On our way home, as we pulled off the highway and onto our rural 2 lane. My son, buckled into his Recaro Booster, in the back of the GTI, uttered the words that I've longed to hear since he was born, almost 6 years ago...
"Dad, can this car do a burn out?"
I used to separate cars into two categories: "peel out machines" and "cars"
I'd always ask my dad "Is this a peel out machine?" and he'd either say no or do a burnout.
I even asked during carpool once (in the supercharged 318), and he responded appropriately! Eric still won't ride in a car with him driving.
When we pull of the highway onto the the dirt road my parents live on my youngest always shouts "Gag that rag Dad." I LMAO and stomp it.
Somehow my daughter equates longitudinal and lateral Gs with ice cream. When she wants me to corner hard she asks for a "cookie shake" and when we wants to be thrown back in her seat it's a "butter shake." When I do a real burnout she says the car is laughing. "Make Big Jet laugh!"
Big Jet is my GTO, named after Rocket's nemesis on the kid's show Little Einsteins. I guess it makes a lot of noise, so it's been Big Jet since she could talk.
Oh, and she melted my heart again the other day. "Daddy, when I'm older as you I am going to drive a number stick, not a D-stick." The learned about D-sticks when she asked me why I don't need to use the numbers when I drive Big Boat (that's the Roadmaster) and I explained autos and manuals.
Aw, you guys are having toooo much fun.
For Fiiddy bucks, I won't teach your kid to say: "daddy, buy me a new corvette!"
Lugnut wrote: "Daddy, when I'm older as you I am going to drive a number stick, not a D-stick."
That needs to be in "say what?" That's the best quote evaaaar!!
Oh, and one day, not long after going from a Grand Wagoneer to a Miata I was driving with my then 3 year old little girl and took a corner pretty fast. She giggled like, well, a little girl and said "go fast daddy." Then I pulled into a mostly empty parking lot and pulled 3 or 4 donuts, smoking tires and all. She LOVED it. The bad part was she said "do it again daddy" as the cop who watched it all happen was telling me how irresponsible it was to do something like that with my daughter in the car.
Great stuff folks! Knew I wasn't alone 
For the record, the peels of laughter from the back of the GTI were priceless!!
My 5 year old nephew and 2 year old son ask me to "Turbo" to put my foot in it or "Drive Crazy" when they want the side to side action....I love it!
Dear Lord,
Please let my child love cars. That's all.
I was cooler than Spiderman for a while. Just a little while, but it was amazing.
Came home one day when my son was about 6 and he ran up to me at the door going "Daddy, daddy, mommy did a power slide today!"
He was thrilled. Mom, she was a little embarassed. Personally, I thought it was cool.
I had one of those moments earlier this year. We were all in my car taking my oldest (7) to Tae Kwon Do. The back way there is on a newer little used road with a trafic circle. I still had the snow tires on the car then and took the circle at a speed that resulted in a 4 wheel drift. As soon as it was over my 2 year old son put both handsu in the air and said something along the lines of " that was fun, do it again please". When I looked in the rearview mirror they both had big smiles, it was great.
I over-cooked my miata into a curve and brought the rear end out, my son cackled loudly when I hit the straight, the conversation was like this:
Son: "Daddy, go faster." Me: "Morgan, we are doing over the speed limit," Son (interrupting): "GO FASTER NOW, FASTER NOW, FASTER NOW!"
I was so proud, I am tearing up just remembering it.
My wife doesn't share the enthusiasm.
Remember those days well and greatly miss them.
My oldest son is almost 18 now. He was riding with me in my '78 Vette (496 ci big block, 550+ HP) a month or so ago; I do not let him drive it for obvious reasons. On the unmarked country 2-lane near our neighborhood, he looked over and said, "light 'em up!". So I stopped, touched the brake a little, and unleased everything it had. I finally let off fearing the old-school BF Goodrich Radial TA's were about to pop. He looked back seeing all the smoke and giggled like a 5-year old all the way to the house. My neighbor was out in the yard grinning ear to ear shaking his head when we passed.
Good times.
I have a 4-car wide driveway. When there are no cars parked in the driveway it is big enough for winter donut fun. Again, my little Samantha asks every winter for "circle time" in the driveway. I think that's extra cute because she it's different from the "circle time" she has at preschool. Anyway, she loves for us to do donuts in the driveway when it's snowy.
Last winter I had a car that I couldn't fit in the garage so we could only have circle time if I moved it. I can tell you this: Little Lugnut likes circle time on demand. No waiting.
I've seen passers by take pictures of the stage rallycar with the kiddie carrier belted in the codriver seat. He's definitely been a hoon enabler... My boys' first word wasn't "momma" or "da-da'. It was "wheel". First time we stuck him in a gokart at like age 4 he got it sideways in the first corner and responded by flooring it and countersteering and holding it a perfect drift to the exit.
I don't think I'll be more proud if he graduates Harvard.
You people need to stop with this. I want a kid now, so I can have this kind of fun. I don't like churrens.
This is making me think back to riding in the family 1978 Ford E250 with my Dad driving. There was an intersection near our house where people would actually slow down before crossing because of how rutted/crowned it was. My Dad always sped up. One time while sitting on the bench seat (that had springs in it) we went over the intersection and my lap belt wasn't very tight. I distinctly recall bouncing so high off the seat that my head brushed the ceiling (I was maybe 8 or 10) it was awesome. Winter was also a good time. Donuts and powerslides are fun in an E250!
My son is 19 months old. I got home the other day, and runs up to the car to have me put him in my lap, he saws on the steering wheel and reaches and moves the shifter around. Proud doesn't even begin to describe it.
In reply to sachilles:
Hi Seth.
RJ
I can't believe how many of you seem excited to teach your children to be reckless on public roads. The only place my children have seen me do anything "crazy" behind the wheel is at the track.
Mine has recently gotten it into his head that I drive faster than other people. He has told all the boys at daycare that their dads drive slow.
And it's soooooo true.
My daughter says "Dad, slow down. Its a Kia. You're not cool. Can I turn off NPR now?"
1988RedT2 wrote: I can't believe how many of you seem excited to teach your children to be reckless on public roads. The only place my children have seen me do anything "crazy" behind the wheel is at the track.
There's fun and there's reckless, I guess.
Winding the Miata out to 7K, doing donuts in the parking lot or deliberately getting the tail out on a wet low speed corner? Fun.
Going fast enough that you can't stop if something unexpected happens? Driving 15 over while talking on the phone? Racing? Speeding near pedestrians, animals or other drivers? Tailgating or weaving through traffic? Reckless.
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