Ungrateful offspring....

[Tim-D]

Have been put in my place…..

Jnr turns 17 in March so had been wondering what to get him for his birthday…….a learner shed being top of the agenda….

Chatting at work last week on the issue – I learn of an ’85 Mk2 Polo breadvan…. 30k on it from new, pensioner property, garaged from new, rust free and after many years of denying the inevitable it’s one owner had conceded that it wouldn’t be driven again and would be willing to let it go….maybe…

Fast forward to Sunday, with Jnr out with his mates – I hotfoot it around doing my best pretence of charm, and 10 mins later job done and £150 changes hands - asking price was £100 so for the first time in my life I voluntarily paid more for something than was asked – my growing , but still limited conscience at work.

Grab best mate and tow bar - nothing wrong with banger – just hadn’t run since last taxed in 2007 so a bit risky to fire straight up before some tlc and drag the little hun home…

Before sprog got in we set to with a boxload of GSF’s finest offerings – and it goes beautifully – barring a very lumpy idle & slight misfire which is probably down to ancient fuel….

No hiding it as it’s on the drive….

At this point I cast my mind back to when I approached 17….. my granddad took me to the dump a the mortal remains of a mini and a crashed metro were dragged home for the combined princely sum of £40 and after many hours of blood sweat , tears and a few frayed tempers a very ratty mini was the result…...

I know times change and every neighbourhood Tarquin, Crispin, Quentin & Tabitha will receive a shiny eurobox horror from doting mater & pater….. but I’m on a tight budget (besides having done a bit of advance research insurance on the polo is just hideous rather than horrendous) and want Jnr to learn such lost skills of his generation – such as maintainence and repair rather than being permanently affixed to the pc/ ipad / phone and viewing manual outdoor work as something for Dad to do…..

So what do I get when he spies and addition and jumps to the correct conclusion…..

“what’s that POS?”
“I’m not driving that”
“I hasn’t even got a CD player”

My sprog, lazy tyke though he is (wholly my fault) has at least not been an ungrateful little sh*t before. I’m bloody hopping mad and was hoping he’d apologise after thinking it through…. But two days later nothing…..

Half inclined to not mention it and hide it in a friend’s garage until March…… unless anyone can think of a better way to teach a seriously needed lesson…….????

[marshalla]

[Matthen]

Don't give him anything? He clearly doesn't want to learn to drive that much. He'll regret it when he's older.

[PhillipM]

Stick with a nail in it.

[55palfers]

I wish my Dad had bought me a car when I was 17.

Like you, I bought my own and tinkered to keep it running.

Make him walk from now on.

[hornetrider]

You've made a fundamental mistake. Sticker bomb a front wing, paint rust on the bonnet, cut the springs, slam it with massive camber on 12" deep dish rimz and put a roofrack on top with a spare wheel and various surf paraphernalia.

Oh, and a sound system to wake up the neighbours.

[stephen300o]

Buying a car for them? No one told me this was an option when I bought my first car!

[Blanchimont]

I had a Ka as my first car, and I didn't particularly fancy it, it was wheels and it got bought for me and I loved it.

I did naff all to it except put a new radio in, but I loved it for what it was, cheap, easy to fix transport which was dry for a year.

[castex]

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

[DragsterRR]

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"

[Kermit power]

Just wish him luck funding his own car and insurance, should he wish to learn to drive, and tell him you know where to find a perfectly adequate Polo, should he at any point feel the urge to apologise properly...

[dirty doug]

Standard PH response of nuke from orbit.....

I would be within a heartbeat of exploding with incandescent rage myself.

Either sell car for a small profit - buy beers and relax.

Or

Take car to local scrappy with ungrateful gobste in tow, pay scrappy to crush car in front of aforementioned, THEN buy beers & relax!

[MDMA .]

where are you ? i'll take it off your hands if as described. 1 owner, rot free etc. 150 you said ?

[DS197]

Crush it? He should be very grateful for a car at 17

[R8VXF]

I had an '84 Breadvan. Brilliant little things. Just warn your little st that the brakes need a very firm application!

[Jasandjules]

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.

[S10GTA]

I'd hit the roof. Cheeky st.

[TTwiggy]

Put the Polo in his bedroom, tell him he now sleeps on the drive.

[bungz]

I think that would make a cracking first car.

You could play the long game here if you have somewhere to keep it for a while, finish it off get it running perfect and just wait.

Wait till he passes his test and is skint then make him bloody beg for the crappy polo!

[Sycamore]

I'd have loved a car from my Dad at 17.

Either keep the car for yourself or sell it and buy yourself something nice.

Don't buy the scrote a thing. Primark are hiring.