his fate is in your hands

[flyfishz]

some of you may know I had started building out a 89 240 for my son. Bought the car, got lots of great ideas from this forum and we were on our way. New Volk AV3 17 wheels, Alpine MP3, lots of mechanical work to get it running really well and new Eibach Pro lines and a set KYB AGX adjustable shocks. The springs and shocks were not installed yet. They are sitting out in the garage.

Yes we WERE having a good time.... until he lost control trying to get sideways in the rain and spun out hitting a curb and smashed to of the cool wheels and destroying the driverside suspension.

He is begging for another chance with a 240 because like all of you... he came to learn that the 240 is about as cool a ride that was ever came out of Japan

I am starting to think he needs a old Ford escort wagon...

So how about it? does 16 get another chance and does the "let's build one" project live on? Or does he need a year in the escort?

Will actually probably be a pick up truck not an escort cause I need one to haul the dirt bikes... but that would be his daily ride for at least a year.

search the forum for "let's build one" to see what we had planned to do.

[Touchdown038]

Give him another chance... just make him pay to work off those broken wheels and suspension.

When he's 16 he should have a job to afford to fix things anyways. I wish I was lucky enough for my parents to have bought me a car when I was 16!

[Nathan]

Well, I did almost the exact same thing when I was his age and luckily...got another chance so I'm inclined to say that if you can afford it then give him another shot. BUT, let him be carless for just a little while, like a month or so...it'll do wonders for teaching him how much it sucks to screw up doing stupid things . How much is the damage? Obviously the wheels are an expensive part but you can probably pick up serviceable suspension components for relatively cheap at a junkyard and then clean them and have them installed if you dont feel up to it. That's still not a cheap fix though, make sure he didn't bend the frame either like I did when I did that it makes it really hard for them to do alignments later on... I'm guessing your looking at about 1500 dollars of repairs and to replace those two wheels, maybe you could work out some system where he pays you back? I know I didn't get an allowance ever again after I wrecked my car the first time...I was "paying back" the damages over a very long time.

[jacob360]

He's too young. He probably doesn't have the wisdom yet to learn from his mistakes. If you got him another 240sx, it would only be a matter of time before he felt the confidence to get sideways again. Once you get into it, you always want more.

He needs more driving experience before putting tons of money into a project, unless you can afford to throw money away.

[Onizuka]

nissan hardbody pickup truck, same car only 2 seats and a cargo bed

http://www.nissaninfiniticlub....43217

[MainEvent212]

i say you part out this car and show him what happens when you mess up...then maybe he wont feel the need to fck aroudn in the street anymore...it's his own fault he messed up, and i know if my parents ever caught me, even speeding, let alone crashing my car cuz i was being foolish, they'd take away my car and get rid of it faster then you could say "crap"

[Nathan]

Wow, you guys are harsh...I'm still for giving him another chance, people make mistakes and it sounds to me like he regrets his decision. 16 is NOT too young to learn from your mistakes, maturity can be present in 16 year olds too.

[crzycav86]

Well.. I had a similar experience as your son. When I was 16 and had my license for about 5 months, I got in an accident, similar to that of your son. I was taking a pretty sharp curve at around 70 mph in my brother's oldsmobile and smacked a curb. Luckily there was no one on the road... I felt like crap afterward and spent a few days thoroughly ruminating my mistakes, and my attitude on driving. I definitely learned how important it is to be careful when driving the car hard... and I haven't forgotten(The accident as about 7 months ago). Sure, I do spirited driving sometimes, but never careless driving.

Give him another chance. Make sure he feels like **** for a few days so he'll never forget the accident..

[NISTECH]

if your anywhere near sacramento sign him up for the saftey driving course I believe offered by the highway patrol. granted there will be alot of lecture about safe driving habits which he may or may not gain something from it. But where he will gain is the behind the wheel training. This aint no drivers ed course niether. This course gets you out on a slick track and puts you in uncontrolled spins and braking conditions. They teach you how to regian control in those conditions. So if he does go through this course if he looses it again he will have the tools to get it under control .

Scott

[flyfishz]

Sac is not too far away and I would like him to know how to handle the next situation he gets into, How can I get more info on the course?I will let you guys know what we decide on the car. Truth is I was having a good time working on the car also. Those springs and shocks need a car, so maybe a long term restoration project is the ticket. Either way it will be a while before he is driving anything "cool" for a while

[Cold_Zero]

My parents believed in limiting my driving when I got my license. I was not drive and leave town for the first couple of years and it took some time to be able to drive at night. At the time I really didn’t understand why my parents were killjoys about driving, but now I do. When you are a teenager, you do some incredibly stupid things! If I had busted up the Caprice trying to get it sideways, he would still be smacking me around. I do think it shows poor judgment. I have been driving for 13 years now and I wouldn’t do something like that unless it was in a controlled environment.

I would prefer the Escort idea. I went to school with people that drive very nice cars. I drove an old Caprice Classic and Repoman drove an Escort. I think we appreciate what we have more now, because of our past experiences. But the idea of your son owning up to the mistake and making right for it is a good learning experience.

[IvoryJ30t]

i wrecked the **** out of a toyota MR2 when i was 16. that was the first and last car my parents bought me. the others, i got with my own money.

[AZhitman]

LOL - Great memories...

