Would you put a kid in an S4?
01-31-2012 | 12:27 AM
#16
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 3,029
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From: Columbus, Mississippi
I think it depends on the kid. I know when I was young I was VERY different. I am very fortunate to be alive today.
It all depends on how "grown up" he will be at 16...99.9% of 16 year old guys should not have a S4 IMHO. At that age and driving experience AIR BAGS are a REAL good thing to have. An S4 may be a nice college car for him if the grades stay where they need to be. After he has learned a little.
But he is your child...you are the one that knows him best.
It all depends on how "grown up" he will be at 16...99.9% of 16 year old guys should not have a S4 IMHO. At that age and driving experience AIR BAGS are a REAL good thing to have. An S4 may be a nice college car for him if the grades stay where they need to be. After he has learned a little.
But he is your child...you are the one that knows him best.
01-31-2012 | 12:42 AM
#17
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2002
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From: Los Angeles, CA
Yeah, my first car was a VW beetle. I took two years to fix it up from a pile of crap into a car I was proud of.
And what did I do with it?
Drove it like a maniac.
Even though it was a slow car. We'd drive it off the road into dirt fields, do donuts, try to jump it, etc.
Once I eventually got a sports car, I managed to wreck it at least 3 times. Several serious crashes.
And I was a college-bound honor student with an excellent GPA. Very responsible in terms of not drinking,
not doing drugs, not getting into trouble. But cars.... Oh man. Cars are awesome. They are fast, fun, and obviously,
they are still a passion. So there is nothing wrong with getting your kid into cars, into wrenching on them, etc.
But I don't recommend an extremely fast car for a kid's first car. If I had to choose between giving him an old
Camaro, and a 928, I'd pick the 928, because it's going to handle better. And I suppose if you are worried
about him street racing, or driving crazy, the only way to keep that under control, is if you got him a race car,
and actually took him to the track on a regular basis. So he gets it out of his system, and learns how to do it right,
and be a very skilled driver...
Now that I think about it, I think that's probably the best option, if you are a car guy yourself.
Get yourselves a race car project. Maybe a 928! But get a safe, slow, street car for his daily driver...
And what did I do with it?
Drove it like a maniac.
Even though it was a slow car. We'd drive it off the road into dirt fields, do donuts, try to jump it, etc.
Once I eventually got a sports car, I managed to wreck it at least 3 times. Several serious crashes.
And I was a college-bound honor student with an excellent GPA. Very responsible in terms of not drinking,
not doing drugs, not getting into trouble. But cars.... Oh man. Cars are awesome. They are fast, fun, and obviously,
they are still a passion. So there is nothing wrong with getting your kid into cars, into wrenching on them, etc.
But I don't recommend an extremely fast car for a kid's first car. If I had to choose between giving him an old
Camaro, and a 928, I'd pick the 928, because it's going to handle better. And I suppose if you are worried
about him street racing, or driving crazy, the only way to keep that under control, is if you got him a race car,
and actually took him to the track on a regular basis. So he gets it out of his system, and learns how to do it right,
and be a very skilled driver...
Now that I think about it, I think that's probably the best option, if you are a car guy yourself.
Get yourselves a race car project. Maybe a 928! But get a safe, slow, street car for his daily driver...
01-31-2012 | 01:01 AM
#18
Three Wheelin'
Joined: Jun 2008
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From: Surprise, Arizona
I say GREAT idea. My son was 10 when he stated helping me wrench 928's... He's 12 now and wants a 928 more than any other car. If you stay present, and teach him well, he will (should) have the respect for the car required to possess one. An OB would be a better choice probably, because of lower horsepower, and very predictable steering, ballenced rotation, and brakes. A brake/suspension upgrade would be a cool project for you guys... I have never driven a better handling 2 wheel drive on dirt roads even set up with street tires. Best case scenario os to START EM YOUNG so they have had excessive practical experience before the are released into the real world...
