first car-m what should i do?

Ford_Boy · 17-12-2006, 10:35 AM

Ok, well i have talked about getting my first car for a while now and i have shown no action so far. i'm still on my L's and maybe i am getting ahead of myself but all i can think of is having a license and driving when ever i want.
I practice on my mums xcel it is a 5 speed manual but i one day want to have an awsome ford like my dad's.

anyway, I just landed a job with a removalist company and it is real hard work and i'm only doing it to save up money quickly, until i can have plenty of money for a car. I have no loans or bills so i can pretty much take 600 plus bucks home and spend it on myself.

I don't know what i'll do with my money and i need advice. should i just get a run around car for a few hundred bucks and get my dad to spray paint it. should i save up until my birthday in june and get an xr6 i have always dreamed of or should i get a load of 70 dollars a week and have my xr6 now?

In a way i know its more wise to spend little on a car now and save up for a house but i'm young and i want to have the best car i can afford. i saw an xr6 turbo for 20 grand or 70 bucks a week. i was wondering if i can take the turbo badge off and get away with it? If i got a run around car now then i would probably sell it next after a year but if i get that xr6 i have always wanted then i would be holding onto it for atleast 5 years time.

So what should i do? Should i work my but off and save for an xr6, should i get one with a loan or should i just get a run around?

peyote · 17-12-2006, 11:04 AM

get a cheap run around for your first car $2000-$3000 & get your dad to paint it if it needs painting
and save for your dream car.
dont be silly and buy a xr6 turbo then rip the badges off and think you wont get caught because you will.sorry if that sounds a bit harsh

Ryan · 17-12-2006, 11:29 AM

I think a cheap run about, would be wise first mate.;)

You don't really need a XR6T atm. IMO

Not saying you wont be able to handle it, but I think it's wise to have something not so powerful and not as dear to run (Petrol, Insurance etc). Besides you can always save up for one (Even extra for mods), while you get more experience under your belt.

Ford_Boy · 17-12-2006, 11:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ryan

I think a cheap run about, would be wise first mate.;)

You don't really need a XR6T atm. IMO

Not saying you wont be able to handle it, but I think it's wise to have something not so powerful and not as dear to run (Petrol, Insurance etc). Besides you can always save up for one (Even extra for mods), while you get more experience under your belt.

yeah the problem with the turbo is that it will use alot of petrol and i know i will want to drive all the time. insurence will be alot but i could get it in my dad's name i suppose. i just really love the look of the ba. and i was thinking that maybe by june the prices will be alot lower and i will have the money saved up too.

Outbackjack · 17-12-2006, 12:02 PM

You are in a situation that I have often thought about with regards to power restrictions on drivers. You will have to wear a financial loss due to these laws. If you buy a cheaper car first you will certainly loose money on it. Both in repair and depreciation costs. This does not seem fair. But having said that I do see the need to do something to slow the rate of new drivers wiping themselves out. You sound more of an enthusiast driver rather then a hoon (I might be wrong) . You are caught up in a web not of your making. My 16 year old daughter has only just got her license and will be on a full license by the time people in other states are even old enough to sit the learner test. She can now legally drive any car she can afford (at the moment that is a suzuki vitara). But after much thought on my part, I will be giving her extra driving lessons in a manual BF XR8.

As I have said many times a learner driver should be accessed for their attitude and phsycological well being. You should be able to prove your trust worthyness behind the wheel of any car you can afford.

Should you knowingly break the law? The Irish in me says that civil disobedience is our duty. The responsible law abiding citizen in me says you MUST obey the law. I think that when all the dust settles on these new power restriction laws there will be no improvement in the loss of young lives on the road. The only difference will be that they will be dieing in honda civics and not V8 falcons. The government has not even attempted to address the real issue here "personal responsibility and ATTITUDE"
Every new driver must be accessed for their "suitability" as a road user. What ever you do with regards to car choice and "badges", drive well within your ability and dont over estimate your ability. 99% of drivers on our roads are not anything like the good drivers that they think they are. A case in point. I visited my sister on the Gold Coast last week. She has been driving for about 25 years. I was really uncomfortable driving with her. She has never had an accident but I can see it happening. The time that you have held your license doesn't count for much if you dont take your driving seriuosly...... Sorry for the diatribe.

Cheers all.

MITCHAY · 17-12-2006, 12:09 PM

I would save up for a good car and have a small car to run around in to then. Nothing is better than when you buy the car you want all in cash. The bank don't own my car ;)

Believe me I would of had a deposit on a decent house but like my mum said you are only young once and most probably won't be in a position to get a nice car for a while after this.

Ford_Boy · 17-12-2006, 11:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by peyote

get a cheap run around for your first car $2000-$3000 & get your dad to paint it if it needs painting
and save for your dream car.
dont be silly and buy a xr6 turbo then rip the badges off and think you wont get caught because you will.sorry if that sounds a bit harsh

lol not harsh at all mate. i suppose they will also see the intercooler lol. i just suggested it because i know a guy with a vt ss with a clubsport bodykit and he still hasnt been caught.

