He will be paying for the truck, but not driving it. He has too many of his own vehicles to drive, A 198? chevy caprice station wagon, that I think could be tricked out pretty easily, A 198? dodge passenger van that he uses to haul his hot air balloon and crew, and he is permitted to drive almost any vehicle the company owns(which is ALOT). We use the beat up parts truck to haul scrap, I think he wants to make that truck a little closer to home [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-sad.gif[/img] since everytime we need it, we have to drive 10 miles to work to get it. I know when I get a truck it would be in good shape since he knows what to look at. I know he should be concerned about safety and my general well-being, but why would he say an altered truck is worthless. If its lowered a few inches or raised, can't it still perform its duty as a truck without compromising ats safety? Now that the truck has been sold without us even going to look at it, I can't find a truck(in my budget)that I liked as much as that one. I know he is going to pick out a truck that he likes and if I don't like it--too bad.

Thats the only problem I have, I want to have a say in what I'll Be driving until I'm on my own.

 

Lots,
of good advice in here,and to add to it some,I once wanted my father to co-sign for me when I was 18.I wanted a 1970 SS Chevelle with 475 hp.Dad would'nt budge with co-signing back than.And now at 43+yrs old,I think dad might have saved my life or at least stopped me from getting seriously injured in a car with that much HP.Im SO glad I did'nt get that car,but I did'nt feel that way back than,time will change some attitudes of today.

Take dads advice,especially if he is fronting the bill.

Bill
00 400cc Xplorer 4x4
Delta V-force reeds w/spacer kit
26 Inch Mudrunners
Modified PSI pipe w/Scrambler silencer
Heel Clickers clutch kit [REAL SOON]
KN Filter Uni-Filter
RcR air box mods

 

You could always thumb a ride or walk or ride your skate board or take your quad to town. I'd be drivin' the scrap truck if I didn't have to pay for it. It sure beats walkin'.
If he's paying for it then just shut up and take the keys[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]
tip 1 "don't look a gift horse in the mouth"
tip 2 "beggers can't be choosers"
tip 3 "riding is better than walking"
tip 4 "driving is better than riding"

 

Man Bill, now that's a machine! Wouldn't mind having one of those now even. Heh heh heh, of course you're right though, with 475 hp out of that car, I'd probably be in trouble myself -especially after watching "Gone in 60 seconds" Oh Eleanor.... [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

I know, I know, she was a '67 Shelby GT, but still, muscle cars-damn!

BTW-how's the foot lately? Didn't you have some trouble a while back with it, or surgery even??? Hope it's healed up OK, everythings back to normal.

Hey Dirt-
If you're Dad is footing the bill, I hate to say it but you're probably stuck with what he wants, whether you like it or not. Please don't be offended here, but do you work at all? Maybe if you offerred to pay for some of the truck, he'd be more inclined to listen to your opinions as to which one you might be able to buy. If he sees you taking an honest, sincere approach to actually wanting to "earn" the rig, rather than have it handed to you, he just might listen a little more. Then again, I had worked several years myself to save up the money to pay cash for my first pickup, my Dad still thought he knew which one was best. In retrospect, I am glad for that as I did get a great truck in the long run.

Anyway, I do wish you the best-it wasn't all that long ago that I was in your shoes myself. All I can say is hang in there, try to HEAR-not just listen-to what your Dad has to say, and above all, try NOT to take the offensive and get all worked up over it. That will only make things worse for both of you, and you just may end up with nothing at all.

Good luck, and hopefully you'll have a new ride in the not too distant future,

Mike

 

Dirt:

If you want your own truck then you should have it. If your Dad is only willing to let you have what he wants then maybe you should set him down and "tell him like it is".

In VERY respectfull terms, you should ASK your Dad if he would mind if you purchased the truck of your dreams... Let him know how much you appreciate his thoughfullness in wanting to buy you a truck of his liking, but you belive that you would be happier with your own choice. Be prepaired to explain to him how you will work and save your money to buy the truck. Let him know that you will appreciate your ride much more if you are allowed to work for it. Tell him you will earn the money to modify it to your liking, and that you think it would be great if you both could spend some time working on the truck together..... Dad's really enjoy working with their sons.

I think your Dad is trying to do the right thing. Dad's always try. Remember that he was once 16.... He really does understand how you feel. Let him know that he is important to you.

