Absolutely encourage hubby and the kids to look for a junkyard - a great source for parts for "not new" cars if such things exist in your area. Heck, my neighbor across the street when I was a kid built his teenagers a Mercedes by buying one car from a junkyard that had been smashed front and back, and a second car that had had a fire in the passenger compartment. It took him a while, but then they had a great car!

And I have to say that fixing and driving a clunker will give your teenagers more car knowledge than any kid who gets given a brand-new car will ever get, and it will hold them in good stead for the future as well. For example, oses that are cracked can be a simple (and not too expensive, often) repair, then you learn what hose connects what to where ... and what happens when the hose is disconnected. Stalling out when you go slow, for example, can be a cracked or disconnected vacuum hose (thanks "Bill" the 1974 Maverick), a screwdriver can prop a stuck choke open so you can start the car (thanks "Hal" the 197? Comet)., etc. etc.