Parents mad about mods

[diablo5969]

Ahhh. I've been that route. I'm 17, so I know what it's like.

I was/am very lucky. I was given the '94 Ex for my 16th birthday. My parents pay insurance, maintenance, and gas. (Just for the record, in Georgia you start driving at age 15, so it's not like my parents gave me the car the first possible day I could drive, but I'd actually had time to prove my driving ability.)

Anyway, my parents were totally against me doing mods to the Ex. But after a while, they loosened up a little, and said that I could modify the stereo since it still had a stock '94 tapedeck. (See my sig to see stereo mods)

Then my parents said I could start making little mods for looks (such as the speed grill).

Then, I finally took my dad out fourwheeling. We went out with a few other Explorers and a couple Jeeps, and my dad and I actually rode in some modified Explorers and went off road and had fun.

Now that my dad has been offroad and has actually seen what I want my end goal to be, he changed dramatically. He let me get a serious offroad bumper, I'm upgrading to bigger wheels soon, and there's more on the way.

I'd say try to give him some hands on experience. I know you're lowering your Ex instead of raising it, so it'd be a little different than what my dad and I did. But if there's anyone on the board that lives by you with a lowered Ex, ask if they can come over. Let your dad ride in it or maybe even drive it. Show him what you're going for. It might change his opinion

 

[psychotic]

Aldive, i wash/wax their cars for mothers/fathers day .
Also... i know i have to leave the skid plates on now, but for any of you who don't offroad... it did change my 0-60 by a second . honestly i don't know how... but it did, maybe it was like a change in the air or something...

 

[Jarrett088]

It sounds like a secret society....
P.A.M. - Parents Against Mods

My wife has started her own.....
W.A.M. - Wives Against Mods


Tim

 

[MONMIX]

This has been a neat discussion. I have enjoyed all the posts but by far my favorite is ...

Originally posted by 410Fortune
Hey I just tried that number and all I got was heavy breathing, I want my $$$ back....

 

[schadler]

Addicted

Man, I can sympathise with you, even though It's been like 15 years since I was in your shoes. But your parents probably realize that you are addicted, and your "small" upgrades now could turn into big bucks later. Personally, I'll tell you that dumping money into performance (or appearance) mods at your age is a waste of time, especially fior an older X. True, you might score more, but at what cost...spending your whole summers driving around and waxing your truck instead of working or doing an internship that might make you more money later? Dude, save the cash, or invest it. Real women are more impressed with a portfolio and a career guy than a nice ride. Still, I will say that your parents are a bit naiive about quite a few things...like skid plates for one. I'd give them some slack tho...after all, few kids get an X at your age. If my son gets my X...I'll probably be like the Ecstacy dad and help him with the mods, so I'm no role model.

Good luck

 

[Rscotts1]

Dude, at 16, your lucky that you even have a car or truck to drive!!!! My side of the story: when I was 16 I had to buy my own (first car). It was a 1968 (beat up)Chevy Nova. I had to pay for my own gas, insurance, etc. Took me about a year to get, but paid $600.00 for this thing....mowed alot of yards to get it!!! This taught me RESPONSIBILITY. Sounds to me like you need to grow up and accept some responsibility, or better yet, learn how to be responsible!!! You still live with your parents and live under their roof!! When you are old enough to move out and take care of your self then maybe you will be grown up enough to realize what being a responsible person/adult is all about. Maybe It's just me, or the times we live in, but I see more and more kids being given brand new or almost brand new cars/SUV's...just like that!! These kids no nothing about being responsible. Just my 2 cents.


http://members.cardomain.com/scotts1

 

[psychotic]

how did me asking why my parents would let me lower my ex but not remove skid plates turn into resposibility?? I have a job where that i am RESPONSIBLE for, i go to school and i'm RESPONSIBLE there too with a 4.0 grade average. my car is MY responsibility, i keep it looking new, keep matenence up, get gas whenever it needs it, investigate problems with it. Excuse me, but i AM responsible.

