Remember when you were a teenager and you got caught.....

[69MyWay]

So...we all have a cringe moment of some sort in our past when we thought we had the wisdom to make our own decision without our parents? And...some of us got caught.

Well - my son has started showing interest in the 69 Camaro. It took me talking about selling it for him to perk up and pay attention. Who knew?

Anyway - I've been letting him drive it to school (he turns 17 in a few days). My wife is a teacher at the same school and it is only about a mile away. He is a GREAT kid but...sometimes he doesn't think things through. You guys remember.

I just added him to the insurance policy too.

I was busy working (working from home still thanks to the Rona) and I get a phone call from him (about the time he is getting out of school)

"Dad...how do you turn the flashers on?"

Me - "why?"

"well - see...I'm broke down in the middle of the road in a bad spot...need to know...now"

Me - "Huh? Okay - here is how...and I'll come to you - exactly where?"

Pause....silence....pause

Me - "Hello - where are you?"

"I'm in the curve of the road - on the way to the park where the speed limit goes to 45..."

Me - "what? That's not on the way home from school..."

*********

Fast forward - a wonderful local LEO stopped with lights on and cleared traffic. He was in a bad spot - he helped me push it to a safe location where I could come back with the trailer and get it. Turns out the fuel pump took a dump. Easy to tell - I could check the fuse, feel the relay...and best of all, see the fuel pressure gauge on ZERO.

The cop was GREAT - very respectful and helpful...and yes, I wrote a nice thank you letter to his boss. I regret not having snapped a pic of the cop car full lights flashing behind the camaro in the middle of the road and the kid sitting in it like "oh crap"

**********

Got the car home (first time since I installed the electric winch on my trailer that I used it in six years! - was glad it actually worked). Current self THANKED past self...dang, that was a good investment even if I never use it again.

My boy was safe...and sound. Pump should arrive today in the mail (might to a YT video about that).

Did I yell at him? No...
Did I ground him? No...

I would have given him permission to go to the park - it was probably the most beautiful day we've had in 2021 as spring is springing....

But - he left himself in a dangerous spot because I had no idea where he was.

I waited till the next day to gently remind him why it is important to check in and ask. Being a parent is tough - you guys know what I mean. We would all have handled this differently I'm sure.

I giggled to myself...and thought the old car knew what to do - was actually looking out for him. Who knows what 500 flywheel hp and an old hot rod mixed with a 16 year old on the best spring day of the year would do with wide open back roads going to the park??? Rumor has it he may have been meeting friends at the park.

[SSLance]

It is apparent that he respects you as well as he called YOU when in the bind instead of trying to figure out another way out of the jam just to keep YOU from finding out he broke a rule.

Sounds like you two have a great relationship and I'm glad he's showing interest in your great old car.

[Spiffav8]

He’s not glued to his phone or video games like a lot of kids these days. Or so it seems. Perhaps the car is the reason and if so, it’s a good thing. There will be more of this and you can’t alway be there to helicopter him. LoL Perhaps the car is now a way to hang onto to him for a few more years as you two work on it together?

It’s all positive. Current self may want to thank past self for buying the car. Sounds like it’s given back on many levels and has a few more gifts to give.

[shelteredV]

Could definitely be a lot worse. Seems like a pretty squared away kid. I remember pulling some really bonehead moves, none of which I'm going to share here....

[69MyWay]

He is a good kid...but he also has a bit of an addiction to the video games and phone. ALL of his friends do. I guess most of us do too. In fact, he taught me how to take and edit videos. We use the high speed gaming computer I bought him last year for his birthday because it processes them super fast.

I ended up making a way too long video about replacing the fuel pump on the car after this incident.

Turns out Aeromotive no longer makes the exact pump. The new ones are all E85 compatible so the wiring changed. Also, (while it didn't matter for my application) the intake port on the replacement pump I got was different than the original. I had to resort to making custom solder joints to the bulkhead connector in the fuel tank pump module. I also had in the past kept the original Painless wiring LS harness fuel pump relay in the dash and was using the output signal to trigger the high amp 10 gauge wiring relay at the battery in the rear (this was added when I last replaced the pump) - this time I removed the relay from in the dash and have the one on the battery in the rear just triggering on the standard computer output because keeping TWO relays in place of one was not ideal.

He bugged me for several days after it broke..."Hey dad...will be running by Friday (this was last Friday) - which was all depending on how quickly parts came) - He had to work last Thursday night so I did the swap on my own and filmed it so we could make a video. He was thrilled to be able to rumble it to school on Friday.

Total repair was $130 and a few misc wiring bits and pieces...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rruonO0fuAQ

[214Chevy]

I don't know who's cooler...the son or the dad. Great story!!