What would be your kids' first vehicle?

"fhrblig" (fhrblig) 11/07/2014 at 21:43 • Filed to: None

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What would be the vehicle of choice that you would get for your kids' first vehicle?

I've been thinking about this for a while, which is kinda funny because I don't have kids. If I did, I would do the same that was done for me; I would get them their first vehicle. I know exactly what I would try to get for son-of-Fhrblig (or daughter, I guess; I just picture us having a son if we had kids). It would be an '81-'96 Ford F-150, 2WD with a manual and the inline-6. Probably a long-bed.

I know that might be a puzzling choice for some, so I'll outline my reasons. First, a truck would probably meet with agreement with him. It's respectable, not some beige sedan that would get laughed at (though I actually loved my beigemobile in high school).

Second, manual transmission because I still feel it's an important skill to learn; if you can drive stick, you can drive just about anything.

Third, 2WD... driving a RWD vehicle in snow taught me a LOT in the last few years. I've done well in snow before, but after driving my Ranger for a couple years in snow it opened my eyes. I would say I even prefer it now. It forces you to drive with care, pay closer attention to your surroundings and plan ahead. With sandbags in the back of my Ranger, I only had trouble in snow when I got to the end of the tread life on my tires.

Fourth, it's going to get shit gas mileage. Also, replacing tires and some other maintenance costs more on a truck. That would force him to learn budgeting and responsible spending. It would probably make him more open to repairing it himself and learning how things work.

Fifth, the Ford inline-6 is reliable and will be one of the things left after a nuclear holocaust (the others of course being cockroaches and the Jeep inline-6).

Sixth, it's big; he'd have to learn manouvering and parking something so big and once used to it, parking is a snap. You have to be more aware of yourself in traffic, too, and since it's not fast it might cut down on speeding.

Seventh, you can only cram so many friends into the cab. And I'd make it clear that if he ever carried people in the bed I'd kill him.

Eighth, having a truck when he goes to college would be handy, since you tend to move around a lot when in school.

I know an old truck is probably not as safe as a car, but the more I think about it the more I'm convinced that a truck is the way to go. What would you choose and why?

CAcoalminer > fhrblig 11/07/2014 at 21:47

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Sounds interesting.

Brian Silvestro > fhrblig 11/07/2014 at 21:48

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Damn, I was gonna say Miata, but you covered all the bases. That makes me rethink everything.

Tohru > fhrblig 11/07/2014 at 21:50

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This:

Because this:

fhrblig > Tohru 11/07/2014 at 21:52

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I think I could get behind that idea, and would consider it as an alternate if the truck met with resistance. The only thing holding me back is remembering how many of my friends fit in my Chevy Celebrity. Hint: more than the number of seat belts. WAY more.

Scary__goongala! > fhrblig 11/07/2014 at 21:56

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Some kind of manual sporty sedan. Hopefully such a thing exists by the time I am having kids.

dogisbadob > fhrblig 11/07/2014 at 21:58

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Miata, of course :)

That, or the cheapest running car available

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > fhrblig 11/07/2014 at 21:58

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Probably some sort of BMW or something his/her peers would consider "cool." I would not let them suffer through driving a minivan to school like I did.

Really I'd buy them anything they wanted. So long as it has traction control and at least two airbags.

fhrblig > Scary__goongala! 11/07/2014 at 22:01

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I'd be afraid to give a new driver a sporty anything. I could maybe see something like my Fiat 500, because it is fun but only has 101 hp on tap. And it's relatively safe, as long as you don't watch the small-offset crash test.

fhrblig > dogisbadob 11/07/2014 at 22:02

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I don't know about a Miata. It would help with keeping other passengers away, but I just see it getting wrecked.

SVTyler > fhrblig 11/07/2014 at 22:03

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Preface: I never plan on having kids and I'm sure if I do my tune will change entirely but regardless:

Provided it's their own money, whatever the hell they want, no matter how old or unreliable or terrible the car. Obviously as a parent I'll want them to get something safe, but beyond that, honestly, they're damn near adults at that age, I'd let them follow their heart and make their own (possibly terrible) decisions. Reasoning is that it a) teaches them responsibility for their actions and to think things through and b) I had to fight tooth and nail for my mom to let me buy my Focus (even though it was my own money).

fhrblig > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 11/07/2014 at 22:05

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You would be a nicer dad than me. Me: "Fuck cool, you will get what I choose and you will like it."

