The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Dont you hate it

Its saturday night and im bored. I should be studying for my exams but im to tired. I unfortunetly got my truck "locked up" because my marks weren't high enough. Can any one tell me there first time there parents locked up there progect or car in highschool and how you got threw it. My dad promises me some cab corners, rockers and a floor pan when i get my marks up:). but how did you do it?

Your education is far more important than an old truck. When you get your career underway, there will be time and money for trucks. It seems hard to imagine priorities at your age, but your dad knows what he's doing. He's looking out for your best interests. My advise is to get them grades up during the week and work on the truck on the week-ends.
Good luck with your studies,
Scott

I'd have to second 48bigtruck here. Of course I am the dad with the teenage kids, so my view is a lot more like your dad's.

But I remember loosing my car as a high schooler and while its not fun at the time, today I have a good job making good money, and currently own 8 trucks.

My dad was in a business that had him in frequent contact with the police. I got pulled over one night, and when they learned who I was, they let me go. When my dad found out, he passed the word around that they were to watch for me and make sure I couldn't get away with anything.

I hated it at the time, but realize now he had did me a favor that was well worth paying a few tickets 30 years ago.

As you can tell by the time stamp on this post, it is early Sunday morning in my world....one of the reasons I get up this early to go to work to finance my truck project, kids, house etc. is because my dad "jingled" the car keys and asked if I wanted to keep them when I was being a smart a$$ or not following the program....I hated it then, but appreciate it now...

Learn to like school..I have been going for almost 33 years....ya never stop....high school then on from there....no matter what ya do, you will have to go to school to keep your training up to date... Time goes fast....don't get too worked up about it and get your grades up!

Regards.

Off to work.

Take care off your education. It will open many options for you. Older fellow I knew was a heavy equipment operator he loved it said he never worked a day in his life enjoyed it so much every work day was like going on vacation. Get your grades up you'll never regret it.

Yeah,get the grades up.Your education affects your whole life.You have to set priorities,family,and career.Somewhere down the list you put in hobbies,which is what old trucks are.Your hobbies must be done in your SPARE TIME,and cannot interfere with more important things.Although most of us here at this sight talk as if our trucks are really important,we realize that if it wasnt for hard work and planning we would not be able to work on and drive these old trucks.I could not afford to get into old trucks til after I retired,and I am sure there are many others that had to wait til later on in life to do this.Get your grades up and get a good education,you will NEVER regret it.Just some advice from an older bolter.

Wow, you all had cars in high school?

Well 61apache10 -- Those may not be the answers you hoped for but they must have been the ones you expected, coming to a bunch of old codgers like us.

When I was in high school, I wasn't allowed to have a car at all. In fact, I didn't get my first car until I was a senior in college. It really stunk at the time. But I'm not that smart a guy, actually, and I had to really concentrate on my studies just to survive. A's and B's? Heck, I was lucky to graduate from college at all, let alone Summa Cum Laude like my daughter did (Peggy's genes, obviously).

Some folks are good at school and the grades and knowledge come easilly. Not this Marine.

But I stuck to it, hoping and trusting that the folks who told me the same things we are telling you were right. They pretty much were.

The one thing my dad always said was, "Work now, play later." Well, the harder you work now (on school and furthering your education) the better you can play later. I proved him right! I gutted it out, made it through school, got commissioned as an officer in the Marine Corps, went to flight school, did 13 years in the Corps, am now a civil servant, farmer, and web site developer.

All because I gutted it out. Yeah, it would have been more fun to go drive a truck out of high school (or an amphibious assault vehicle as I almost signed up to do) like a lot of my friends did. But I kept at that school stuff, as unfun as it was. And now I own trucks just to play with.

Work now, play later. I still work, but I'm finally getting to the "Play later" part, as are the other guys. Life can be good and sweet, but only if you make it so. And the time for that for you is now.

You'll get to where we are! Probably even quicker than we got here because you're asking the right questions.

One other truth I discovered along the way -- the best and hottest chicks aren't impressed with your ride. They're impressed with your job (in that you have one)

JOhn

g et the grades up, build a bridge and get over it,, you are lucky that he did not take the computer away too...how much do you like before you finish,,,,you can do it ,use this as a reason to get better grades, as others have said, you should learn from this, things that you want may require hard work, when you get out on your own you can then do things as you want..good luck,,you can do it and you will appreciate all this in the long run,,,,regards.

Joker is right. Your dad should probably take your computer away too. Here your grades are down and you have already lost the use of your truck. Do you work extra hard to get it back? No, you are too tired and don't feel like it. At that rate it could be a while before the grades come up and you ride again. What is it going to take to get you motivated? It sounds like your dad is trying with the promise of truck parts and everything.

