Learned valuable lessons today!

[Gotenntitans]

My son just got a 1990 GMC from his grandpa. All original with the only issue being the stereo wouldn't play at all. My son has been working hard mowing yards in between football practices all summer and he went by to talk to a man who has a stereo shop in a sort of run down looking place in the town that I live in. Nice guy, but shop not very impressive. *got me a bit concerned

Anyway, my son told the guy what he wanted and the guy "just happened" to know where he could get some used stuff from a friend of his who was looking to sell some stuff. *really got me concerned

I went out of town on Tuesday and my son and his mom delivered the truck to the guy and paid him $450 upfront while I was gone. When I heard this on Wednesday, I went down to talk to the guy and he already had the dash apart and the old factory radio out. He assured me that everything would be fine. *still concerned, but I did feel a little better after I saw what he was going to install

Got a call yesterday telling me to come check out the truck before my son got to see it. I was pleased with the clean look but extremely displeased with the sound! Too dang loud!!!! I thought the truck was literally going to bounce off the ground. Seems the guy sold my son a Pioneer deck with a 1500 watt amp and woofer. I think I am correct on this. Anyway, it's dang loud.......so loud that I can't hear anything except base. *didn't sleep at all last night, worried about it all night

Got up this morning and went down to talk with the guy and I told him that I did NOT want that kind of system in the truck and asked him to take the amp & woofer out. I told him that I wanted either my son's money back OR some toned down speakers worth approximately the same amount we had already paid. He refused. Then, he said that my son still owed him $235. I told him that I was not going to let him pay any more money, so he then says that he'll keep the truck until the bill is paid and he absolutely was NOT going to tear into the interior of the truck again. *went to talk to a lawyer friend who I went to high school with and she said that "a minor CANNOT enter into a legal binding contract with a business" and the guy would have to take it all out and give the money back if I pushed the issue, but I may have to go to small claims court to get it done

I went back to talk to the guy and before I could say anything, he now says for me to just take the truck as is and forget about the $235 extra. *why would he do this????, I asked myself

Anyway......to the lessons learned.......just at this time, my son and two of his friends came by to check on the truck and my son listened to it and LOVED IT! His friends loved it too! *I became MY father at that moment....Dad hates it, Son loves it!

I apologized to the shop owner and left, kind of embarrassed. My son came home and washed the truck and I have heard it "bumping" all afternoon long as he's been outside detailing the interior.

LESSONS LEARNED: run down shops can do good work, used equipment isn't always trashed out, and the things that I like aren't important to everyone else and I should back off and let my son do things his way.

It's hard being a dad sometimes, but I'm learning. GTT

[ranger danger]

Your initial concerns were valid! A new driver, in my opinion, has no business with a stereo so loud that they can not hear necessary sounds (sirens, horns, screams from pedestrians etc). This is a safety issue! Its also rude and inappropriate in many situations. I would have asked the shop owner to turn down the gain on the amplifier so that it would not go so loud. Then I would have instructed my son that he was not to operate the system at loud volumes until I was comfortable with them. All of this being said, You are learning some valuable lessons. Good luck!

[_Ogre]

even a million watt amp would have a volume control on it
you both sound like grumpy old men and i'm probably older than both of you

[71swb4x4]

I thought you were going to say the equipment was stolen.
I hope your son paid him the $235. I am not trying to bust your butt. I completely understand that there are two sides to every story, and my side might not be the right one. If my kid told someone he was paying $685 for something, you can bet that my kid would be doing it. 18 or not, my kid is taking care of what he tells someone he is going to do. I understand that you want what's best for your kid, but if he told the guy he was paying $685, then that's what he should do.
I have taken some personal law classes, and I understand that someone under 18 can get out of certain contracts, but that's for their protection. In this case it sounds like your son knew what he was doing, this shop owner wasn't trying to screw him over.

[Gotenntitans]

Originally Posted by ranger danger

Your initial concerns were valid! A new driver, in my opinion, has no business with a stereo so loud that they can not hear necessary sounds (sirens, horns, screams from pedestrians etc). This is a safety issue! Its also rude and inappropriate in many situations. I would have asked the shop owner to turn down the gain on the amplifier so that it would not go so loud. Then I would have instructed my son that he was not to operate the system at loud volumes until I was comfortable with them. All of this being said, You are learning some valuable lessons. Good luck!

