Man the kid just cant get a break..

[sstaten69]

Okay last month he lost a turn and went thru a fence/mailbox.. Today I get a text----Dad I got hit at school and there is a dent.... Oh hell here we go... drive over to his school at mach speeds.. on my way there get another text from my son saying "cops are on there way, need to do a report being it was on school property... Oh and dad keep a level head as to not make it worse don't want you to get arrested". What!!! me???. I get there.. the other kid (driving his dads truck) pulled out of his parking spot and cut it to short and clipped the pass side of my sons truck. The other truck 97 Chevy 2500 well lets say bed is trashed. (sorry no pics left my phone in the car) My sons truck the dent is so small wouldn't even show up in a pic, it is just behind the rear side marker light didn't crease any of the body lines so thinkin no big deal easy fix. (I hope) Staying level headed when the sheriff got there (almost an hour later) she said that it would be better if no report was filed being we will just fix our own..
He is kinda bummed out he said he fells he will never get the truck done.. Trying to keep him positive.. I know that we can get discouraged at times with our projects and that is how projects just sit for years never to get done. Any Ideas on keeping him positive with his truck.

[BlacklandCamper]

Just a little dent? Adds character.

At least he made out better than the kid with the newer truck.

[Daner]

I have a similar story.

Last year Dad was loading a semi and I stopped by to talk to him. I parked behind him and thought "it will be fine... I'll leave first..." Famous last words.

So we talk, he finishes loading and I walk back to my 67 watching to make sure he doesn't start backing up. I get to the drivers door and he still hadn't moved. In the time it takes me to turn around open the door and sit down he had backed up 6ft and I could feel my pickup "tip" slightly. I look and the corner of the trailer had contacted the bed above the wheel well. I was pissed about the length of our 1/4 mile driveway until I realized it was just another dent in the menagerie and that it really didn't matter. I guess if it was a show truck it would decrease value but this beat up farm truck is still a beat up farm truck + 1 more dent. I'm the only one that knows and nobody else has ever noticed.

It's still there and now I know the story of ONE of the dents lol. I wish I had the history of all the other "bumps".

[JointTech]

get him a 94 pontiac. That will get him real excited about his truck...

[69Cherrybomber]

I have never had my truck hit at school or anything but I have thought of quitting before. One thing that always helps is just thinking about how much fun I have driving my 69 and how much fun it is to cruise around in it. I have good memories with my truck and will have many more. Just tell him that he will have several good memories with it and to always keep his head up for it will get to the point that he wants it at.

[Andy4639]

Buy him a scooter to drive for a while. One of those Mopede ones that runs 35MPH down hill with a 18 wheelier pushing it.

[GASoline71]

Just give him a kick in the butt and tell him everything will be fine. We've all been there at one time or another... ready to give up on a project as it seems overwhelming. Heck... I just put my '72 GMC 1500 Super Custom in a ditch about a month ago. I was ready to sell it the same week I wrecked it. But thanks to a lot of positive vibes from here, my wife, my parents and my best friend... It's in the garage getting tore down for a complete rebuild. Stuff happens... it's what we do after the "stuff" that matters.

Gary

[Ol Blue K20]

I have an idea, remind him how hard he worked for he work in the boy scouts for his eagle....what an honor that is..... his truck is no different or is life.... just show him my signature, it's true. He just needs some support so he stays on the positive side of the fence. Believe me I live it everyday my friend. ...have him pm me if he needs examples, I would love to help if necessary. ..

[asolde]

Sounds like you got a good boy there. I would fix the dent for him and what ever else you could do to the truck. Sh*t happens and it doesn't sound like it was his fault. Be positive about it, things are soooo important to to teenagers. Sounds Like your a good father too.

[BrianG]

Originally Posted by JointTech

get him a 94 pontiac. That will get him real excited about his truck...

x2

[Ccc925]

Originally Posted by jointtech

get him a 94 pontiac. That will get him real excited about his truck...

lol

[C. M. Wolf]

I've a better idea than a 94 Pontiac... buy him a mid 90's Cadillac,(sedan or coup.. it don't matter)... have him try driving that around for awhile & he'll get happy about owning just about anything else! (including a moped).

Northstar engine, al-cased trans, plastic parts abound throughout the whole car, 19 on-board computers for the various systems, and costs of repairs & parts are generally bordering the 'insane', oh and be sure to install a 'boom-box-stereo' in it so that half the spot welds throughout the entire 'uni-body' vehicle begin to pop and make the car just this side of a death trap to drive,(most mechs will treat your son like 'just another sucker coming'... all in the name of a "Cadillac Owner").

"GM.. too big to fail... yeah right! ..so was the Roman Empire!"



Michael

[Tinkermc]

tell him it will be OK and help him fix it right away.

[2 Far Gone]

Body damage is like scars...........Chicks dig scars.

Its an old truck, they make new panels every day. Make memories with it and repair the damage later. Its all part of enjoying it.