When I was 17, I had a BUILT 1968 GranSport. I had accepted a "burnout/donut challenge" from a guy I worked with and we decided to hold it in front of our department store after closing (after we got off work). His dad worked for Discount Tire, and he had bet me a set of brand new Goodyear Gatorbacks. The crowd gathered, and we got it on. My smoke and presentation was FAR more dramatic, and I easily won the bet.

Then the fire trucks started showing up. Four of them.

Needless to say, my parents were not pleased.

[Cold_Zero]

The Fire Trucks came to hose down the young girls, because they were so impressed with your gross display of horsepower? You are the man!

[Mr1der]

I say if possible, you pick him up from school and make sure to honk the horn and make an *** out of yourself in general to embarass him in front of his peers. Also be sure to make him work to pay for the damage. And talk to his teachers while waiting on him to get out of school, perhaps where a pocket protector and talk with a cracking voice?

[Toms240420]

His first car should be a crappy one, then make him pay and fix everything that goes wrong, then after the poor car is COMPLETELY dead, then he gets something better. Makes him realize that he is responible for whatever he chooses to break. If i had my 240 at 16, I probably wouldnt be here posting now.

[blink0r]

16 is too young, especially if the accident was his fault. I never got my 240 until i was 19, AND i bought it myself. Mommy and daddy never helped. He's lucky he even had the chance!

[lessthanjakejohn]

give him a second chance!

[Onizuka]

i bought my 240 when i was 16 and i got it on my own dime. I learned to drive on a FWD manual saturn until the lease was up, then i dusted off the 240 and used it as my daily

[elbles]

I got my 240 at 17, right before the New England winter, actually, and stuff like what happened to your son, will happen. The 240 was the first RWD car that I ever spent much time in, in any condition, and I'll be the first to admit I got into a few situations that could've been a lot worse than they were (having bald all-seasons probably didn't help too much either). But all it took was one somewhat-major incident (no damage to car, just to my nerves) to teach me how to handle RWD in slick conditions (or when provoked on dry pavement, heh) . . . I'd say use your judgment here. If you think your son learned his leason, then by all means, help him fix his car, and decide if you want him to repay you or not. If not, let him know that you don't think he's ready for a sporty car like the 240, and that if he learns, he might be able to get one again. HTH . . .

[Toahk]

I had my first 240 bought for me when I first got my license, crashed it a few months later. Worked over the summer and bought another 89 240 that was all beat up and needed tons of work. But the thing is, I take Wayyyy better care of this one, just because I worked for it and it wasnt handed to me. This one doesnt have a nice paint job or nice rims or anything, but id' choose it over my old one anyday, you appreciate stuff more when you worked your butt off for them.

[tl1000sga]

I say give him another chance, but.......

Make him do most of the work (and problem solving for that matter), and make him pay for some or most of it somehow.

[Kaioshin1982]

16, getting a car from parents, getting a hooked up car from parents, getting in to an accident coz of what he did, 2nd chance? I think not!

I dont think he'll learn to appreciate stuff if u just keep handing it to him, just let him start working, get his own parts and u can help him with the installation =)

[nissanrcer240]

I would say make him drive the escort for maybe a couple of months, a year is a little much just for a mistake IMO. Dont just fix it and give it right back to him though, and I would definetly make him work to pay to get it fixed.

[flyfishz]

Trouble with the escort idea is I have to go buy one... My car is lowered V-8 Benz and 2nd car is Navigator. I can probablly get an Escort for under $1000, but the thing will be in my driveway...

I am not sure where he is on the value of the lesson... He currently has zero driving privlages and that is really cramping his style with freinds and girlfreinds and stuff...

I am still trying to deside what to do, but at the least he will have to buy the parts. I will help with install

[IvoryJ30t]

how did you lower the 430? with the air ride control module?

[IvoryJ30t]

i used to tow benz's and one time, i picked up a S430 sitting on lorinsers, whose air ride malfunctioned. that thing was sitting on the ground, and looked MEAN!! that had to be the best looking benz i ever saw [aside from the 03 brabus SL that had to be towed to jersey because it had a flat tire]

[prigo]

Make him do all the repairs himself, if its fixable, otherwise, make him get the money for it. When I wrecked my white coupe, my attitude changed when I had to deal with replacing it. Thats what happened to me, and I havnt fcuked up after my first accident.

...well... yet

[fiznat]

yeahh I never liked the idea of you buying all the parts for him... even when you put up that first post about "lets build a car together." It's my feeling that if he had really worked for the car and if he truly did understand it's value, then he wouldnt be putting it in situations that could ruin all of that hard work. That said, it could have just been a stupid mistake that you can chalk up to no experience.

Tell me he wasnt trying to "get sideways" on a regular road, though. If that's the case I say punish him as much as you can- drop the hammer- but if he was trying to just mess around a little bit in a deserted parking lot or something, then, well, maybe just making him pay for repairs + parts from now on would make a huge difference.

Good luck.

[f1seb]

You have to realize that he is 16, there will be peer pressure with a nice ride like that from his friends and no matter how much he'll tell you he won't listen to them, he will take part in racing illegaly. You can't trust kids at 16 and I know it, my parents bought me a crap car that was slow and I managed to crash it. A person doesn't really think twice about what he's doing and what the outcome might be unless they use a car that wasn't given to them but earned on his own. I bought my 240 and with all the money I spent into it I think twice before I do anything stupid in it. Too much work and money went into that thing to just throw it all away showing off in front of friends. If you give him back the keys to the 240 after you fix it up with your own money, I'll say that between now and the time he turns 21 he'll destroy it.