[Jormungand]

Originally Posted by Mr. Wolfe

I like that idea. Buy it cheap and let them know it can be much nicer with some work and you are willing to help.

Mr. Wolfe

It's a good experience, teaches them the value of vehicle as well as doing their own work and knowing the value of a dollar. Having your dad helping you work on things is a great bonding experience as well.

[TitSprinksMcGee]

Originally Posted by M3Dom

de tunned cl550 4matic with ripped out back seats. my oldest is 8 but yea merc safety is paramount to me especially having a big crash in a new benz.

what happened?

Originally Posted by TheSt|G

Viper, preferably gen 1.

I chuckled.

It'll be 20 years before I have this problem, so who knows. The easy answer is something safe. Here's what my parents did for the four of us kids:

We lived outside of town and all were active in sports/extracurriculars so a vehicle at 16 was a necessity. My dad bought us our vehicles in high school. They were fairly nice. He either bought them or they were the hand me downs of the parents cars. All were big and safe, either sedans or minivans (family vehicles). They were 10-15 years old and were $5-8,000 cars.

The cars were ours to drive in high school. My dad paid for the insurance as they were under the family plan. We all got good student discounts. If that would have been lost to bad grades, we were required to pay the substantial difference in rates. We all had jobs so we paid for our own gas. My dad took care of all maintenance. We had zero say in the selection of the vehicles and we knew better to even ask IF we chose to drive in college we could either buy the cars from him, or buy our own. At the point of college and beyond all expenses were our own responsibility.

I expect to be in a similar or improved financial capacity so I intend to do the same for my kids. I think I had it better than most kids, but we also weren't spoiled with "cool" cars.

[HelloNewman]

Originally Posted by cosmos///m3

So this might be the ultimate question for some of you guys.

Many of us have modified our cars over the years, whether that be minor bolt ons to full out motor swaps and builds. Many of you already have children, some planning, others... probably shouldnt ever have children

So here is my question. You have children, when it comes time for them to get a car.

1. Do you have a set allowance you provide them anything more they pay for? Or hell no they have to purchase their own car?

2. Do you have limitations on what they can have? Nothing super fast, no shaggin wagons because you don't want to be a grandpa? Does this change if say you bring them up and they are racing karts? What if they are an athlete? Straight A student?

3. Lets assume you buy them something decent. We will say something equivalent to an e46 M3 by today's standards. When it comes to mod time, do you tell them the mods they are getting or you will allow on the car? Do you buy parts just because you want to modify it yourself? What do you do if they want to start doing mods to their car, something like rusted hoods on their V-Dub brah...

Random questions for the day. Curious to see how M3FOT feels about this.

Don't have kids, but my answers go as follows.

1) Absolutely not, buying a kid a car is the biggest mistake you can ever make. There's no value when things are simply given to you. My parents made me pay every cent of my first car and I am eternally grateful for that in more ways than one. I learned how to budget money, work on my own vehicle, and it definitely made me a more responsible driver knowing that I had so much time and effort put into paying for the vehicle. Out of all the friends/acquaintances I had growing up, the ones that had DUI's, wrecked their cars, died all were spoiled kids that had cars given to them.

Too many people give their kids things because they think they are helping them, when in reality they are cheating everyone involved.

2) I don't even need to touch on this subject, if you let your 16 year old drive a high performance vehicle you are the idiot to end all idiots.

3) If your kid is paying for their own car + maintenance mods aren't going to be happening. TBH there aren't any mods I would recommend for a new driver. Wheels will get scraped, lowering the car makes the chance of damage increase tenfold, window tint just makes seeing at night more difficult, etc.

[TitSprinksMcGee]

Originally Posted by HelloNewman

Don't have kids, but my answers go as follows.

1) Absolutely not, buying a kid a car is the biggest mistake you can ever make. There's no value when things are simply given to you. My parents made me pay every cent of my first car and I am eternally grateful for that in more ways than one. I learned how to budget money, work on my own vehicle, and it definitely made me a more responsible driver knowing that I had so much time and effort put into paying for the vehicle. Out of all the friends/acquaintances I had growing up, the ones that had DUI's, wrecked their cars, died all were spoiled kids that had cars given to them.

eh, I'm doing very well for myself, my younger sister has a masters and is a designer in NYC, my older sister is a CFA and an investment banker, and my older brother is a surgeon. Granted ours weren't "fully" given to us, but I think that's sufficient anecdotal to debunk your theory.

Oh and Skillz's bro gave him his Nissan and he's possibly the nicest person I've ever met or slept in a bed with

[M3n00b]

Pics of sister?

[skillz]

It seems many of us would do what our parents did...

I would match the money my kid puts down on the car, but it has to be something safe/practical/reasonable like a used civic/accord etc. If they work summers before they turn 16 and save $4k...I'll match it.

I would put their insurance on my family plan (pending they retain good grades), but they are responsible for gas/maintenance. Unforeseen repairs I would help with.

...I'm never having kids so this is all hypothetical

[skillz]

Originally Posted by TitSprinksMcGee

Oh and Skillz's bro gave him his Nissan and he's possibly the nicest person I've ever met or slept in a bed with

...and it's a slicktop

[Rontgen]

Depends on the kid and the situation...

For my oldest daughter, I picked up a high mile <$5K E46 sedan (02 325xi) to use as a beater/extra car and she primarily drives it. It allows her to get to/from school/work and save money in the process while still in high school. But, it's not registered in her name and isn't "her" car. When she goes to college in the fall, she'll be on her own to find something and is saving money as we speak for that. I'll keep the E46 for myself and match her 1-for-1 on the purchase of her car.

My oldest son is 14 and shows interest in turning a wrench, so in about a year I'll be shopping for a project car. He wants an E30, but as we all know finding one of those that isn't a complete wreck is easier said than done. We'll work something out where he's financially invested in the car since I expect he'll want to keep it after high school.

[MikeS123]

Funny this thread pops up, just this past week I have taken my 15 year old son to drive the first time on public streets. We have told him for years that whatever he saved up we would match. He doesn't save very well so looks like it will be a huffy. lol. But I am not buying a car for him. I guess he does not share the car gene with me unfortunately, so I don't really have to worry about him wanting to buy something fast or mod it. I actually have two options right now though, my wife's old 2005.5 Jetta TDI which is actually in great shape and would make a fantastic first car. I'm reluctant to let him have it though since he hasn't saved up. The other option is a 98 frontier my parents have that they said they would sell to him for $500, it's a completely base model, only option is AC. lol. But it only has 73k miles on it right now. So I will probably go that route. Once he has a job this summer certainly he will be able to save that up and have enough for insurance and gas.

[SeanE46]

You guys haven't seen teens in high school...
Come on down to SoCal. We have

4 E46 m3
1 F82 m4
1f80
3 f32 435
At least 10 infiniti q50


All depends on the area. Some cities no teen has a car
Some city the teens drive nicer cars then anyone on this forum.
My city is about 75% up on the spectrum. We have a 435i that can eat m4s all day.

I started from a 1998 Cadillac Eldorado
Went to a 97 328ci
Now at a 2001 M3 with 78k stick
And I'm only 18.

And I am selling the current m3 and going for a ZCP M3

Trust me, you guys haven't seen anything .