Need advice from teenagers

[smarch]

Hmm well I'm not a teenager anymore but I'm not too far from one! I got my first car when I was 17, a '92 vw cabriolet that I bought for $2k. She deffinitely needs a car charger. These days teens are on their phone so much that they die quickly! A week after I got my car I was driving to a friends at 1 am (I know something you don't want to hear) and my clutch went out. I was stuck in a ghetto trailer park at 1 am. My cell phone was dead and my friends was broke. Make sure she has a charger! Anyways long story short my clutch got fixed and I still have that same car and it actually just hit 100k miles today
Also get her a spare key and get yourself a spare key and get your wife a spare key. Because your daughter will probably lose/lock them in and they'll come in handy.
Get her lots of hair ties to put in her car so she can ride with the windows down. Lol
And what I think is the most important, sit down and have a serious talk with her about drinking and driving. I am only 20 years old so I remember clearly about how little teenagers listen to their parents. But I also remember this same talk with my dad and I listened to it. Kids see all the time commercials and Such about what can happen if you drink and drive. But they think itll never happen to them, so you need to make it personal. You need to tell her about when you did something completely stupid and really messed up. My dad told me about when he was driving and hit someone who just happened to be someone he knew and nearly killed them. Not only did that mentally scar him but he also got a DUI causing him to lose his license, job, and house making him homeless. He said it nearly ruined his life and he was lucky to get back on his feet. Of course he went way into detail and it really got to me. It made me never want to do it. But he told me that if I ever got into a bad situation I could call him in the middle of the night even if I lied about where I was at, and he would come get me no questions asked, never bring it up again, and wouldn't even tell mom. I swore I would never drink and drive and I never planned to. One day I told my dad i was going to a friends to study, but really went to a party and drank because I was planning on staying there that night. I ended up getting into a really uncomfortable situation there and I really needed to get home but I didn't want to drive because I had been drinking. So I called up dad at 3 am and he picked me up no questions asked and had hangovers cures waiting on my desk for me in the morning. I was so afraid to walk out of my room and i was ashamed. But when i came out he acted like nothing ever happened and literally was never brought up again... I know this is a huge post and not exactly stuff you want to hear but it can literally be a lifesaver and a huge bonding experience and even more respect from her.
That car is awesome and I know she'll love it. You don't need anymore fancy stuff. Save that for future celebrations.

My family had a similar drunk driving incident long before I was born and about a distant relative I met only twice, but I knew never to drink and drive, if I go out and have a drink I better be planning to stay out for an hour or 2 after for it all to clear out of me. But honestly the texting and driving would have been more of the worry, but a friend of mines older sister crashed and was killed because of it when I was in high school and that effected me greatly, there were no apps then to prevent it, in fact she didn't even have a smartphone, they didn't really exist then.

That drinking story is like A+ parenting in my book, I mean yeah its not good to drink underage, but I mean my parents knew I did a few times, and you were in with friends not out at a huge party type thing, but they knew if they freaked out and yelled you'd be less likely to call again if there was a problem like that and just go, my parents always told me (even before they knew i'd drink some) that if I ever needed a ride because i'd drank they'd come no questions asked and that would be that... they also told me if I ever got a DUI the police officer would be the nice one compared to them (that was after my 21st birthday... and they know if I drink its one drink and never more than 2)

 

[smarch]

My wife says I'm going overboard with this so here is my plan.

I've spent $500 in parts to make sure it's got new front brakes, rear shocks, complete tune up, every filter and fluid changed, and a part from the dealer to fix the steering column. It will take me a few weekend of working on it but she's be like new when I'm done. I'm leaving the stock radio in place but installing new door speakers.

Part of the reason I got a good deal on the car is because someone broke in to steal a purse. They didn't bust the window like a normal thief, they took a screwdriver a poked a hole through the door so they could unlock it (see photo). That is costing $350 to have it fixed.

I will be getting her a road side emergency kit, 1st aid kit, and putting them both in a Rubbermaid bin in the trunk. I will make it big enough that she can add blankets and extra clothes. Then a phone charger and the decretive floor mats and seat covers.

The windows are already tinted but someone used low quality tint and it's turning purple. My wife hates it but I told her I'm not spending money on tint when the tiny is already there so grandma is paying for new tint and a full detail of the car. Oh, and I'm painting the hub caps black. They'll look nicer and I can keep track of how many curbs she hits.

