[carcrazy]

Something the doesn't have too much power, is safe and handles/stop quickly. Mistakes will be made!

[RocktimusPryme]

I would maybe look for an 80's vehicle like a G body or 3rd gen that someone had already done some leg work and swapped a gen 3+ 5.3/6.0

In theory a little more reliable, while still very cool.

Or the same type of swap in a pickup. V8 RWD and cheaper than hot rod cars ussually.

Also, El Caminos remain cheaper than most A bodies.

[unruhjonny]

Originally Posted by carcrazy

Something the doesn't have too much power, is safe and handles/stop quickly. Mistakes will be made!

that brings me back to my initial suggestion:
2005-2010 Cobalt/G5

every vehicle has it's detractors... to me, these are leaps ahead of the Cavaliers...

oh!

A Sunfire!!

I had one of those for a brief spell (the only car I bought to flip, and I easily doubled my money on that car!)

the pre-2002 non-GT's made something like 120 hp, and the GT's made something like 150hp

[carbking]

Since insurance is being considered, one other suggestion. Check with the agent for a liability limit waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay above the state minimum.

At least in Missouri, the driver, if found liable, is liable for the total cost, regardless of what the liability limits are from the insurance company.

An accident with major injuries could cost the car, the house, the bank account, and ones savings. Additional liability is NOT that expensive.

Jon

[92GTA]

Originally Posted by carbking

An accident with major injuries could cost the car, the house, the bank account, and ones savings. Additional liability is NOT that expensive.

Jon

Correct. I usually follow my agent's advice on all of the limits and will be doing the same for him. Both my kids understand the importance because my oldest crashed a new car I had when he was learning to drive and my insurance took care of everything so they know the value first hand.

[RocktimusPryme]

yeah that liability thing was never really explained to me until I was in my 30s. I always carried the minimum. Whatever was cheapest, like most lower and middle income people do I imagine. Then it was explained to me that I needed to have enough coverage to cover whatever I happened to be worth at the moment. 401k, house, cars, etc.

Sort of an eye opening conversation.

[Chief of the 60's]

Wasn't it the Cobalt that killed kids and GM blamed the parents? It would be the last car I would consider. Actually, I'd rather have a kid walk then drive one of those.

•All 2005-2010 Chevrolet Cobalt.
•2007-2010 Pontiac G5.
•2003-2007 Saturn Ion.
•2006-2011 Chevrolet HHR.
•2006-2010 Pontiac Solstice.
•2007-2010 Saturn Sky.

[unruhjonny]

the cobalt accident was a "loss of power steering" deal that all the manufacturers have been intermitantly dealing with for several years on these electrical power steering units;
even if the electrically assisted power steering does crap out, the steering wheel is still mechanically connected to the rack - it's just the power assist.

I don't recall GM seeming to blame any parents;
I do remember subsiquent stories showing that even if the electric power steering motor was to fail, that the car can still be controlled. I saw it as more of a meaure to calm peoples fears.

I don't want to come across as callous, because I do believe that indeed a kid died;
In a similar sad loss of life, was there not a big cufufle about "uncontrolled acceleration" on toyotas which was traced to the floor mat sliding forward underneath the gas pedal?
Does that mean you would rather walk than drive a toyota?

the other issue that cause a media wide recall announcement was a cheap ignition tumbler;
this essentially makes the key at some point stuck in the tumbler.

Like I said every car has issues.

I doubt there are many Cobalts/G5's out there thet have not had the tumbler replaced, or the electric power steering motor checked and or replaced.

My favorit flub, was the first batch of Cruze's which had the steering wheels FALL OFF!!
LOL

[stellar]

You have 2. Give him one of yours.

[Mr Anonymous]

Having owned a few 82-92 fbodies, please don't consider one. (Maybe the later ones don't suck.) He will end up hating cars. I was offered another one for free not that long ago. Told the guy I'd pound my dick flat with a rubber mallet before I'd even think of owning it.

My son is 17 now. drove a gbody wagon for a year, then ended up at the career center for his junior year. Went from 3 miles a day each way to 15. He's got a Civic now for the fuel economy. He loves a badass V8 and has done time with a certain nitro powered Pontiac we all love. The next generation of car-loving kids are alive and well. The phone obsessed nerds will pay people like my kid in the future to fix their ****.

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

['ol Pinion head]

We picked up a solid straight 97 4.0 XJ Cherokee Sport for my son 6 plus years ago when he began his Soph year of HS. Installed brand new Michelins, a little front end work, and a cheap B/C respray of the mid body line up, body color painted the prev charcoal colored wheel flares & thin cladding, as well as painted the new rear bumper. The XJ made a great HS vehicle. $2700 and change was outlay, looked sweet, had a lot of compliments on it. It's the 4th XJ 4.0 XJ Cherokee I've owned & has not needed that much repair. Since putting my son in my wife's prev '06 4Runner, I've kept the XJ Cherokee & use it for moving my car trailer around the perimeter of the outside my shop (several tight spots as ton of trees). Also use on local parts chasing trips. On roadtrips, I keep running across fairly clean '97-01 XJ's & when the right one pops up, I will buy it.

[Chief of the 60's]

Originally Posted by Heybuck

Teenage son........

Its not a matter of what car YOU would like him to be seen in, its a matter of what car best suits his age and personality.

My opinion is you buy him the SAFEST possible car for the money you have. Something with airbags, proven crash rating, road stability.

From there you can move on to what car HE will accept as a good first car.

