15 year old drove my '85

[Joe C]

my 15 year old grandson got his temps last week. yesterday, i took him out and let him drive my '85. ...a little nervous at first (both of us - i think my son and his wife were a little nervous too), but when we got back to their house, it took an hour to wipe the off his face! (actually, he did real good for only having his temps a little over a week.) now he needs to learn how to

 

[BarryK]

Joe

He won't be able to stop talking about that drive for a long time. I bet he tells all his friends about it at school today and braggs how he got to drive a Vette!


When I was 14 my grandparents bought my dad a new '79 Vette after he got very ill and we all knew it was now or never for my dad to get his dream car as he wanted a Vette his whole life. After he died a little less than a year later my mother kept the car for a few years and used it as her daily driver and loved it. The funny point of this story is that after she started driving the vette all of a sudden I wasn't "embarrassed" to have my mother drop me off at school in the mornings and pick me up in the afternoon (I wasn't on the bus route). I didn't even ask her to drop me off or meet me a block away! - I made her come right to the front doors of the school so everyone could see our cool car!
I thought that was cool enough, but I never got to drive the car even after I got my license. i'm sure my mother just used it as an excuse at the time, but she always told me it was because the insurance wouldn't cover me driving it because of my age. Not that it stopped me from taking it out a few times when she was out with the other car but that's another story....................

You know he will be bragging and talking about that drive for days now and begging for another one for years!


Barry

PS: when are you going to let him behind the wheel of the Z06?

 

[Moonunit 451]

my 15 year old grandson got his temps last week. yesterday, i took him out and let him drive my '85. ...a little nervous at first (both of us - i think my son and his wife were a little nervous too), but when we got back to their house, it took an hour to wipe the off his face! (actually, he did real good for only having his temps a little over a week.) now he needs to learn how to

I had my daughter drive my Vette after she got her permit, she was scared to death and way intimidated. Drove it about 15 mi. on country roads. Never wanted to drive it again, and I didn't even yell at her :confused

 

[jacob9582]

im surprised you had the courage to let them drive your cars, this is my first vette so i guess i have a long break in period until anyone but my dad or myself gets behind the wheel.

I love to give rides tho! ha ha ha.

peace

 

[Moonunit 451]

Hey, I'm a loving dad, what can I say :L Only two other people have ever driven it, once, one on the track! :eek At least he didn't beat my best time, but he did cut a 50 light :crazy

 

[Eden72Vet]

I think it’s great you let your Grandson drive your vette, even though he just had his temps a week. I don’t have kids, but when I do, I will let them drive whatever vehicles I have. As much as I cherish my vette, cars aren’t much compared to memories of first experiences driving. I still remember my first driving experiences in a Chevy Citation and a dirt road.

 

[Erik S. Klein]

I don't think my kids will be driving my Vette for quite a while after they get their license.

First of all the collector car insurance typically won't allow drivers under 25 to drive the car or coverage is waived.

Additionally, if they drive like I did at that age there isn't any sedative in the world that would relax me for the experience. . .

I'm thinking of a nice frame-off that starts on my boy's 15th birthday and goes for about a decade. . .

Now, if I get a newer "driver" type Vette I'm all over it assuming I can supervise.

 

[B17Crew]

Man I’m jealous!

The car I learned on was a 1980 Pontiac Phoenix, try and pick up girls with a car like that! :L

Seriously, that’s cool, he’ll always remember that drive in the ’85.

B17Crew

 

[Moonunit 451]

Don't be jealous B17, I wasn't even allowed to get a license, or drive at all till I could afford my own vehicle and insurance. Consequently, I didn't get a license until I was 17 when I bought that Yamaha 175 Enduro, which my mom nearly nixed cause she didn't want me getting killed on a mortorcycle.

Never really was allowed to drive the family cars anyway, cause they just knew I would beat on em'.

While there is truth in this for nearly all teenage boys, I can't say I appreciated it at the time, but I learned a sense of responsibility and work ethic that is becoming increasingly rare these days.

My kids are well spoiled, (more than I like) but I try to pass on the best I can, the values and responsibility that come with the privilage that most Americans enjoy without a second thought.

And I used to walk 30 miles to school in the snow and ice :L
END OF RANT :ugh

 

[G Winter]

Last fall shortly after I got my vette, I asked my dad, 80 yrs old , if he wanted to drive it. I didn't know he could get out of a chair so quickly.
The smile was pretty big. The following sunday at church another guy my age was talking to me near the vette when my dad walked over. My friend asked him if he had a ride. He was quick to point out that he had driven it. The thrill of a vette seems to have no age limit.

