Sometimes as a teen... (Rant about a new car)

"oldestyoungn" (oldestyoungn)
02/16/2014 at 10:13 • Filed to: None

...you just want something you can call your own.

http://bham.craigslist.org/cto/4327108695…

http://bham.craigslist.org/cto/4324567549…

http://bham.craigslist.org/cto/4295193747…

FYI TL;DR summary at bottom since this mainly is just me venting.

I actually will be making a proper article of all this later so honestly just take that TL;DR path I mentioned above.

Dang you parents deciding to go with a new car because of warranty, less likely to break down, and roadside assistance... It is kind of mine, but only like 1%. I pay for gas and insurance, but that's a given. I also help out with a lot of the payment each month, but I can't touch the car except for easily reversible visual stuff. I fully understand the reasons why, but I grew up on Need for Speed and HotWheels. From 9-14 my car side went dormant and I was moderately interested in things, but at 15 it came back full blast.

Since that moment I've been dying to get greasy in all the mechanics of a car. When my parents started talking about the fact that in our situation I really need my own car I was very, very excited. I trolled Craigslist a ton, and found amazing cars. I found this one (70's I think?) Dodge Dart with less than a 100 miles that was straight from the factory and hadn't been touched since, amazing Plymouth Roadrunners, Miata haven, 240sx's, 300sx, Datsun 240z's in amazing condition, and all $5000 or less. We came close to buying a 70's 320i BMW, and a 2003 Mazda Protege 5 wagon (with a lot of performance stuff), but ultimately both fell through.

Then my parents started thinking about the fact these cars may break down a lot, and that I'd be driving through not too good Alabama communities a decent amount. They didn't want me on the side of the road on the skinny, twisty, little to no shoulder, 2 lane highways, or in an area I could get mugged. I would also be transporting the occasional sibling. Clearly the only option for my appliance car family to get something reliable was to go new. Clearly. At the time I put up a huge fight, but ultimately life was too busy and we kept going along and looked at cars now and then. I gave in a bit, and started helping with the new car search... Mazda looked good. Zoom zoom philosophy with good handling, and not to mention their Sky Activ engines for em-puh-guhs (MPG's). Parents liked it, and I liked it, so everything was good. They went and looked, and the Mazda3 was being cleared out at a really low price. Compare approx $18,000-$20,000 MSRP for the manual 6 speed "Sport" package to the price paid of about $15,000. (Turns out the car had been some hail damage on the hood, but it'd been replaced already. Didn't know that until after the purchase though.)

Now there's one complication. I only knew they looked at the 3's. One night after me babysitting all day for them the showed up with this car. It's a story for later, but they got me good in how they surprised me.

So that night I was taken for a drive, and my dad got up to 90 mph. Ha... a manual transmission will do that to my dad, but I never knew that before then. That is when I learned to drive manual. Killed the car over 20 times just to get going. I was so excited, and like I've already said quite a few times on this site... in 2cd and 3rd gear it just flew to a new driver like me.

TL;DR STARTS HERE

Please don't get me wrong. I love the new car. It zips me around really well, but that's about all it does... I don't get into all the mechanical stuff, there's no quirks about it that make it special, and my grandma has the same car in a different color. I drive the same car as my grandma and because it's not some performance car that's not a "cool" thing.

I also am prohibited from working with engine to install things. Most mechanical thing I can install (and maybe even not this) is an exhaust. I don't want a fart cannon. That's what 90% of Alabama has when you hear a car off in the distance racing around.

After those 2 cars fell through all I wanted was a highway commuter 1993 240sx with 150,000 miles. Just $3000. (The owner did go to jail though... boyfriend was selling it for her.) It was maroon, and you could see the yellow color of the body panels coming through. To the average person it was a crap can that could be driven into the ground a bit longer, but to me it was a RWD 5 speed opportunity.

I love this white 2013 Mazda3, but it's a beige car in it's core no matter how stiff the suspension, how tight the handling, or how it "flies" in 2cd and 3rd. I want to reach down and pull my e-brake sometime on an wide, empty road without fear of "but what if I break something" because the car is "not mine". That's the dream.