ONLY when he has enough miles under his belt and his senses have fully kicked in, you can then move him up to a car which he might aspire to. I don't care what you say, how smart, how sensible, how responsible you think he is, a 16y/o kid is going to make some errors of judgement. You want him to be safe at all times.

Don't ask me why I say all this or how I know it.

Just believe me when I say your son is the most precious thing in your life. Don't be wise after the event.

Good luck in your decisions.

Ian

Well said but I would have included, "the most reliable". The last thing you want to do is have your kid break down in the middle of nowhere. Nothing worse than picking "brand loyalty" over "reliability". That is why many kids first car is a Honda or Toyota.

[U47]

Originally Posted by 92GTA

I find all the information regarding insurance to be interesting. I'm 38, got my license when I was 17 1/2, and I had an 82 Firebird, a 78 Datsun 280Z, a 74 Porsche 914, and a 60 Elcamino SS in high school. Not only could I get insurance no questions asked, it was totally affordable given my after school job. Has the world really changed THAT much in just the past 20 years?

No, the world has really changed in the last 40 or so years.

"Knowing how important your first cars are in what a person's tastes are as a car guy, I'm being a little picky on what I get him."


What I get him? Personal taste? What about what "he" can afford to buy and insure?

[unruhjonny]

/\ heh-heh...

I wished I had parents who would have supplied me with a car and insurance so I wasn't about to knock a guy for wanting to hook his kid up with a set of wheels;
But I liked the last part of your post because I, like most of my friends took the bus to and from school... with only the occasional ride home with a friend.

[mgarblik]

Lots of good points in this thread. I like your first inclination in post 1. Both my daughters had F cars as their first cars. Oldest daughter a 85 V-6 auto, youngest
a 94 V-6 5-speed. Of course they loved the looks and style, buy safety was my biggest concern. The V-6 F bodies have a huge amount of crush zone in front and back too. Older daughter tested this 6 months after she got the car. Pulled out of a 2 way country road intersection right into a late model extended cab Chevy Truck going probably 50-55 MPH. She had 5 people in the F-Car. The front bumper was 200 ft from the accident scene. The right rear valve cover was 6" into the passenger compartment. Windshield cracked, but not broken out. Both doors still opened, no injuries in her car. A few bumps and bruises. The car absorbed a huge amount of energy. Pick-up also no injuries other than a few bumps and scrapes. Truck was hit so hard between the doors, only 3 wheels were on the ground. I was very impressed with the structure of the F-car. Not too impressed with my daughter who was without a car and a license for quite a while. My other daughter drove her 94 Firebird through 4 years of college and I think I replaced the alternator and a headlight motor other than maintenance. Good cars IMO.

[poncho-mike]

I bought my oldest son (now going on 32) a 1987 K5 Blazer when he got his driver's license. He beat the crap out of it, blew out two rear ends, but he learned a lot about working on cars. When he finally dealt it the death blow (the third rear end), he got a 2000 Chevy 4x4 short bed truck. We got it with about 130K, and when he finally totalled it (the other driver's fault) it had over 300K miles.

I got my youngest son a 1999 2-door Tahoe Z71. It has been incredibly reliable, especially since my youngest isn't prone to beat his daily driver like his brother did.

I would recommend a 90s Chevy short bed pickup truck or a 2-door Tahoe. They are great cars and really reliable, and you can enjoy it when you ground him.

[Inogame]

Get em an old jeep. Can't go too fast and it's simple, simple, simple to work on.

Just one of many opinions to add to the pile.

[400 4spd.]

When younger, my daughter had a penchant for hitting anything that couldn't move fast enough to get out of her way. That includes trees in our yard, picnic table, a bar-b-que grill (different days), carport support post, fence, school mates car, car at hair dresser, someone's mailbox. Ad infinitum.
Sadly, I learned this after giving her an 84 Hurst/Olds that I had worked many nights and weekends to present to her in flawless condition on her 16th birthday. That's another vote for a G body being a safe choice.
After years of much abuse, in '02 the Olds was followed by a super clean '01 Camaro. She and the Camaro experienced a couple of front end damage claims with no injuries. Then there were a couple of unreported incidents that required paint. I fixed those too.
About 7 seven years ago she parted with the Camaro and got into a really nice Yukon I found.
I just knocked on wood, and can claim I've not had to do any body repairs or painting on the Yukon.
And I just knocked on wood again.

I say the G body of any flavor is a great choice for a first car. Followed by the F.

[bendutro]

Originally Posted by 92GTA

I'm being a little picky on what I get him. The 2 things I absolutely refuse to buy him are a 4 banger import rice rocket or a Ford.

And you call yourself a car guy?!? C'mon, live a little. Play with turbos, Ford, German, Japanese whatever. Learn something new with your son, it'll go farther than you trying to impart just your opinions on him.

An E30 BMW is a nice driver for ~$5000 and simple to work on, prices are going up on the 325is models.
Porsche 944s are pretty cheap, but steer clear of the turbo models unless you have $ to burn.
Honda S2000s are great little cars - total opposite of the torque spectrum from a GM V8 but they still wail.
And Ford, yes the blue oval still cranks hard. Mustangs are the best selling pony car for a reason.

All rear drive, all driver's cars. All 'car guy' cars.

[Goatracer1]

It doesn't matter how fast/quick the car is that you buy him it will be fast enough to get him, heaven forbid, killed. Like some of the others suggested get him something SAFE. I'm old so I know. My first car was a flat head Pontiac. Talk about slow but I lost my license a week after I got it for driving 20 over the limit. Any car can get you in trouble so again get him a safe one. It doesn't have to be ugly.