Look out world, here she comes! View attachment 103202




0.0.1 Redfoot (Spike)
0.0.1 Cherryhead Redfoot (Bruce Wayne)
1.0 Sulcata (Hal Jordan)

Sounds perfect, especially the bin... as neat as I keep my car I know things fly around the trunk... i'm wondering why a storage bin never crossed my mind!
That's one crafty criminal... if you think about it they could have done it in daylight and it could have looked like they were using a key... I've never heard of someone breaking in like that! Once my key lock on my door fell in, while I was at work and I thought someone had tried to break in like that, but since my car doesn't have the frame around the windows my dad said they wouldn't have done that they could have just pulled the window out some and slid in a thing to hit unlock, we assume it was just not put in well after body work done earlier that year, and they place that did the bodywork fished out the lock and put it back without charge... they'd also forgotten their flashlight in my door ... IN my door!! every time I'd turn I'd hear a thump and told my dad who thought I was crazy but after a while of complaining he stuck his hand in and pulled out a large flashlight! ... but it was rechargeable so we had to give it back since we didn't have the charger

 

[jaizei]

Maybe it's a Texas thing, but I think that method is fairly common. Because it can be done in the middle of the day without attracting too much attention. I know a few people that have lost laptops that way.

Personally, when I have to break into my truck, I'm more of using ceiling wire or a fish tape to hook the handle kinda guy.

 

[tortdad]

I had a pretty good weekend working on the car. Caitlin worked from 11-5 both sat and sun so got some wrench time on it. So far I've completed:
Front brakes
Rear shocks
Oil change
Air filter
Cabin air filter
Fuel filter
Spark plugs
Cleaned throttle body
Put injector cleaner in it
Degrease the engine
Painter the wheels and hub caps black
Had the body work done.

I saw a YouTube video on how to fix the turn signal switch (a problem with this model car) but it didn't work so I need to buy a new one ($60) and take the dash back apart. I also still need to put the thermostat in and flush the radiator, then flush the transmission.

The wheels look really really good black. I should have taken a picture before I took it back to my moms house.

I almost blew the mission. I was all set up to be finished 30 mins Before my daughter came back from work when I broke 2 of the lug nut studs and had to go to the parts store. She came home while I had the front wheel all tore apart putting the studs back in. She asked whos car it was and I told her it was my moms boyfriends and I was fixing it for him. She bought it. If she only knew she was looking at her Christmas gift.


0.0.1 Redfoot (Spike)
0.0.1 Cherryhead Redfoot (Bruce Wayne)
1.0 Sulcata (Hal Jordan)

 

[Earth Mama]

Quick thinking--good save!

 

[tortdad]

I got some more parts last night. I got the new turn signal switch, got a part for the steering column (another known problem with these cars) and ordered a replacement part for her dash board that was broken. It turns out that piece of the dash board has been discontinued from GM (it's only a 7 year old car) but I found a dealer in MS that still had one in stock and sold it to me 40% off so they could get rid of it

This weekend I'm taking the tint off because the purplish tint is driving my wife crazy and the tint shop wants $75 to take it off but only $160 to put new tint on.

So far I've spent $1200 on taxes, new license plates and parts for her car. Crap!!! I may ned to listen to my wife and stop spending all our cash on this car but I just want it in the best possible shape for her.


0.0.1 Redfoot (Spike)
0.0.1 Cherryhead Redfoot (Bruce Wayne)
1.0 Sulcata (Hal Jordan)

 

[Earth Mama]

I know she will love it but slow down dad . You can always add more to it after you give her the car. I'm pretty sure she'll love just having wheels. The rest is gravy. This way you don't have to break the bank. Your doing a great job btw.

 

[tortdad]

@Earth Mama


0.0.1 Redfoot (Spike)
0.0.1 Cherryhead Redfoot (Bruce Wayne)
1.0 Sulcata (Hal Jordan)

 

[smarch]

. It turns out that piece of the dash board has been discontinued from GM (it's only a 7 year old car) but I found a dealer in MS that still had one in stock and sold it to me 40% off so they could get rid of it

0.0.1 Redfoot (Spike)
0.0.1 Cherryhead Redfoot (Bruce Wayne)
1.0 Sulcata (Hal Jordan)

Its only a 7 year old car yes, but that would put it before GM crashed and needed bailout. Just be happy its not a Pontiac those parts are hard/impossible to find at this point! Maybe because its a pre-bailout GM they stopped making parts to support it?

 

[Teesh]

IM a teen girl and I think that is great all in itself , doesn't need much!


Teesh

 

[tortdad]

Just a few more hours and I get to bring the car from my moms house. The neighbors are letting me park it in their driveway so it won't ruin the surprise if she looks out the window before we want her too. My wife made a big bow for it so I'll have to take a picture of it and post it later. Here it is after I took it to a car wash this afternoon and put the seat covers/steering wheel cover in it.