P.S. know is knowledge. no means negative

 

[red96camaro]

I'm not a flamer, lol, that sounds so funny I'll just leave it, um anyway ... amen!

 

[Rscotts1]

You are still living at home!!! If your parents say no, then no means no!! LOL...not trying to flame you bro........just seems to me that you should respect your parents wishes. At your age they know whats best for you.

 

[psychotic]

Where'd the responisibility part come in play? Living under my parents house = follow their rules is one thing. Being responsible is another. I don't mind if you tell me i should do what they say, but coming up with me not being responsible is different...

 

[2001gtboy]

i love these threads, they just go on and on. I was EXTREMLY lucky in the fact i got a 01 GT stang. But more or less for other reasons, when my dad graduated from highschool all of his friends got cars so he wanted his kids to be that fortunate. He bought the Mustang on his 59th birthday then realized he could really use it, and would rather let me have it. So he made my step brother make the 501 mile drive here, and then i got the keys. He has always been good mods, as long as i can explain myself and why i did it.

 

[prerunexp]

i kina found this thread a lil late but anyway

i am 16 too and i can say that this thing about YOU paying for the car YOU paying insurance and gas is very very true as to the mods and and how leniet your parents are

when i got my d/l my parents were gonna give me my moms 96X and i had 5,000$ saved up in which over time i was gonna use to mod the car and i was driving it fot a while and i wanted to simply do a t/t on it and my dad was all hell no thats gonna screw up this and that.... and my mom was all absolutly not too ur not doing that to that car.

so i said im not dealing with this and i took 4000$ and went and bought myself a nice 93X and i toar that thing up left and right turning the car into a peice of $#!t and eventually flipping it in an alley ut see i paid for the car, all my gas, half the insurance. and for all my mods

and when i was doing the mods and stuff my parents could absolutly care less, my dad would give me a lil warning but other than that i could do what i wanted
now was that a good thing? well i dont really think so, it was fun whle it lasted but it didnt pay off,

ur parents are only keeping you from making a giant mistake and it sounds like u have an alright job i dont know
my 0.02$

 

[mrit]

As everyone else has said your lucky to have that Explorer. Im 17 and still dont have my drivers licence because I cant find a job that pays enough to keep up on insurance, fuel, matinence on my Bronco II. My parents wont pay for a penny of anything(beleive me they have the money). I tell my parents that since I payed for my truck I will do whatever I want to it.

 

[zavetsky]

Now, I know this wont be popular...but......

Are any of you 16,17 and 18 year old folks planning on going to college ??

Who's paying for that...or are you all getting scholarships or total financial aid ?

Here are some thoughts, however unpopular they will be.....

If Mom and Dad are paying for college, keep in mind that *that* gives them quite a bit of "right" to restrict what ya blow your cash on or how you modify the wheels that were probably meant to be your college car....they will be spending upwards of $5000, $10,000 maybe $15,000 per year on your education.......and you are worried about adding neon lights to a 6 year old car?? Save your money and help pay for your education...it will feel MUCH better for you later......

And for those who are getting full financial aid, that means that your folks are bad off enough that the state or government will pay for your education (which, by the way, my taxes pay for)...so, really, you DONT have the money to pay for mods and toys right now.....you should be saving for your colleg expenses.....or, do what so many youngsters are doing these days...get to the colleg campus and apply for 10 credit cards, rack up the maxes on all of those and then spend then next ten years paying THOSE off rather than spending your REAL hard earned income on fun stuff.....

For those getting full scholarships, congrats.....but chances are you aren't worried about modding your X, because you KNOW how silly it is to sink EVERY cent into a vehicle that will most likely be a heap of junk in a few years from now......

For those not GOING to college, well, you have made your choice. Make sure you take care of that X....you'll need to drive it for a while......

Does ANYONE see where I am going with this??

Guys, I was 16 once myself and craved cars left and right........always wanted to impress the honeys and my pals....Unfortunately, this is now a world where money talks, and BS walks......No one except other car enthusiasts give a rat's ass abou tthe mods you have done to your X, and why do you want to impress us??