Ford_Boy · 17-12-2006, 11:37 AM

i'm open to all sugestions so anyone who wants to add some ideas for a car under 10 grand? ford, mazda, nissan,subaru, mitsu. etc. any ideas on a car then sugest it and it will be very appreciated. i want a car that will turn heads a little, will drive nicely, safe, reliable. any idea's anyone?

Yellow_Festiva · 17-12-2006, 11:56 AM

Ford Boy,

As others have said, get a cheap run around that does not "Turn Heads" in my opinion! if you want to turn heads you either need to buy a unique or imported car or get a standard car and bling it up. Either way insurance wont be happy to cover you unless you hand over a barrow of cash, and you would be forever worried about parking it around the palce so some scum nicks it or wrecks it for ya.

Now for 5-10 grand you could get a falf decent run around, but steer clear of Subarus as they are normally costly to insure.

My brother bought a 200sx at 18 and has pumped so much money into keeping it on the road and "Turning Heads" that im sure secretly he now regrets it. Im forever hearing about him blowing this / scraping that, getting done by the cops all the time because of all the work he has done to it.

Im still driving around in my "Cheap run around" still, a humble Festiva. Cheap to run, dirt cheap to insure and hasnt let me down thus far. When she dies or gets written off ill have no hesitation on spending 50-60 grand on a new nice car caus in my mind i have earned it by driving the Festiva around to start off with.

Get urself a Starlet or Echo, or something that does not draw attention and is easy on your pocket and drive that while saving your hard earned dosh for a nice flash ford when your a bit older.

and please, PLEASE dont get a loan for a car.....

Conrad · 17-12-2006, 11:56 AM

You're sorta in my predicament. Well not at all.

I'm also a learner, looking for a car. Been looking for 7 months at X series falcys, eskies and corty's. Everytime i find a good one, i arrange an inspection and usually the day before the inspection the guy rings up and tells me he's sold it.

This has happened 5 or 6 times now i think and i'm getting fed up.

Ruger · 17-12-2006, 12:05 PM

get a nicely modded e series
my first car was a 5 speed EA lowered a bit of motor work good condition etc and i loved it to bits couldnt beat it as a first car and it was quicker than all my friends cars.

get something like that for a first or get something like a corty

Conrad · 17-12-2006, 12:13 PM

Don't get an EA lol, it will fall apart on you. Cost more on engine repairs than what its worth. (Which is about $500)

Feathers · 17-12-2006, 12:49 PM

Get a half decent falcon. (e-series perhaps) Save up for your dream car, but use the cheap one to get experience and practice for a year or 2 first.

I had a 1979 XD as my first car. Had it for 5 years and looked after it well. Dad is a quailfied mechanic and repairer so we serviced it ourselves (and yes, I do mean WE. Nothing I like more than getting my hands dirty playing with cars).

It meant that if anything went wrong with it mechanically it wasn't too expensive to fix, and if I did have any accidents, that it didn't ruin a near new car.
Realistically you should expect to have a few small bumps when you first get your licence. Even if it's just from a car park or something, until you get more experience and get used to the dimensions and handling of a car bigger than an excel.

When I saw the BA XR's I fell in love and had to have one.

I worked weekends, public holidays, overnight shifts...whatever it took to get enough money to buy one.
When I did get it, it was the best feeling in the world. I paid for it outright.

My parents knew they could trust me with it, and I had a decent no claim bonus built up that was transferred to my current insurer.

Even NA XR's are considered "performance" vehicles to most insurers and they either won't cover them, you, or both, especially if you're young.

Once you have the car you want you need to keep that in mind, 'cause if you spend all that money on it, and can't insure it, if you have an accident, you can kiss it goodbye.

MITCHAY · 17-12-2006, 12:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Feathers

Even NA XR's are considered "performance" vehicles to most insurers and they either won't cover them, you, or both, especially if you're young.

Sure are. My mate bought a BA XR6 N/A for the same price I bought my WRX and his premium was more than mine. He ended up selling it.

You have to wonder how they come up with these premiums sometimes.

Rob · 17-12-2006, 01:06 PM

I tend to agree with the 'Get an E-series' brigade.

ED/EF = cheap, reliable, safe, roomy, can keep it for a good 10 years, and as we all know, 4.0 litre Falcons can fairly fly with a few mods.

Go for a Futura/Fairmont spec, as the insurance wont be as harsh, and you'll pick up a bit more kit.

The G6ET Spot · 17-12-2006, 05:56 PM

If you are taking home around $600 a week as you say.

