What car... my son edition

There is no such thing as too much Porsche.

Winston wrote: He doesn't need a "first car" yet, much less one that will be acquired before he can remember. He'll be bored of it before he's driving. If you want a project car that he'll be excited about, buy it when he's 14 or 15. Then he'll get some input himself, and he'll get to be in on the ground floor of working on it. Buying it now is a surefire way to get your feelings drop-kicked over the house in about 14 years.

I agree with Winston. I'm 15 now and my dad and I have been working on a Factory Five Daytona for about a year. It will be "mine" until college, so I'll drive it during high school. It will be a handful to drive, but the consequences of racing or wrecking are understood. At this age I really can contribute to the build more than if I was younger, and I'm learning more too. Because of my part in building the car, I feel like I own the car and am more careful around it than I was around any previous cars we've had. Since I'm now motivated to get it done so I can drive it as long as I can before we sell it, the car is getting done quicker than it would if we had started earlier. Holding the attention of a child is pretty hard, and interest can be lost on a long project.

Why not get something like a 500slc or 450slc 5.0? They can only go up in value. They weren't offered in manuals but are actually a homologation race car with aluminum hood, trunk lid, door skins, aluminum engine block, the newer ones have a 4 speed auto, great damn cars. Oh and they make 240hp and one would literally push some of the other suggestions off the road, not that that matters.

+1 for Z-car. Simple, good basis for a project (and no shortage of work to do), not crazy fast (but possible to add speed with boost), looks that will ensure that his life doesn't suck in high school

Well, he is 17mos old - it is time to teach him to weld. Lotus Super7 clone.

By the time he can drive it, it should be just about finished.

My dissenting opinion is that rather than buying him a project car, put together the funding to get him in a cart asap.

I'm pretty sure getting him into motorsports as soon as you can will be the same sort of father-son experience except he'll be able to fully enjoy it sooner.

I'm biased though, because my mother was staunchly opposed to such things I feel like I missed out.

MG Bryan wrote: My dissenting opinion is that rather than buying him a project car, put together the funding to get him in a cart asap. I'm pretty sure getting him into motorsports as soon as you can will be the same sort of father-son experience except he'll be able to fully enjoy it sooner. I'm biased though, because my mother was staunchly opposed to such things I feel like I missed out.

Sounds like a good plan. And by the time he's a teenager he'll be an experienced driver, ready for a big-power car.

Suggestions so far (visual form)...

Porsche 912

BMW 2002

Datsun 510 and Z

Porsche 914

BMW e30

Z32

Corvette C4

Honda CRX Si

Impreza 2.5 RS

MR-2 (2nd Gen)

Early Porsche Boxster

Mustang 5.0

MB 500 SLC

Alfa GTV-6.

For the record, I think EDT, Winston, and MG Bryan are on the right track. Let him start out in karts. Something I always wanted to do as a kid but could never afford. Then buy him a project car when he is 14 or 15. By then he will know what kind of car he wants and the two of you can fix it up together. Then he will have invested "ownership" in the car and be more likely to care for it and drive it safely.