I'm 24 and my 78 Sedan was my first car, also what I learned to drive a clutch in. I played a lot in the car when I was 3 and 4 (yeah, I remember that far back!). I didn't love my car at first, even when rebuilding the motor with my dad, but once I started driving it I loved every bit of it compared to the Dodge Grand Caravan I learned to actually DRIVE in. I love the Caravan to, but there's just something about a small 70s car with manual everything that makes me smile. It has style, it's simple, easy to maintain and repair (cheap to do both), and it gets a lot of attention which brings back memories to everyone who looks at it, which I feel is more gratifying than anything else.
My 78 Sedan is going to my Daughter when I pass on, if not earlier. She needs to learn how to work on it and care for it properly first though! It was her grandmothers truly FIRST car, it was mine, and it will be what my daughter learns to drive on before anything else!
I love my 78 Sedan so much that I bought a 73 station wagon with an automatic which is quite comfortable and stylish for what it is. It isn't in the best of shape and I may not enjoy it as much as my 78 Sedan "hot rod" (stock but quick!), but driving it brings a sense of comfort. It doesn't get as many compliments as my 78 Sedan does, but those who know that Pintos came in station wagon models stop to make some nice comments!
Sounds like you need to go for a drive with your daughter and let her handle the car for a bit, see if she can appreciate an American Classic, realize what it's like to FEEL the car, not just running, but to shift through the gears (if it's a manual), hear the motor race, and feel the road through the steering wheel. Driving a 70s car (even some 80s cars) is nothing like driving today's cars which is more like sailing on pavement with how smooth everything is and how many accessories and features there are.
I like my hand crank windows, lack of A/C, noisey motor and small bumps in the road. Reminds me that I'm REALLY driving, and loving every bit of it from destination to destination!