First car for my daughter – teaching her to wrench on a project?

[mariasday]

My daughter is hitting sixteen next month, and I’m trying to figure out her first set of wheels.  Honestly, I’m not keen on dropping a ton of money at a dealer for something that might have hidden issues anyway. I’d love to find a simple, repairable sedan and use it as a teaching project so we can fix it up together.

I’m looking around Idaho for something with a minor salvage title that’s still roadworthy enough to be a good base. Has anyone here had experience buying project cars locally? I’m trying to avoid dragging something over from out of state if I don’t have to—I’d rather support local inventory if it's available.

[lidermanjulia48]

That's a fantastic idea! Doing that with my own kids was one of the best memories we have. It teaches them so much more about how a car actually works than just buying something off a lot. If you’re looking for stuff that’s already in the state, I’ve had good luck checking https://www.autobidmaster.com/en/locations/usa/idaho/insurance-vehicles/ when I’m hunting for parts or projects. They usually have a decent mix of inventory right here in Idaho, so you aren't paying a fortune for towing or transport. The site is pretty straightforward—you can set up your alerts and follow the auctions live, which actually helps keep the kid interested in the process too. Just double-check the damage reports so you know what you’re getting into before you bid.