop on a literal dime, and fit in tight places (such as swerving onto the shoulder of a freeway to avoid a pile up, etc). Great economy and EXCELLENT reliability too.

But yeah - just don't get hit by much.


Mid 90s Ford Probe, or Mazda MX6. Properly taken care of, the KLDE V6 in either of those would run 200K miles or more. They still 'look nice', yet don't have enough power to get somebody in TOO much trouble. Excellent crash (Frontal) ratings, and decent economy, too.

http://www.familycar.com/Classics/images/97probe.gif

Handling and breaking only gives you an advantage if you are skilled enough to properly use them, and at 16, the miata would be a death trap. She's going to have an accident or two, so you might as well put her in an 80's oldesmobile.

 

[fuzzykitten99]

a really good 57 Chev will run ya around $12,000.00 to $20,000.00 in todays market a cherry will run around $30,000.00... so ya are in a delimma..
Ya need something economical,safe and still the kid will take pride in ownership...so I would suggest a 89-95 Ford Mustang with a Fuel injected 4cyl get some really nice exhaust system so she will think she is going faster than she actually is...will run ya between $2500.00-$5500.00...Gave a 93 Mustang conv to the grandaughter..has the fuel injected 4cyl with tuned exhaust...all her friends love it and she can afford the insurance and gas...and still be safe!

these are great. the little 'stangs are great runabout cars. esp if you can get one in a convertible.

or, if you really want a tank, go for the older cadillacs. those things never die, and are great fixer uppers. my great grandpa gave my grandpa his cadillac deville that was bought new in South Dakota, off the lot, 0 miles, for 9k, back in 1972. It currently sits at 27k original miles. When Tim and I bought my grandparents house, the car was still in the backyard. It had been sitting there on blocks, for about 5 years without being started & run-ever. My grandpa put the battery, fresh oil, & fresh fuel in, and within a half hour, had it started right up! He drove it 30 miles north to my aunt & uncle's house, where it was going to be stored until he could get a trailer big enough to tow it to their house 150 miles north.

If anyone is interested in it, grandpa is willing to sell the Caddy for $4k, but you have to tow it/transport it yourself.

 

[Hagbard Celine]

Would my fuel efficiency be increased if I added a super-charger to my bmw 318i? Can this even be done? Would it be worth it?