[dolt45]

My folks gave me a broken down beater POS that landed in their laps when I was 14.
They told me if I spent some of my summer job money and my free time fixing it I could sell it when I turned 16 and buy something I actually wanted.

That's what I did. Dad gave instruction but almost never helped.

I learned the value of a buck and the value of hard work. Not to mention the fact that I've worked on my own cars ever since saving me a pile of cash over the years.

My folks were smart. Didn't cost them a dime and gave them a better son.

OP: The only thing that I would do differently is start with something that was less pristine. She'll probably care for it a bit more if SHE had to pay for the paint job with her stall cleaning money. But you know your kid better than I do...