Yes and I still am. I had not even thought of the safety issues. Thank you ranger danger. GTT

[ranger danger]

Originally Posted by _Ogre

even a million watt amp would have a volume control on it
you both sound like grumpy old men and i'm probably older than both of you

Dont misunderstand me!!! I LOVE my rock and roll LLLOOOUUUUDDDDD!!!!!!! My home system is over 5000 watts and I crank it up regularly. The amp I intend to put in my Suburban is an ARC Audio 1100 watt 5 channel. My point is that at that age, I was not always able to determine the right time and place for it.

Rock and Roll = Led Zeppelin, Motley Crew, Van Helen etc.

[ranger danger]

I once spent 2 days in 1977, sitting inside a speaker tower at a Led Zeppelin concert in Oakland CA. Of course I was under the influence of a few mind altering substances at the time.

[Gotenntitans]

Originally Posted by 71swb4x4

I thought you were going to say the equipment was stolen.
I hope your son paid him the $235. I am not trying to bust your butt. I completely understand that there are two sides to every story, and my side might not be the right one. If my kid told someone he was paying $685 for something, you can bet that my kid would be doing it. 18 or not, my kid is taking care of what he tells someone he is going to do. I understand that you want what's best for your kid, but if he told the guy he was paying $685, then that's what he should do.
I have taken some personal law classes, and I understand that someone under 18 can get out of certain contracts, but that's for their protection. In this case it sounds like your son knew what he was doing, this shop owner wasn't trying to screw him over.

My son is going to finish paying the man. I just thought (and still think) that certain businesses should check with parents before doing rather expensive work like this. What if he had installed a couple of thousand dollars worth of stuff? Things would be different, I can assure you of that. I'm not made of money and I'm not going to go around bailing out my son on things either, but I wish the guy would have checked with me beforehand. GTT

[Gotenntitans]

Originally Posted by _Ogre

even a million watt amp would have a volume control on it
you both sound like grumpy old men and i'm probably older than both of you

You are correct, sir! And I was grumpy for most of the morning. Again, I'm just gonna have to let it go and even though I don't like it and feel like my son wasted his hard earned lawn mowing money......it's not my money to control. There is a control knob on the stereo and the guy showed my son how he could turn the amp all the way off. GTT

[TheCougarine]

I have to say I don't think you can call it a safety concern, thats quite a stretch. You probably wouldn't say your son isn't allowed to drive a car if it could physically go faster than 55 and I don't see a difference. Most any half way modern cars stereo will play loud enough to block out most sounds from outside the car. Heck my friends 15 year old optima has half its speakers blown and if the windows are shut its still loud enough to not hear most of things mentioned. Anyway sounds like you came to the right conclusion in my opinion, of course you have to watch out for your kids but theres no reason to get crazy over something that is literally just a difference in opinion.

[71swb4x4]

Originally Posted by Gotenntitans

My son is going to finish paying the man. I just thought (and still think) that certain businesses should check with parents before doing rather expensive work like this. What if he had installed a couple of thousand dollars worth of stuff? Things would be different, I can assure you of that. I'm not made of money and I'm not going to go around bailing out my son on things either, but I wish the guy would have checked with me beforehand. GTT

Should the comic book store check with the parents before they sell a teenager a comic book? How about Best Buy before they sell the kid an expensive TV for his video game system? Or the bike shop before they sell a kid a $1,000 bicycle?
I have read some of your posts over time, I remember a few about your kid playing football, and you seem like a great guy with a great kid. I am not trying to talk down to you, just trying to show the other side of the coin.

I think kids need to talk to their parents before spending a bunch of money, not the shop owner talk to the parents to make sure the kid has the parents permission. I say this as a father with two sons. Two sons who can't save a dime, but they are only 8 and 9 and are spending it on legos and the like. I remember doing the same thing, and I think those wasteful years helped to teach me a lot of lessons which is why I work so hard today and don't spend a lot on toys. I love it when my kids see something new and don't have any cash because they spent it all the day before. Those are important lessons.

[msgross]

turn the gain on the amp down and put a sticker over it, something that would show if tampered with.

[Gotenntitans]

Originally Posted by 71swb4x4

Should the comic book store check with the parents before they sell a teenager a comic book? How about Best Buy before they sell the kid an expensive TV for his video game system? Or the bike shop before they sell a kid a $1,000 bicycle?
I have read some of your posts over time, I remember a few about your kid playing football, and you seem like a great guy with a great kid. I am not trying to talk down to you, just trying to show the other side of the coin.