01-31-2012 | 01:02 AM
#19
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Joined: Nov 2005
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From: Scottsdale, AZ
If you get serious about it, although this would be a great idea no matter what car he ends up with, as soon as he is old enough, send him to a driving school (e.g. Bondurant). Best investment in safe driver training you could give him.
01-31-2012 | 01:13 AM
#20
Under the Lift
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My first car in 1976 was a 1968 Ford Country Squire Station Wagon my dad wrangled for me to buy for $1.00. Didn't have a non-bent panel or fender, and had to drop it at the dealership on the way home to get the transmission flex plate replaced (around $100). Most of the front seat upholstery was duct tape and the rear window only operated manually by pushing it up and down by hand. It was a great car for being in band, going to games and events as it sat 12 comfortably and all the instruments fit up on the rack.
A 16 yo girl in her brand new car broad sided me. I was just driving along on a major 4 lane street, she pulled out from a side street into the side of my car. There was lots of traffic and there was no place for her to pull into and I had no place to go to avoid being hit. It added very few dents to my car and the doors and windows still worked to I told her not to report it so she could save her insurance. We did exchange info. That night her dad called me and wanted to meet me. I had dinner at her house and met her dad. When he saw my beat up old station wagon he laughed and said no wonder. He was curious as to why I didn't care about his daughter hitting my car when the accident had done so much damage to her car. He was very grateful to fix her car himself and not have the accident on her insurance. He also commented that he should have gotten his daughter a tank like mine, and that a tank like that was very wise for a first car. I did go out with her a few times after that.
Not that I was the best driver. Driving down a side street just after dark I hit a parked car head on. Just driving along and this chick was dancing naked on her front porch. I did a double take not believing what I thought I saw and CRASH. The policeman laughed while writing me a ticket for failure to devote full time and attention (my first ticket). When my dad took me to our insurance agent to report the accident, the agent laughed and said that must of been on so and so street, that he lived around the corner and she did that all the time. My insurance did not have to pay for the parked car because it was parked pointing the wrong way for that side of the street. I didn't find enough damage to the front of my Ford to do anything about it either. The ticket was the only bad thing that happened.
Just something to think about.
A 16 yo girl in her brand new car broad sided me. I was just driving along on a major 4 lane street, she pulled out from a side street into the side of my car. There was lots of traffic and there was no place for her to pull into and I had no place to go to avoid being hit. It added very few dents to my car and the doors and windows still worked to I told her not to report it so she could save her insurance. We did exchange info. That night her dad called me and wanted to meet me. I had dinner at her house and met her dad. When he saw my beat up old station wagon he laughed and said no wonder. He was curious as to why I didn't care about his daughter hitting my car when the accident had done so much damage to her car. He was very grateful to fix her car himself and not have the accident on her insurance. He also commented that he should have gotten his daughter a tank like mine, and that a tank like that was very wise for a first car. I did go out with her a few times after that.
Not that I was the best driver. Driving down a side street just after dark I hit a parked car head on. Just driving along and this chick was dancing naked on her front porch. I did a double take not believing what I thought I saw and CRASH. The policeman laughed while writing me a ticket for failure to devote full time and attention (my first ticket). When my dad took me to our insurance agent to report the accident, the agent laughed and said that must of been on so and so street, that he lived around the corner and she did that all the time. My insurance did not have to pay for the parked car because it was parked pointing the wrong way for that side of the street. I didn't find enough damage to the front of my Ford to do anything about it either. The ticket was the only bad thing that happened.
Just something to think about.
01-31-2012 | 01:26 AM
#22
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I intend to get my son into karting and if he is not into it after getting his license to a performance driving school. This way he can at least learn how to handle and hopefully respect driving on the street. I guess education starts at home, but we were all there and we all did some short of a stupid thing with our cars...
A good friend of mine bought his 18 year old son a new M3. The kid was clueless and I could see he will get in all shorts of trouble. Simply too much car for his experience and I blamed my friend for being an idiot and buying him the car.