 

[paulie]

15 years old and he gets to drive a vette!? I'm quite jealous :cry LOL. I'm 17 and the closest I get to driving a vette is just sitting in the drivers seat heh. Well I know that will be a moment he will hold on to forever. I know I would.

 

[Vettefan87]

I am one of the spoiled ones I guess. I first drove a vette when I was 15. I will never forget the first time my dad asked "So when are you going to floor it?" What an experience, he will for sure remember that the rest of his life, and is probably telling all of his buddies about the experience. I know I did.

 

[Moonunit 451]

Last fall shortly after I got my vette, I asked my dad, 80 yrs old , if he wanted to drive it. I didn't know he could get out of a chair so quickly.
The smile was pretty big. The following sunday at church another guy my age was talking to me near the vette when my dad walked over. My friend asked him if he had a ride. He was quick to point out that he had driven it. The thrill of a vette seems to have no age limit.

Wish my dad could've driven mine, but I did take him out in my first RX-7 and kinda scared him I guess, before he died. He was my age now, and I have some very good memories of his last days. I was 23, and we lived 3,000 mi apart.

Not trying to be a downer, just some fond memories of visits we had, took me more than 25 years to get a Vette after that

 

[SPANISHVETTS]

My son was 10 when I bought the new 82. I let him drive it on his 15th Birthday and I swear by the way he adjusted the seat and mirrors that it was not his first time behind the wheel of that car.:eyerole At least he had the good manners not to wreck it before I gave it to him. He has had the car 10 years now and I think that every panel has been replaced.:W

 

[Mad-Mic]

thats awesome!


i remember being a kid my dad throwing me on his lap and letting me steer thru the neighborhood. i guess i was about 5 or 6. started riding mini bikes at 6 and nothing with an engine scared me after that! when i was about 10 or so and too big to sit in his lap he'd just hand me the keys and sit in the passenger seat. 85 Monte Carlo SS that he let me romp on many times. my dad and i built a 72 SS Chevelle with a 402 BB chevy in it. track only and when i was 15 he let me take it for a ride down the track 11.90's my first pass at 117 mph. i'll never forget that! we both raced it off and on till she spun a main bearing and we sold it. a year later i bought my 82 Z/28 and i've been hooked on sports cars every since

 

[nyernga]

My 17 year old has had his license for a year now. He tools all over in his Z-24 Cavalier and is always telling me what a great driver he is. So off we went in my STANDARD SHIFT 88 two weeks ago...........He stalled it 4 times in a row, rolled backwards 15 feet and didn't know it and bucked it like a bronco the few times he did manage to engage the clutch. Needless to say he was very humbled and doesn't brag as much now..At least I know he won't be joyriding it.....unless the driveway counts.

Len

 

[G Winter]

Wish my dad could've driven mine, but I did take him out in my first RX-7 and kinda scared him I guess, before he died. He was my age now, and I have some very good memories of his last days. I was 23, and we lived 3,000 mi apart.

Not trying to be a downer, just some fond memories of visits we had, took me more than 25 years to get a Vette after that

I am lucky my dad lives 13 miles from me. I get to see him almost every week. I am also lucky to have over 50 yrs of memories with him. Nothing beats memories no matter how few.

 

[steves1980]

I let my grandson set in my lap and drive my vette , he is 6, he loves it , i just let him drive on my street, about 15 houses away. he also likes to help type , like he is doing now , he says hi iam shane iam 6 years old.

 

[Eric]

When I had the 71 vert, I let my nephew (17 at the time) drive it when he came up for a visit. He's a good kid and the primary reason he made the trip was to see the car. When I offered he said no but I insisted. My dad took a pic of him behind the wheel and he had a bit of a grin on his face. If he comes up again, he can drive the 98 too. It's all about winning one for our team IMHO.

 

[B17Crew]

Don't be jealous B17, I wasn't even allowed to get a license, or drive at all till I could afford my own vehicle and insurance. Consequently, I didn't get a license until I was 17 when I bought that Yamaha 175 Enduro, which my mom nearly nixed cause she didn't want me getting killed on a mortorcycle.

:ugh

Moonunit,
Sounds like your children will turn out to be aware of what it takes to earn privileges.

Being a little spoiled isn’t too bad, when they have their own children someday, they’ll remember what was done for them and realize what your hard work had made available. Only as I got older did I realize what my parents went through for us, especially my dad. I have some big shoes to fill.

I still wish my first driving experience would’ve been behind the wheel of an ’85 Corvette though!

B17Crew