Should Hannah Drive the Bird?

[My Raven]

Re: Should Hannah Drive the Bird?

Jim, go with your gut ... I allowed my 16 year old niece drive Money Penny last Christmas Eve and that memory is one I will treasure to the grave.

When we returned home her Dad was peaking out the window for us to return and I understand was on his third scotch and water from the time we departed.

[BirdsAndBugs]

Re: Should Hannah Drive the Bird?

My family had a little get-together this afternoon. Since none of them except my dad had seen my 05 Thunderbird yet, I drove it to my brother's house. I let my 16 year old niece take it for a couple laps around the block with me in it. She seemed nervous but I think she really enjoyed it too.

[sdman]

Re: Should Hannah Drive the Bird?

Interesting. Remember when you wanted a Tbird or just drive one the one your parents had and they said no. I say YES. Let her drive it and show off. I let my 17 year old daughter drive my Mercedes. She loved it. Shes now 28 and still talks about it. Let her live a little. When she comes to visit, she now gets the TBird.

[EBird]

Re: Should Hannah Drive the Bird?

No...What's wrong with a used Honda.....

To Much Power !!

[Borla Babe]

Re: Should Hannah Drive the Bird?

I say yes, let her drive it. For a little piece of mind, start out easy with either you or your wife as passengers in the car. You don't have to tell her what you are doing, but next time you and Hannah are about to get in the car, toss her the keys and say "You drive". Take advantage of some great father/daughter time together. Our children grow up way too fast these days. One day you wake up and they are gone, off to college or off to start a new life, so enjoy the special times you have left together. You and you alone will know when the time is right to turn her loose in the car. You can start that out easy too, short trips to grocery store or gas station, those short trips will be less stressful for you too. Trust is very important in a parent/child relationship, good luck in whatever decision you make .

[BirdsAndBugs]

Re: Should Hannah Drive the Bird?

I kind of have a fond Thunderbird memory from when I was in high school too. When I was a senior in high school, I did some work for a general contractor who lived up the street from us named Phil Conville. At the time he was building a residential housing tract. As the homes were completed, I would haul out all the leftover lumber and other construction garbage on the lot to the landfill. On a couple of occassions, his wife would meet him on-site and they would go out to dinner. Sometimes they would take his pickup truck if he had other errands to do and he would always ask me to drive their 1978 Thunderbird back to his house. This was in 1981/1982 and I thought that was a pretty sweet car back then. It was a silver car with a gray interior and I would always take the "long way" home. I think these memories were part of what attracted me to the Mountain Shadow Grey Thunderbirds back in 2003.

[SKIPIFE]

Re: Should Hannah Drive the Bird?

No...What's wrong with a used Honda.....

To Much Power !!

HEH HEH...all the kids these days have a used honda, this is his daughter we are talking about here, letting her drive the T-Bird is not only good for her ego but dad's to.
I have let nieces and nephews run off in ours and it has always returned no worse for wear, although my great nieces mom did go with her when she took it out after the first Tahoe event.

[V8 Cat]

Re: Should Hannah Drive the Bird?

No...What's wrong with a used Honda.....
To Much Power !!

Atlanta teenagers must be different - most would rather have a 3 year old Honda Accord coupe with a V6 and manual transmission than a 2005 TBird. They think TBirds are for old people. They aren't really too fond of Corvettes either for the same reason.

[nj susan]

Re: Should Hannah Drive the Bird?

Our Hannah (now 7 months old) is looking to inherit the bird already. Our son (her Daddy) sat in the car and held her standing up behind the wheel at a car show. She put a grip on the steering wheel, with a huge smile on her face.

I don't even like for Mike to drive her, so I don't think Hannah has a chance.

[steelblue5505]

Re: Should Hannah Drive the Bird?

IMO it is just a car. It can be in a accident if I'm driving, if my wife is driving or if one of my grand kids is driving. Or it can be parked just standing still and get hit. Life is like that.

But the odds can be increased in favor of the accident about to happen if any car is driven by a teen. Life is like that.

There is no comfort zone. A empty back road of limited use is an ideal place to give a teen an opportunity to drive the Bird, but this will only feed the desire to do a solo sometime.

It is just a car. A special car indeed but still it is just a car.

It is just a matter of your own personal comfort level.

[mispuggy]

Re: Should Hannah Drive the Bird?

I'm 46 and my daddy aka Sixpac still won't let me drive his.

[UK BlueBird]

Re: Should Hannah Drive the Bird?

In 2002 I bought my Thunderbird Blue . My son came to test drive it with me. That Monday I took it home and experienced the most fun I have ever had driving a car. My son asked me to borrow it for the weekend to go to Purdue. Never a question. He took it and came home Sunday with smiles from ear to ear. Said he got more attention than he ever had. He gave me a big thank you knowing how special the car was to me, but then realizing how special HE was to me. He borrowed it the next month to go to Indy to visit his girlfriend. He got a ticket but never told me until 5 years later when he knew that I would not get upset. We were driving by the spot the cop pulled him over and he confessed. I have now added a '05 Bronze to my garage. My son has made claim to the '02 T-bird Blue .. and the Daughter-in-Law has claimed the '05 Bronze. What better memories can I give them when I am gone.
The cars are JUST cars... special cars with fun and memories. My son is the pride and joy of my life.

Let your daughter drive the Bird. Just look at her face when she returns.
A memory shared because you thought she was special enough to drive your T-Bird.

[Figaro]

Re: Should Hannah Drive the Bird?

I agree. Both my kids claim the car, I'm very lucky that THEY let ME drive it. One day I'm sure the thread will be 'Should Dad Still Drive The Bird?'

[AZTB]

Re: Should Hannah Drive the Bird?

In 2002 I bought my Thunderbird Blue . My son came to test drive it with me. That Monday I took it home and experienced the most fun I have ever had driving a car. My son asked me to borrow it for the weekend to go to Purdue. Never a question. He took it and came home Sunday with smiles from ear to ear. Said he got more attention than he ever had. He gave me a big thank you knowing how special the car was to me, but then realizing how special HE was to me. He borrowed it the next month to go to Indy to visit his girlfriend. He got a ticket but never told me until 5 years later when he knew that I would not get upset. We were driving by the spot the cop pulled him over and he confessed. I have now added a '05 Bronze to my garage. My son has made claim to the '02 T-bird Blue .. and the Daughter-in-Law has claimed the '05 Bronze. What better memories can I give them when I am gone.
The cars are JUST cars... special cars with fun and memories. My son is the pride and joy of my life.
Let your daughter drive the Bird. Just look at her face when she returns.
A memory shared because you thought she was special enough to drive your T-Bird.

Great story, Jim. Thanks for sharing it with us (but my vote is still NO!).

I agree. Both my kids claim the car, I'm very lucky that THEY let ME drive it. One day I'm sure the thread will be 'Should Dad Still Drive The Bird?'

...........................

[V8 Cat]

Re: Should Hannah Drive the Bird?

Jim (AZTB),
I agree with you. These stories are good and work out ok with some young drivers. But a teenager with 6 months experience - no way they would drive the Tbird alone without an adult in it, and I don't count one of their 18 year-old friends as an adult. I'll admit my experience in the insurance industry and all the carnage involving teenagers I saw over my 32 years is one of the major reasons I feel this way. My own behavior when I was a teenager is another.