I got him to come with me at TWS at a DE. His first day on the track he had a humbling spin at turn 7 and bent a bit of metal, not much but enough to give him another perspective on speed and what can happen if you are not experienced enough. I guess that experience shook him up pretty badly so after fixing the car he asked my friend to sell the car and he bought him on his request a 323.
Fast forward to today the now 28 year old has not had an accident or a speeding ticket since
01-31-2012 | 01:37 AM
#24
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2007
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I know I'll probably pour another $8K in parts into whatever I find but it will be nice for him to work towards having one of the nicer cars around.
My goal is to get him respecting cars rather than just being handed the keys like I was. So, am I crazy? I'd rather search now and here on RL vs Fleabay where I was LUCKY and found an S4 with a rebuilt engine and TT for under $7K 18 months ago.
Than:
My goal is to get him respecting cars rather than just being handed the keys like I was. So, am I crazy? I'd rather search now and here on RL vs Fleabay where I was LUCKY and found an S4 with a rebuilt engine and TT for under $7K 18 months ago.
Than:
Probably best to not put a 16 year old in a S-4 maybe at 18 after they have driven for a couple years and do consider some on track drivers education. Then put him in YOUR CURRENT S-4 and you can build another for yourself !
01-31-2012 | 01:40 AM
#25
Instructor
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 129
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From: South Florida
My first car in 1976 was a 1968 Ford Country Squire Station Wagon my dad wrangled for me to buy for $1.00. Didn't have a non-bent panel or fender, and had to drop it at the dealership on the way home to get the transmission flex plate replaced (around $100). Most of the front seat upholstery was duct tape and the rear window only operated manually by pushing it up and down by hand. It was a great car for being in band, going to games and events as it sat 12 comfortably and all the instruments fit up on the rack.
A 16 yo girl in her brand new car broad sided me. I was just driving along on a major 4 lane street, she pulled out from a side street into the side of my car. There was lots of traffic and there was no place for her to pull into and I had no place to go to avoid being hit. It added very few dents to my car and the doors and windows still worked to I told her not to report it so she could save her insurance. We did exchange info. That night her dad called me and wanted to meet me. I had dinner at her house and met her dad. When he saw my beat up old station wagon he laughed and said no wonder. He was curious as to why I didn't care about his daughter hitting my car when the accident had done so much damage to her car. He was very grateful to fix her car himself and not have the accident on her insurance. He also commented that he should have gotten his daughter a tank like mine, and that a tank like that was very wise for a first car. I did go out with her a few times after that.
Not that I was the best driver. Driving down a side street just after dark I hit a parked car head on. Just driving along and this chick was dancing naked on her front porch. I did a double take not believing what I thought I saw and CRASH. The policeman laughed while writing me a ticket for failure to devote full time and attention (my first ticket). When my dad took me to our insurance agent to report the accident, the agent laughed and said that must of been on so and so street, that he lived around the corner and she did that all the time. My insurance did not have to pay for the parked car because it was parked pointing the wrong way for that side of the street. I didn't find enough damage to the front of my Ford to do anything about it either. The ticket was the only bad thing that happened.
Just something to think about.
A 16 yo girl in her brand new car broad sided me. I was just driving along on a major 4 lane street, she pulled out from a side street into the side of my car. There was lots of traffic and there was no place for her to pull into and I had no place to go to avoid being hit. It added very few dents to my car and the doors and windows still worked to I told her not to report it so she could save her insurance. We did exchange info. That night her dad called me and wanted to meet me. I had dinner at her house and met her dad. When he saw my beat up old station wagon he laughed and said no wonder. He was curious as to why I didn't care about his daughter hitting my car when the accident had done so much damage to her car. He was very grateful to fix her car himself and not have the accident on her insurance. He also commented that he should have gotten his daughter a tank like mine, and that a tank like that was very wise for a first car. I did go out with her a few times after that.
