Vetteblack-96

Kenabinkport,
Driving since you were 5????
How did you reach the pedals?
I think you meant 15!

That's OK, my typing isn't "prefect" either.....

Kenabinkport

I did not mean 15, I did mean 5. I couldn't reach the pedals but I could sit on my parents lap and steer. I could reach the pedals at about 10. My major drivers training was on a police emergency vehicle operations course that I had the honor of taking(father is a police officer).

Vetteblack-96

Kenabinkport, that was a cool way to learn. Probably better
than any Driver Ed course you could have taken in school.
I stand corrected on your starting age..............

rocco16

That's cool, but you weren't driving the vehicle...you were "steering" the vehicle. Someone else was in control.
That said, you bring up some good points: if the Vette is paid for by the young driver, said driver will probably be more responsible while driving. Also, a great deal depends on the maturity of the driver, not his age.

While I wouldn't give a 17 year old a running Corvette, I would let him purchase one with money he earned/worked for. Sign of maturity.

lt4obsesses

First, wothout seeing the car, I would be suspect of a $13K price for a 65K mile '93. IMHO

I would only support a 17 year old having one of these if...

The 17 year old in question has repeatedly shown above average maturity and reasoning for a kid of that age.

If the teenager has already shown themself to be a solid driver, with solid driving habits and a good sense of what's going on with the car and what's around.

If the teenager has an above average knowledge of mechanical systems and aptitude to figure out mechanical problems.

Even then, for that $13K there are plenty of lower level V6 Camaro's and Mustangs, 2010+ that will provide a nice, safe, learning experience for a driver of this age. Add that the newer car will be more reliable, and have some safety features not found on the C4.

The C4, especially the LT1/4's can get sideways in hurry. They accelerate very quickly, and can get even an experienced driver in trouble just as fast. Just a thought.

xrav22

What makes it dangerous is that when you floor it( goofing around) the tranny will lock (if it's automatic the tpi sensor will trigger it) and you will have a power surge that is pretty fast. My old 85 throws me back and if you turning and do that you may have problems. If you drive normally it gets to 42 mph then the torque converter locks and is like a smooth gear change. I like the cars because of the 700R4 that is one of my favorite things. That being said a warning about this type of driving could make sense to the youngstger.
Good luck

MRPVette

DGXR

^this

If you insist on buying your kid a vehicle, get him something reliable, safe, and practical. 4-cylinder pickup trucks or boring sedans (Accord, Camry, etc) are a great choice. If they want something impractical such as a 2-seater V8 sports car, let them save up and buy it themselves.

I wish my parents gave me amazing gifts for being born and just doing what everyone is supposed to do anyway.

lt4obsesses

http://abc13.com/news/three-killed-i...county/420936/

Things happen, and happen fast, and not always your fault. This is a solo examle, could happen to anyone, in any car, I know. The point is that this very realization often escapes the youthful mind more so than us wary old folks.

For those that are not familiar with Houston, this is one of the last places on earth I would drive 85mph mid afternoon.

Corp Z

What is a TPI sensor exactly? Do you mean throttle posittion sensor?

HGUNHNTR

Terrible idea. At 17 your depth perception hasn't fully developed, and your veins are coursing with testosterone just looking for a window of opportunity to get you killed.

A nice Volvo 240 would be a great choice.

HGUNHNTR

lol. I grew up on a farm, and I've been driving since I was 6 or so. Farm trucks, tractors, you name it.

Rexracer77

Im not sure why this is such a big deal.

If Lil'Waynes 16 year old daughter can handler a 670hp V12 Ferrari, this is no big deal...
http://carbuying.jalopnik.com/lil-wa...6258351/+damon

ok sarcasm off. Looking back I drove like a mad man as a young new driver, something with lower HP and high safety would be my pick.

After a friend sold his Lamborghini, he said it wasn't fun unless you were going 3x the legal limit, but his 62 Alfa GTV is fun all the time, because PUSHING it, your only going the speed limit.

FOURSPEEDVETTE

I don't think the majority of people on the roads grew up on a farm and were driving motorized vehicles at 6 years old. There is a big difference in that and in the majority of the 17 year olds driving on public roads with powerful 2 seater sports cars. I'd say the majority of them haven't got a clue of what's really going on under the hood and under their right foot. Working on a farm surely has work demands which basically force youngsters to grow up quickly and take things much more seriously while making mature decisions. Maybe we should let all youngsters work on farms for awhile. It just might work!

Vetteblack-96

I wonder if I can hitch my Corvette to a plow?????

xrav22

Yes TPS sensor.

Philsphan

IDK how any 17 year old kids could afford a c4 unless it was a trashed one and even then they'd better be a hell of a wrench... I'm 24 got my first c4 at 22 and have put thousands of dollars into it.. Any 17 year old most likely doesn't have a job making much more then minimum wage or working more then 25-30 hrs a week that's just reality.. My first car was a 99 pos escort wagon given to me by my parents got into an accident after 3 years.. After that drove my grandparents 96 oldsmobile 88 it was there florida car and they were never in florida... I highly doubt I could have handled a c4 at 17 none the less afforded one.. Now if the kids parents have deep pockets or kid works for his parents ....or who knows if he's selling certain recreational products on the side and makes good $$$$ lol.. that's up to the parents.. All I know is I pay 210 a month for my 88 as well as about 70-80 a month in insurance when its running also have about 3k put into repairs and still needs work... I work a lot so im piecing it all together but at 17 no way it would have been feasible still kind of isn't lol but I love it

Vetteblack-96

Philsphan...That's an intelligent opinion from a young guy.
You sound like you're more mature than your years.................

volkswagens-for-life

I had my first car when I was 14. It was a 1985 z28 camaro. 305, 5spd, ac, power windows/locks, t tops, maroon exterior and black interior. Man what a fun car. Granted, the whopping 150hp wasnt nearly enough to let me get into trouble stock...... by time I had my license I had already pulled the motor, cammed it, heads, intake, eddie carb, HEI, headers etc. So it was a little more fun. Still wouldnt' touch my 5.0 and DEFINITELY wouldn't touch my corvette.

Philsphan

Haha I try.. I love my 35th lol but its been one issue after the other and it only had about 81k miles when I got it... The old man told me it was gonna be a money pit and sadly he's been right... He's kind of hypocritical considering he always had new Z28s in the late 80s early 90s lol... But like I mentioned earlier about a parents business he worked for his dads business haha... I guess me having a 26 year old c4 and him having a brand new 91 z28 at the same age speaks to the decline of the economy since the late 80s... Better jobs then and opportunities.. My parents said when they were in high school a lot of guys had new Iroc's, 5.0s, 300 zx's and RX 7's... I wish I could have been an 80s kid just seems like a great decade.. He told me not to get the c4, I still went ahead and bought one anyway lol.. I love the car so it doesn't bother me to much.. I don't see how a 17 year old could drive a c4 unless he's a master mechanic in training or has 3-4k lying around for maintenance and repairs a year..