Death Car

[hey,littlecobra]

parents with no common sense/judgement buy their kids ridiculous cars all the time. My husband happens to related to some... (not MY side of the family).
My kids will have 'sturdy, reliable, old cars' (like buying those ugly dress shoes we had as kids).
Peter turned 16 last December, and is currently driving my old '96 land cruiser. V6, heavy as a tank, and as I remember when doing research on buying that car in the first place, Consumer Reports said it was like driving a Brinks truck. Perfect for a 16 yo boy, i think. When he is 18, #2 turns 16.... guess what the 16 yo gets?? that's right, the '96 LC, with a few more miles and SO FAR no 'hits'. We will then buy Peter a 'new' car, truck or SUV of some sort... nothing wild, radical, but quite serviceable and safe for college. That'll be the only new car we buy for each kid. Their senior year, leaving for college vehicle. I already have lined up what the girls will get for their first car (probably) and the oldest girl is just 10!
oh, and if a clever boy doesn't want the LC and choses to kinda wreck it, hoping to get something newer?? well we have an even older F250 waiting....
I would like my kids to be able to contribute to their vehicles, but school is quite demanding, and they all are very involved in sports, and Peter has almost completed his Eagle rank in Scouts. #2 is right behind. I worked from the day (and actually before) I turned 16, but these days are very different. They do help with yardwork and various jobs at the farm. They don't get paid for it, it is expected, but then they don't have to pay for gas or upkeep.
anyway, back to the thread...
when i was 16, a friend at school failed the driver's test 3 TIMES!! and when she FINALLY passed it, she got a brand new, baby blue Camaro... I was so jealous!!!
My '66 MG was good enough.
kristen

[rdorman]

In general I completely agree that these are not cars for the typical youth. I turned down a kid on a car I sold a few years ago. Not true of all young folks, but I would venture to say 'most'.

[wtm442]

Originally Posted by fsstnotch

So because I am only 24.. that means I shouldn't own a cobra?

Twenty four is not a kid. Many children are "brain-dead" until they are about 18 or so. A fast car like a Cobra is never a good idea in the hands of a 16 or 17 year old kid. Especially one that is GIVEN to them.

My first "hi-po car" was my 442 which I still have, but I was 23 at the time. Only scared the **** out of myself about 3 or 4 times until I learned how to drive ... and I've been driving on the roads (alone, I might add) since I was 13 years old. Yes, I was a big kid!

Josh - keep safe and hurry home.

[fsstnotch]

Originally Posted by wtm442

Twenty four is not a kid. Many children are "brain-dead" until they are about 18 or so. A fast car like a Cobra is never a good idea in the hands of a 16 or 17 year old kid. Especially one that is GIVEN to them.

My first "hi-po car" was my 442 which I still have, but I was 23 at the time. Only scared the **** out of myself about 3 or 4 times until I learned how to drive ... and I've been driving on the roads (alone, I might add) since I was 13 years old. Yes, I was a big kid!

Josh - keep safe and hurry home.

thanks, I would agree that at 24 I'm not a kid. I was just replying to the "nobody 16-25 should own a cobra" post. there are still alot of immature drivers out there at 21. I wonder sometimes if it would be safer to allow drinking at 16 and driving at 21. If you could drink at 16.. maybe by 21 you would have it all out of your system and would know better than to drive drunk!

This is where I have faulted! My first year in the Air Force.. 19yrs old stationed in Tokyo Japan. $25, all you can drink, all night clubs, no real drinking age off base. Legal limit .03. I blew .052. Since it was on base, it never went on a driving record luckily for me! I very rarely drink anymore! Maybe a couple drinks in teh garage on a weekend. And NEVER drive after drinking. It's just not worth it! It's insane to look back at how much I've matured in the last 6-7 years now that I'm married with a daughter and don't have that.. who cares attitude!

[CSX 4039]

I buried a Maserati in a sand dune in my 20's. And, crashed a '64 Catalina 6 months after getting my license. Then again, around here, kid's routinely get killed while drinking and getting ejected from their F150's when they roll them.
A Cobra is definately a scary car. No doubt about it. But, for most cars, kid's get killed in them because they haven't had good driver's ed, and because they have a piece of their brains missing, not just the top speed of the car or acceleration of the car. Driving 10 laps around the high school parking lot, and then giving them license to drive in traffic Friday at 5 PM is nuts, IMO. Heck, even NASCAR drivers say rush hour traffic scares them.

