Exactly 2 years ago I bought a very clean 1990 Prelude 2.0Si for my son to drive. Now before you start ragging on me for buying a car for my kid when he should go out and earn his own money to get a car, consider that I am a single parent and I need him to drive a reliable car to trasnport his younger sister when I am working. And public transport in Los Angeles is not adequate.

My son is a safe driver (safer than I was at his age) and I have invested in defensive driving and perfromance driving courses (including time on The Streets of Willow race track) for him. But even a safe driver can have a lapse of judgement. He pulled away from the curb without double checking his 6 o'clock and he collected a fairly new Volvo's right front fender with the Prelude's left front fender.

I was not at the accident scene, so I have to rely upon accounts from witnesses. I heard that the Volvo's airbags eployed, which in turn cracked the windshield. Apparently this is the way Volvos are designed... and that confirms my doubts about Volvo engineering.

The Prelude came home on a hook, the front wheels where pointed in different directions. I put it up in the air and determined that nothing was broken, but the left front suspension's pick up points had been rearranged about 10 degrees to the right of where the factory had left them. Hopeful thinking is a strong emotion, "Perhaps a cheap front end allignment will get the front tires pointed in the same realtive direction." Sadly, the allignment shop would not even put it on the rack with the frame damage.

The cost of repairing the frame is equal to, if not greater than, the value of the resulting car and so I am going to have it hauled away by a "cash for cars" kind of guy at the end of the week. I have stripped the radio, sunroof deflector and three point racing-style harnesses out of the car. I wish I had a cheapo set of steel wheels to put on it so that I could salvage the decent wheels and nearly new tires.

I now need to identify and purchase another car for him to drive (I know, I know. Why reward his mistake with another car? Because I need another driver in the family) while working 6 days a week and pack my home for moving. Of all the problems in the world, these should be my very worst problems. But it is still a hassle.

The next car will certianly not be as intersting as the Prelude. Four doors and an automatic will treach him to appreciate what he once had. And maybe focus his attention on other cars when pulling away from a curb.

Scott

PS- if anyone has a line on a clean, decent car for less than $3,000 in the LA area please let me know.

 

head to a local junk yard and pick up some steelies for <$100, keep the rims on there now, then sell them. You'll come out ahead if they're in good conditon..

sorry to hear.

 

WOW!! Sounded like a page out of my book!!
At 21 I was working for a dealership and jumped a curb with a Volvo. Both airbags deployed which destroyed the steering wheel, on the passenger side the airbag flap lifted up and smashed the windshield. They are extremely safe cars though! WHY you ask? Because of the MOOSE population in Sweden. All Volvos are built to withstand a collison head-on with a Moose!!

By the way, nothing wrong with buying the kid a car! I think if you have yourself a good kid(there are some bad ones out there) buy him something nice, but not crazy like these little punk kids with a New/Newer car when they turn 16. There are parents out there paying $4-600/mo for their kids to drive a new car, and pay for everything else!! (I better be careful, theres a couple thousand on this site) If your parents buy you a new car when you turn 16, you'll be lucky to ever understand the value of a dollar! Before the 16-20 crowd rings it with I PAY FOR MY OWN CAR!! Working to pay for a car while living with Mom&Dad doesn't count. Move out and you couldn't even afford the gas!!<<<---Sorry to rant, had to get that off my chest. I get real revved up when I see some kid in a new car! My thought, Awww how nice they bought you a car! Or what time does Mom want the car back!!
I had a $2k car waiting for me when I turned 16.(Very nice 1968 Nova in 1992) I crashed it about a year later and was forced to drive a 1984 Cavalier & 1986 Skyhawk after that. I learned form my errors and it made me a better driver to THIS day!!
BTW, youre not really rewarding him, youre rewarding yourself by NOT having to drive him around. Some people just don't understand that. Ignore them!! Youve got the right idea, slow down the appeal of what he drives now! Maybe a used 4dr Accord/Camry type car.
It seems like you did everything right and he just had a little lapse!! I assume he's OK which is what really counts!!
***Attention ALL Dads on Honda-Tech.com*** Read this post!!!

 

Say goodbye, the wrecker comes tomorrow

 

Hey sorry to hear about the car. I currently need a radio for my 89 si, would you be willing to sell yours? Is it oem or aftermarket?

 

I hope everything turns out well for you and your son, too bad you dont live closer to NJ, im trying to sell my 89si.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by ubnpast &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I hope everything turns out well for you and your son, too bad you dont live closer to NJ, im trying to sell my 89si.
</TD></TR></TABLE>

I am keeping the radio, but you can get them off eBay on a regular basis.

Scott

BTW- nice car

 

Scott,
Thanks, BTW did you happen to take out the cigarett (sp?) plug? Mine seems to be missing, I just need the metal piece that sits in the plastic.
Thanks,
Matt

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by ubnpast &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Scott,
Thanks, BTW did you happen to take out the cigarett (sp?) plug? Mine seems to be missing, I just need the metal piece that sits in the plastic.
Thanks,
Matt</TD></TR></TABLE>

Sorry, the car has gone to the junkyard.

Scott

 

Sorry to hear about the car and accident itself, and even though I'm a little late, I don't think buying your son a four door, less sporty, or automatic car is any more good then buying him another Prelude, or Civic for example. It's a simple mistake anyone can make, when they have their mind on something else..
I'm a teen-ager, and let me tell you, us young people get distracted easily, we act-a-fool, and buying a teen-ager a slower car, or a sports car makes no difference, he's going to want to drive fast and so on, in a Camry, or a Prelude. He will get distracted in any car he's driving, auto or not.

And I don't know the street your son was turning into, or where it happened, but the Volvo could have switched lanes at the last moment, and your son could of seen the car while it was on the other lane, thus making him think it was safe to pull into the street, and when the Volvo switched lanes ran into his car.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by ’95 BA8 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote"> It's a simple mistake anyone can make</TD></TR></TABLE>

Thanks for sticking up for my son. He is a good guy and a good, safe driver who made a mistake. And yeah, we all have brain farts. I recognize that and I do not have a problem with mistakes as long as we LEARN from our mistakes.

I am still looking for a car to replace the 'lude, but with working 6 days a week and moving my home at the same time, it does not leave a lot of time to track down a decent used car.

Right now my son is driving my CSP-prepped 1st Gen CRX. Essentially a race car that I can register, it is not a fun car to drive on the street. No radio, no A/C and he has to deal with the 5 point harness everytime he gets in or out. But it is better than nothing until I can get him a daily driver/beater.

Scott