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Post by Humph on Jan 18, 2021 12:50:00 GMT
My grandfather got his first petrol powered vehicle when he was 17 in 1902. A motorbike and sidecar which was followed by a succession of cars until his death. My father, got his first motorbike at 17 and his first car at 18 in1925. Again, he was never without a vehicle until his death. I got my first car at 17 as did my elder brother, his children, and my son.
Don't suppose that's wildly unusual for that succession of generations, but it does make me wonder if that was just an evolutionary blip. Seems likely that future generations will take a different approach.
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Post by EspadaIII on Jan 18, 2021 15:06:00 GMT
Took my daughter out yesterday for her first 'driving lesson'. She is 16 and we went to an industrial estate with a large area of apron and internal roads behind a gate - with permission of the owners. She did OK for her first time behind a wheel, but I can't thinking that it will be a very short after she passes her test that new ICE cars will be a rarity, and any form of manual car soon to be even rarer.
Maybe its time to buy a Zoe.
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Post by Alanović on Jan 18, 2021 15:17:34 GMT
I'd like to do this with my son this year, but I'm going to have to buy, tax and insure a manual heap first. And find an accommodating industrial estate owner - benefits of being in the property business there, EIII?
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Post by EspadaIII on Jan 18, 2021 15:21:14 GMT
only slightly  If you lived closer to Manchester I would happily let you and your son have a go in either of our manual cars. It's a slightly nerve racking experience, but fortunately if she hits any buildings, she is damaging her inheritance.... |
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Post by Humph on Jan 18, 2021 16:05:26 GMT
The last few times I've been to the NEC, there was some kind of young driver training thing going on in one of the car parks. Organised thing. Maybe there's something like that near you Al?
Anyway, I had to go out this lunchtime, and I stupidly decided to test the operation of the opening sunroof. It's not been used for a good while. It opened ok but...could I get the chuffing thing to close...😡
Loads of swearing, mild panic and liberal applications of lubricant and I've finally got it to shut. Just as well really, it's set to throw it down shortly.
Don't start WDB, just don't start ok?
😬
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Rob
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Post by Rob on Jan 18, 2021 17:27:01 GMT
I didn't bother learning to drive until near the time I could afford to run a car and needed one. I didn't see the point of having one like others at university parked most ofl the time.
When I did learn I used BSM and had a bit of a 'nutter' of an instructor who was great. First lesson he took me to the car park of Maine Road. He started doing hand brake turns and wanted me to have a go too! When driving around Whalley Range (my elected test centre was there) he would try to get me to reverse around a corner if there was a prostitute standing there! And another time I was indicating to reverse into a space and someone nipped in.... he got out shouting and swearing waving a brush :-)
He was of course a very good instructor and I learned a lot. I also did a motorway lesson with him which was invaluable too.
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Post by EspadaIII on Jan 18, 2021 17:47:52 GMT
Both my boys did a Young Driver thing at the Trafford Centre. Certainly worth it although not cheap. Clearly nothing like that will be available for my daughter for a while and she turns 17 in September, so I want her to have some basic driving experience and ability before she goes on the road with an instructor.
It would be really good if everyone knew how to drive a car, even just around a car park, using the clutch, how to steer, brake etc, without worrying about other road users. Would make learning roadcraft so much more efficient, as you would learn it quickly because you already knew how to do the basics. That's how I learnt, but then I had the advantage of what is now the industrial estate being a large oil depot with space for lots of road tankers etc. Once I could park an HGV in a tight spot aged 13, I could drive anything any time. Just trying to give my kids the same opportunities as I did.
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WDB
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Post by WDB on Jan 19, 2021 7:21:25 GMT
Don't start WDB, just don't start ok? 😬 No need — nothing for me to add. 😛 |
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Post by Alanović on Jan 19, 2021 9:08:25 GMT
Yes there are under-17 driver training things available at Newbury Showground/Racecourse or something. Like EIII says though, not cheap. I could probably buy an old Corsa for less. Maybe I'll get something sorted in the summer, after the boy's GCSE's are over, whatever form they take. Actually buying a cheap old car with a couple of niggles might well be a good way to spend some time this summer with the lad, teach him a few basic bits of maintenance and servicing etc. Not that it'll be much use for very long, once he's in his 20s and gainfully employed he'll probably lease an EV, and that'll be that.
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WDB
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Post by WDB on Jan 19, 2021 9:39:44 GMT
Actually buying a cheap old car with a couple of niggles might well be a good way to spend some time this summer... Absolutely! Never gone wrong before, has it? |
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Post by Alanović on Jan 19, 2021 10:01:29 GMT
Well how much would you spend on a car for a teen? £1500, max? At that price, it's hardly going to come with a guarantee of reliability, and it's likely going to end up being thrown away in due course. Of course the thing's going to go "wrong". And when it does, who cares. That's life.
I'm going to set up an autotrader search for hatchback, under £1500, manual, under G10 insurance, within 20 miles from home, private sale. And wait for something suitable that looks like it's been well cared for to crop up. Any other approach you could recommend? And by "niggles" I meant maybe a scratch here or there, not "gearbox making funny noise, fails to start when hot" kind of thing.
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WDB
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Post by WDB on Jan 19, 2021 10:37:06 GMT
I’d probably look at twice that. But the question is irrelevant as my teens show interest in learning only when all the driving schools are closed.
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Post by Alanović on Jan 19, 2021 10:42:56 GMT
Well that's the thing, £3k is getting beyond "throw away and shrug your shoulders" money. A £3k car will have just as much chance of being a pain in the arse as a £1500 car, but you may feel compelled to save it when the clutch and DMF go at a cost of £1000+, at he same time as need new discs and pads at £500 and a catalytic converter to get through an MOT at £800. As you so sagely point out, I have experience of cars in this price range and their ongoing maintenance costs. Which is why I'm only going to look below £1500.
IMHO.
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Post by Humph on Jan 19, 2021 10:44:16 GMT
If you want to do it on the cheap, then maybe something like a Mk1 Focus or a Yaris.
Anyway, if Esp has an industrial estate, all we need now is a load of cardboard boxes and a couple of Granadas...
We could have hours of fun driving around shouting "There he is Guv!" and "You're nicked you slag!"
Well, I'd be up for it...
😂
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Post by Alanović on Jan 19, 2021 10:46:24 GMT
We're the Sweeney love, and we haven't had any dinner.
Mk1 Focus is a favoured choice of mine, however my boy has declared them "council". I knew I shouldn't have let the wife send him to fee paying school. The little shi-ite. Maybe I'll get one just to teach him a lesson.
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