Just my opinion.

 

Cowboy,
yah,that same car today in great shape would bring in around 15 grand.I love them older muscle cars,regardless of who made them.

The foot?Well last yr in Sept or Oct,I had a stress fracture on my right foot and the Dr put me in a cast,I QUICKLY [within 3 hrs]removed it and I just took it very easy until late December when our 40 and over basketball league started.I played the entire season without incident.I might add that we won the regular season as well as the playoffs.Not bad for a bunch of older guys,but we been together for alot of yrs and that makes a huge differance in how a TEAM plays.About a month ago the same foot [heel] is giving me some problems and they want to fit me with arch supports.[Getting old sucks].I have not been able to play softball yet,but I think I might be ready this wk,hope so.
Bill

 

I'm a hotrodder, and I TOTALLY believe in customizing a vehicle. But, I'm usually pretty skeptical about buying one that's already done. Did this guy put dropped spindles, or did he heat the coils? did he "C" the frame in rear? etc... Anyhow, you can have the best of both worlds(yours and Dad's) if you do this... Buy a basically stock truck, in good condition. Then, little at a time, make a few little mods. Starting with maybe a few mods that he'd never notice. Ease Pops into it. My dad was different. I had 2 cars when I was 15, and one of the first things my Dad helped me do was yank the 6 and put in a V8, then he showed me how to route and weld up dual exhaust. You're gonna have a more difficult time swaying him over to go along with ya' but don't give up.

 

I'm not officially employed. I do mow the neighbor's lawn, do chores around the house. I am looking for a job right now, but the choices are extremely limited.

I talked to him yesterday, he said I shouldn't mess around with my basic trasportation. If I want to mess around with a car, buy another and modify that. I don't know if that was a sign that he'd let me buy another car (with my own money) or if that was a "when you are older" thing.

wildturkey - the truck had 3" dropped spindles and 4" blocks, aluminum wheels(16s I think), and a custom interior. Most of which I would have changed. I wanted a 4-link rear with bags, better wheels, better exhaust, and some little dress-up items. Did you go to a school like wyotech or something, or just wing it?

 

Your Dad makes some good points. Your basic transportation is what gets you where you need to go. It needs to be as reliable as possible and you don't need to be working on it all the time. Since your Dad is paying for it, take it and go. If you have reliable transportation that is paid for, then you can get a job and earn money for your "toy." While your "toy" is being modified you can use your "transportation" to chase parts, go to work and school, etc. Custom vehicles are fun but they sometimes are not the best basic transportation. You can usally get stock replacement parts cheaply and easily so there is less downtime. Custom parts often cost more and and have to be ordered.

When I was young, all I wanted was performance. As I grew older I learned to appreciate reliability and ease of maintenance in my transportation. I now have an eight year old (near stock) 4wd pickup for transportation. I also have three motorcycles and an atv for toys. When the pickup needs repaired, it has to be done as quickly and efficently as possible. When my toys need work, I can take my time and enjoy making modifications and changes along the way.

You should be thankful that your Dad can and will buy you a truck. I had to save up and pay cash for my first car (and pay for a years insurance). My Dad paid for the tag, which I thought was pretty good for a man who had a family of seven to support. He wasn't a mechanic so I had to learn to work on it by myself. But I always felt that it was "my" car and I took better care of it than the guys who hadn't had to pay for theirs. I didn't realize how many good lessons I was learning from that experience.

To paraphrase Mark Twain, when you are 16 your Dad is an idiot. It is amazing how much smarter he will get in the next twenty years. My first vehicle was easily replaced and I rarely think about it. My Dad passed away 16 years ago and I still think of him often. And I wish I had been smart enough to learn more of the things he could have taught me.

 

The first post on this thread, and some following, suggest: we live in a child-dominated society.

Kid's father "pisses him off" because the old meanie presumes to tell his child what kind of vehicle the father will or will not buy for the kid.

The horror! Imagine; a parent GIVING a truck to a son, yet insisting on having something to say about the type and condition of the vehicle. What trauma the child must suffer at the hands of such an un-loving and irresponsible parent.

"Need some advice?" Call 911 immediately, and report your father to the police for child abuse. He will go to jail; you will be sent to an institution for over-privileged children.

Diogenes