How Young is too Young?

eswanson

eswanson

Senior Member
Okay, so I don't have any kids yet, but my wife and I are working on adopting and we had a friendly debate about when the little one will be old enough for that first ride around the block. So let me know how young or old the little ones are when you are willing to drive them around the block.

Eric
 
Ive grown up in a model A. My first ride was a couple months after i was born. I'm now 18 years old, and love the model a hobby. The key is to hook them while their young, but dont force them into the hobby to much. because then you will just burn the kids out. Ive seen it happen multiple tiimes.
 
My first ride was when I was 6 months old and I sat in my grandma's lap while my grandpa drove and my parents sat in the rumble seat. And this was before we got seat belts.
 
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My mom changed my diaper on the running board when I was an infant. 33 years later My son has been going with me in the coupe to our monthly club meets since he was 1. He's 3 now. Easily installed a seat belt for his car seat and away we go.
 
On day two of my daughter's life, my wife and I drove her home from the hospital in our 1931 Model A Cabriolet.

After twelve years of being hauled around in the rumble seat, or in the back of our Tudor....she still enjoys every minute of the ride.

EmilyandCarolinedriving31Cabriolet.jpg


Fordially,
Brad in Germany now in MD
 
Well I think it was probably about 3 months for my daughter, maybe earlier I can't remember. She is 2 and a half now and loves going for rides in 'the old cars'.
 
Eric, when you think back about it, many precious "bundles of joy" rode home in a Model A simply because that was the family's mode of transportation. On the other hand, I am 51 years old and I rode in a Model A even before I was born.;) Later as an infant I would be transported on my moms lap in dad's '29 Pick-up on tours & joy rides, ...and the progression just happened. I was about 8 when my Dad let me drive a '31 Roadster (with him beside me of course) in the slow race at a Model A club outing and I was 10 when I solo-ed in a 1929 Phaeton (without him ....knowing!).

I might add that everything seems to happens at a much younger age these days too. We started my son Blake in kart racing when he was just two weeks shy of turning 5 years old! Daddy was proud and Momma was nervous. He (-like myself) spent his formidable youth beside his Dad working on Model A's. Today at age 16, he is heavily involved in our antique car hobby, ...and is a crew chief on a dirt track late model race car. My theory is "break 'em in on the ways you want them to grow up!" My advice to you Eric is when your youngin' can safely and lawfully ride in your Model A, then go for it!!

.
 

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Never too young, but you can't use child safety seats in a Model A, even if you have installed seat belts, so check the law. The safety seats are designed for modern firm foam seats, not squishy sprung cusions. They'll just roll around wildly on the back seat in turns and under braking.

However, I have a Tudor, so it's pretty hard for a kid to escape from the back, and I've been driving my two (adopted) kids around (on low-speed neighborhood streets) since they could stand. My oldest is now 15, with a learner's permit, and has been driving the Tudor (pretty competently) for a few months to practice her shifting technique.
 
Our family car was a Model B coupe, being the youngest my "seat" was the package rack which I thought was cool as I had my own roll-down window. Maybe that's why I still run B engines??? The folks sold the B in 43 or 44 and got almost as much as they paid for it new. I started driving when I was 10, but not on my own.
 
To all,

I got married and brought my wife and 2 boys home from the hospital, when they were born in my 1931 dlx. tudor sedan. I loved every minute of it

mike
 
There's no such thing as too young. My brother, sister, and I were all brought up in the hobby. My sister has been kinda flaky the past couple of years but now she's wanting to get back into the hobby because she can learned how to drive the Model A's, and is always asking me if we can go to a parking lot and drive (because she's not legally allowed to yet). But I was raised in a rumble seat and always went on model a stuff since i can remember. Honestly, my favorite memories of my childhood involved model a's. so i wouldnt change it for the world.
 
The first "family" car my parents had when I was born was a Model A.
I can remember at age 9 I "helped" my Dad work on a Model A (which 5 years later became mine)
The first (and second) car I owned (beginning at age 14) were Model A's
 
We tend to teach them many things young around here. I was working in the hayfields at the age of 8. Not full days, but enough to be of some help and learn. Here is a pic of my nephew with me 5 years ago when I tore down the old shop. I did not do any work with him up there, just let him work the levers for the loader while parked and at idle. Rod

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my oldest was about 1 during her first ride in our model t. We were on the boardwalk in OC NJ in a parade. Now both of my girls, 5, and 7 love to go for rides. If they hear the model A start up in the garage they are out there in a flash.
 
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