[Excaliber]

Would have been a 'death car' for ME at that age, and even into my 20's. But not all 'kids' are like that, I'm comfortable with my 18 year old driving my Cobra, as he has done since an early age, on the street and the track. He doesn't even WANT to take the car out alone, he fully understands just how dangerous it is! But likes to drive with Dad along in the passenger seat.

I recently got him a motorcycle, an Endouro street/trail 250 and I ride along with him on my bike. He's very conservative (more than me). He grew up trail riding. I think a lot of it has to do with where you drive/ride. He avoids 'down town' like the plague, for instance, to much heavy traffic. Personally I think the freeways are safer than most 'side streets'.

[MaSnaka]

It certainly depends on the individual. I have no problem with my now 21yr old son driving my car with me in it. I can't help but think without me sitting nest to him he would test it a little or a lot more. With a friend of his next to him forget it. I don't need to use the Cobra to buy my son's affection or respect. That comes from being a great Dad. But I do love sharing the experience with him.

John

[BDHE]

freekintoad;

BRAVO!!!

It may be that someone less scrupulous that yourself may aid and abet the irresponsible father involved here, but we all know what would have happened to a kid in a cobra-shaped missile.

This is a real demonstration of great character on your part!


Bryon

[JWheaton]

Can someone direct me to the car manual that provides the approriate age eligibility for all the car makes and models? Insurance companies certainly provide deterrence.

I recall kids being killed in their family wagons. All cars can attain a speed that can kill their occupants. Cobras can do it faster, but at the same time the Cobra won't have 4 or 5 kids piled in encouraging the driver into stupid manuevers. I am sure that many of you were in those situations.

The Cobra certainly requires fast reflexes if the driver wants to drive spiritedly. At what age do the reflexes slow enough that maybe some of us "old guys" should abondon the ship for safety sake?

You should feel good about not selling to an individual that was clueless. But I think the fact the person was clueless was more important than the age.

Jamie

[Lowell W]

[ Maybe this father will buy a gun next for his kid Rick Lake

Must be a NJ thing...is that a problem?[/quote]

JTD,

Must be... I can't imagine being a 16 year old kid and NOT having a gun but I grew up in the midwest.



Toad,

Good for you. It can't be worth selling the car to have something like that on your conscience. And who knows...the way things are today, if the kid wrecked the car, the family might try to pin the blame on you for knowing the kid/car match was inappropriate and selling the idiot the car anyway.

Ya did the right thing!

Lowell

[CBattaglia]

My insurance company will not insure anyone who has less than 10 years driving experience.

Experience is everything.

Just last night (right after dusk) I was on my way home and knew that it was deer witching hour, so I took it slow. Sure enough around a sharp bend was a large deer in the middle of the road that I was able to avoid because I was doing 40 instead of 55.

[DAVID GAGNARD]

Ahhhh, the teens years, back in the late 60's early 70's, how any of us survived is a miracle when I think back on all the stupid stuff we did......A few did not make it, I can remember about 4 or 5 guys getting killed in car wrecks in my high school during my 4 years there.....

Asked my dad to loan me $3,400.00 in the early 70's to buy a used original big block Cobra, (don't remember the CSX #,wasn't that important at the time)(I was a teenager with a job), he laughed his a$$ off when I asked....First off, he couldn't afford it,as he already had 2 kids in college, one driving junk, the other walking...
Second, he knew the car (local car) and it's potential and said he didn't have the money to bury me and figured I'd last about a week in the Cobra (probably right)..... before he died in 1994, I did remind him of the red Cobra and told him how much that car would be worth today, he still was NOT impressed....

When my daughter was around 17 or so, she was always bugging me to drive my 65 Fastback (12.90 quarter mile car in street trim), which she knew was a definite no-no......so, one day, I got tired of her bugging me and we went out for a drive, I live kinda out in the country..... after an easy mile or two we turned around and headed for home, when she did I told her to start off in first and shift at 3,500 rpms, she did and when she got to about 65 or 70mph, she bumped it in nuetral and pulled over and had me drive the rest of the way home.... I asked what was the matter, she told me she was scared of the car, I said GREAT, JUST WHAT I WAS HOPING FOR, now she has a better respect for performance cars.... She has driven the car a few times with me, but says she prefers cars with A/C, power everything and a c/d player, none of which my car has............

David

[Excaliber]

The turning point for my boy was a day at the track with the Cobra. Running it flat out down the straight and seeing how easy it was for the rear end to come out in the corners really woke him up!