You might think I am a bit tough here but I was exactly your way when I was younger. I have learned the lesson that you are resisting now.

There's a reason we Dads are perceived as a PITA to our kids, and that's because we want them to grow up as responsible and successful adults. Taking away their priveleges (and my son's 46 is a priviledge, not a right, and he knows it!) until they do things right reinforces discipline and self-control, among other things. That's just one tool in the big tool bag of tricks. You may think your Dad is being unfair and all that, because you're 16 and know everything already! That's not a slam, it's the truth; ask any 16-year-old, and they'll tell you they know it all!

You'll be glad in the end that he does what he does, and in the end, the results (you!) will be worth it.

61Apache 10, what you read here may make you mad (or not) or infuriate you for the lack of sympathy 'cause you can't drive your stovebolt right now. You may not yet have encountered TROTWOT (the rest of the world out there), and if not, get ready.

TROTWOT is full of old codgers just like the stovebolters here, but a lot less friendly. And your best defense is a good education that continues until you die at a very old age with many, many stovebolts ensconsed in a well lighted, fully equipped, climate controlled garage.

What may seen tough to swallow today will be mild pablum soon enough.

Just remember, your Dad is not raising a child or a teenager--he is raising an adult and expects you to be one, even now.

Amen: Very good parables from all, most of us here have gone thru such as you are, now we are all Dads. Our choice as your dad is to help guide you to except challenges, but set backs also.

I hope I never stop learning, even these old trucks there is something new everyday. I f it hadn't been for my Dad I might have quit on this thing, But POP SR instilled in me a challenge is to be met head on and I use that every day of my life.

popcorn The truth is out There (Got 4 kids and not a one has disapointed me.)

My first vehicle was a 47 Mercury convertible, bought for $75.00 in running shape from the original owner. I was 14 at the time. I "lost" it a couple of times for grade problems, and it made quite an impression on me. When it came time for ny kids' first cars, I made each of them a deal- - - -"I'll buy the first car, and you get to keep it, and your driver's license, as long as the grades are 'B' or above". Anytime the grades dropped, the car got parked, and I held onto their driver's license for the next 6-week grading period. I only had to do that once for each of them! They're both parents now, and when the time comes, I'm pretty sure they'll impose the same rules. BTW, rule #2 was, "You break it, you fix it!". My son's a professional mechanic now, and my daughter does all her own work, including engine overhauls!
Jerry

I would suggest to all Teenagers to get out of your parents home, get a great paying job right NOW.....

WHILE YOU STILL KNOW EVERYTHING...

I had to park my car when I was in high school too... I got through it.. I also had to park my bicycle and walk my 3 mile paper route for a couple of weeks.. now that hurt...

I'm being a bit facetious with the first statement, but stop, and take a look at what your parents and older relatives/friend/ect are trying to tell you.

61Apache10.

If you can really listen to all us old farts and learn something rather than having to learn it the hard way, you are a wiser man than most of us were at your age.

My '47 panel has been calling my name every time I go out to the garage, but it's been getting the short end of the stick since I enrolled in a bachelor's degree program. Enough has finally gone wrong with it that I can no longer drive it until I get some stuff fixed.

I finish my last class Feb 5, 2005, a day before my 50th birthday. Don't wait like I did and get educated late. Do it now and do it well, and you will have a lot more money throughout your life to spend on the old truck, or the next several, or a wife/kids or whatever your interests become. I guarantee you that there is no surer may to ground yourself for life than to shortchange your education. Grades first, then truck. You won't be sorry.

I can't add much to what's already been said. Get those grades up. You won't be sorry. As an aside, I couldn't help but notice the spelling and grammatical errors in your post. If I were you, I'd spend some time in my English book! Good luck!!

"but how did you do it?"

You do it by doing it.

61 Apache 10,

You were smart enough to ask this question here, rather than asking it on a discussion board with an average user age of 18.

In addition to all the advice above, consider this: spend as much time on your studies as you spend on your next two most time-consuming pastimes (working on trucks, playing sports, watching tv, playing video games, chasing women, etc) and you will find that your grades will improve and you will have time for other things.

More importantly, you will have more options and success in your future.

My bet is that most of us did not learn this unless we had good parents who set rules and held to them. Some of us learned this later and look back and try not to say too much "if only I had . . ."

There's a lot of good advice in the responses above. Do your school work, get better grades, and then enjoy your truck.

