Long term planning, father/daughter first car build

[greymouser7]

I would really appreciate any idea & every scrap of input my family here on FABO has on picking/setup/building my daughter's first car.

She is just a toddler now. She loves cars & I want a focus that we can bond over.
She could turn her interests to other things, but eventually she will want to drive.

My thought process is that besides a rev limiter & the best brakes/tires I can afford, if she builds the car for several years, she will be more careful in how she drives & appreciate earning her real big taste in freedom vice letting some boy drive her car.

I will let her pick something down the road (within Mopar if I can help it-most likely Duster/Demon) & move forward from there. I can look for some parts now though as prices & parts availability change.

225? 318? Transmission? Rear gears? Roll cage?

Any ideas, any input is greatly appreciated, so thank you.

 

[yeah]

So my two cents on this . First of all awesome that you wanna do that for your kid . If I ever have one I would like to do the same .

I would go , disks all around , nothing to crazy . Like build your own or right stuff detailing or doctor diff brakes good prices and they work well . Speaking from my experience my dart was the first muscle car I ever owned and drove and drums all around I almost pooped my pants driving it haha .

-Good tires are a must , find best ones for your budget. Tite rack has so many reviews on tires
- I would put a cage in there , just for safety . My buddy chrashed in his mustang and that cage saved his life .
- engine I would go with a 318 because they don't cost much and they are around . I'll give you mine for free if you want , it runs .
-transmission any auto because it's easy to drive but a 4sp would be awssome thou guess depends on your daughter .
- also if money permits , some suspension work . New bushings etc.. Sway bars if it don't have any .

There is a ton of guys on here that are so knowledgable , that they will chime in . But just speaking from my experince with my car that's what I would do .

 

[2 Darts]

Starting early aren't you? I have two daughters. They knew of my fondness for things automotive from the beginning. The older daughter wanted her DL as soon as she could get it. The other waited until she went off to college. The older one didn't/doesn't care one wit about how they work. The younger helped me with an oil change and wanted to learn how to change a tire. I let them ask and answered their questions without a lot of detail. They both were shown how to check the oil and water levels as a condition of driving our cars. The younger changed a tire (using a floor jack).

This is my way of saying each child is different. I'd like to see your daughter grow up to be healthy, happy and be reasonably stable mentally. If she develops a Mopar gene along the way, so much the better. Character and the ability to make good decisions will serve her much better than any car.

Along the way, I suggest involving her in some of the mundane objects of restoration as appropriate to her age and physical development. For instance, I asked my daughters to sort screws, nuts and bolts by size and type. At first, I'd be in there with them working along beside them. As their skills improved, they would challenge me as to why I would group something the way I did. Cleaning things, using tools properly, and painting are skills that can be used in a number of different ways.

Her tastes are going to be different than yours. As she is growing up, she may prefer a 4-door to a Duster. She would get her own door and window control. My kids liked the fact that both 66 Darts I restored were hardtops. They could crank down the window and enjoy a panoramic view uncluttered with a center column. And none of their friends had cars like them. When I had the 73 4-door, it got consistently favorable comments from younger people because it handled people (friends) getting out of the back seat more easily than with a 2-door.


Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go, Even when he is old he will not depart from it. (NASB)

 

[Big_Schitt]

I know how you feel right now. I have twin 3 1/2 yr old girls. One is very into anything with wheels and the other just likes Jeeps (I also have a wrangler). The biggest question for me is what is my wife OK with them driving. Her requirement list looks something like the below:

Power Steering
Power Brakes
Disk All Around
Rev Limiter
Very good all weather tires
Shoulder harnesses
Working A/C & Heat
Highway gears or overdrive
Sway Bars
ZERO issues with overheating or leaking fluids

If I could start from scratch I my list would add the following:
318
Manual Transmission
Exhaust loud enough that I would hear it start/pull in at night
High Intensity Head Lights
I would seriously consider a roll cage

Right now I am waiting to see if they have any interest in driving my car when their are older. If they are really into it during the 10-13 stage I will either get mine ready for them (and find a new toy for me) or spend ~3 years getting theirs own all ready to go.

More likely is they will end up with previous generation soft top wrangler with a manual like I did when I was 16.

 

[Hersbird]

I've got 2 daughters also. One grown, married, and about to be a parent herself. The other is 10. Neither has had much of an interest in cars, especially older ones. If my 10 year old wanted we would build something, but I would let her pick what she likes. As much as we want our kids to love a Plymouth, they may really like VW, or Jeeps, or pickups. If they aren't building something THEY have a heart for, they will lose interest and YOU will be building what you want.
And a first car should be a safe throwaway beater anyway.

 

[EL5DEMON340]

I would build something with her for a weekend cruiser. Buy the time she is ready to drive you could buy her say a used 2024 whatever that will be far more safe for her to drive especially with a new licence in hand. Just my two cents...

 

[64DartGTinAZ]

Electronic ignition (so the points don't go out and strand her at night - or at least an extra set of points, tools, and feeler gauge in the glove box).

Fuel injection, too

With my girls, I want the car to always start. Especially at night.

