I let my son (age 19 and 20 at the time) drive my old '86 for a few months, twice. He smacked it up more than once. Probably more than twice. We fixed it - sometimes in the driveway, and sometimes by the pro at a good indy shop nearby. Better for him to smack up my old brick than smack up something else and get hurt.

Then I gave it to a friend of his. He also did his best to beat the car up. In fact, he finally succeeded in sending it to Volvo Valhalla. But I'd rather they "live and learn" in a car that's fixable, expendable, and will save your life when needed.
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Sven: '89 245, IPD sways, electric rad. fan conversion, e-codes, 28+ mpg - auto tranny. 850 mi/week commute. '89 245 #2 (wifemobile). '90 244 (spare, runs).