I think kids need to talk to their parents before spending a bunch of money, not the shop owner talk to the parents to make sure the kid has the parents permission. I say this as a father with two sons. Two sons who can't save a dime, but they are only 8 and 9 and are spending it on legos and the like. I remember doing the same thing, and I think those wasteful years helped to teach me a lot of lessons which is why I work so hard today and don't spend a lot on toys. I love it when my kids see something new and don't have any cash because they spent it all the day before. Those are important lessons.

Good points and I can see things from your side. Although I wouldn't expect a store owner to verify with Mom & Dad before selling a comic book; I do still believe that they should check before what I would consider major purchases. For one thing, I would find it a little odd for teens to have hundreds of dollars of cash to spend on anything. I'm a high school math teacher and I've seen teens with large sums of money before. Where would a teen get hundreds of dollars? We report what we've observed to the high school principal's office and parents are notified that day. Most kids just don't carry lots on cash on them.

If I were a shop owner, I think I would think maybe Mom & Dad should approve BEFORE I install a stereo, a set of tires, a new exhaust system, etc. My thinking is this.....a TV or bicycle can be taken back and returned with relatively no problem on the seller if Mom & Dad make them return it. Items installed on vehicles, for instance, cannot just easily be returned. Just about as much trouble to return as it was to install. What if a kid goes to the tire store and has some new $$$ tires/ wheels installed, then Dad finds out later. What if a kid goes and has the local muffler shop put on some loud pipes on a vehicle, then Dad doesn't find out until he hears it rumble up? The kid should get parent's approval, but what if they don't and just go clean out their savings OR steal & pawn something and come home with expensive stuff that can't be returned?

Just not a good thing, in my opinion. GTT

[Andy4639]

You said your self your wife went with him to take the truck to the shop.

I understand your reaction but it's at the wrong person. Your wife and you should have been talking to each other. The shop owner is not the one to be mad at he did as any shop owner would do. He made his customer happy!

He wasn't trying to make you happy.
Glad it worked out for you though!

[Gotenntitans]

Originally Posted by Andy4639

You said your self your wife went with him to take the truck to the shop.

I understand your reaction but it's at the wrong person. Your wife and you should have been talking to each other. The shop owner is not the one to be mad at he did as any shop owner would do. He made his customer happy!

He wasn't trying to make you happy.
Glad it worked out for you though!

Mom just followed him to the shop and was his ride back home after dropping the truck off, that's all.

I went with my son probably 6 months ago and visited with the guy at his shop and got a rough written estimate on a new system for the truck, so I knew about what it was going to cost beforehand. I was upset with my son for going down there on Tuesday (when I was out of town) and pulling the trigger on the install. I'm sure that he planned it that way on purpose. I probably would not have let him buy the "boom boom" amp & woofer, which was not on the initial rough estimate. BUT here again is where I am learning that I have to let him be his own person. GTT

[slowcpe]

I'll add that when I turned 16, I sold my dirt bike and put a stereo in my car loud enough to where you couldn't hear the person sitting next to you talk. That was over 20 years ago and I still remember those days jamming and cruising down the road. Heck now I make a pretty decent living installing speakers in people's homes and businesses.

Sounds like your son has a pretty good head on his shoulders, works hard, and deserves to enjoy some of the fruits of his labors.

[Gotenntitans]

Originally Posted by slowcpe

I'll add that when I turned 16, I sold my dirt bike and put a stereo in my car loud enough to where you couldn't hear the person sitting next to you talk. That was over 20 years ago and I still remember those days jamming and cruising down the road. Heck now I make a pretty decent living installing speakers in people's homes and businesses.

Sounds like your son has a pretty good head on his shoulders, works hard, and deserves to enjoy some of the fruits of his labors.

Back in 1985, I saved up my grocery store money ($3.35 per hour) and put a system in my '73 Chevelle that was pretty loud. No boom boom amps & base in those days, just loud hair metal blasting out of those speakers. 1985-1988 were great high school and freshman year of college years for me and my music did figure in, most definitely. Certain songs still bring back very distinct memories to me. Great White, Dokken, Whitesnake, Tesla, LA Guns, and Cinderella were some of my faves in those days.

