So I Let my boy cruise my car tonight......

[Cooter]

Well, He woke up bright and early this mornin' lookin' to cut the grass so maybe he wouldn't have to go to his "Real" father's house..I said maybe I let 'ya cruise the Dart (505 C.I.) to the show tonight ifn' 'ya get that yard cut in time...Well, the mower belt (Self propelled) got all kindsa' loose and he was actually pushing it to get the grass done..I was wondering why he was comin' in for water so often as it wasn't all THAT hot out..(high 70's)....Once I saw what had happened, I asked him to bring the mower over and I'd look at it..Well, the design was quite unadjustable, so I made it adjustable..Got it going, he finished the yard in time to go...

He asked me if I was serious about lettin' him drive the Dart..I said, "Well son, That's alotta car, you sure you can handle it?"(16 Y/O)..
He replied with a big grin on his face "YES!"...

Unknown to myself, as I was preparing to get Christine out, he had called all his High School Buddies and for them to "Meet" him at cruise night in "His" Dart..Well, we get there and he's cleaning, polishing chrome, waxing, etc. and I hear a guy ask "Is this one yours?" Of course, my boy said "Yes"..As the guy was looking at the car, he looked up at me and said "That ones "Mine" tonight"...I had to laugh as he had worked and earned the "Right" to call it "His" I guess...He did ok with it on the road as this was his first time out in a high HP antique car...I was pretty d@mn proud of him...I looked up from talkiing with another guy, and he had about four people as a "congregation". He was rattling off facts that he knew about each car, but when his buddies from school that give him such a hard time about his "Hoopty" car(1966 Plymouth) showed up, I could'nt steal his thunder and just let him be "The man" tonight.... It was great not to be the one in the center doing the talking, and to watch the pride he had talking about "His" Dodge Dart.......

[RD]

great story cooter... one day I hope my son has the same respect and pride that your son displayed.

[FlatbackFanatic]

 

[vancamp]

  congrats to you and your son, something he will remember from now on.

[bobs66440]

That right there my friends, is what it's all about!!  

[Tilar]

That's a pretty cool story.

[jeryst]

Good job Cooter. Really hard to describe the feeling, isnt it?

When my son went to his senior prom (about 6 years ago), I had a nice 57 Chevy Belair Sports Coupe
that I let him take. He and his date had a lot of pics taken, and they were in heaven. Some of the
snooty kids brought their fathers Mercedes, and BMW's, but no one paid attention to them when the
57 rumbled in (built 350, huge cam, flowmasters).

Car is long gone, but the pics and memories will always remain.

[Cooter]

He did real well with it, but I was following in Christine and could tell when I asked him to pull around me so he'd be in front of me once out on the highway, he was "Testing", or "satisfying" his curiousity by finally getting the chance to "Step on it"..

I just figured he'd pull around in good time..Well, as I heard the roar of that Holley Dominator and Flowmaster 3" exhaust, then seeing my car for the ONLY TIME without myself driving coming at me in the rear view mirror...I was praying that he didn't get in over his head, but later he was telling me he was a little hesitant about "Testing the water", as I might be upset with him...

I never said a word, but I could tell the car made it around Christine at an alarmingly fast pace so to speak, but he kept it under control...I have never been so proud. He respected my wishes and never once took it above 3000 RPM like I wanted, but he did say "Well, you didn't say anything about how fast I could get to 3000 RPM right?" I had to smile inside as that is something I woulda said myself...LOL..

As stated above, I woulda killed for a "Cool" Dad back when i was his age that had fast cars and such, but it just wasn't to be..
Poor 'ol Dad loved cars (God rest his soul), but could hardly change oil. So, I had to rely on my buddies and their cousins for my High Perf. fix..This led to ALOT of street racing scenes and the like.. I figure if He can get his respect and "Fix" from home, he will be more likey NOT to do the things I did..It really is kinda weird when he tells his buddies from school that "This is "My Dad"..Of course, I'm not his "REAL" dad, but to be considered for the role is kinda cool..I can only hope that one day when I'm all bent, gray, and old, he'll at least have some cool stories to tell the grandkids about "Grand daddy's car"...

[Silver R/T]

That's right, let kids earn something in life. Too many parents don't let kids earn things in life and they grow up losers, expecting free things.

[Memphis Mopar]

Cooter I am new here so I dont want to step on anyones toes. You might not be his biological dad but in evey sense of the word maybe you are his "real dad" It takes more than just a night in the sack and some DNA flowing thru someones vains to become a dad. I know I was adopted by the greatest parents in the world.  Maybe you are to your step son eveything his biological father is not.  In my life I am trying to give my son every opportunity that my father has ever given to me. If I can be half the man to my son that my father was to me and still is to me to this day, then I will have done one hell of a job!!!!!! 

[chargergirl]

You may not have fathered him, however, you ARE his dad. You have earned the title...you let him shine without competing that is the true test of a parent. Now I'm not saying that if you race head to head you shouldn't woop' him...but being a true parent means you feel it deep when they shine.

"Well, you didn't say anything about how fast I could get to 3000 RPM right?" I had to smile inside as that is something I woulda said myself.

SEE...that's the test! Your response was crucial to his "float"...and you passed with flying colors.

[Charger RT]

nice story
My 15 year old didn't seem to want to get his permit a few months ago when he turned 15 but latley he said he wants it. I also was tring to figure out why e has been so helpful in the garage the last few months. It turns out he hasn't been getting his mother to move the charger out of the garage when we are going to work of he needs the mower out. He has been getting the keys and moving it out his self. I took a short video of him pulling it back in. I told him to show it to his grand kids in 50 years. Him at 15 driving a 92 year old car. He laughed
Tim

[Tilar]

It really is kinda weird when he tells his buddies from school that "This is "My Dad"..Of course, I'm not his "REAL" dad, but to be considered for the role is kinda cool..I can only hope that one day when I'm all bent, gray, and old, he'll at least have some cool stories to tell the grandkids about "Grand daddy's car"...

That's very cool. My "son" that I speak about from time to time is really my last ex wifes oldest son. His biological father left when he was less than a year old. He was 13 when his mother and I met and we married a year later. Robert and I hit it off very well. He loved working on cars with me and when he turned 15 I gave him a 1981 Camaro that I had at the time. Together we built a 350 engine and transmission for it and got it on the road. That has been by far the most rewarding thing I've done in my life. The smile he had when that thing fired for the first time is priceless.

A year later his mother decided she was leaving. Rob told me that if I didn't want him that he would go live with his grandpa, but he wanted to stay with me.  Now he's 32, Just moved out of my house last year when he bought his first home and he still introduces me to his friends as his dad. I wouldn't trade it for anything.

[lisiecki1]

anyone can father a child, but a DAD is someone special 

[Johnny SixPack]

anyone can father a child, but a DAD is someone special 

Very true.

Great story, Cooter.