16 Year Old Driver???

[ladyblaster]

I have four teenagers my 19 years first car was a festiva, my son that just turned 16 already has his and we are looking for another for the youngest. kids can get hurt in any thing they drive . teach them well , my daughter will be 18 dont trust her driving so she will not see a vehicle until i feel safe in a car with her . festivas are cheeper to repair than hondas hehehe and better on their gas and insurance .

[NovaSS]

Festivas, protecting teenage virginity since 1989.

I had hared enough times with girls when I was 16, I dont think a festiva would have helped.

[graywolf_14]

Ok well my kids are 6 so yeah they wont be driving a festiva anytime soon. But as being one that my first car was a festiva I would say go for it. But you have to realize that most kids dont care about their first car no matter what it is. And usually the junkier it is the worse they will treat it. I mean my festiva was a hunk of junk and I drove the crap out of it but I also did alot of work to it and regular maint including cleaning it inside and out atleast once a week.

[graywolf_14]

Oh but yeah I use to play rally racer in both of my festivas which resulted in a wreck in one of them.

[drof 89]

I have to chime in on the safety issue.... my son was driving my first '92 Festiva and was stopped at a red light behind a newer Jeep Cherokee. Another driver hit him from behind doing about 60 km/hr (35mph). The front and rear of the car was banged up pretty good but I could open both doors!

Here's the result



From that experience I would have to say that the Festiva is a relatively safe car! The crumple zones crumpled as they were supposed to and Jordan and his passenger walked away with only a couple of sore muscles.

There's been a few posts on this forum in the past couple of years of some fairly serious accidents, rollovers etc., where the drivers and their passengers have come through with only a few scratches.

Just my two cents....

We just had a 89 Festiva L Vs 97 Jeep Cherokee contact. Jeeps fault. Small dent in Jeep drivers side quarter panel. Took out the hood,fender,headlight and parking light on the Festiva. Drove it home. Insurance repair estiment $2,086.00! They totaled it. We get $628.00 and they get the car. I will post what Allentown Pa. yard the car is hauled to.

[Arnie]

Good topic. Our biggest concern in driving the Festiva is being hit by the larger cars around here. Its 80% large SUVs all traveling at high speed. Thankfully the fuel crisis brought a few more yarises to the mix. but on the whole, our biggest worry is getting hit by the soccer mom on her phone doing her makeup and yelling at the kids. My mentality when driving the festiva is to think of it as a 4 wheel motorcycle. no protection so be extra vigilant at all times to other traffic.

[graywolf_14]

Well as a spouse to a tball mom driving a 4800 pound jeep I have to say she is a very safe driver. Shoot she has never had a ticket or even gotten in a wreck that was her fault. She did bang up the car that hit her though...

[blindcornbread]

SHERMAN builds a great first vehicle.

[FB71]

hmmm.... well, Sherman (M4 and variants) is a vehicle of sorts, but not the builder...

Pullman Standard Car Co.
American Locomotive Co.
Baldwin Locomotive Works
Federal Machine and Welder Co.
Fisher Tank Arsenal
Lima Locomotive Works
Pressed Steel Car Co.
Pacific Car and Foundry Co.
Ford Motor Co.
Detroit Tank Arsenal

Most were powered by either a Continental 9cylinder radial engine, or a Ford GAA 8cylinder, 60deg, SOHC v8. There were two diesel powered variants, both being powered by a GM 12cylinder 2cycle.

[FB71]

I'd rather have a Pershing http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M26_Pershing

or possibly an M41 Bulldog, because its kinda the Festiva of Tanks!!http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M41_Walker_Bulldog
"This, combined with the tank's mechanical reliability, simplicity, and excellent handling made the Bulldog a worthy war machine"

[graywolf_14]

just get them an mrap

[Slyder]

I would go with the M41 Bulldog because of its better top speed
or maybe the total opposite and get a suzuki gsx-r 1000 drool

[BigWheel]

Hey Guys, I haven't been on here for a while due to work and travel but got a kick out of reading this thread. I started this conversation to get your input to solve a debate. Now that your opinions are in here is mine. I love these cars but I wouldn't put an inexperienced driver behind the wheel for any reason. It's one thing to know what you're doing and taking a risk on your own. It's a whole other ball game to be in one of these cars when you don't have the experience to know exactly what you're getting into. I drive this car because it's fun but I also completely understand the risk I take with each drive. Inexperienced drivers, regardless of age and what they think they know, really have not learned enough to fully understand the inherent risk of driving to begin with much more so the risk of driving a car the size of a truck tire.

With that said I will be looking for a good used Taurus for my kids while I continue driving Hot Rod!!!

[Nerd Racing]

i would say drive an aspire! I got in a head on wreck after a spin out across 4 lanes of traffic doing 60 mph and hit a median with a large concrete sign anchor on the other side of the metal. The front end of the car was relocated a foot and a half closer to me, but from the doors back was good. the passenger airbag cover broke the windshield though.

[Fez]

16 year old driver?

My son is 4 and he's already talking about when I "give" him a Festiva! Bigger is not always better. This is what my F-150 looked like after our accident. If it's your time to go, it's your time to go.