Do you let your teenageer drive your C6Z?
07-21-2018, 07:26 PM
#1
Advanced
Thread Starter
Do you let your teenageer drive your C6Z?
I just bought a 2007 Z06 and of course my 16 yr old son is anticipating the chance to drive it. He is a responsible driver (relative to his age) and is a self-proclaimed car aficionado. He knows more about sports and muscle cars that I do, and I have been a car guy for a long time. What is the consensus out there for letting a 16 yr old take out the C6 accompanied and/or unaccompanied?
Last edited by sneal46; 07-21-2018 at 07:27 PM. Reason: title change
07-21-2018, 07:30 PM
#2
Instructor
I just bought a 2007 Z06 and of course my 16 yr old son is anticipating the chance to drive it. He is a responsible driver (relative to his age) and is a self-proclaimed car aficionado. He knows more about sports and muscle cars that I do, and I have been a car guy for a long time. What is the consensus out there for letting a 16 yr old take out the C6 accompanied and/or unaccompanied?
Put yourself in his shoes....YOLO
07-21-2018, 07:34 PM
#3
I just bought a 2007 Z06 and of course my 16 yr old son is anticipating the chance to drive it. He is a responsible driver (relative to his age) and is a self-proclaimed car aficionado. He knows more about sports and muscle cars that I do, and I have been a car guy for a long time. What is the consensus out there for letting a 16 yr old take out the C6 accompanied and/or unaccompanied?
Maybe let him drive you, but sh#t happens too fast when you stomp. A month or 2 of driving experience is nothing compared to the knowledge/experience/maturity necessary to be let loose in one of these. Its gotten away from me once or twice and im pretty glued to this car.
As a dad myself, my sons are older and they still wanna just "lite em up".
07-21-2018, 07:52 PM
#4
Instructor
I would let him drive it when you are with him in a controlled environment. My son drove around our neighborhood to get to learn the clutch and then we hit the mountains West of Denver, mostly back roads. He was a few years older than your son but a good drive. Make sure he knows and understands the risks and keep him reeled in.
07-21-2018, 08:45 PM
#6
Advanced
Thread Starter
The sentiment here is essentially what I had in mind. He was talking about taking the car to prom next year but that is not going to happen. Chaperoned drives around our area will be the beginning stages of his exposure to Corvettes.
07-21-2018, 09:00 PM
#8
Drifting
The only people to drive my C6Z in general are my dad, sister, and my buddy who helped me build my car. If I had a son that would be a no unless he an pay the insurance for if I let him drive the car and he wrecks it. That along with purchasing all the mods and getting the new C6Z back together.
07-21-2018, 09:01 PM
#9
Drifting
You can’t hand a child a toy and expect them not to play with it. Maybe buy him a Miata and you guys autocross or road course. Once he can drive the pants off the Miata then let him wheel something with power.
07-21-2018, 09:12 PM
#10
Instructor
I let my 16 yr old nephew drive my C6Z with me as a passenger. He has never driven a manual so I figure what better car to learn on.560hp/540 tq I figure he wouldn't stall it but he did a couple times then got the hang of it. Had him keep it in 2nd gear the whole time, he loved it!! He will remember it forever... I will let anyone that wants drive my car (with me in it) . These cars are easy to drive, everyone should welcome people to drive them, that's how I got hooked....
07-21-2018, 10:53 PM
#11
Melting Slicks
Member Since: May 2005
Location: Las Vegas Nevada
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St. Jude Donor '08
When I went to my high school prom, my cousin let me take his 427/435 Corvette. He made me promise not to race or drive it hard. Sure enough, I raced it and had a blast with it. No problems with it at all, but if anyone lets their 16 year old son drive their ZO6, they shouldn’t have one in the first place. Think back when you were a teenager. They will race and have at it with the throttle.
07-21-2018, 11:00 PM
#12
Advanced
Thread Starter
When I went to my high school prom, my cousin let me take his 427/435 Corvette. He made me promise not to race or drive it hard. Sure enough, I raced it and had a blast with it. No problems with it at all, but if anyone lets their 16 year old son drive their ZO6, they shouldn’t have one in the first place. Think back when you were a teenager. They will race and have at it with the throttle.