I can't relive those days through my son. He's gotta do things his way. I've gotta let him. GTT

[michael bustamante]

you know i myself never had a car without a booming system back in the 90`s and i loved it too. just teach him to have respect for other drivers. when at a stoplight or driving next to an elderly person, turn it down, he can turn back up when the light goes green.
now another thing that i had to learn the hard way, after 20 some years of the boomin system, i lost decibles in my hearing. Granted im sure there were other factors too such as working in bodyshops but i can mainly contribute my hearing loss to my systems. im not deaf by any means but i can tell the difference when talking on the phone when i switch ears.

[king-918]

you guy's are too old! it isn't loud until "hairtrick". sounds like you got a great deal though.
this is loud! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvrSXhH_jIU

[Gotenntitans]

Originally Posted by king-918

you guy's are too old! it isn't loud until "hairtrick". sounds like you got a great deal though.
this is loud! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvrSXhH_jIU

Yep, that was loud. Yummy girl too! I imagine that I could think up a better way of messing her hair up though. . GTT

[motornut]

I built my old car system up over a few years (81 Lemans early 90s),what i could afford.
still have it,it was still "new" to be loud then.
I remember when "twister" came to a local drive in,I ended up with all the kids in my car lol.
parents watching from outside,I needed a boost to leave lol.

I added a switch to turn off the base amp,instant off
1. I noticed i got charged up faster,off.
2. watch some amps have a "soft" relay type on,some don't.
But I could play a tune loud "no thump",get on the road,
away from the house,click/thump,so no fumbling around.

my trucks have an instant radio off switch.
79 stock it works with or without leaving the key.

[Gotenntitans]

Well, I may have jumped the gun a little on my resolved misgivings about my son's stereo equipment issue from a couple of weeks ago. He got up this morning and headed to football practice and the subwoofer wouldn't play. My son called the installer himself because he didn't want me to get upset. The man says it's used and he's not messing with it. I called him myself and no answer/ no call back. I just got back from his shop and he's closed.

GRRRRRRR! This is not right!

Anyone got some advice? GTT

[michael bustamante]

make sure you got power to the sub. there should be an inline fuse next to the battery AND one near the amp if there isint one built in. then check the connections and make sure the + and - arent touching, then check the speaker wire connections. (to the box too) if the amp smells like burnt brakes or smouldering wires, then the amp is toast.

[ptc]

Some advice....

Seems to me that you gotta start taking your own advice and let your son be the MAN for once in his life and let him do the things that he needs to do to survive in this world. One day you are going to be dead and he aint going to have daddy to do his deeds for him or have your advice. We all 'learn' from mistakes great and small.... (quiet or loud)....

So why dont you let him be a MAN and do his stuff himself. You raised an ADULT not a kid.... right?

Thats the problem with all of America right now, all the parents always wanting to jump in and get lawyers for their kids problems.... when a handshake deal used to be the way deals were made and real men made good on those handshakes! let them deal with their own lives!

[Gotenntitans]

Originally Posted by ptc

Some advice....

Seems to me that you gotta start taking your own advice and let your son be the MAN for once in his life and let him do the things that he needs to do to survive in this world. One day you are going to be dead and he aint going to have daddy to do his deeds for him or have your advice. We all 'learn' from mistakes great and small.... (quiet or loud)....

So why dont you let him be a MAN and do his stuff himself. You raised an ADULT not a kid.... right?

Thats the problem with all of America right now, all the parents always wanting to jump in and get lawyers for their kids problems.... when a handshake deal used to be the way deals were made and real men made good on those handshakes! let them deal with their own lives!

First off, thanks for your advice. I do agree with it, especially the last part. Handshakes should be enough, and for 99% of the deals that I do, that's enough and it should be enough for reputable business transactions. My son isn't quite a MAN yet, he's only 15 and won't be a legal MAN until he turns 18. I am proud of him for earning his own money and setting up the deal with the stereo on his own. What I originally feared had happened was that he had been talked into some stuff that he really didn't need AND now, less than 2 weeks later, some of the equipment has stopped working and the business owner is refusing to deal with him. I'm trying to stay out of it, but he's not grown yet and I'm not going to let someone take advantage of him and cheat him.

Thanks Bustamante, I'll look into the fuses. My son said that he did not smell anything burning, but he did say that the woofer felt very hot to the touch. GTT