That's was always one of my bad dreams.

There is a knock at the door, I open it and there is some slope eyed, snot nose, pizza faced kid standing there.

"Yeah, can I help you?"

"My mamma says you're my daddy..."

 

Might want to check out some defensive driving programs in your area. I went to one and so did my little brother when he turned 16.
Here's an article I found with some good info.
http://www.edmunds.com/ownership/dri...0/article.html

 

You got the wrong car under the car port!

 

You and I had nearly the same taste in our early cars,,,

My 1st car at 15-1/2 was a 1967 396 4-sp Chevelle SS ,,, I paid $700 for it as 396 had been swapped for a 283,, and the interior was rather ratty when I got it,, I cobbled together a 427 from a bunch of junk-yard parts, had the seats re-done in 70's vintage red-black vinyl-velor when I was in my HS auto-mechanics class and that car was a straight line rocket !!

Just don't try to stop it as also had four wheel drum brakes ... I'm lucky I didn't die ...

After I graduated HS I joined the Navy and traded that death trap in for a 75' 455, 4sp Trans Am,,
I loved that Trans AM,, I drove it for 5-yrs and traded it in on my first new car,, An 87' Mustang GT ...

I hindsight,, I wish I'd kept that Chevelle ... Death trap not withstanding,, restored that thing would be worth some serious money ...

 

Yeah, the 70's and 80's was a really great time, wasn't it? Back before I knew any better!

 

first off, i wish my parents could have afforded to buy me a new car at 18. my first car was a hand me down 1998 Ford Taurus SHO with a beat up interior and broken ac and radio. which leads to my next point.

for all the guys saying that a GT is too much car for an 18 year old, i agree, and i have a slightly different perspective in that i am 19. do i want a GT? oh yes, i've been lurking these forums for sometime ever since i got my license. would it be smart to give me a 400 hp right now? well, maybe, but only because i've already screwed up once, and then again, most likely not.

my first car, that 1998 Taurus SHO, was a fast car. it had an exhaust and a tune and a few bolt ons from the previous owner and was around 260-265 HP (up 30 from stock) in a fairly light car. i was 17 and given a car that wasnt near the potential of the new mustangs, i did some stupid stuff that i look back now and wonder what the hell i was thinking. i hit 123 in that thing on a public highway, just to say how far it could go (i ran out of straight highway before i maxed it out) ans the front end was floaty as hell, but i didnt realize how dangeroud that was til later. i came THIS close to wrecking it throwing it around corners. when you get a car with higher performance capabilities, it gives you confidence, and from experience, i know that leads to overconfidence in young dudes, because i was a victim of it. i totaled my car last year throwing my car around corners at 45 mph. in dry conditions, that would have got the tires screeching. thats stupid enough as it is, but it was wet and i ignored that fact and did that and ended up hitting a boulder head on at 45. that was in a grand am, with all of 170 hp. i shudder to think what i would have done with 400. it could have handled more speed there, but any mistake would have been magnified. i was lucky to walk out of that wreck uninjured. you dont want to be that unlucky guy.

the over confidence i got from drivning a higher performance car when i started out almost got me killed. my accident happened because i tried to push a lower performing car to the levels i could attain in the SHO. yours could happen because its easy to break traction with 400 horsepower.

i cant say i have enough driving experience for a GT, and i doubt you can either.

 

Talk about the same taste in cars. My first car was '75 455, 4sp T/A. It was 8 years old at the time, and cobbled together, but I loved it. Traded up for my first new car, a 1986 Mustang GT.

 

TROLL

 

Neither 2011 Mustang is suitable for a sub-21-yr-old. Sorry, but you either need to get a $1500 Civic EX/Si and enjoy the heck out of it, and/or buy an older classic and put some work into either mildly or fully restoring it so that you will appreciate it more and be more careful on the street.

Also - I realize you aren't on the East coast but I highly recommend the teen performance driving class conducted as a 2-day event at the BMW facility in South Carolina. I looked into doing with my son & I think it would've been something like $495. Money well spent, IMHO.

 

Ok no mustang for my son and definatly no station wagon for my daughter.

 

EXACTLY!! A 2-seater is a great idea for a teenage daughter!

 

Maybe even a 1-seater...

How about a Smart for two with a video camera setup in the passenger seat that runs anytime someone is in the car?

 

People saying the gt is too powerful but the v6 is not... i think you are forgetting that the v6 has 305 hp... and is still a fast car. IMO, that much power is too much as well.

 

I think most of us agree that an f-150 or a Honda civic would be more suitable for an 18 year old driver. In the end it will be his fathers decision. But when you ask for opinions you usually get them.

 

In the end, you can get in trouble in any car if you are careless.

 

daughters first car will be.....

 

Sheesh! That thing is just butt-ugly!

 

I have had a little time to think about this and want to add my comments. I think the V6 is in order here. When I was growing up I drove junk with not near the power the V6 has now a days. Let alone those older cars were not anywhere as safe and I never ever wore a seatbelt back then. Nobody gave those things much of a thought. I wont get into a car without a seatbelt on and in fact last summer one may have saved my life. We T boned a Saturn car at about 45 or 50 mph in a older Toyota Camry with no air bags. It rang my bell big time and I got a sprained foot but I limped away. Everybody in the accident had on seat belts and the Saturn was totaled. The Camry was so old and ratty it was totaled as well. 45 or 50 does not sound fast until you hit something. Let me tell you, it was a hard hit.

I honestly think the V6 Mustang may be too much but again it depends on the kid. I had to pay for my own cars back in those days and my Dad always told me that if I took it easy I could probably get X amount of miles out of it. Hot rod it and it will die an early life. I had monetary things to consider when I put my foot down. I had no money and was working minimum wage jobs and just trying to get by. My parents did pay for my insurance back then because there was no way I could afford it. I bought old cars that were burning oil when I got them and just milked them as best I could to make them last. I never once blew up an engine Ford or Chevy but I sure poured a lot of pennoil down them to keep them going.

I am not sure I agree with new cars and 18 year olds. My newphew just got a new Mazda 6 that he never paid a penny for. He is a good kid and not a hot rodder and has no interest in fast cars in general. I think he should have had to work for it at least some. I guess it depends on your means.

I want everybody to be safe. New cars are way better than old ones and back in my day it was never even thought much about. I remember the seatbelts only, no air bags, crappy 4 wheel drum brakes ect... The new stuff is way better but we need to be responsible with all of the extra power we have now. I am not a parent but I still worry about kids with all of this power. I am not a saint either as I have cut some capers in my day but I am much smarter now. Thats why I am writing this. I have been there and done that. I know whats on the mind of young 18 year olds trust me. I managed to live through it luckily but I pulled some stunts that were flat foolish.

No matter what you get, put on that seatbelt and use come common sense if you have any. Remember, its not only yourself that you might kill but somebody else as well. Be careful.

 

If this is for real, I feel really sorry for both the poster and his parents.

Either this is just a troll, or if the person (and their parents) are actually that stupid, then who even cares. Let them kill themselves. It's called natural selection.

The bottom line is, no 18 year old needs to have a brand new 300-400hp car. Ever. Actually, I don't even think anyone of that age needs to have a brand new car at all. Just give them some bullets and a gun, and send them out to play with their friends while you're at it. That would probably be the cheaper way to endanger your child's life.

Grow up and join reality.

Aaaand end rant.

 

gottta agree. 300 hp is a lot of juice for a 18 year old. YOu can get just as dead with 200 or 400 hp but the temptation does not need to be there. If his parent buy him a Gt then they are just stupid.. A V6 may even be stupid. How about a used HOnda Accourd 4 banger?