[badrich]

When I am in charge , I will make it necessary for all drivers to pass something like Bob Bondourant's school of defensive driving before being allowed to drive. I have no children to speak of, but if I did, this type of training would be mandatory. For their first car, I would recommend a good handling car with modest, but adequate power. I would also encourage them to refine their driving skills by taking up autocrossing. I thought I was a pretty good driver back in my youth, but realized how much I had to learn after my first couple of autocrosses. I soon became a much better driver. I can't imagine driving my Cobra without having some serious driving experience under my belt. I still scare myself occasionally, but I always end a drive with a big smile on my face. Rich

[DAVID GAGNARD]

I thought I was a pretty good driver back in my youth, but realized how much I had to learn after my first couple of autocrosses.

Ain't that the truth!!!!!!!

I think they timed me with a sun dial!!!!!!!!!! and then there were a bunch of teenagers there in their daily driver Accords-Camrys-Civics-Corrollas that made a BIG fool out of me!!!!!
Very humbling expierence, but I did learn a ton about car control and it certainly has helped in accident avoidence..........

David

[WildBill3]

Well i think as a parent you have tuff problems no dought, we raised ours around motorsports and i let any of my kids who wants to autox or drag the daytona in a contlolled envirment. we all ride atv,s and motorcycles even mom ,teaching kids to take ther races to the track and not to endanger themselves or others out on the highway,my son usually beats me autoxing but i takem at the drags soon that will pass also as his skills behind the wheel get sharper,some kids make bad judjment call behind the wheel thats for sure all you can do is train them in the way they should go.When we ran circle track i saw parents fund ther kids racing who had no biz being out on track,but others seemed natural drivers the difference was allmost allways previous track time in carts or motorcycles so they understood that seat of the pants feel first crall ,walk then run...WB

[freekintoad]

When I started this thread I had no idea that it would generate such a response from all you members. I was reckless driving untill I was drafted
into the Army at 20 yers old. That expiriance made me feel very lucky to be able to drive anywhere, driving anything!! I wish all the young folks the best that have written on this thread that are serving in the military at this time.
I'm sure that all members here wish you a safe return home. Most here understand the sacrifice that you are making in your lives to serve your country. The youth of this country is the future of this country.
I praise the parents that have written on this thread that are trying to
instill responsibility into their children by example and good guidence.
Personally, I wasn't lucky enough to have children during my life, but I try to guide and help other folks children. Cobras are the focus of this Club, and I believe we all respect the wild performance of these cars. They are very fast,
and stop real good, but they take skill to drive safely. 16 year olds are just beginning to develop skills. They have no business in a 500+ horsepower car
driving alone. Thanks for protecting your children. You have my deepest respect.
The best,
freekintoad

[freekintoad]

When starting this thread I never imagined the positive responses that you all
have contributed. I have no children of my own, but I am still protective of
other peoples children. All that have written on this thread that are serving in the military at this time have my utmost respect.Members here understand the sacrifice that you are making by serving your country in these troubled times. I can see by everyones posts that you are all determined to raise
your children to be safe and careful. Cobras are the focus of this forum, and most everyone here realizes how much performance is packed into these
vehicles. Any way you look at it...16 year old kids do not belong in a 500+
horsepower car that weighs 2400 lbs. with an egg shell body. NO KIDS NEED APPLY. Please continue to protect your children..they are the future of the nation, and we need them all.
The best,
freekintoad

[freekintoad]

Sorry for the double post.
freekintoad

[RICK LAKE]

JTD, LOWELL W, I worked on a farm at age 12 every summer. Learned to drive tractor at 11 and truck at 12. Needed 2/4 for the pedals. Took the safety course when 12 for pistol and rifle. Father was in the ARMY and learned how to shoot. High power cars and guns BOTH need respect. From the reply to this thread, All seam to understand this with there kids. A good basic upbringing. In NJ average per week is 2-3 shoots with killings. People in the poor areas like Camden and parts of Newark, the cops stay out of the areas for fear of being killed. Freedintoad did a smart thing and maybe saved a couple of lives. Like said,17 is TOO young for any youth to be driving 400+hp car. I had 7 accidents and saw GOD once. I learned my lesson without hurting anyone but me. Since 75 I loose 1-2 class mates every year from car accidents. I and my close circle of friends are all still here. Driving and drinking is a thing of the past, both with cars and motorcycles. I now drive others.