17 year old daughter & a 1991 Miata? - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Mr.Kenny · #1 03-20-2008, 12:29 PM

UPDATE: MIATA IS SOLD SO THE SUBJECT IS SETTLED!
My daughter (almost 18) currently drives a 1980 300sd (w116).
With diesel at 4 bucks and gas 2.89 , she suddenly announced she would like to start driving our 1991 Miata; which I was getting ready to sell.
I get knot in my stomach thinking about her in that little car in traffic and I want say NO; but yet most of us grew up driving absolute death traps compared to the Miata. She drives like a grandma and more conservative than most republicans. She never asks for anything, even Scrooge McDuck would be embarrassed at her frugality.
She is blonde and the Miata is red, double yikes.

Am I being an overly protective father by my concerns of safety?

(I don't need to sell the car, and yes the Miata would save money on gas and insurance)

Mistress · #2 03-20-2008, 12:32 PM

Only if she drives under 60 MPH and promises to wear her seatbelt! Good thing is, she can't drive around with lots of her friends in tow.

Dee8go · #3 03-20-2008, 12:34 PM

Miata? Yeah, that's a girlie car. Let her drive it.

BobK · #4 03-20-2008, 01:22 PM

Speaking as the father of a 22 year old daughter. Ouch! Does the Miata have a roll bar? I say let her drive the Red convertible. SHE pays all tickets. Remind her that every cop she goes by will just be looking for a reason to stop her. I know, my lead foot wife drives a red SL. Have you seen how cheap you can get a red '99 SLK? Similar gas usage to Miata

t walgamuth · #5 03-20-2008, 01:34 PM

Its pretty small!

Probably she will be ok but you need to consider how you'll feel if she is in an accident with Aklim and his suburban.

If she gets hurt in it you may have a hard time forgiving yourself.

I always had my kids in 240ds.

Tom W

Chad300tdt · #6 03-20-2008, 02:14 PM

Does the Miata have airbags? Mistress makes a good point about the passenger limit. Personally, I'd be afraid of how small it is. I would ask her if a 4-door Honda would be OK.

raymr · #7 03-20-2008, 02:49 PM

You will be cutting her loose to the world soon anyway, and she sounds responsible enough. So let her have the car.

BTW our gas is $3.29.

ramonajim · #8 03-20-2008, 03:03 PM

May have a bit of a bias (currently own three miata's and my 97 has been my daily driver for the last 80k miles) but I wouldn't blink an eye - once a roll bar was installed.

One of the miata's I no longer own was going to be for my then 17 year old daughter. I was driving it one fine SoCal day when a very nice but obviously inattentive lady pulled away from the intersection she was stopped at when the car next to her turned right. Problem was, her light was still red and I was just entering said intersection from the other direction. At right about 55 mph.

Threw both feet in (too late and intersection too narrow to try and maneuver around) and managed to threshold brake (tangent: send your daughter to defensive driving school no matter what she drives!) but still broadsided her at what the cop on the scene reported as "approximately 45 mph on impact".

I walked away with a couple broken ribs (which I can break by coughing hard due to my arthritis) and a set of sore knuckles on my right hand (downshifted from 5th to 3rd and my hand flew forward on impact - punched the stereo head unit out of the dash).

Both cars were totaled. Air bag went off in mine (yes, all miata's have 'em on the driver side unless the steering wheel has been replaced with a non-stock - OP's 91 will not have one on the passenger side).

Being active in the miata community, I know quite a few folks who've had similar experiences. They are tough little cars. Like I said, defensive driving school and a motorcyclist's mentality (they can't see me and they ARE plotting to kill me) and she'll be fine.

E150GT · #9 03-20-2008, 03:56 PM

Better a miata than that motorcycle in your sig

dynalow · #10 03-20-2008, 04:21 PM

I agree with Chad & Tom W.

Lots of bad stuff can happen in a small convertible.
Let's see.. there was the tree I hit with my 59 MGA & broke my jaw & took 45 stitches in the chin.

And the time a tire (thankfully a rear) came off my 62 MGA 1600MKII at 60 mph.

Small convertibles?...would not have considered it for my daughters at 17. But that's just me ...knowing my daughters.

..Prem gas here btw is 3.29, reg. 3.09

...nothin wrong with a Snortin' Norton.

Mistress · #11 03-20-2008, 04:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dynalow

I agree with Chad & Tom W.

Lots of bad stuff can happen in a small convertible.
Let's see.. there was the tree I hit with my 59 MGA & broke my jaw & took 45 stitches in the chin.

And the time a tire (thankfully a rear) came off my 62 MGA 1600MKII at 60 mph.

Small convertibles?...would not have considered it for my daughters at 17. But that's just me ...knowing my daughters.

..Prem gas here btw is 3.29, reg. 3.09

...nothin wrong with a Snortin' Norton.

It was the MGA's that did it. My dad had an MGTD way way back when.

Mr.Kenny · #12 03-20-2008, 04:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dynalow

I agree with Chad & Tom W.

Lots of bad stuff can happen in a small convertible.
Let's see.. there was the tree I hit with my 59 MGA & broke my jaw & took 45 stitches in the chin.

And the time a tire (thankfully a rear) came off my 62 MGA 1600MKII at 60 mph.

Small convertibles?...would not have considered it for my daughters at 17. But that's just me ...knowing my daughters.

..Prem gas here btw is 3.29, reg. 3.09

...nothin wrong with a Snortin' Norton.

Yeah the car is small, probably about 2300lbs, but there is a world of difference in the safety features of the Miata over those flexible flyer english cars; the parts on the Miata normally stay on the car whilst motoring. The Miata actually has steel floor boards.

The Norton had to go before it killed me.

dynalow · #13 03-20-2008, 04:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr.Kenny

Yeah the car is small, probably about 2300lbs, but there is a world of difference in the safety features of the Miata over those flexible flyer english cars; the parts on the Miata normally stay on the car whilst motoring. The Miata actually has steel floor boards.

The Norton had to go before it killed me.

Yeah, world of difference allright. The 59, didn't have seat belts and the chin snapped off the rear view mirror on the dash. Yeooow! Cracked my sternum on the steering wheel too!

Was that Commando of yours an 850?
They had hot chicks in their ads in the 60's. Bikes weren't too much, but the chicks looked good!