Scary__goongala! > fhrblig 11/07/2014 at 22:08

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By sporty I mean more in the looks department. I won't curse my kid with driving a beige camry that happens to be a manual. Really I'd like much more to start a project car and have my kid drive that when its finished.

fhrblig > SVTyler 11/07/2014 at 22:09

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My angle is more from the idea of me paying for it, since that is what was done for me. I think if they were willing to work for the money to buy their own car, I'd probably hear them out and consider it within reason. I'd really lobby for the truck though.

fhrblig > Scary__goongala! 11/07/2014 at 22:12

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I wouldn't get them a Camry, but that's because it would be too reliable. Learning to deal with an occasional hiccup is important, I think. Maybe a Camry with 350k on the clock.

Sn210 > fhrblig 11/07/2014 at 22:14

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I was thinking about this the other day actually. Sn210 jr. will probably be old enough to get their license in 18-19 years from now, so something relatively new now could make the perfect first car then. I had an 08 Civic through college and it served me well. Very reliable, good on gas, easy to maintain. Of course, they'll have to learn the art of manuél!

kind of boring, but hey, they can't have a cooler first car than I did! (Jeep Wrangler)

SVTyler > fhrblig 11/07/2014 at 22:19

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I'd definitely go your route if I helped pay for it, an older truck is a great choice and one I'd suggest. I dunno, I just feel like letting the kid pay for everything will make them take better care of the car since they're more invested; my car is my pride and joy and most valued possession, while my twin brother inherited our dad's Mazda3 for free and is currently in the process of destroying it through neglect and indifference so I may be a bit biased.

fhrblig > Sn210 11/07/2014 at 22:19

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I think you can make an argument for both. Reliable, boring, and good mpg give peace of mind, but bad mpg and breaks occasionally helps teach setting priorities and financial management.

f86sabre > fhrblig 11/07/2014 at 22:19

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My daughter is 4 so I would love to get her one of these. Sadly, the car makers are falling behind expectations.

I think her first choice would be something like this...

I'm a fan of trucks as well as early cars.

fhrblig > f86sabre 11/07/2014 at 22:21

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By the time she's old enough, these should be super cheap used (assuming they last)...

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > fhrblig 11/07/2014 at 22:22

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Cheap, safe, reliable, efficient, and most importantly no one would really care when it is destroyed. And slow. Slow is big for a 16 year old. I learned a lot about driving when I got my 4Runner because of it's slowness.

dogisbadob > fhrblig 11/07/2014 at 22:22

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Yeah, but wouldn't it make kids more interested in actually driving and learning how to drive?

Sn210 > fhrblig 11/07/2014 at 22:23

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both good points, good thing I've got plenty of time to think it over lol

Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen > fhrblig 11/07/2014 at 22:24

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*cough* SPORTWAGEN *cough*

Scary__goongala! > fhrblig 11/07/2014 at 22:31

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90's Audi with 350k on the clock, now that would be interesting.

fhrblig > dogisbadob 11/07/2014 at 22:34

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It might, but you never know. You might have a kid that thinks the Miata is 'boring'. And trucks can be fun to drive, even slow ones.

fhrblig > Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen 11/07/2014 at 22:35

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"Son, that's called a 'Check Engine' light..."

Tohru > fhrblig 11/07/2014 at 22:35

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See, I didn't have that problem because I didn't have friends.

When I wrecked it, Dad replaced it with an '89 Bronco with a 302 and automatic. He put a big LaVerne grille guard on the front and 33" tires on stock suspension (so it would screw with the gearing and keep the truck slow).

fhrblig > Scary__goongala! 11/07/2014 at 22:36

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Can you imagine the electrical gremlins that would have? Holy crap.

Scary__goongala! > fhrblig 11/07/2014 at 22:36

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THEY GONNA LEARN TODAY!!!

fhrblig > Tohru 11/07/2014 at 22:40

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On that day, some were friends, some were I-don't-have-my-license-can-I-bum-a-ride friends. We fit 3 in the front and 4 in the back. Of course, 5 were girls, one was me, and the other was a very slight and skinny guy (in the back, wedged between 3 of the girls).

ranwhenparked > fhrblig 11/07/2014 at 22:42

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Whatever he/she can afford to pay cash for with little to no assistance and isn't a total piece of shit property value lowering eyesore.

camaroboy68ss > fhrblig 11/07/2014 at 22:46

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I think I would do what my grandpa did with me. I would buy a project car well before they are old enough to drive and they will work on it with me to learn how a car works and goes together so that they have an understanding of a car. the project would be their choice to a certain extant.

Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen > fhrblig 11/07/2014 at 22:49

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Hey, it's been almost 4 years and 80k miles with ZERO check engine lights! Also, no failures besides the hatch latch (lol) and a license plate light bulb... explain that!

fhrblig > ranwhenparked 11/07/2014 at 22:52

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Fair enough, I'm only willing to buy them one because my parents got me one. I had no say in the car they bought me, and I had no objection to that fact. Sort of. I mean, I tried to warn my stepdad the Pontiac Phoenix he found would be a disaster, but he mistook that as me whining about it not being cool enough. (In reality, I wouldn't have minded driving that minty green lump of shit forever if it would have just stayed running.) After he got frustrated with its POS-ness and traded it for the Celebrity he admitted he should have listened to what I was actually saying instead of what he thought I meant. No harm done though.

fhrblig > Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen 11/07/2014 at 22:52

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It's all IMMINENT. RUN!

Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen > fhrblig 11/07/2014 at 22:56

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Naw, I'm keeping it until it just dies (AKA the block is dead, frame rusts in half, gets totaled (if it can still drive, I'm keeping it), which ever comes first lol)

After all, it is my first car ;)

Tohru > fhrblig 11/07/2014 at 22:59

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What I gathered from that is you are neither a guy or a girl. Interdasting.

fhrblig > Tohru 11/07/2014 at 23:01

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I am EVERYTHING! I am NOTHING!

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > fhrblig 11/07/2014 at 23:23

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I have absolutely no idea. It would depend on what I could afford and what they wanted. Safety would be my only requirement.

Frank Grimes > fhrblig 11/07/2014 at 23:35

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itranthelasttimeiparkedit > fhrblig 11/07/2014 at 23:46

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the grand wagoneer we have. 4500lbs of steel. hopefully with a chevy 5.3 by then so it gets better than single digit mileage, I have 15 years to get that swap done...

PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power > fhrblig 11/08/2014 at 02:43

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depends on how much money I make. Definitely something cool though. I want my son/daughter to have a cool car. Pre reqs are: must have manual, defeatable TCS, and they musn't put it in a ditch within the first 3 weeks of ownership

BJ > fhrblig 11/08/2014 at 07:06

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Something paid for with their own money. The perfect first car!

AccidentalFinance & Hapless Jag Owner > fhrblig 11/08/2014 at 10:27

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When Princess AccidentalFinance starts driving in twelve years, I'd love to buy her a 1st gen BMW Z3 - timeless design, and give her some (by that time) vintage roadster cred. Of course, I'll remove the passenger seat and affix the appropriate warning stickers letting the world know that looking at, talking to, or generally being in the immediate area of my first-born will subject the offender to the inescapable and limitless over-protecting-rage of her daddy. GPS tracking/fence, speed limiter, and industrial bubble wrap to be added.

Recap

1 - cool old vintage BMW roadster

2 - no guests allowed

3 - Dads will do whatever it takes to punish those that are a threat to their babies

4 - enjoy cruising a two mile radius from our house at 35mph Princess!

AccidentalFinance & Hapless Jag Owner > fhrblig 11/08/2014 at 10:34

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Me - Dad, I want a Jeep Wrangler

Dad - oh, those are cool. Here's an '84 Chevy Cavalier that I just took in trade. Someone died in it. You're welcome.

Me - ...

SwedishMachine > fhrblig 11/08/2014 at 16:06

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A Volvo 245, because

1. It's a tank, they can crash it into parking blocks, parked cars, etc and wont hurt it much.

2. It's slow. Really slow.

3. Its grade school simple to repair, parts are cheap and plentiful

4. It will never die no matter what they throw at it

5. Safety

6. Practical, spacious.

7. It's not beige and has a certain cool factor to it.

8. RWD, comes in a manual.

fhrblig > SwedishMachine 11/08/2014 at 16:46

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I could get behind this.

SM > SwedishMachine 11/10/2014 at 12:05

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Enjoy dealing with the electronics.

Made me chuckle though. It was my brother's first car. Thing handled like a boat.
A very very very sloooowwww boat.

Coty > fhrblig 11/11/2014 at 10:36

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Here you go, you little shit.

fhrblig > Coty 11/11/2014 at 16:57

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See, now that's a good idea. Then you could both work on it together.

Coty > fhrblig 11/11/2014 at 16:59

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Long as he doesn't take parts off of my car, haha.

cayman2007 > fhrblig 11/11/2014 at 22:10

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I know what their first car would be, cuz they already went through that. I gave them $1000 each and let them go off and buy their own car; with them working part time jobs to pay the difference in purchase price, insurance, plates, repairs, and gas. Please know that I pay for their college tuition, books, cell phone, and gym memberships. I wanted them to pick out a nice jalop car and learn about them: why the particular car was desirable, what they could rely on, and what would inevitably break. It's been quite an eye-opener for them and in the long haul, a lesson well learned. Since they pay for their rides they don't take anything for granted, and I love to walk them through the repairs.