Need advice from teenagers

[tortdad]

i'm not a teenage girl but if it were my daughter i'd probably replace the manufacturers speaks they tend to blow quick and maybe a CD deck
if you decide on replacing the speakers and stuff i'm a personal fan of the sony explode setups they can be pricey tho

your a awesome parent all me and my siblings bought our own cars my first car was a ford tempo that i spent 300 on it wasn't the best runner but hey it worked

The stereo is easy enough to do. When I was a teen I thought I wanted to be a mechanic so I went to a trade school. I worked for a few years at a ford dealer then realized I didn't like it as much as I thought I would. I also moon lighted at a stereo shop so I can put a head unit and workers installed in no time flat. Sonny explode is good.


0.0.1 Redfoot (Spike)
0.0.1 Cherryhead Redfoot (Bruce Wayne)
1.0 Sulcata (Hal Jordan)

 

[naturalman91]

The stereo is easy enough to do. When I was a teen I thought I wanted to be a mechanic so I went to a trade school. I worked for a few years at a ford dealer then realized I didn't like it as much as I thought I would. I also moon lighted at a stereo shop so I can put a head unit and workers installed in no time flat. Sonny explode is good.


0.0.1 Redfoot (Spike)
0.0.1 Cherryhead Redfoot (Bruce Wayne)
1.0 Sulcata (Hal Jordan)

yeah i'm more of a motorcycle mechanic just for fun tho my dad used to be a big Diesel mechanic and one of my brothers is in the navy as a heli mechanic

that would sound sweet if you did that i say stereo because girl or boy everyone loves music lol good luck i'm sure she'll love it either way

 

[phebe121]

Im not a teen but cool seat cover stereo some big speakers in the back no make up stuff in the car you want her doing eye liner wile driving lol get a cd holder thats easy to get to neon lights all dependong on how much you want to spend

 

[Tyanna]

My husband almost bought me these as well. LOL they're just so cute.

 

[tortdad]

She likes leopard print so I'm thinking I can get a steering wheel cover in leopard print and buy some fabric to cover her sun visors.


0.0.1 Redfoot (Spike)
0.0.1 Cherryhead Redfoot (Bruce Wayne)
1.0 Sulcata (Hal Jordan)

 

[Tyanna]

She likes leopard print so I'm thinking I can get a steering wheel cover in leopard print and buy some fabric to cover her sun visors.


0.0.1 Redfoot (Spike)
0.0.1 Cherryhead Redfoot (Bruce Wayne)
1.0 Sulcata (Hal Jordan)

She's got good taste, I love leopard print too. Haha. There's so many things you can find to leopard print-ify her car!

 

[Tyanna]

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KIGQ1KY/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0076C9812/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20

Can I just go shopping for your daughter's car? LOL

 

[tortdad]

My wife says I'm going overboard. Just so the mechanical items and leave it be.


0.0.1 Redfoot (Spike)
0.0.1 Cherryhead Redfoot (Bruce Wayne)
1.0 Sulcata (Hal Jordan)

 

[Earth Mama]

My wife says I'm going overboard. Just so the mechanical items and leave it be.


0.0.1 Redfoot (Spike)
0.0.1 Cherryhead Redfoot (Bruce Wayne)
1.0 Sulcata (Hal Jordan)

Your wife just might be on to something.

 

[smarch]

OK, i'm definitely an expert and sorry I didn't see this earlier! I only just got my car almost 4 years ago. And I LOVE my car so here we go...

I like my seats so I never personally wanted seat covers, but recently got a steering wheel cover because the leather burnt my hands and the summer and froze them in the winter. If she likes leopard i'd definitely get one of them. I wouldn't bother with covering the vizors it may seem cool as a teen but as she gets a little older you don't want the car to be too "teen-ified" especially since you'll hope it lasts at least until college is done

What year was the car? If it has a tape player get the cassette with the cord in it that you can play your music from. If its newer and has just the CD player, which i'm assuming is the case since I have an 04 and it was just CD, spend the money to get a system with an auxiliary jack, I would not survive without mine! Don't worry terribly about speakers yet, I blew 2 in my first few years from listening "too loud" for the factory speakers, but if that happens she'll learn she cant blast music (her hearing will thank you later)

An emergency kit, I bought mine myself when I hit 100,000mi. I got it at walmart, mines called "Justin Case" has a flashlight, blanket, tow rope, jumper cables, and more (I spent 25 for the biggest one) keep it in my trunk all the time, and have in fact needed the cables once at school. Easier to have a friend or flag someone down if you have the cables than if you don't! I also have the first aid kit by the same people in the front of my car. and added a few things in case of disaster.