Long and short of it is, THANK GOD you have a nice SUV to play with and parents who aren;t of the feeling that "you can drive when you are 18 and have your own steady income"....been there, done that. ANd you know what, it didnt kill me.

I now have 4 vehicles that I like to drive and tinker with......but I pay my own utilities, mortgage, heatl insurance, etc.....and THAT greatly affects how much I blow on things like neon lights and speakers (how loud can you really listen to music anyways?? Wait till ya get old!! <grin>

Enough preaching on my part.....you guys just need to get some perspective here.....

 

[ld50]

The original poster is probly what, 18 now?

From someone who never had parents who would or could buy me a vehicle, let alone insure it, or buy gas, I gotta step up here. If all I had to do when I was sixteen was to NOT mod a vehicle that was handed to me, I would have no problem with it.
Had to bust my butt workin after school for two years to buy an old crappy Toyota Corrolla that sat for another year till I could insure it, took the bus to school and walked through the parking lot looking at all the birthday presents that the rich kids got for, what? being good little girls and boys? Getting an A in English last year?
Am I bitter? only when I hear people complain about a good thing. Will I buy MY son a car? most definitely, because I can afford it this time round, I just hope I can instill in him the value of a dollar beforehand. Be thankful that your parents are in that income tax bracket, because not everyone is. OR, separate yourself from their dictatorship by saving money you would spend on mods, buy your own car, and pay your own way, No one can tell you what to do, or get "pissy" at you for that.

 

[red96camaro]

Again, amen, I wish I was inyours shoes man. Hell do I a X handed to yoiu, insurance paid, even gas!! Damn , That's a nice chunk of dough your getting that many kids as me could only dream of. Calm down. If you wann mod a car, go buy one. I'm freshly 20 years old and have already baught, insured, gased, and modded 4 vehicles with all my own $$$.

 

[psychotic]

hehe this topic has never been on track. The question was how a parent can say yes to lowering and no to taking off roof rack. Not, my parents WON'T let me modify my car, my parents won't buy my car, or hey guys i'm not resposible. It seems like you all just want to give a lesson or chew someone out, but most of it is on a different topic that really has nothing to do with me nor my question. So i now have another question.... are you really that bored?

 

[Rscotts1]

lol....hey bro...not trying to get personal with you or anything. Parents are hard to figure out. When I was 16 with my Nova, my parents let me put an exhaust on it but would not let me change the wheels/tires!! Could'nt ever figure that one out. I don't know what to tell you bro....maybe your parents have decided, (all of a sudden), enough is enough and no more mods. I would just let it rest awhile (the mods) and try again later....Good luck


http://members.cardomain.com/scotts1

 

[ld50]

are you really that bored?

Mua ha ha.. I was three hours into a 13 hour shift, with nothing much to do but chew out and preach to people.
OF COURSE I`M BORED - get me outta here!

Didn`t mean to get yer dander up bro, but did you get to take the racks off?
I do kind of hear your plight, If I gave you a car you could do whatever you wanted with it, but if ya wrecked it I just wouldn`t buy you another one. I always hated that "not under my roof" statement I used to get from the parental units.

 

[zavetsky]

Your original post , then, was simply a venting on your behalf against your folks??

If ya didnt want folks to comment on it, why did ya post it publically to begin with???

If you wanted to hear "You're right! Your parents are acting stupid! Idiots! Whats wrong with them! Oh my god I cant believe they are so lame! " I think you posted in the wrong place.....

The point of all the preaching, whcih I suppose you cant appreciate as long as you are the age you are (nor would I have , at your age) is to say "Wake up -- you have a freakin' SUV for your first car handed to you on a platter and all you can do is whine that your parents are inexplicable because they wont let you remove the roof rack" .................. for cripes sake.........cry me a river.

If you wanted to hear how right you are, you can always try a teen chat room.....more likely to find folks who will commiserate with you.......you obviously dont find any value in any of the good advice that some of the older folks on this forum have tossed your way.......

Not meaning to be harsh, but Geezuz H Kryste!

........and yes, I personally *am* bored... <grin>