How to convince parents to let a 17 y/o buy a LS1
07-28-2006, 04:28 AM
#221
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Originally Posted by AronZ28
Flash, it sounds like your beater is the biggest POS ever. I'd sell it and get something like a $2000 94 Accord that hopefully won't need to be fixed weekly. This way you can focus all your $$$ and time into making your fbod faster and not wasting more time and money fixing your beater.
Although if you go my route, you'll only be able to afford a MINT LT1(I saw a beautiful 1996 Z28 with 34,000 miles the other day for $6,000). Also, buying your friend's 11 second Trans Am is downright stupid IMO when you've never owned anything faster than an 18 second Jeep. Very steep learning curve with that car, and a lot more potential for it to bite you in the ***, even over a stock LS1.
Although if you go my route, you'll only be able to afford a MINT LT1(I saw a beautiful 1996 Z28 with 34,000 miles the other day for $6,000). Also, buying your friend's 11 second Trans Am is downright stupid IMO when you've never owned anything faster than an 18 second Jeep. Very steep learning curve with that car, and a lot more potential for it to bite you in the ***, even over a stock LS1.
I've been looking and looking and just can not find a LT1 or LS1 around town that hasn't had the **** torn out of it or that isn't overpriced. The 11 sec TA is the whole reason I started looking at TAs and Zs, might as well buy what you want
. I know the car is too much for me to handle which is a good thing at this point, because I don't get cocky with it. I'm really leaning away from the 11 sec car for a couple reasons. I want to buy a stock (or basically stock) and build it up myself. Sure it costs more money but it's more of a learning curve like you said, and I can do more and more as i feel more comfortable. The recent lack of fbodies (at least in state) is mainly what got me considering the car. Also because it would be buying it from a close friend I know exactly what the car is, not just buying some random persons car to find out problems later.
07-28-2006, 04:34 AM
#222
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After helping a friend pull his tranny tonight, i truly realized how much of a bitch these cars are to work on lol. Maybe I should give up and buy a fullsize chevy 
07-28-2006, 02:56 PM
#224
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i skipped about 10 pages of this thread so if i missed something thats why....i was just going to post my story. i bought a 99 nbm t/a last year about three months before my 18th birthday. but i also had a 98 monte carlo ls. that was my first car so if this is going to be a first car i would say wait on it. i can agree with the guys who have said that on here because i too was a responsible/good driver...who had that first accident in my first car. i pancaked the monte on a guard rail and did a 180 backing into it again with the drivers side tail light. didnt total it just f**ked it up a little. I bought my t/a young and it does hurt come payment timee 303 a month but my insurance is awesome around 70-85 a month. gas does suck though but thats why its not my dd i have a v6 firebird for that. i dont know if the problem has been resolved but just weight out all of your options and pick on what will be most practical. happy motoring lol.
-Jeff
-Jeff
07-31-2006, 02:42 AM
#227
Originally Posted by StealthZ06
I got my 99 Trans Am brand new off the showroom floor at age 16. I didn't wreck it, but I would never let my kid have a car like that and I wouldn't recommend it to someone of your age. Your parents say you will be profiled by the police, it's true. I got harrassed constantly. No front plate, failure to signal turns (although I always use my blinker), speeding (less than 5 mph over the limit), etc. I was always a responsible kid growing up. I got good grades, and wouldn't do many of the things that other kids my age were doing. It was a different story behind the wheel of a 300rwhp Trans Am. I street-raced, I did top speed runs, I drove wrecklessly. This coming from a stand up kid who never got in trouble or anything like that. You sit there and tell us that you are responsible and that you are going to drive responsibly. I said the same exact thing to my parents 7 years ago. And I really believed what I was saying (just as you really believe), but in reality if you get that car you are going to drive it like 99.99% of all the other 16-17 year olds do.
07-31-2006, 12:32 PM
#229
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Originally Posted by StealthZ06
I got my 99 Trans Am brand new off the showroom floor at age 16. I didn't wreck it, but I would never let my kid have a car like that and I wouldn't recommend it to someone of your age. Your parents say you will be profiled by the police, it's true. I got harrassed constantly. No front plate, failure to signal turns (although I always use my blinker), speeding (less than 5 mph over the limit), etc. I was always a responsible kid growing up. I got good grades, and wouldn't do many of the things that other kids my age were doing. It was a different story behind the wheel of a 300rwhp Trans Am. I street-raced, I did top speed runs, I drove wrecklessly. This coming from a stand up kid who never got in trouble or anything like that. You sit there and tell us that you are responsible and that you are going to drive responsibly. I said the same exact thing to my parents 7 years ago. And I really believed what I was saying (just as you really believe), but in reality if you get that car you are going to drive it like 99.99% of all the other 16-17 year olds do.