Extreme TL;DR

1) Grew up on Need for Speed and HotWheels
2) Dormant car nut from 9-14
3) Age 15 hibernation ended and innate desire to drive and work on cars returned
4) Got license and family situation required I needed a car.
5) Found many good candidates in good condition on Craigslist for under $4,000.
6) Attempted purchases fell through via someone else buying first, not responding, etc
7) Parents opted for a new car because reliability and safety
8) Resistance, but then gave in and helped.
9) Discovered Mazda
10) Parents bought white 2013 Mazda3 6 speed manual at good discount and surprised me
11) I learned how to drive manual, and got good daily driving it
12) Feelings of lust for something I can call my own, work on, and drive how I want grow stronger and start to permeate me
13) I wrote this.

Extreme, Extreme TL;DR

Your attention span sucks.

Thanks for reading, and sorry for the rant.

DISCUSSION (23)

Conan > oldestyoungn
02/16/2014 at 10:17

At the least you have a manual. What I tell my students is this. Study really hard now (maybe take some auto classes if you can sneak into them) so you can have better vehicles when you're older.

signintokinjalol > oldestyoungn
02/16/2014 at 10:26

That VW is really clean, good work.

JZelnick > oldestyoungn
02/16/2014 at 10:33

i too had a dormant stage in my enthusiast life. once awakened i didn't stop untill I purchased my dream car an E39 M5. now, i learn new things and my adoration for weird and cool cars grows daily.

oldestyoungn > Conan
02/16/2014 at 10:36

I cannot imagine how painful my lust for a different car would be if they had gone with an automatic. What are your thoughts on internships with garages?

oldestyoungn > signintokinjalol
02/16/2014 at 10:38

I know... it's so beautiful... if only I could convince my parents to get rid of new car and go to this instead.

JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! > oldestyoungn
02/16/2014 at 10:54

You sound just like me! I am writing up a rant later about my feelings.

TL;DR (summary at bottom)

I am 16. I have a 2013 Honda Civic LX Auto sedan that I am leasing. Unlike your grandma, which has the same car; this is partially my grandma's car. We are sharing it. Yes I make payments, and insurance, and gas, but its a lease. I cannot touch anything on it. I put an Oppo sticker on the passenger window. That is it.

I began looking for my first car as soon as I got my permit. I was amazed at the choices. I found this awesome Nissan 300ZX from the original owner. He just had open heart surgery and needed to sell the car. Had one small accident where it was backed into. Car had 91,000 miles and only needed a new radio antenna. He was asking $5,o00. I spent hours on the phone with him. Then my grandma said no since it was a coupe.

The car that I was really serious about was perfect for me. It was a 1991 Volvo 240 sedan. It was recently painted really poorly. It was a cheap sub $1000 white job from AAMCO. The original blue was peeking through. The odo claimed it had 153,000 miles but I never noticed it moving. The front two speakers were gone. It had been in two accidents. The only airbag, for the driver, didn't work (most likely because of the two accidents (the SRS light was on)). The AC was broken. But I didn't care. I could have it for $1500. My own car. Something I can tinker with in my driveway. I wanted to lower the suspension. I wanted new rims and tires (they had put Walmart tires on it with gaudy chrome rims). I wanted to redo all the trim pieces. Surprisingly the original blue cloth interior was perfect. My grandma shot it down, NEVER EVEN DROVE IT, because she said it'd be too slow for her. This is from my grandma who does 35 in the 55 zone. I was crushed. I really wanted that car. I still do. The other day, I saw it with a new owner. It should've been mine.

TL;DR: I understand where you are coming from. I wanted something cool and I got a new Civic.

yamahog > oldestyoungn
02/16/2014 at 11:02

My first car WAS my grandma's car. It was even pink. Eight years later, I'm out of college, finally driving a vehicle of my choice, and on track to have my student loans paid off by my 25th birthday and new debt in the form of a brand new Mustang or Challenger in my driveway. I know you're antsy now, but driving a shitwagon is part of growing up, and you're doing much better than that right now, so hang in there.

oldestyoungn > yamahog
02/16/2014 at 11:07

What's funny is while I'm happy with the new car I actually lust for a crapcan every now and then.

