<VV> RE: Teens and first cars

[Phil]

Oh, such a wonderful story, reminds me so much of myself. I bought my 64
Spyder convertible in 1974 when I was 14, and it was my regular driver all
through college. Now at the ripe old age of 47 (I am now an old timer???) I
still have the car. Actually drove it to Springfest in Helen this year, and
taped little signs on it to show where some of the scars came from. Maybe
Leigh will take better care of hers than I did, but what can I say, me and
that old car had a life, and it ain't over yet. So congrats to Leigh on
keeping her car going, and I wish her many more miles. Hey, it only gets
better with age. Besides, "I'm not technological, I'm mechanical!" tells me
we need more people like her in this world!

Phil & Max 

Doug Mackintosh wrote:
> 
>   Some of you old-VV-timers may recall the 3 years during which my
daughter and I mechanically refurbished her 1964 Spyder convertible. Ralph
and some of you safety-minded old fuddy-duds might fault me for putting my
own daughter in such a dangerous car, but I still believe a safe car is one
you understand and can control because you know its limits. I  purchased
that car as a non-runner when daughter Leigh was 13 and we immediately set
to work. She did at least one of everything - if I did a left side brake,
she did the right. We completely tore down and rebuilt every mechanical
system- engine, brakes, suspension, steering gear, transmission,
differential, electrical. She cleaned more parts than we could count. When
she started driving it at age 16, she had earned it by sweat equity. She
does her own maintenance (lube jobs, oil change) and minor on-the-road
repairs, and works with me on the more involved projects. She just graduated
from college, and it has been her daily
>  driver throughout. I don't know if she will someday buy another car, but
I doubt she will ever get rid of that one! She recently told someone "I'm
not technological, I'm mechanical!".



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