older pick-up for project/first car for son?

[lloyd3]

Saw a nice, older truck coming home the other day (50 Chevy) and it got me thinking. I'd be looking for a 6 cylinder w/a standard, 12-volt system, and fairly easy supply of parts, so either Ford or Chevy?  Were some years better than others for safety and price?  I'm thinking simple (easy to work on), slow, and relatively safe.  Am I deluding myself?

[RallyeMike]

What realistically does he want?

[stripedelete]

67-72 chevy pu.   

[twodko]

Buy him a 72 Chevy short bed step side.
Better truck, safer and inexpensive plentiful
parts. 

[redmist]

I won't be having my kids in ANYTHING that does not have head rests, air bags, and as much safety equipment as possible. After being rear ended at 40 MPH in my own new truck and dealing with the neck pain from that...  I couldn't imagine having my head smash through the rear window on an old pickup.

Or eating the metal dash from a non-air bag equipped older vehicle.


I love old cars and trucks, but they are flat out deadly in crashes.


Just something to think about.

[lloyd3]

redmist: Telling moniker! Yea, the safety factor has always been in the back of my mind. If we lived somewhere out in the sticks it wouldn't be such an issue, but traffic around the Denver Metroplex is bad and getting worse.  My normal family ride weighs 6,000 lbs for just that reason.  Here's the problem: he really likes the older stuff  and really wants to learn about and then work on and build his own first ride. I'm sympathetic for lots of the usual reasons (like $$$, nostalgic tastes, and familiarity) but the safety thing is very much a consideration. I've got to figure out what a good compromise is here.

[stripedelete]

Buy him a 72 Chevy short bed step side.
Better truck, safer and inexpensive plentiful
parts. 

Yep.  Six banger, three on the tree.
That'll keep him out of trouble

[polywideblock]

just remember what you did to your first car .
Holley carb, headers, floor shift for the 3 speed  there's a whole starting point for a new gen of hot rodders  right there   

[Todd Wilson]

I don't think I would think about anything old for a kid nowadays. All the old vehicles are unsafe and wont fair well in a crash. Brakes suck, steering sucks, seat belts suck and the structures of the vehicles are no good either.


Todd

[lloyd3]

It's amazing we all lived through those years. I never wore a bicycle helmet or seat belts as a kid either.  I generally dismiss the Nanny-State as a needless pain-in-the-ass until my child becomes involved, then I think differently about it.

The problem here is that the new stuff isn't much fun to work on. Maybe I need to separate projects from regular drivers?

[toocheaptosmoke]

I'm all for starting off with old vehicles if that's what somebody really wants.    Way back in the 2000's when I was getting my license my parents tried to talk me out of having a jeep cj as my first/primary car.  Lack of some modern safety features is a valid concern no doubt, but nothing's ever a guarantee.   I took pride in having a vintage ride, knew its limitations, and tried to drive accordingly and take care of it.  Driving defensivley is always on your mind when it's a car special to you, other guys drove the crap out of their throw away cars.  Forced me to learn a lot about fixing things and preventative maintenance!    I think a 70's fullsize truck to be a great first ride, new enough to be relatively comfortable and streetable, old enough to be cool. 

[twodko]

I agree and if your son pays for it himself or the lionshare
of it he'll be far more apt to take care of it and not thrash it
or drive it like........well, like teenagers do.

[Todd Wilson]

It's amazing we all lived through those years. I never wore a bicycle helmet or seat belts as a kid either.  I generally dismiss the Nanny-State as a needless pain-in-the-ass until my child becomes involved, then I think differently about it.

I hear you! The thing is back when we were younger everyone drove those vehicles. It was all equal. Now it isn't. You start putting a new driver with old iron in traffic that's new type vehicles and its a recipe for disaster in my book. A picture a few years ago of the lady in the Lexus or something like that......that hit the gas instead of brakes and went up over the curb at a car show and t boned that old Chevy and wadded it clear up to the center of the vehicle.  With the older trucks you may get away with something in the late 70's and up. Some early 70's trucks only had lap belts. No high type seats and often times drum brakes.


Todd

[Sublime/Sixpack]

It's amazing we all lived through those years. I never wore a bicycle helmet or seat belts as a kid either.  I generally dismiss the Nanny-State as a needless pain-in-the-ass until my child becomes involved, then I think differently about it.

The problem here is that the new stuff isn't much fun to work on. Maybe I need to separate projects from regular drivers?

I think an early pickup would be great as a project for your son to work on and enjoy for cruising, Sunday drives, Car shows, etc., but in addition to it I'd suggest a safe, reliable, inexpensive run of the mill type vehicle for everyday type driving, especially with how traffic is now days.

[Mike DC]

I think an early pickup would be great as a project for your son to work on and enjoy for cruising, Sunday drives, Car shows, etc., but in addition to it I'd suggest a safe, reliable, inexpensive run of the mill type vehicle for everyday type driving, especially with how traffic is now days.

This.   

If it was very easy/practical to make a 40+ year old vehicle into a daily driver, a lot more of us adults would already be doing it. 


As for the safety - it needs radial tires, front disc brakes, a 3rd brake light up high, 3pt retractable lap belts, and seats with real headrests.  That's the lowest-hanging fruit of the safety gains in the last 50 years. 

[Old Moparz]

My boss's son has a daughter that has been driving for about a year now. He borrowed my trailer to go with her to get her first vehicle, a 1970 Chevy stepside pick up. She was very excited & showed me a bunch of pics on her phone. It looks nice but needs a few things to get it on the road. As far as I know he's been putting off some of the needed repairs just so she doesn't drive it. His wife was really concerned about the old truck not being as safe as newer vehicles & now he's worried, too.

It is a legit concern because unless the old car or truck is updated they aren't as safe in a wreck. I know when my own daughter gets her license in another year or so I'll be worried about what she is in if there is an accident. No way she is going to use an old vehicle as a daily ride, it'll have to be more current. I'm not against her driving any of my old iron but I want her to have more experience behind the wheel first. It may be true that we all learned on an old car & survived it, but there is no need to do that now.

I say there is nothing wrong with letting your kid get an old vehicle, but not as a daily driver. There is a much better advantage to having a vehicle that is newer & more safe for them to be in. Old technology may still work, but there is a reason it gets replaced, just like the old hand saw I have that still works. I may use it on occasion but I sure as s**t won't try to cut a sheet of plywood in half with it while I have a circular saw sitting there. 

[Road Dog]

One plus for the old vehicles is they don't distract the drivers with all the tech found on these newer ones. Let you focus on driving. Plus they demand abit more respect than a new car cuz they will bite you. I taught my wife's sister to drive in my 70 Plymouth.