Ungrateful offspring....

[Mastiff]

Jasandjules said:

Go ask his friends if any of them want a free car.

Tell offspring that was his chance. He can buy and pay for the running costs of any car he wants.

I like this.

[David87]

You seem to have made the fundamental mistake of not buying him a diesel Audi A3, finished in white. This is what kids want, yo.

[Bradley1500]

stephen300o said:

Pickled Piper said:

Youngsters today view cars in the same way as phones and tablets. Nobody wants an old used one.

Some do, some appreciate a vintage item, have imagination and soul.

Quite right.

I passed in 2012 and my first car was a Triumph Spitfire - I loved it!

[Speed Badger]

What does giving your son a £150 car say to him?

[Gareth79]

Impasse said:

Have to go with the consensus here. Flip the car for a modest profit and put any thoughts of helping him out with a car or driving to the back of your mind.

Flip it and buy something extravagant for himself with the profit and make a big show of it.

Pickled Piper said:

Youngsters today view cars in the same way as phones and tablets. Nobody wants an old used one.

Classic quote from an acquaintance this week on social media, after moaning that they wouldn't qualify for the Help To Buy scheme:

"I guess we'll have to save up longer and buy a second-hand house"

[marshalla]

Speed Badger said:

What does giving your son a £150 car say to him?

It's not a £150 car though, is it ? It's £150 + whatever was spent at GSF + whatever is going to be spent + personal time and attention to detail.

[Pints]

DragsterRR said:

Yup. Sell it on to someone else.
Don't get him anything else.
And don't give him anymore lifts anywhere.

Then he'll wish he had the "P.o.S"

This. In spades.

I had to buy my own POS when I was that age.

[romeogolf]

Maty said:

currybum said:

Am I the only one who will be making sure my offspring is in a modern car with all the safety gizmos on offer?

Between 17-20 they are likely to be involved in an accident of some sort, so it would be a shame to waste 17 years of school pick-ups, birthday parties and education investment because I put them on the road in a tin foil box while everyone else is in super strong boxes with more airbags than wheels.

Hopefully by that time they will be all driven by computer anyway.

Do airbags, ABS and other such safety gizmo's not give them a sense of indestructability though?

My parents gave me £500 to buy a car in 2000, that bought me a Rover Metro that smelled off piss with none existent rear arches. I absolutely loved it and was extremely grateful to them.

It had no ABS, power steering or airbags. I drove it accordingly.

It's more the other drivers they need to be protected from...

[BaronVonVaderham]

Am not a fan of VW but that's verging on being a classic - he clearly has no interest in cars as if you google image search for that age polo there are nothing but photos of highly customised ones. How ungrateful.

[Mr E]

castex said:

I got lucky in one of those once. They're cool little cars.

My Grandfathers was an '86 coupe. 45bhp, 4 speeds. 2 speakers.
I won't detail what was got upto in that car...

[_dobbo_]

Speed Badger said:

What does giving your son a £150 car say to him?

What do you think it says to him? Given the subjective nature of such a question I fail to see the point, but I'm interested in what message you think it sends.

[bigbob77]

Bradley1500 said:

I passed in 2012 and my first car was a Triumph Spitfire - I loved it!

I think loads of people would love a Triumph Spitfire as their first car. What has that got to do with a 30 year old VW Polo?

[PDP76]

I learnt to drive in a polo breadvan. Not a bad car at all to be fair, although compared to modern standards, it's old as fk.

I bought and insured my own first car, mk2 xr2. Let him get on with it if he doesn't want the polo. Buying and insuring your first car in the early 90's wasn't cheap, and it sure isn't cheap now.

[sim16v]

Your son might not think it, but they have a cult following now, and if it is as mint as 30,000 miles would suggest, it could be worth more than 10 times the initial purchase cost!

Keep it tidy, don't crash it and sell it in 12 months once he has a year's NCB and it would help pay for a more modern car.

I was given a '83 breadvan for Christmas when I was 17 and I thought it was the best thing ever!

[Actus Reus]

Sell the car, buy him a watch with the proceeds and that's that.

That said, at 17, I wasn't particularly ungrateful, but I'm not sure I'd have wanted a 30 year old car (at that point that would have meant something of 1966 vintage) when all my mates had 205GTis and XR2s.

[wezo]

I was in a similar position when I was 17 and really didn't like the car I was given. Yes I was given it; and whilst I was very grateful to have a car, I hated that car. Money was tight and I wasn't expecting to get it, so I should have been as pleased as punch but it wasn't what I wanted. My father knew that but bought it anyway because it was good value. It was very uncool and seemed naff to me, which was nothing to do with being an ungrateful little whatever....

Why didn't you speak to him, explain the facts of life re. money is tight and ask him what he would like within those cash parameters? People go on about teenagers emotions, but half the time its the parents that are equally emotional... I know we like to give our kids the benefit of our experience but as a young adult fining your way in the adult you want to make decisions for yourself when you can; and cars are such a personal thing. Just a thought for next time...

[MDMA .]

don't forget, I've got first dibs on it !

I've planned it out already - lowered springs, ATS classics. breadvan winner

[br d]

Speed Badger said:

What does giving your son a £150 car say to him?

Bloody hell I must be out of touch with this stuff! What on earth are you implying?

Surely it says "I went to the trouble of sourcing, buying and presenting this car for you". Are you suggesting it's disrespectful because he didn't spend enough?

fk me displaying this attitude it's no wonder kids are such entitled brats now.

[Pieman68]

My first car belonged to my mate's granddad from new. Was a 1.2 Mk1 Astra in green with a tan interior. Had a radio with a single centrally mounted speaker

Wasn't even run in and had 2 very happy years from her. Alloys, Momo steering wheel, head unit, pair of alpine 6x9s and a self amplified bass cannon riveted to the rear of the back seat. It was 1997 though!!

Could other family members put together for a head unit and some speakers, show him how to fit it old school with some electrical tape?

Alternatively sell it, buy him a bike and wish him luck.....................

[Pints]

Speed Badger said:

What does giving your son a £150 car say to him?

It says his dad cares enough about him to give him the gift of trust and freedom. Not to mention the opportunity to spend time with his old man tinkering on the car, adding and fixing it to make it his own.

I love my dad and although he didn't have the money to buy my own car, he helped my motoring journeys in other ways for which I'm eternally grateful. Spending time with my dad while we poke around under the bonnet was (and still is) something I enjoy.