Also a car cleaning gift set thing, my dad got one for fathers day and i'm in love with it, it had polishes, cleaners, sponges and rainex- i'm a rainex fan! then she can clean her car as much as she wants and all that, I love cleaning my car

Don't bother with bumper stickers, if she wants them those are up to her to specifically pick. I have our hockey teams fuzzy dice on my rear-view, technically (in our state at least) they're not "legal" so watch out for that, same with license plate covers, but I personally don't like them anyways.

I have titanium alloy rims, they came standard. Honestly I wouldn't bother with rims. They aren't really a necessity and they get dirty and scuffed anyways, and my rims WILL NOT clean up the brake dust off them, sometimes I wish I don't have them due to their dirtiness!

Other than things like that I've customized what I want on my own: I mean I keep my gym bag in my car, have a fleece blanket folded up and put on the arm rest in the back, with a little stuffed lamb on it. Have 2 bears dressed as other critters, in my back windshield sitting against the sides. 3 of those solar dancing flowers in the back windshield. Reusable shopping bags under my driver seat. paper towels in the trunk. Collapsable shovel, and snow brush in the trunk, I'll be getting kitty litter for the coming winter soon enough. Anything you could ever imagine needing in my center console: Excedrin, Pepto pills, female products, a little dustpan, hand sanitizer, bug spray, deodorant, napkins, sunscreen, a multi-tool, a little pencil, ... i'm sure theres more! (I swear I don't live out of my car... but yeah I could if I had to!)

When I graduated high school my parents got me a gps, I wouldn't get one because you just got her a car and that's big enough, but maybe get a book of maps in for the trunk just in case (I can read maps in emergencies).

RADAR DETECTOR! I got that the birthday after getting my car... its my "ticket to speed" lol not really but it does warn you if you're near a cop and perhaps a little over the speed limit, the lack of tickets would be a plus. That depends on if she'll actually see it as a reason to speed... if that's the case don't get that!

Car cell phone charger! if she's out and needs to call home and check in and her phone is dying its good to have to charge.

That's essentially all I can think of... I don't want to think about how long this novel is haha. but i'm sure I helped some.

 

[smarch]

Also! this isn't about things to get so its a side note type thing.
Well first off if you have AAA get her on too, even if you make her pay its good to have.
Teach her how to change a tire! I wanted to learn as soon as I got my car, but my dad only just got around to learning. But in some cases AAA isn't fast (when I was younger my mum and us 3 kids (I was in/around 4th grade so my sisters 5 years younger than me and brother is 7 years younger, so we were all quite young) AAA left us waiting in our town for 3 hours!! my dad came home from work and changed the tire before they arrived! My aunt from town had to come get us kids! So I have AAA trust issues with getting there fast.) But if you're on the side of the road with a flat its easier to learn to change it and say you're all set than to have to wait and rely on any possibly creepy male to help you out if AAA isn't fast. Now conversely if I see a younger women stranded with popped tire I can help her and maybe seem at least a little less threatening than a guy who may stop.
Just a suggestion, its a pretty good thing to know, especially if she's willing to learn.

 

[tortdad]

I don't see my tiny daughter being able to operate the jack and change her tire,lol.

Her car is an 07. The stock radio has a CD player with a jack adaptor. The front speakers are blown so I was going to get new door speakers but leave the head unit alone. I just spent $450 in mechanical parts for her car and later this week I'm spending another $300 in body work. The rest may or may not happen.


0.0.1 Redfoot (Spike)
0.0.1 Cherryhead Redfoot (Bruce Wayne)
1.0 Sulcata (Hal Jordan)

 

[smarch]

I don't see my tiny daughter being able to operate the jack and change her tire,lol.

Her car is an 07. The stock radio has a CD player with a jack adaptor. The front speakers are blown so I was going to get new door speakers but leave the head unit alone. I just spent $450 in mechanical parts for her car and later this week I'm spending another $300 in body work. The rest may or may not happen.


0.0.1 Redfoot (Spike)
0.0.1 Cherryhead Redfoot (Bruce Wayne)
1.0 Sulcata (Hal Jordan)

I found my jack super easy to use with little effort. Getting off the lug nuts was a different story, my dad told me to jump on the wrench lol, i'll look like an idiot but the tire will come off/on.

With the jack I see no need to change the stock stereo, its not necessarily great but not bad, front speakers out is quite unpleasant, my back ones like to shut off, the wiring is faulty I guess its always been like that, sometimes locking the doors kicks them on, sometimes the sun roof or opening a rear door does, or temperature, they're temperamental lol but its not a huge problem that they're out, but indeed front is different.

