my daughter is dead set on a 55 f-100 for first car

[YALE]

Get her something reliable that's cheap to insure. Let her fund her dream vehicle.

[2000 vert]

Get her something reliable that's cheap to insure. Let her fund her dream vehicle.

true, but I want to make my little girl happy.

[Binky]

If all shes seen are custom trucks that have major $$$$ in them then she's going to be disappointed.

[Sleeper]

Unless updated to modern gear she will not enjoy driving it But you never know. There are not many girls who want a classic truck period.

[CyaNide]

Can I be your daughter? I almost bought a 54 a few months ago. I'll keep my eyes open since I am looking to replace my pos truck.

CN

[Txstang1]

good choice !

[BLAKE]

That's very cool. I would love for my daughter to become a gear head. My plan is to get her an 05 - 09 v6 mustang to start (by then it'll be a 15ish year old car and need a little work) and keep taking her for rides in the fastback. If she wants to build a hot rod of her own, I'd have a hard time not throwing as much time and money as I could at making that happen.

My unsolicited advice:

- find the best driver your budget will allow.
- consider a truck that has updated frame and suspension work done.
- plan on buying a safe, newer beater and let her figure out which ends up being the daily.

[Wanderer]

As much as you want to make your little girl happy, you need to consider her safety first. Everyone thinks that old cars are better in an accident because they're all steel, but late model cars are designed with crumple zones to protect the occupants in the even of an accident.

To make an old truck drivable for a young/inexperienced driver, it would need to be clipped with a later model (Camaro/Nova/S10) front end or aftermarket Mustang II front end so it has power steering/power disc brakes. You would also want it updated to a later model fuel injected engine and overdrive automatic transmission. Then you would also have to worry about it getting smashed up in school parking lots because no matter how good of a driver SHE is, it's the other kids that can't fucking drive is what you have to worry about.

[mikeb]

You have a very cool daughter!

I think if you found a 55 and updated it with a modern powertrain and power everything it wouldn't be too much trouble for her to manage. One concern I would have about an old truck is the lack of safety equipment. Wrecks with our kids do happen - my daughter was involved in a rear end collision in her jeep cherokee when she was 16 - it totaled the cherokee but she walked away due to the airbag and seat belt.

[EW]

If you live in the country and that is where the truck will be driven, no big deal. Otherwise it had better be ultra reliable and have modern brakes if she is going to drive in dfw. It is not safe to drive an unreliable or under braked car in the metroplex.

[Buick355]

When I'm skimming through the threads on the back porch, it shocks me for a moment every time I come across this thread and read the first 4 words.

[fitzwell]

you want something you & she can build, or a finished truck? I might know a guy....

[davbrucas]

She is about to turn 14. I have been trying to talk her out of it for 2 years. She wont have it. She loves the 55 ford with the v8 grill. The practical dad in me says hell no, but the other side is proud and saying hell ya. Just wondering if any of u guys have a line on a good 55 at a reasonable price. I dont mind if it needs paint or a little bit of work. I have 2 years to get it ready.

She's still young and trying to impress daddy. When she turns 16, she will certainly change her mind. Don't let her get it. Get her a 135i or something similar.

[Shaggin Wagon]

My daughter wants a 65 Mustang. I told her, she doesn't understand the difficulty of driving a old car as a daily driver. I told her I'd sell her 05 v6 and get her a very foxbody like I had. She loved that car. I think it's a fair compromise. I told her she can buy the 65 in the future.

[Sean88gt]

Went to high school with a kid that drove a 55/ranger hybrid. The body and interior was 55, the engine, Trans and 4wd system was from a v6 ranger.