1. Buy a cheap run around car.To get a bit of no claim bonus on insurance.
2. Put $250 - $300 a week in the bank,prefferably an advantage saver account.
3. In around 18 months time you will have the money in the bank to do what you please,but most importantly you WILL be able to pay cash for a XR6 if you so wish. A whole lot better than paying $70 a week in repayments for the next 5 years.Have the bank pay YOU interest not you paying them.
4.After having the run around car your insurance for the XR6 will not hurt your hip pocket as much.

And last but not least, dont do furniture removals for too long.After being in the game for the best part of 20 years myself,I can tell you it's a killer on the old body after a while.Good luck with what ever you decide to do.Just make sure it has the right badge on it when you do get a car.

9lives · 18-12-2006, 09:50 AM

my first car was ef falcon futura had extraxtors exhaust port and polish head lumpy cam great relaiable car relativly cheap now too.
look hard for a manual one heaps of fun..... then save for a house some travel a girlfriend and your dream car...... then loose it all when you have kids and she leaves ya hehehe :Reverend: just kidding mate good luck :eclipsee_

snortycorty · 18-12-2006, 10:19 AM

I got my first car from the wreckers, dad and i were searching for a project drag car. I seen the corty and had to have it. As i had no savings the following week was school holidays and i had to work my butt off to pay for it.

As much as I loved my first two cars, and even though now i wouldnt change owning them, i do wish i had saved up and bought a first car like my 2 other friends did.

I have since sold the cortinas (ouch I'm still in mourning lol) and i bought a cheap little laser. Now i have more than halved my fuel bill, and I'm not spending money every week fixing one thing or another and I actually have some savings now!

So now I'm doing what i should have done in the first place, got a nice cheap reliable car, and am saving to upgrade to a bigger/newer car.

Ford_Boy · 19-12-2006, 08:34 PM

well i havent been on the net for a while because i have been finishing late from work...over time

. anyway i'd like to thank all of you's for your advice so far. after working such a hard job it is going to be great when i slide my card into the atm and i see the dollars i worked hard for.

i deffinantly wont be doing this job for long. i enjoy the money but i would rather go back to school and try for a cushy office job, instead of working my body to the bones.
i love cars lol maybe ill become a salesman for ford.

Anyway if i want a real cheap car i can get an xe for 400 buks off a relative. it needs rego and my dad will spray it but i'm worried about old cars so i think ill be safer with an e series. i love lowered clean el's. my dad used to have one and it went pretty good and has plenty of power for me. i want a manual because its so much more fun.

i think i'll save up 5 grand and go to the auctions in search of an el. my dad used to have a falcon s and it was so straight and handled great. i want black, lowerd and nice wheels on it.

anyway thanks guys wish me luck. i hope to have the money saved by the time school starts again. cheers

knighto42 · 20-12-2006, 07:54 AM

My 2c is don't go for the loan option. You're bringing in all that disposable income now, but being young your situation is likely to change in the forseeable future. I went down the loan path when I was younger, thinking that I was living at home and didn't see myself moving out for a while so I could afford it. 2 weeks later I met my wife (interstate - Melbourne), and 3 months after that she was living in Sydney with me. All of a sudden I had rent and bills to pay on top of the car expenses.

I like your idea of saving $5k & going to the auctions. Plus it sounds like your Dad knows a thing or two about cars - and am sure he'd enjoy passing on what he knows.

Anyway, good luck with it.

GREGXR8 · 20-12-2006, 03:16 AM

i gave my daughter my grandfathers old 84 mazda 626when she got her licence, she loved it because of whos car it had been. the panels were not the best (i dont think he could see the best the last few years of his life). and it had faded paint but being her first car it got a few more small dents, and a big one in the front from an audi. she now has a new black kia rio. she loves it (i dont). i think for the first year or two a cheap car is the way to go. and im not picking on p platers i just think that the first car has the best chance of getting bumps and scrapes. either from driving or even passengers opening doors on things.

**Professor Farnsworth** · 20-12-2006, 03:29 AM

no offence (and i didn't do it) but a lot of new p platers will stack their car, or at least have minor dings as part of the learning process. this all depends on the type of person you are however, and how observant and/or intelligent you are.

xr6t as a frist car ? sure it'd be fantastic, i won't deny that. but it's not practical. you WILL want to give it a bootfull, regargless of how noble anyone here claims to be, and there's a good chance that doing it will either cause you to 1) lose your driving privelidges 2) cause harm/injury to yourself or 3) cause harm or injury to someone else.

My advice would be buy a nice but older car to start with, learn with it, take care of it, keep saving your pennies, then get your xr6t, xr8 etc when you're off your P's, and have less chance of wiping it out.

GREGXR8 · 20-12-2006, 03:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrcrackers

xr6t as a frist car ? sure it'd be fantastic, i won't deny that. but it's not practical. you WILL want to give it a bootfull, regargless of how noble anyone here claims to be,

i totally agree. i turn 42 next sunday and i still cant help myself in the xr8 sometimes.