Cars for Teenagers

["am401@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <am401@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I went different routes with my two kids. I bought a 5 year old Nissan
Altima for my daughter, who promptly was involved in 2 minor accidents.
Even though she paid for the repairs, she never seemed to appreciate the
car - we always had to "hassle" (her word) her about checking the oil, tire
pressures, keeping it clean, etc. She's driven it now for 4 years, 2
additional fender-benders (fixed both times), but it still looks like a
dumpster on wheels because of the lack of care. It has been extremely
reliable though.

Learning my lesson, fI picked up a worn out 80 Spirit for my son at age 14.
We spent the next 3 years restoring the car. He learned how to do body
work, we scoured the junkyards together, and had to be innovative to keep
the costs low. Now he drives a decent car, fully functional, different from
the rest of the rice burners at school, and something he built himself. It
gave us a project to work on together, and may have kept him out of typical
teenage trouble. It took longer to do than expected, so I would recommend
starting earlier. The final cost was half that of the Altima, and I expect
it will last longer too.


Cliff Danley
First Coast AMC
Jacksonville, Floeida