I have a 18 year old daughter and a 14 year old son so I right at the point in my life where this sort of situation could happen. With my daughter it was easy. She had her heart set on a 2003-2006 Black Sunfire. Since she is a girl and the Sunfire is slower then snow dogs pulling a sled this was a no brainer. She got a 2005 for graduation since she was an honor student.
The 14 year old had a few years yet but I can tell you this. There isn't a snow ***** chance in hell he will drive my Formula or get my help buying any car that is 14.5 or faster in the quarter mile. Being busted for street racing is serious business these days. Not to mention the fact that if he got himself killed it would devastate me.
I wouldn't even want to try and imagine the pain of losing a child. But IMO the pain would be 10 times worse if I gave him the tool he used to kill himself with. Then I would not only have the loss but also the guilt because I could have prevented it. I love my kids so as a responsible parent I would have no part in helping them buy an LS1. At 18 if they have the means to get one then so be it. At least then they have a few years of driving experience and if the worst happens (god forbid), I would not have the guilt to deal with along side the grief.
Having been a teenager once and raising two I feel I can say this:
All teenagers are responsible. Until they get caught doing something stupid.
All teenagers tell the truth. Until they get caught in a lie.
All teenagers are expert drivers. Until they get caught by police or cause an accident.
As a kid you have nothing to lose. You want the car and you hope to hell that you get it. As a parent it's just not worth the risk. At least that's how I see it.
07-31-2006, 03:24 PM
#230
Do it, got my 94 when i was 17, I had a blast, I went to the track, I got in trouble, it got me laid. Just don't be stupid, if you are, you may become a statistic after all. SKIP buying an LT1 and go straight for the LS1. Have fun, be safe.
07-31-2006, 03:41 PM
#231
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When I was 18 I bought a New 2001 Camaro RS (6cyl) got that one because of the price and insurance. But 6 months later I traded it in for my 02 ws6. My parents were cool about it. They new I wanted it. And even loosing my *** on the camaro (lost 8k) they co-signed for the ta. I was the only 18yr old I new with a $650 car note
08-01-2006, 01:08 AM
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Originally Posted by Blue Meanie
Do it, got my 94 when i was 17, I had a blast, I went to the track, I got in trouble, it got me laid. Just don't be stupid, if you are, you may become a statistic after all. SKIP buying an LT1 and go straight for the LS1. Have fun, be safe.
Guys I really think that the car doesn't matter if you're talking about accidents. Unless you're doing 100+mph runs and roll or something, you can get into an accident in anything. My close friend died at 16 driving a 4cyl Grand Am. Sure you can get up to speed faster but you can speed and not pay attention in anything. I've almost hit a couple people that will pull out in front of me from a dead stop while I'm doing 35. Paying attention to driving is a lot more important than what you're driving.
08-01-2006, 01:44 AM
#233
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I say if you can afford to pay for it, go for it. I bought my truck when I was 15(1992 sonoma GT). It had the vortec 4.3 V6 in it. I will admit that even with the V6 in it, it got away from me once or twice in the rain because it had a harsh 1-2 shift and liked to spin the tires when shifting if you were giving it some gas. I am now about 1 month from turning 18 and I am currently swapping an LS1 into it. 3100 lb truck+LS1 isn't exactly slow but I feel I am ready for it after having some driving experience. What makes me laugh is the fact that some of you guys seem to think that someone can be a responsible teenager than all the sudden they get in an F-body and all of their responsibility goes out the window. Some of you guys that were mentioning getting an LT1/LS1 when you were younger and don't recomend it because you drove irresponsibly? I don't get what that has to do with anything. That's you, his experience may be completely different, no single person is the same.Now I know that there is an abundance of shitty teenage drivers all over the road, but I'm also aware that there is an abundance of shitty drivers on the road completely disregarding age. There are idiots of all ages people.
