[Stanley_P]

Do I let my 18 year old son drive the Opel to his senior prom?
??????????? I dont know..........

Stanley

 

[mjustice]

Hmmm......that's a tough one!
Personally i think it all depends on your son.
Is he dependable and trustworthy? Do you trust him?
If so....I would say yes...on a promise that anything that is messed up will by fixed and paid for by him. And, that he gives it a wash, wax and a full tank of gas when it comes home! And, I would probably make him put it in writing, just to show how serious your are!

On a personal note....I would let my son borrow mine (if he was old enough to drive), But not my daughter. Two totally different personalities! My son is a little timid, but my daughter is a classic type 'a' personality!

 

[Jarrod Li]

Well if you're like me the only person I'd ever let drive my opel is my dad, he helped me do the first face off resto and is a former test driver and racer. But that's just me.

Here's another option. I know people that have let their sons drive special cars to the prom but then swapped cars with them during the prom so that the special car didn't wind up somewhere that it might get damaged (school parking lot, party, friends house....)

 

[Paul]

I agree. It all depends upon the responsibility level of your son. I'd let my daughter, (and have done so), because I know how responsible she is. Also, because she has been Autocrossing since she was 15, now she is 19, and this is her 5th year.

But.... since your restoration job is so new..... I might not take a chance. It will be very difficult for your son to guard/protect your GT at every possible moment. I'm sure there will be other opportunities for your son to show off your GT at a later date.

So my answer is No... Yes... No.... oh well it's up to you.

Paul

 

[chuckspeed]

that's an easy answer...

no.

The explanation's pretty easy, too...

He's an adult
You're an adult
It's your pride and joy
not his.

When he's spent hundreds of dollars and thousands of dollars on a restoration - he can drive it anywhere he darned well pleases...until then, he can drive what he normally does.

I took Pop's restored '69 Mustang Convert out for a spin shortly after washing one day. Pop always restricted my driving of the Mustang - it was a pretty strong car - for a Mustang.

I drove it thru the neighborhood at 25 MPH - just to get the water off the paint. About three blocks from the house, I see a little kid pedaling madly on the cross street. He looks up, gets startled, and loses control of his bike. He does a speed wobble-tank slapper crash - headfirst into the side of Pops' stationary Mustang Convertible.

The neighbors hear a 'THUD', and moments later the entire neighborhood is around the car, ready to string up the kid killer.
Never mind it kid ran ito me - He was an innocent kid - I was a rabid, speed-crazed teen.

The desire to drive Pop's Mustang expired about two nanoseconds later, and has never returned.

That was over twenty years ago - the Mustang is collecting dust in the barn. When I inherit it - it will be one of the first to go.

He's an adult
You're an adult
It's your pride and joy
not his.

 

[N61WP]

Well, he won't be able to get any "back seat action" in the GT.......

 

[70GT]

Well, he won't be able to get any "back seat action" in the GT.......

LMAO!!

Yea Stanley it's how well you trust him. Did he help you with it?

 

[Stanley_P]

Never lifted a finger to help me with the car. While I was fixing it up it was a POS. Now he wants to drive it........Maybe when he is around 30..........

Thanks everyone,
Stanley

 

[chuckspeed]

re: back seat action...

truuust me - it's possible.

So's front seat action.

Teenagers are limber.

Yah. If he was an active participant - maybe. If he didn't lift a finger - nope. Gotta inherit it to drive it or;

make his own between now and prom.

 

[terminus]

The Teenager's Perspective

Yeah Yeah, I know none of you guys want to here MY opinion... I'm just the 18 year old of the group.

But whatever, here goes:

When I was headed out to my senior prom, I had a good friend (my girlfriend's mom's roomate - nothing goin on.. just a roomate!) who had a pretty new Camaro SS, so I asked him if I could borrow it. I told him I was willing to "rent" it, that I would bring it back with a full tank of gas, and that he could drive around with me in it for a day to make sure I handled it the way he'd like me to.
Now I am a good driver, never had so much as a scrape on any car I've driven. Driving is in my blood. This guy knew that so he responded immediately with a yes, and not to worry about the gas or the "rent." Plus, he added, his uncle had let him borrow a car to go to his Senior Ball, so he wanted to return the Karma.

So all is fine and well, until my girlfriend's mom hears abotu it and immediately explodes about how I shouldn't have ever even asked. So, poof, car cancelled.

Why did I want the car? I am going to the Senior ball for my school, and the senior ball for my girlfriend's school. I want mine to be something special to me. Just like girls make plans for their senior ball, so do guys. My plan is to be in a nice suit, with nice flowers, in a nice car, with a nice girl, at a nice place, with nice food and nice music. Sure, the car didn't make a whole lot of difference in the end, but it was the one thing that would have made the night perfect. You only get one chance at your senior ball, why not do your best.

I don't know your son, but I'm sure he is dying to impress his date, and make his night perfect. Teach the boy how to drive the car, tell him how important it is to you, and let him drive it. It's just one night of fear for you, and a lifetime of good memories for him (not to mention a little less teenage resentment of you).