Not that I was the best driver. Driving down a side street just after dark I hit a parked car head on. Just driving along and this chick was dancing naked on her front porch. I did a double take not believing what I thought I saw and CRASH. The policeman laughed while writing me a ticket for failure to devote full time and attention (my first ticket). When my dad took me to our insurance agent to report the accident, the agent laughed and said that must of been on so and so street, that he lived around the corner and she did that all the time. My insurance did not have to pay for the parked car because it was parked pointing the wrong way for that side of the street. I didn't find enough damage to the front of my Ford to do anything about it either. The ticket was the only bad thing that happened.
Just something to think about.
I always tell my wife that our girls will be driving something really big and slow for there first cars.
01-31-2012 | 01:46 AM
#26
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 1,037
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From: Fanny Bay, BC, Canada
My sons thirteen as well and I bought him a Ducati 996 to work on with me over the next few years. He'll do the motorcycle safety course, ride a Ninja or CBR 250 for a year or two and take some advanced rider training before I'll let him on the Duc. Then he can ride with me and be well prepared for the joys of riding a sports bike, like I have for the past 35-odd years. I think as long as he works with you on the car and respects and appreciates the opportunity you're giving him its fine IMO.
01-31-2012 | 02:49 AM
#27
Drifting
Joined: Jan 2010
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From: Nebraska
I agree entirely that it depends on the kid. My teenage girls are 18 and 19 now and are still accident free. They can drive the S4 whenever they ask. My younger daughter drove it too school quite a bit last fall when her car was broke down. I have a boy who will turn 16 in 4 years. I will not have a problem with letting him drive any car if he is doing the right things. A boy might have some different rules though but we'll see. Discrimination I guess.
Last edited by rgs944; 01-31-2012 at 03:07 AM.
01-31-2012 | 02:58 AM
#28
Three Wheelin'
Joined: Feb 2009
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From: Washington "Dc"
928 is a car for experienced drivers. A little wet road, too much gas, not enough experience.. ends badly.
A first car should be durable, sensible, and safe. Let him get his speed jollies and some experience on the track. At least he will know what to do after he gets in a car with more capability.
A first car should be durable, sensible, and safe. Let him get his speed jollies and some experience on the track. At least he will know what to do after he gets in a car with more capability.
01-31-2012 | 03:16 AM
#29
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Like many here, I, too, dreamed of owning a 928 while I was in my teens. Considering that they cost almost as much as a small condo, and it was known that a regular service exceeded the monthly salary of an average worker, I knew that it would take a bit of time and effort to afford one.
When I got my license, and drove my mom's 40hp Ford Fiesta. A few times even that slow one got me into trouble. It takes experience to make good judgement, and I simply didn't have that, yet.
One day I read in a car magazine of four young people who died in a 928 when it hit a tree at high speed. The driver had just gotten it for his 18th birthday a few days earlier. I don't think those parents could ever forgive themselves for their mistake.
Today, I'm glad my parents were neither in the position to do the same, nor would they have done so. I would have missed so many great things in life!
RKD in OKC: I was waiting for you to say that the girl who broadsided you is now your wife...
When I got my license, and drove my mom's 40hp Ford Fiesta. A few times even that slow one got me into trouble. It takes experience to make good judgement, and I simply didn't have that, yet.
One day I read in a car magazine of four young people who died in a 928 when it hit a tree at high speed. The driver had just gotten it for his 18th birthday a few days earlier. I don't think those parents could ever forgive themselves for their mistake.
Today, I'm glad my parents were neither in the position to do the same, nor would they have done so. I would have missed so many great things in life!
RKD in OKC: I was waiting for you to say that the girl who broadsided you is now your wife...
01-31-2012 | 03:19 AM
#30
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From: Concord, CA
NO; however, after he learns to drive yes.
Start off w/ a Sabb 9000 and let him chip it first. Learning how to cope with FWD and under steer wlll enable someone to learn how to flick RWD under steer to over steer.
Start off w/ a Sabb 9000 and let him chip it first. Learning how to cope with FWD and under steer wlll enable someone to learn how to flick RWD under steer to over steer.