ShotgunSteven
Lifer
- May 31, 2001
- 15,326
- 2
- 0
Originally posted by: wllmwallace
Hmmmm.....just goes to show you how our kids are being raised. I grew up "well off", not richy rich, but well off. My sister turned 16, she got a BRAND NEW, off the lot,, pontiac sunbird convertable...affordable for my parents, and sporty for a 16 year old without too much power to get her killed. So, I had GREAT expectations when I turned 16...wanted a truck so bad I could TASTE it. Got home from school, dad was sitting in his chair, looks up and throws me some keys, "You're trucks out back". YAY!!! I GOT A TRUCK!!! I walk out back and there was a 1979 Ford Ranger F150 4X4.....on BLOCKS, with NO ENGINE, NO TRANNY, NO FRGGIN DRIVETRAIN, NO WHEELS....he walks out the back door and says "You're a boy, now get a job and build it". I got a job and built that truck out of used parts, and whatever I could find and afford....he helped out some, but it was mostly my money and time, but I appreciated that truck, when, 8 months later, I started it for the FIRST time. It had a Ford 300 straight 6 and 3 speed manual transmission. It was by no means a hot-rod, but it was MINE. I later asked my dad why he did that. His reply:"Girls, no matter what their age, need a dependable car, that will not break down every 15 miles, a man needs to know how to fix what he has, and is less likely to run across trouble from others standing on the side of the road broken down....it builds character". All I remember was being SOOO MAD at the time, and then SOOO PROUD when I took MY truck out for it's first time.
Today, my wife and I do pretty well for ourselves. I have two "toys", my 1996 Honda 600F3 Sportbike, that has Stage3 Dynojet, K&N throughout, among other mods, and a 1998 Neon R/T, 5 speed manual, 2.0L DOHC, that has Iceman Cold Air Intake, performance exhaust, along with other mods (that can run a Mustang to ground off the line AND in the straight....I've done it....SEVERAL times). My wife has a 2003 Thunderbird that her Dad, and Myself bought her for her last Birthday....he paid half, I paid half (and THAT car is FAST). And we have the "family" car, 1998 Expedition. We live frugally, but well. When my two boys get old enough, I hope they appreciate what I already plan for them.....but it won't involve a brand new Mustang.....
What your dad did sounds like what I have planned for my children, if I ever have any, although the girls get to build theirs as well.