BTW, they get a LOT more looks in an old car. I'd get her a 10 year old Buick so all the boys think it's a senior citizen driving

 

[Blind Squirrel]

Secretly build what you want for yourself. If it all goes south and she ends up not being interested. It wont break your heart as much. Much later in life if something ever happens to you she will want that car. Sometimes we think our kids are interested and they're not and sometimes we think our kids are not interested and they are. And it can switch over time.

I have both my first car and the car I remember my dad buying when I was knee high.

My daughters first car is a Z3 BMW, paid 2.5k with a bad motor. Fixed it and been in use for 4years. Why a Z3 you ask? NO BACK SEAT. But a co worker had to ruin it for me and point out the long *** hood. I just dust it for prints now and then. So far all is good.

 

[RustyRatRod]

Build her a Chevy and stay out of the poorhouse.

 

[barbee6043]

Secretly build what you want for yourself. If it all goes south and she ends up not being interested. It wont break your heart as much. Much later in life if something ever happens to you she will want that car. Sometimes we think our kids are interested and they're not and sometimes we think our kids are not interested and they are. And it can switch over time.

I have both my first car and the car I remember my dad buying when I was knee high.

My daughters first car is a Z3 BMW, paid 2.5k with a bad motor. Fixed it and been in use for 4years. Why a Z3 you ask? NO BACK SEAT. But a co worker had to ruin it for me and point out the long *** hood. I just dust it for prints now and then. So far all is good.

X2....... we can expose out kids to things we love, but they will choose the things in life they love... but every kid, boy or girl, should learn the basics of how cars "work" and how to do basic maintanance.


I have a car buddy, he as been savin cars for his son, and grandkids now for 20 odd years. the son isn't work the cost of a bullet, and the grandlids are maybe gettng to be 10 or so. we will see what the grandkids think of granpas old relics!??????

 

[moper]

A toddler now, eh? I'd go buy a Neon R/T and put it on ice until she's older. Maybe collect parts for it because "NOS" stuff is cheap.

 

[Treblig]

I would really appreciate any idea & every scrap of input my family here on FABO has on picking/setup/building my daughter's first car.

She is just a toddler now. She loves cars & I want a focus that we can bond over.
She could turn her interests to other things, but eventually she will want to drive.

My thought process is that besides a rev limiter & the best brakes/tires I can afford, if she builds the car for several years, she will be more careful in how she drives & appreciate earning her real big taste in freedom vice letting some boy drive her car.

I will let her pick something down the road (within Mopar if I can help it-most likely Duster/Demon) & move forward from there. I can look for some parts now though as prices & parts availability change.

225? 318? Transmission? Rear gears? Roll cage?

Any ideas, any input is greatly appreciated, so thank you.

Shoulder harness seat belts, head rests, third brake light, disc brakes (up front), P/S, P/B, A/C (if needed). Make a reliable car because you won't be around forever (at least, that's what I did). In my case my daughter wanted a 59 Studebaker Silver hawk. The manufacturer didn't matter as much as the car, had to have fins. My daughter turned 16 about 6 months ago and can't wait to start driving her car.
Now don't get me wrong, my wife and I wanted her to have a new car. We wanted the air bags, wi fi, along with everything else. We took her to numerous new car lots and let her drive whatever she liked (under 30K). She drove numerous cars and enjoyed the experience but in the end she didn't want any of them. She wanted an old classic car, I have no idea why?? Of course her older brother drives a '46 Chevy coupe and I drive a '69 Barracuda but I never, ever tried to influence her decision. I wanted her to have a new, super safe, dependable car.
So, in the end, I bought her this Silver Hawk, put a mustang II front end on it with power disc brakes and power rack, installed a new Chevy 350 with serpentine belt system, P/S, P/B and AC. I put a 2004R overdrive in the car and I'm in the process of installing a stereo system.
She actually wanted "Christine"!!! But the '58 Plymouth Fury was so large I didn't think she would be able to drive it to school and park very easily, so she settled on the Silver hawk.
My point is that you're not going to know what your daughter is going to want/like until she gets old enough and all you can do is make the car as safe and as reliable as possible so that she can enjoy the car and also be protected in an accident.

Safety and reliability!!!

treblig

 

[Divenut]

And take LOTS of pictures! You're in for a lot of good times, memories and bonding. Problem is it goes waaaay too fast. My twin girls were 11 yo when we bought our project. They both like old cars. Fast Foward... They just got their learners permits this month. One now wants to build an old 30's coupe. The other wants to keep the Duster. Down side...Boys are coming around now:banghead: Good times folks.

Be well,
Pat

Back when they were 11 and said stuff like "Girls rule..boys drool"

 

[moparmat2000]

I have a 69 notchback for my boy. He's 3 now. And is a car nut already. He knows the names of his hotwheels better than his colors. Must be in his blood. Lol

 

[2 Darts]

And take LOTS of pictures! You're in for a lot of good times, memories and bonding. Problem is it goes waaaay too fast. Fast Foward... Down side...Boys are coming around now:banghead: Good times folks.

Be well,
Pat

Back when they were 11 and said stuff like "Girls rule..boys drool"

LOL Amen

My (now ex-) wife made up a little shadow box with my military "salad bowl" that included my Expert Rifle and Pistol badges. She put it in the foyer near the front door where it was hard to escape notice.