This has been a very interesting week. My 16 year old son has begged for a year to get a car, so we allowed it this past week. He has used his money to purchase the vehicle, and all maintenance parts/labor.

Today he claims he hates cars because they require a lot of money to own. I then told him that he has not paid the insurance, tabs, or anything of great cost yet!!

What a great lesson he is learning. If you want to play, you gotta pay.

Congratulations for showing your son the facts of life.

__________________

"Buster" in the '95

Our all-Diesel family
1996 E300D (W210) . .338,000 miles Wife's car
2005 E320 CDI . . 113,000 miles My car
Santa Rosa population 176,762 (2022)
Total. . . . . . . . . . . . 627,762
"Oh lord won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz."
-- Janis Joplin, October 1, 1970

It might be Dad who is learning the facts of life, as they apply to teenagers!!! I have been spending much time in that classroom myself, as of late.

Ah yes, the valuable life lessons. Teach him well, or as Simon and Garfunkel said, teach your parents well.

Have you mentioned to him what a few tickets (or the dreaded DUI) will do to enhance his insurance cost $$$$$$$$$$$$ for years.


My daughter (age 12) is cracking up reading this..
she has seen what real COST is, for some of the pre-WW2 vehicles I work on.

* $1,300.00 for eight parts that fit in your closed fist.
* $9,000.00 for one valve assembly that fits in a cigarette pack.
* $12,000.00 a set of six reproduction spoke wheels.
* $3,000.00 one set of six reproduction tires.

Suggest a Peel P50 as his next car.

http://www.google.com/search?q=peel+p50&rls=com.microsoft:en-us&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&startIndex=&startPage=1

Here is a car for him.
His great grand dads Oldsmobile.
http://www.prewarcar.com/searchresults.asp?make=Oldsmobile







http://www.kirks-auto.com/1_Crosley_pre_War/Crosley_preWar_index.html

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&rls=com.microsoft%3Aen-us&q=for+sale+pre+war+car&btnG=Search&aq=f&oq=&aqi=

While I bought and maintain her car, my 17 yr old daughter pays insurance and fuel costs. She averages a tank of fuel every few weeks so it is not a small regular expense.
I feel that a car offers kids real world practice in personal responsibility and finance that will hold them in good stead for life if it is well learned.
Do not buy your kids fuel!

__________________
1981 240D 143k 4 spd manual -SOLD

2004 VW Jetta TDI 5 speed 300k -still driven daily

I will never pay for my kids fuel, insurance, maintenance, etc. I was raised to be responsible, thus this is the way my kids are being raised.

A friend of mine, age 55, gave up his car two years ago. He now rides his bike, walks, or takes the bus to run errands, to work, to wherever he needs to go. His wife claimed he was nuts, but after convincing her to do the same and after she weathered this winter without the use of an auto she has also given up her car. They sold them both this spring and now are financially better off.

I could not do it, but kudos to them!!

My father went one step further. I had to buy the car, pay all expenses, and fix it (he taught me) if it broke. Wasn't even allowed to get a driver's license until I could show that I could change a flat tire.
He did my sisters the same way. I made spending money fixing my sisters' cars when they couldn't.
Valuable life lesson!!

__________________
Charles
1983 300D, bought new, 215k+ miles, donated to Purple Hearts veterans charity but I have parts for sale: http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/mercedes-benz-cars-sale/296386-fs-1-owner-83-mb-300d-turbo-rebuild-parts.html

My wife's father taught her to take care of her VW Beetle (1969). She could do oil changes and valve adjustments before we even met.

__________________

"Buster" in the '95

Our all-Diesel family
1996 E300D (W210) . .338,000 miles Wife's car
2005 E320 CDI . . 113,000 miles My car
Santa Rosa population 176,762 (2022)
Total. . . . . . . . . . . . 627,762
"Oh lord won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz."
-- Janis Joplin, October 1, 1970

Happy Father's day

__________________
Rob M
Norwich, VT USA
1980 240D Euro delivery 4 speed manual silver/blue
~160K miles

My parents never made me learn anything about cars or pay for anything ... I was allowed to use whatever family car was available to drive to school (two miles away) and the occasional outing with friends. I guess it's not really traditional to make your daughter learn about cars, but I wish I had. I never even learned how to drive stick until I bought my 240D this winter. I remember not long after I got my license I drove our 93 Caravan all the way home from school with the oil lamp on ... I thought it was the same as being low on fuel ... left a trail of oil up the driveway. Somehow the car survived that, but no one ever explained to me about what happened, my dad just told me that next time that light comes on, don't keep driving. The only reason I ever learned anything was after my dad gave me the 300D, I really fell in love with it, but it had a few little problems here and there that I didn't have a clue what to do with. I remember my dad changing the return lines for me, and I was impressed with how easy that was ... I liked the idea of being able to do stuff like that. I didn't have to, my dad would have paid to have my indy fix the car. I guess I also liked the idea of not being a useless spoiled brat.

It's funny, my parents really never taught me anything about money or self-sufficiency. They wouldn't even let me get a job in high school when I wanted to earn my own money. Yet somehow I still ended up being very frugal and hard-working. Guess I learned by example ... my dad has always worked as hard as anyone I know, and both my parents are very frugal themselves. So I learned a lot by watching, I guess.

__________________
1987 300D, arctic white/palomino--314,000 miles
1978 240D 4-speed, Euro Delivery, light ivory/bamboo--370,000 miles
2005 Jeep Liberty CRD Limited, light khaki/slate--140,000 miles
2018 Chevy Cruze diesel, 6-speed manual, satin steel metallic/kalahari--19,000 miles
1982 Peugeot 505 diesel, 4-speed manual, blue/blue, 130,000 miles
1995 S320, black/parchment--34,000 miles (Dad's car)

This may be the perfect time to prepare him for the future.
With peak oil just around the corner, the personal car may become
a thing of the past. Things like time sharing and joint ownership may
become the norm, as will mass transit and the old standby, the bicycle.

__________________
81 Mercedes 300SD 289k.......SOLD
82 Mercedes 300CD 252k......slow ride

82 mercedes 300 SD...mi Unknown
83 Mercedes 300D ????ksniff..gone too
84 Mercedes 300D 148k........SOLD
85 Mercedes 300TD 386k and holding some one elses project

I also congratulate you for your teaching method.

My first car I bought for $12.50. About $100 and a year or so later and it actually ran. Best non classroom education of my life.

What in tarnation is this thing?

__________________
1984 300TD

A Moth or a Bumble Bee... See the Company Logo on the Fuel Tank...
It might be British if that is an early SU Carb I see up front... Whatever it is, it is COOL but I wouldn't want to be in the driver's seat when one of those chains lets go...

Great Photo Too, points to the Photographer...

__________________
Joe

1998 E300D turbo 240K + Miles
2000 Dodge Dakota 122K + Miles
1992 Mazda Miata Autocross Machine 143K + Miles
http://www.renegademiata.net

Any man who is under 30, and is not a liberal, has no heart; and any man who is over 30, and is not a conservative, has no brains. - Winston Churchill