If you got anything else get the emergency kit of some sort, in my opinion its just a necessary as mechanical work being done, its an extra safety net. It also has an air compressor so I would avoid changing a tire if I had to.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ORY311A/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20
Since I have needed it a few times I automatically recommend it, its saved me! AAA makes one too, and there are others. I suppose it wouldn't be necessary if you already planned to put some of that in. Just as a young person... whose dad had one in his car but never thought to put one in mine... I think its a smart thing to have.

 

[david_himself]

better to leave it stock and let her do what she would like to do to it, maybe a new stereo and sound system would be ideal.
Besides my tortoise cars are my #1 things

 

[smarch]

I'm quite fond of my car too they're not necessarily something i'm an expert at, but I'm in love with my car! It has 4 wheels, it goes, its reliable, and i think its a pretty great looking car!

 

[erdavis]

Hmm well I'm not a teenager anymore but I'm not too far from one! I got my first car when I was 17, a '92 vw cabriolet that I bought for $2k. She deffinitely needs a car charger. These days teens are on their phone so much that they die quickly! A week after I got my car I was driving to a friends at 1 am (I know something you don't want to hear) and my clutch went out. I was stuck in a ghetto trailer park at 1 am. My cell phone was dead and my friends was broke. Make sure she has a charger! Anyways long story short my clutch got fixed and I still have that same car and it actually just hit 100k miles today
Also get her a spare key and get yourself a spare key and get your wife a spare key. Because your daughter will probably lose/lock them in and they'll come in handy.
Get her lots of hair ties to put in her car so she can ride with the windows down. Lol
And what I think is the most important, sit down and have a serious talk with her about drinking and driving. I am only 20 years old so I remember clearly about how little teenagers listen to their parents. But I also remember this same talk with my dad and I listened to it. Kids see all the time commercials and Such about what can happen if you drink and drive. But they think itll never happen to them, so you need to make it personal. You need to tell her about when you did something completely stupid and really messed up. My dad told me about when he was driving and hit someone who just happened to be someone he knew and nearly killed them. Not only did that mentally scar him but he also got a DUI causing him to lose his license, job, and house making him homeless. He said it nearly ruined his life and he was lucky to get back on his feet. Of course he went way into detail and it really got to me. It made me never want to do it. But he told me that if I ever got into a bad situation I could call him in the middle of the night even if I lied about where I was at, and he would come get me no questions asked, never bring it up again, and wouldn't even tell mom. I swore I would never drink and drive and I never planned to. One day I told my dad i was going to a friends to study, but really went to a party and drank because I was planning on staying there that night. I ended up getting into a really uncomfortable situation there and I really needed to get home but I didn't want to drive because I had been drinking. So I called up dad at 3 am and he picked me up no questions asked and had hangovers cures waiting on my desk for me in the morning. I was so afraid to walk out of my room and i was ashamed. But when i came out he acted like nothing ever happened and literally was never brought up again... I know this is a huge post and not exactly stuff you want to hear but it can literally be a lifesaver and a huge bonding experience and even more respect from her.
That car is awesome and I know she'll love it. You don't need anymore fancy stuff. Save that for future celebrations.

 

[tortdad]

My wife says I'm going overboard with this so here is my plan.

I've spent $500 in parts to make sure it's got new front brakes, rear shocks, complete tune up, every filter and fluid changed, and a part from the dealer to fix the steering column. It will take me a few weekend of working on it but she's be like new when I'm done. I'm leaving the stock radio in place but installing new door speakers.

Part of the reason I got a good deal on the car is because someone broke in to steal a purse. They didn't bust the window like a normal thief, they took a screwdriver a poked a hole through the door so they could unlock it (see photo). That is costing $350 to have it fixed.

I will be getting her a road side emergency kit, 1st aid kit, and putting them both in a Rubbermaid bin in the trunk. I will make it big enough that she can add blankets and extra clothes. Then a phone charger and the decretive floor mats and seat covers.

The windows are already tinted but someone used low quality tint and it's turning purple. My wife hates it but I told her I'm not spending money on tint when the tiny is already there so grandma is paying for new tint and a full detail of the car. Oh, and I'm painting the hub caps black. They'll look nicer and I can keep track of how many curbs she hits.

Look out world, here she comes!




0.0.1 Redfoot (Spike)
0.0.1 Cherryhead Redfoot (Bruce Wayne)
1.0 Sulcata (Hal Jordan)

 

[Tyanna]

you're a great dad!!

 

[Earth Mama]

Excellent plan.

 

[tortdad]

you're a great dad!!

Aww, thanks. She's my step daughter but she gets treated the exact same as my others.


0.0.1 Redfoot (Spike)
0.0.1 Cherryhead Redfoot (Bruce Wayne)
1.0 Sulcata (Hal Jordan)