Justino6969 > oldestyoungn
02/16/2014 at 11:49

Please don't take this the wrong way; but this is the third or so article I've read this month on Oppo about some privileged kid getting a brand new car and complaining about it. You got a BRAND NEW car, and you, like the others, want to throw it away for a piece of crap that's been treated who knows how? As much as I love my car, I would trade it for a brand new 3 in an instant. If you really want a shitbox, get a job, save your money, and spend it on the car of your dreams. It will mean a lot more to you if you work for it rather than have it handed to you. Then, you can do whatever you want to it without any permission from the owners, a.k.a your parents. Also, you'll have two vehicles, so there's even less worry about breaking the shitbox from uber hoonage. You'll be much happier that way.

Brian Silvestro > oldestyoungn
02/16/2014 at 11:55

THIS. ALL THIS. I'm 19 and my parents still won't let me purchase any type of used car. Certified, Craigslist, or otherwise. My dad thinks everyone is a thief out to get me, and all of the miles have been "altered" via computer hacking. It pisses me off. I have found so many beautiful examples of my dream car, but have been crushed on multiple occasions because of the "milage" or "condition" just wasn't quite right. Bullshit.

Conan > oldestyoungn
02/16/2014 at 12:03

If it's a good place I think it can be great. I don't normally envy my students. I teach History, but I think the kids who get to spend 4 periods out of each day of their senior year working with the mechanics at a dealership that's about five minutes away from the school have a pretty damn sweet deal. They're not a stealership. They have a whole stable of brands and I feel like they really learn a lot from the mechanics. I know a few of my students from two years ago who interned there got automotive engineering recommendations from them and they're in school. I've had a couple other kids do internships with independent mechanics and they've been good because those are the people that I think most kids who go into auto mechanics should be like. On the other hand there's a few really problematic locations. One of my students worked for one of those "We finance!" dealers and they had a pretty terrible time. Another worked for an outfit that outright lies about dyno numbers. I think some research on the people involved needs to be done but it can be a really good idea.

PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power > oldestyoungn
02/16/2014 at 12:11

15 year old here, and I feel the same way
little story, TL;DR in the end

When I first got my permit, I started looking at all kinds of cars! I had a budget of about 20,000, and was keen to see what I could get. I was very surprised by my finds! Every single car I could only have dreamed of owning just 5 years ago WAS RIGHT THERE FOR ME TO BUY! E36 M3's, V10 TDI Touaregs, RX8's, R32's! All of these cars cost considerably less than what my parents had in mind.

You see, my folks want to do the same thing. they want to get me a new car. Honestly, I don't mind going used, neither does my stepdad, but my mom said she would never buy me a used car, ever. Thankfully, I got lucky, and my mom really liked a new fiesta ST when it drove by. I managed to convince her, and am awaiting my 16th B-day to go get one (in that sexy, ASBO-tastic green color)

TL;DR: I'm in the same position as you, just make the best of it man!

oldestyoungn > Justino6969
02/16/2014 at 12:33

I actually almost saved up $1000 to buy a micro coupe thing (I want to say Nissan Prelude but I know that is VERY wrong. Prelude is Honda anyways.), but parents immediately said no due to coupe, questionably low price, mileage, and age.

Also I would have a job, but blah backstory blah blah moving blah excuses .

Anyways enough with the retarded counterpoints/excuses. I understand your point. My lust for a crapcan is foolish. I know I should be grateful for a new car, and boy am I, but my gearhead/enthusiast side just wishes it was something different. I probably will take this car with me to college by either taking over remaining payments or giving my parents 4-6 grand. (depends on how stuff plays out) I guess I need to wait until then and be patient. At least we have a car, right? Taking the time to vent and these comments has let me think about this a bit more. Thanks for the help.

oldestyoungn > Brian Silvestro
02/16/2014 at 12:39

Good luck moving out and getting on the path to a car you'll enjoy. Luckily I enjoy the Mazda, and I know eventually I'll probably pay my parents and take it with me, but this was me venting about the fact there's cheaper alternatives that could happen right now.

Thanks for reading

oldestyoungn > PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power
02/16/2014 at 12:47

Your reply about how you convinced your parents to do a Fiesta ST makes me think I really should stick up for my parents here.

Few days after getting the 3 for me they went back to the dealer with my grandma to get one for her. That day they test drove a Speed3 which had the same discounts as the regular 3 plus an extra $500 off. My dad fell in love. He didn't get out of second the whole drive through clogged city traffic and was amazed. My mom being a mom wanted the best for her baby and wanted it too but there just was no way that extra money per month on gas, insurance, and the car was feasible without cutting down other stuff.