Best wishes,
Tim

Hey guys. thanks for replying. i do agree that i have to get good grades and that this is the most important time of my life. if i screw this up i screw my life up. School first hobbies second. i just makes me sad i can no longer work on my truck and its just sitting in the garage. I have exams in 2 weeks so its time to get serious. Im struggling in Math and french the others are in the 75-89 range. So au revoir
Kyle

I'm glad to see you're not your typical teenager and think everyone else is wrong. You've already got the advantage, so make the most of it.
Good luck,
Scott

Math and French can be difficult subjects but you will need to do well in those classes to graduate.
Like the others said - suck it up and get through it. Fight the urge to get frustrated. Fight the urge to obsess over your truck (lucky kid to have an old truck already - good for you) Persevere. Save your money for when you get it back. Do whatever it takes and succeed. Good luck to you.

I'm not too much older (just 26), but I've already seen that my parents were right. The best I can say is to get the grades up, and work on your truck as much as possible during your weekends and summers. It only gets harder in college, but it'll pay off in the end.

You will find that the older you get in life the smarter your parents get.

I also found it hard to study, when told to. However, when I got to university it was my life and I was in charge. I spent my entire time at the books and really enjoyed the achieving. Now through a career in Engineering ,I have always enjoyed learning. As you would guess, the technology in this world does not stand still.

There are better days ahead, believe me.

Fred

Hi Kyle,
Follow the stovebolters advise and you cant go wrong. I was a good student in highschool, but had a real hard time in college. It wasn't until my last couple of years that I learned the disciplin to realy make good use of my study time. A great professor told me that if you treat school like a job, that you will do well. I found that if you treat the school day like a work day, that you will have time left over at the end of the day to work on your truck when your grades get back up. I would get up and go to classes and labs and then before I could get distracted with TV and other stuff, I would just go the library and get my homework done while the class lecture was still fresh on my mind. Treat my school day like a 10 hour work day and you will be suprised how much you can get done. Sometimes it turnes into a 24 hour work day, but it all works out. Good luck and go hit the books.
Ralph

Hey guys. Just thought i'll give you a little good news. I spent my whole weekend studying for unit tests and exams. i had a french test and a Information Technology(computer) test. They both went great. even my weekly math quiz was good. not great but an improvement. just thought i let you know.

Good work! For the next set of exams; study harder and set a goal to do even better!

Keep working at it. It will pay off..

- Ryan

AMAZING UPDATE!!! I had a math unit test yesterday. I got it back AND I GOT 25/30= 83.3 repeated %!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. I don't remember the last time I got in the 80's in math!

nice going,, keep up the good work,,,regards..Fred

Nice work on the math test. I hate math.

Last year, I started college at Butler University here in Indy. The parents said "no car until you get a 3.0 GPA. Well, first sememster, I had calculus, botany and a bunch of other crap classes. Me being the dumba$$ I am (and after going to a very strict military school) I skipped probably half of my botany classes and never did my calc homework. I ended up with a 2.4 gpa. Guess what? No car 2nd semester. Then, 2nd semester, I got a 3.6 gpa, and got my car back for this semester. Now, they've upped it so if I don't get all B's in my classes, I don't get my car, and now there's some incentive, because my girlfriend (whom I love dearly) goes to Purdue, an hour away and she doesn't have a car. At this point, I'm pulling all A's and B's except a C in one of my classes. Hopefully I'll get that up in the 2-3 weeks that are left, but I don't know. If not, guess what? It's back to using the bus and hoping that the separation doesn't screw up the relationship with the g/f.

I got my olds when I was 14. Why? Because I saw it, thought it was cool and bought it for $500. I'm really glad my dad owns an auto parts store, otherwise this thing would be a 2'X2' cube sitting in the back of ajunkyard somewhere, or would be about 10 hondas by now. Anyway, it sat for 2 years, I pulled it out, blew up the tranny, bought another one, and it sat for another year. Pulled it out, blew it up again (radiator this time). Back into the garage for 6 months. Got it taken away for getting it on with the g/f in the front seat, sat around until the summer after my sr. year in high school, then I drove it for 2 months, it went away again. You don't know how bad it is to have a car for 6 years and see it just sitting in the garage on half flat tires in perfect running condition while the water is slowly turning to water and varnish. Then, I bought the truck last march. It sat for 3 months, pulled it out in june to drive, ran the battery flat every 3 days because of a bad alternator, pulled it into the garage and got the olds out again. it sat there until last month when we used it to move, and now that we're done with that, it'll sit in the garage until next may when I'm out of school. Same deal, good running condition, sitting on half flat tires with the gas turning to water and varnish. I know where you're coming from man.