Good luck finding the F-bod
Good luck finding the F-bod
08-01-2006, 01:58 AM
#234
I bought my formula 6 months ago (put 1200 down on the 4900 $ car..) parents told me i could pay thme back the rest.. 6 months later new negine/tranny and rear (guy ripped me off all the stuff was fake except the exhaust (headers/borla/LE2 Heads) so now at $9500 I pay $198 a month and we havnt decided how much im gonna pay for insurance probabyl half.. once im out of court against the guy who sold me the car ill pay off half of it most likely and work my *** of to get it done with...
my parents bought me a brand new econo box in 03 i believe... i only paid $2,000 towards that car before i said i was gonna ge the car i originally wanted (fbody) they offered to pay everything for it i said no i was gonna have my way... I still have the 04 (having to sell it for what we owe) but sometimes i think i shoulda kept it but when i get behind the wheel of my formula i know its all worth the work i put in
little example.. check the cars out before u buy it.. mine seemed to work fine (it ran, shifted blah blah) but we tore it apart it was all wrong.. I will have to control myself with this car iv done some stupid **** in my 04 elantra... im mostly worried about all the torque the fbodies make and putting it sideways and the shitty braking (LS1 brake swap soon??) self control
my parents bought me a brand new econo box in 03 i believe... i only paid $2,000 towards that car before i said i was gonna ge the car i originally wanted (fbody) they offered to pay everything for it i said no i was gonna have my way... I still have the 04 (having to sell it for what we owe) but sometimes i think i shoulda kept it but when i get behind the wheel of my formula i know its all worth the work i put in
little example.. check the cars out before u buy it.. mine seemed to work fine (it ran, shifted blah blah) but we tore it apart it was all wrong.. I will have to control myself with this car iv done some stupid **** in my 04 elantra... im mostly worried about all the torque the fbodies make and putting it sideways and the shitty braking (LS1 brake swap soon??) self control
08-01-2006, 02:02 AM
#235
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im 17, ive had mine for quite sometime now, i speed just the same as i did in my truck, ive done 2 burnouts the first week i had it only becuase i was getting new tires. responsibility varies with people. i havent gotten the first ticket, knock on wood. so i say if you can afford it, get it.
08-01-2006, 06:02 AM
#236
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Originally Posted by 98hardtopZ
lid, k&n filter, catback ,cutout, triple turbo, roots type supercharger (25 psi total), all forged internals, built a4 w/4k stall, m/t radials, stock rear.......stage 3 internal combustion synthesizer, gold plated titanium core muffler bearings, 2 stage ram air intercooler, carbon fiber c5r engine block, chromoly flux capacitor..daily driven 35mpg
1639 hp
1923 ft/lbs.
6.91 1/4 ET......
1639 hp
1923 ft/lbs.
6.91 1/4 ET......
08-01-2006, 10:38 AM
#238
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Originally Posted by FlashLCD33
Dude I'm 17 90% of the fun days in my life are over. I want to live it up while I'm young so I can feel like it's time to settle down when I'm older.
Allow me to let you in on a little secret. College years (18-24) can be just as fun (or even more fun) then high school years. Spring break in Florida was way more fun then any HS gathering I ever went to 
I think by the time you hit 30 you might be adjusting that 90% by 17 just a little.
Originally Posted by FlashLCD33
Guys I really think that the car doesn't matter if you're talking about accidents. Unless you're doing 100+mph runs and roll or something, you can get into an accident in anything. My close friend died at 16 driving a 4cyl Grand Am. Sure you can get up to speed faster but you can speed and not pay attention in anything. I've almost hit a couple people that will pull out in front of me from a dead stop while I'm doing 35. Paying attention to driving is a lot more important than what you're driving.
But put a LS1 muscle car in the hands of a teenage boy and add to that mix a bunch of friends who want to race it, ricer kids who will rev you at lights, other muscle cars that will taunt you on the highway, 300+ rwhp that can smoke tires at will and the natural curiosity to see what 150 mph "feels like" and you have a far greater chance of being in an accident. Not to mention a far greater chance of that accident being severe or fatal due to racing or trying to "bury the needle". Plus there is an increased chance of speeding tickets and license suspensions.
As a parent I think you shouldn't get the car yet. As a muscle car enthusiast I think it's awesome you want the car instead of a Honda Civic with a bit wing. Good luck to you and stay safe.
08-09-2006, 03:27 PM
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I'm not currently 17 but bought my first 2002 ws6 when I was 17 in 2003. It was my money, I had to get my parents to co-sign because I had no credit. In the end I'm 21, on my third f-body, but I also have 11 points against my license. My parents basic viewpoint was that it was my money, if I got into trouble it was still my money, and if I lost my license it was my problem. I did very well in school (ranked top 5 in my class) and they basically trusted me even though I have a heavy foot.