Help!!Son is stuck 300 miles away from home with his new car .

peasantboy

shelovestobuystuff wrote: »

Thanks for that.My son went out for another drive after he had had a good sleep.Some more motorway driving to visit his gran and night-time motorway on his way home,just 30 mins each way but he was a little nervous still being unsupervised.He said he cant quite relax when driving yet as he is worried that another driver will damage his car.I wonder how long it will take for him to feel a little bit more at home driving?
The alfa is all locked up and parked up for the night but he runs through from his room every now and then and peeps out of the window just to check its alright.
I expect I will wake up tomorrow and find him asleep in the car :rolleyes:.

Give it a couple of weeks and he'll stop checking, if he's driving regularly it'll be a few months until driving feels like riding a bike.

I picked my first car up 2 years after passing my test and I hadn't driven during then. It was the most nervous drive ever, what's worse is the hand brake cable snapped when I parked on a hill. So I had to park it in first gear when I got home.

elainew

Shoshannah wrote: »

SIERRA! :T:T:T

My first car was a Sierra. And my second...and my third...now on the lookout for number 4. :rotfl:

me and dh both had sierras--they were great cars--petrol guzzlers though.

Liz3yy

fatpiggy wrote: »

I've just read this thread, and frankly I am appalled. Two weeks after his test, and he buys a 1.6? What size car did he learn on? The majority of driving school/instructor cars are no more than 1.2. There is a huge difference in acceleration and body weight and consequently braking distance between these two vehiccle sizes. Two weeks after his test he drives on motorways despite never having had a motorway lesson? Two weeks after his test he wants to drive 300 miles, and with another totally inexperienced person with him? In a hours lesson you might drive 10 miles. I had my licence for 11 years before I bought my first car and had 5 motorway lessons first, (plus some advanced lessons with another instructor) as I had never driven on a motorway myself (there aren't any in Cornwall). 10 days after I bought my car I drove 150 miles in one day on all road types and was EXHAUSTED when I arrived. You may think your son is a responsible paragon of virtue but let me tell you what happened to a lad I was at school with. A week after I passed my test he passed his and the very next day wrote off his father's car and a teacher's while giving his mates a lift to school. Luckily no-one was hurt.

I learned to drive in a 1.6 and loved it, it was easy to control and was a dream going uphill. I passed 3 weeks ago and own a 1.2 which I find annoying as it struggles uphill at times and doesnt like going quickly when you need it to.

I also never had instruction on motorways but last weekend my OH came with me during a trip to Southampton where I had to use the motorway for about 5 miles, I was fine.

Dont tar all new drivers with the same brush.

rednose66

fatpiggy wrote: »

I've just read this thread, and frankly I am appalled. Two weeks after his test, and he buys a 1.6? What size car did he learn on? The majority of driving school/instructor cars are no more than 1.2. There is a huge difference in acceleration and body weight and consequently braking distance between these two vehiccle sizes. Two weeks after his test he drives on motorways despite never having had a motorway lesson? Two weeks after his test he wants to drive 300 miles, and with another totally inexperienced person with him? In a hours lesson you might drive 10 miles. I had my licence for 11 years before I bought my first car and had 5 motorway lessons first, (plus some advanced lessons with another instructor) as I had never driven on a motorway myself (there aren't any in Cornwall). 10 days after I bought my car I drove 150 miles in one day on all road types and was EXHAUSTED when I arrived. You may think your son is a responsible paragon of virtue but let me tell you what happened to a lad I was at school with. A week after I passed my test he passed his and the very next day wrote off his father's car and a teacher's while giving his mates a lift to school. Luckily no-one was hurt.

Your own driving inexperience shines through here....

OP. Its a 1.6 not a 3.2l. I have driven every single day of my life for the last 24 years and in that time I have seen idiots on the road of all ages and in all sizes of cars. All too often the biggest idiots on the roads are the self absorbed fools who only venture out every few years, rarely if ever drive on the motorways and then potter along at 30mph in the middle lane. Cornwall seems to have an extremely high number of such drivers.............

Your kid has made a good start. Alfas are cars with soul and if he is going to be a proper petrol head he has picked the finest make of car for a petrol head to start with!

fatpiggy

Do you know what rednose? I've been driving (on private land obviously), since I was 14. After I passed my test at 17, I took and passed my advanced drivers test, first go. I have held a licence for 26 years.I have driven vintage cars which needed double declutching, to 2litre saloons. I also drive every single day, 50% on motorways and do about 20K miles per year. Not having lived in Cornwall for 25 years, I can't really comment about "self-absorbed fools", but since there isn't much public transport down there, I think they do venture out rather more frequently than just annually. The only place I "potter along at 30" is in a 30mph limited zone. I think its called the law. I totally agree that idiot drivers come in all ages and car types. A large engine doesn't automatically indicate the driver is a speed-freak and an idiot, but unfortunately there are certain types of people who are attracted to such cars. You probably think I'm sad because my car is only 1l. The reason I bought is its reliability and economy - isn't that what this website is all about, moneysaving??? At the end of the day, it is illegal to drive above 70mph. My car can easily do that, even with its "puny" engine.

I'm glad to hear the OPs son got home safely. We all enjoy our first car. I hope it doesn't prove to be a lemon.