07-21-2018, 11:13 PM
#13
[QUOTE=LV Vette;1597643010]
When I went to my high school prom, my cousin let me take his 427/435 Corvette. He made me promise not to race or drive it hard. Sure enough, I raced it and had a blast with it. No problems with it at all, but if anyone lets their 16 year old son drive their ZO6, they shouldn’t have one in the first place. Think back when you were a teenager. They will race and have at it with the throttle. Enough kids have accidents in normal sedans, you’d have to be crazy to hand the keys to a 500hp car to a new driver.[/QUOTE
This.
Doesnt matter how responsible a kid is at this point. It’s like putting a steak in front of a dogs nose and not expecting him to ****** it.
When I went to my high school prom, my cousin let me take his 427/435 Corvette. He made me promise not to race or drive it hard. Sure enough, I raced it and had a blast with it. No problems with it at all, but if anyone lets their 16 year old son drive their ZO6, they shouldn’t have one in the first place. Think back when you were a teenager. They will race and have at it with the throttle. Enough kids have accidents in normal sedans, you’d have to be crazy to hand the keys to a 500hp car to a new driver.
This.
Doesnt matter how responsible a kid is at this point. It’s like putting a steak in front of a dogs nose and not expecting him to ****** it.
Last edited by slow_zo6; 07-21-2018 at 11:15 PM.
07-21-2018, 11:34 PM
#14
Le Mans Master
when my son became of age to get his permit, age 15 here in texas, i told him he was going to drive on that a year before getting his license. that gave us a year to make corrections and instill in him to not make stupid mistakes, like stopping on rr tracks. the third time he did it we pulled over and he got out and i took over driving. he didn't drive for a week. during this period he got to drive my modified 2003 z06.
upon getting his license, his car was, and still is, a 2006 gto.
when i got the 2007 z06, he gets to drive it on special occasions and i trust him. well...i still check the rear fender wells and rear area for rubber but have never found any.
fast forward, now he's 24, has a college degree in geology and waiting to go to nas pensacola to take his flight physical and hopefully go to quantico, va for marine corps ocs to become a pilot in september. but right now we both have our cars torn down for h/c/i/e/coil overs/suspension. since he may have a time crunch, he's got the lift and mine is on the floor on jack stands until he's done
upon getting his license, his car was, and still is, a 2006 gto.
when i got the 2007 z06, he gets to drive it on special occasions and i trust him. well...i still check the rear fender wells and rear area for rubber but have never found any.
fast forward, now he's 24, has a college degree in geology and waiting to go to nas pensacola to take his flight physical and hopefully go to quantico, va for marine corps ocs to become a pilot in september. but right now we both have our cars torn down for h/c/i/e/coil overs/suspension. since he may have a time crunch, he's got the lift and mine is on the floor on jack stands until he's done
07-22-2018, 12:21 AM
#15
Cars are meant to be shared.
We have a 78 trans am with a built motor (bandit car) and my dad gets on me about not driving it hard enough lol.
Let him drive it with you and prove he can handle it and it wont be an issue. If you tell him he cant drive it, he will find away to take it out when your not home. Its all about maturity. There are 16 year olds that can drive better than me.
We have a 78 trans am with a built motor (bandit car) and my dad gets on me about not driving it hard enough lol.
Let him drive it with you and prove he can handle it and it wont be an issue. If you tell him he cant drive it, he will find away to take it out when your not home. Its all about maturity. There are 16 year olds that can drive better than me.
07-22-2018, 01:38 AM
#17
Race Director
07-22-2018, 05:57 AM
#18
Instructor
Teenagers
I have been instructing teenagers going on 7 years now. It's a very aggressive school in which we supply the cars and make them do stuff like spin the car out on a skid pad, take them off course without knowing it, Introduce ABS, an autocross exercise, high-speed braking zone exercise (well 60 mph), etc.
I would recommend he drive for a year, or if he drives every chance he gets maybe 6 months (that is a big maybe) allow him to drive the Corvette with you in it. YouTube is full of videos where people matt the gas in cars with high-horsepower and wind up off road. If you are on this forum I'm sure we've all done it (I have) hopefully without any mishaps.
Without any training, rear wheel spin can be a disaster.
I would recommend he drive for a year, or if he drives every chance he gets maybe 6 months (that is a big maybe) allow him to drive the Corvette with you in it. YouTube is full of videos where people matt the gas in cars with high-horsepower and wind up off road. If you are on this forum I'm sure we've all done it (I have) hopefully without any mishaps.
Without any training, rear wheel spin can be a disaster.
07-22-2018, 07:09 AM
#19