[snipescastle2]

been there, done that....while I was in the service, I had bought a new pickup, drove it for almost a year without incident, went home on leave for two weeks, driving from San Diego,Ca. to Montgomery City,Missouri unscathed.....
The first Friday night I'm in town, go cruising with the locals, and someone stops in front of me, stand on the brakes and a kid rear ends me, made the bed look like an "accordian" to make a long story short, I had to leave on deployment a week and a half later, dropped the truck off at the local body shop to get fixed, they did an awesome job, and my folks kept the truck up while I was gone. My Mom took it to work one day and I'll be damned if some one else didn't hit her in the exact same spot........felt that truck was jinxed from the start, got her fixed and traded it in after that.....I feel your son's pain.
Have a great one! Tell him to keep up on it, these trucks are getting fewer and fewer by the day.....
Ben Smith

[Keith Seymore]

It happens to the best of us. My most recent "incident" (and the only one - ever - in my pickup truck):



K

Originally Posted by Keith Seymore

Been pretty quiet as far as updates, but that doesn't mean it's been quiet on the home front (or the work front)!

Here now, the news:

I haven't been really explicit about this, but my truck has never been in an accident.

So - I suppose I should have known this day was comin'......



Anyway, one of the occupational hazards of being a GM engineer is that you sometimes need to take a conference call, even when on the road. I've gotten into the habit of diving into a local McDonalds, in order to find a safe haven, use their free wireless and perhaps enjoy a late brunch or snack while conferring.

I was on the road the other week and did just that. Naturally I park way out in the boonies, so I won't be bothered by other traffic or those pesky door ding-bats.

So I'm angle parked, engine off, and on the phone, when this young lady pulls in nearby - about 4 parking spots to my left. First thing I noticed was that her radio was so loud that I couldn't hear my phone - I had to roll my window up to hear the conversation. So she is sitting there - I don't think she ever got out of the car - and after a half hour or so starts to back out of her spot. I had a bad feeling, a premonition for some reason, and - sure enough - she cuts the wheel super tight to the right and BOOM backs right into me.

It was one of those moments that was so unbelieveable and yet so believeable. I hollered "I gotta go" into the phone (...they heard the hit, so they already knew...) and hopped out of the truck.

Sure enough, her taillight was in several large pieces and her fascia was all bashed. Slowly I turned (...step by step...) and started looking at lil Red to assess the damage. And .... I looked. And then....I looked a bit more. Finally, I noticed some scratches on the end of the bumper (that may have already been there) and I noticed the rear taillight lens was cracked. She must have nailed the bumper pretty squarely - no red paint on the truck was harmed in the making of this accident. I figured at that point that a taillight lens would fix me up and that was all that would be required.

So - I gathered up the pieces of her taillight and handed them back to her and suggested she be more careful. She seemed rightfully embarrassed (I think she was on her cell phone while backing up) and got out of there as quickly as she could.

As for Red - $16 later and I'm good as new.

;o)

K

[bbcmudtruck]

Have him print out a truck like his that's already done and keep it on his bedroom wall. I read alot of books and visually seeing your goal results in 88% more likely achieving it. Plus writing your goals down improves your likely hood dramatically.

[sstaten69]

Originally Posted by BlacklandCamper

Just a little dent? Adds character.

At least he made out better than the kid with the newer truck.

That is his attitude now with it now, other kid didn't even go to school the next day.

[sstaten69]

Daner.
Man if these trucks could talk they would have some *****in stories. Told him we will fix it and this will just add to the memories.

[sstaten69]

Originally Posted by JointTech

get him a 94 pontiac. That will get him real excited about his truck...

he said if it was a 94 firebird he would think about it. Haha

[sstaten69]

Originally Posted by 69Cherrybomber

I have never had my truck hit at school or anything but I have thought of quitting before. One thing that always helps is just thinking about how much fun I have driving my 69 and how much fun it is to cruise around in it. I have good memories with my truck and will have many more. Just tell him that he will have several good memories with it and to always keep his head up for it will get to the point that he wants it at.

I had my 68 chevelle hit by a guy that barrowed my trailer then hit my car with it, was not that bad but at the time it almost killed me. We have talked about and know he seems ok and knows we will fix it..

[sstaten69]

Originally Posted by Andy4639

Buy him a scooter to drive for a while. One of those Mopede ones that runs 35MPH down hill with a 18 wheelier pushing it.

Oh he has been looking at a scooter a HARLEY. He wants one, but we think (mom and me) that he should wait a little while before getting one.

[sstaten69]

Originally Posted by GASoline71

Just give him a kick in the butt and tell him everything will be fine. We've all been there at one time or another... ready to give up on a project as it seems overwhelming. Heck... I just put my '72 GMC 1500 Super Custom in a ditch about a month ago. I was ready to sell it the same week I wrecked it. But thanks to a lot of positive vibes from here, my wife, my parents and my best friend... It's in the garage getting tore down for a complete rebuild. Stuff happens... it's what we do after the "stuff" that matters.

Gary

Yea we seen that post. I think he gets a lot crap at school for driving an old beater truck kids that looks like it does. He is now set on getting it painted, radio system and lowered this summer.

[sstaten69]

Think his getting upset about it has passed he knows we will fix it. We went to pic apart this weekend I was looking for a few thing, he was looking for a new seat for his truck but they only had 1 truck of the years he was looking for but the set was gone.. but he did get to pull the intake, fuel rails, all of the injectors plus the coil brackets for his 5.3 that he is building for his truck. 190 bucks well spent I think. Thanks again for all of the post he is a good kid as are all three of ours.. He know how to get what he wants and that sometimes it seems out of reach but it will happen just need to keep work at it.

[67 cst swb]

Originally Posted by sstaten69

Oh he has been looking at a scooter a HARLEY. He wants one, but we think (mom and me) that he should wait a little while before getting one.

Good call... If his luck really is challenged, the last thing you want to do is put him on a bike.