Pretty much I almost landed a Speed3 out of it and that definitely would have neutralized my lust for messing with stuff since it'd be so nice.

oldestyoungn > Justino6969
02/16/2014 at 12:49

I told this to the other guy down below and I think I should tell you, too. I did unlock my parents' inner car people for a bit, and they totally would have done it.

Pretty much I almost landed a Speed3 out of it and that definitely would have neutralized my lust for messing with stuff since it'd be so nice.

yamahog > Justino6969
02/16/2014 at 12:54

Preach. Learn to drive, pay your dues, save for desirable AND functional vehicle of your choosing (or one of each) once mommy and daddy aren't footing the bills and putting a roof over your head. My high school was full of new drivers flipping their dream BMWs within months of getting them. I remember how I drove as a 16 year old, and I don't think the average 16-18 year old has any business driving hoon worthy cars on public roads. /getoffmylawn

Big Bubba Ray > oldestyoungn
02/16/2014 at 13:18

Dude, please don't complain about getting a new car, it's a bit ridiculous. Yes, it may suck that your parents won't let you get exactly what you want but that's a part of growing up and living with your parents: they call the shots.

Get a job, save money and "tough it out" driving a brand new 3 for a few years. Once you're finished with high school or college, you will be able to buy that crapcan car you've dreamt about for so long and nobody can tell you not to! When you're 16, going to college and moving out from under your parents roof may seem like it's an eternity away. Let me tell you: it's not. Time will pass faster than you could imagine and you will the rest of your life to buy whatever cars you want.

Sorry if I come across as a dick, but I don't like people complaining about being given new things, especially cars. I work my ass off to afford my two cars and if I were given a car, I would be the most grateful person on earth. Don't take what you've been given for granted.

oldestyoungn > Big Bubba Ray
02/16/2014 at 13:27

I was really reluctant to even make a post like this because I knew it was whining about a big blessing. You don't come across as a dick. I was actually more worried about me sounding like a dick. IDK if you read comments as well or not, but here's what I said to someone else who had the same point as you. This really was just a vent to help me process.

Also I would have a job, but blah backstory blah blah moving blah excuses .

Also about the "toughing it" part in your comment... made me laugh. Haha.

GhostZ > oldestyoungn
02/16/2014 at 13:30

Force them to give you the car in total ownership after you graduate.

...then sell it. They'll have taken the entire hit of depreciation. Then go buy what you want with your own money. That is the best revenge.

oldestyoungn > GhostZ
02/16/2014 at 13:35

I'm not out for revenge or making them pay for it. It's not a bad car, and I really like it. This is about the fact I'd rather have gotten a cheaper alternative that would match my wants better. I'll be buying the car from them whether it's taking over payment or giving them some money when I go to college. I totally can see a Speed3 sedan conversion going on then.

Again, not out to screw my parents. :I

Big Bubba Ray > oldestyoungn
02/16/2014 at 13:42

Ya I've been reading the comments and thanks for understanding my point of view and not being defensive about it. But really, time will pass faster than you think and before you know it you'll be buying all the shitty cars you could ever imagine! Haha we as Jalops may not always get to drive the cars we lust for, but we know how to make the most of whatever we drive and we learn to accept and love it. There are some folks on here who drive Camrys, Cavaliers, and I'm sure there's even a Prius driver hiding out somewhere, but we all have a love for our cars.

Again, sorry if I came across as a dick because that was not my intention!

BJMcCardle > oldestyoungn
02/16/2014 at 18:58

First off nice pick on the Mazda 3, it's a great car and I'm still loving my 07. Mazda makes a great manual, but if I'm blunt you have a much better first car then most of the people I know. If you want a good exhaust that's not too loud I'd suggest racing beat or corksport. both are excellent Mazda companies. Corkport makes pretty good motor mounts, and other suspension parts as well as racing beat. James Barrone Racing also has a pretty good selection. if you get a intake and one of those two exhaust setups it sounds great, and if you want it to be louder you can always get some vibrant headers. tri point engineering makes some awesome parts too. just looks around a bit, I've seen quite a few cool builds on the 3.