Decisions, decisions....(advice please)
Discussion
well having just found out how much its likely to cost for what currently needs doing to my car (shocks, bushes, 2 new tyres, 2 doors(don't ask), mostly just wear and tear type stuff), and its a pretty similiar number to the value of the car. so I have a few choices to make:
option a) pay $1600 or so fixing up a 16 year old, fairly slow wagon, which I'll only keep for probably 2 more years max anyway.
option b) get somewhere around $1500-$2k as a trade-in on an Impreza STi2-RA V-ltd which I've been looking at, going for $15k which seems a not bad deal to me. I can afford it, but not sure if i want/can justify having that much $$$ tied up in a car while still a student and therefore having very limited income.
option c) get a similiar amount as a trade-in on a Legacy GT or GT-B ('95ish) for around the $7-10k mark. might make me feel a bit like an old fart though, and if I'm gonna go turbo-nutter then part of me says I may as well go the whole hog and get an STi Impreza.
option d) see what I can get as a trade-in on something fairly cheap (pref. sub-$5k) but still fun, maybe an R32 Skyline GTS or GTS-t or Silvia turbo. still want some practicality though however due to tramping/climbing habits, which may rule out the Silvia. briefly considered an early Legacy GT but too many potential problems I feel on an old turbo-barge.
option e)be boring as hell and trade it in on something cheap, practical, reliable, economical etc. that could even involve <shudders>front wheel drive<shudders>. this would probably make it a lot more difficult for me to enjoy driving though, which scares me.
So anyway, what say the PH masses? anyone have an option f) for me? or better cheap-but-fun suggestions for option d)? I did consider the 2-cars thing, but 2 sets of running costs isn't really something I want.
<sits and waits for ideas>
option a) pay $1600 or so fixing up a 16 year old, fairly slow wagon, which I'll only keep for probably 2 more years max anyway.
option b) get somewhere around $1500-$2k as a trade-in on an Impreza STi2-RA V-ltd which I've been looking at, going for $15k which seems a not bad deal to me. I can afford it, but not sure if i want/can justify having that much $$$ tied up in a car while still a student and therefore having very limited income.
option c) get a similiar amount as a trade-in on a Legacy GT or GT-B ('95ish) for around the $7-10k mark. might make me feel a bit like an old fart though, and if I'm gonna go turbo-nutter then part of me says I may as well go the whole hog and get an STi Impreza.
option d) see what I can get as a trade-in on something fairly cheap (pref. sub-$5k) but still fun, maybe an R32 Skyline GTS or GTS-t or Silvia turbo. still want some practicality though however due to tramping/climbing habits, which may rule out the Silvia. briefly considered an early Legacy GT but too many potential problems I feel on an old turbo-barge.
option e)be boring as hell and trade it in on something cheap, practical, reliable, economical etc. that could even involve <shudders>front wheel drive<shudders>. this would probably make it a lot more difficult for me to enjoy driving though, which scares me.
So anyway, what say the PH masses? anyone have an option f) for me? or better cheap-but-fun suggestions for option d)? I did consider the 2-cars thing, but 2 sets of running costs isn't really something I want.
<sits and waits for ideas>
It very much depends on your own circumstances but I would go for E-plus . . . more cheap n cheerful than cheap n nasty
I know you only live once but my (possibly overly conservative) way of looking at things when I was a student was to keep my debt as low as possible. Once I was pulling down a decent salary I was much more happy about buying real toys.
Stick to what you NEED now, and you'll be in a much better position to get what you WANT in a couple of years.
I know you only live once but my (possibly overly conservative) way of looking at things when I was a student was to keep my debt as low as possible. Once I was pulling down a decent salary I was much more happy about buying real toys.
Stick to what you NEED now, and you'll be in a much better position to get what you WANT in a couple of years.
Kiwi XTR2 said:
Stick to what you NEED now, and you'll be in a much better position to get what you WANT in a couple of years.
What he said
Toys are a lot more enjoyable if they're bought with cash, not credit. It's painful, I know - been there myself - but get yourself something that has just enough cred to live with now and you won't regret it later.
Ffirg 005 said:
Stick to what you NEED now, and you'll be in a much better position to get what you WANT in a couple of years.
What he said
Toys are a lot more enjoyable if they're bought with cash, not credit. It's painful, I know - been there myself - but get yourself something that has just enough cred to live with now and you won't regret it later.
Good advice,took me 35 years to work that out..
I did the cheap-but-still-fun thing (TR7 convertibles, two of 'em) when I was in a similar situation many years ago - I'd just started my first job (on crap money). It was fun, but I ended up with a huge credit card bill due to various 'unforseen' repairs being needed. Two new engines for a start, and welding...lots of welding. The debt was crippling, and took me years to shift.
If you buy carefully it can be done, but I'd advise the safe option until you're earning proper money.
If you buy carefully it can be done, but I'd advise the safe option until you're earning proper money.
I'd go get yaself something that's cheap (ish) but still fun... there are plenty of cars out there around the 3-4k mark that can leave a BIG grin on your face and will be much cheaper to insure.... think somewhere along the lines of Peugeot 205GTi or similar.... something not necesarily earth-shattering in performance but still GREAT fun to chuck around.... not a huge theft risk so you won't have to worry about leaving it parked outside a nightclub or pub til 4am (as students do)... you do that with an STi and it won't be there in the morning, you can just about gaurantee it 
Then after varsity, once your debt's cleared you can go for a nice V7STi or whatever tickles your fancy.... even save up for a 22B or something
Then after varsity, once your debt's cleared you can go for a nice V7STi or whatever tickles your fancy.... even save up for a 22B or something
good solid advice guys, cheers.
so now, to find a cheap, fun, reasonably practical car......almost like what I already have?
great thing about the wagon is filling it with 5 people and loading the boot with all their gear for a week, the 4wd is handy too, its a very competent car but its just not that much fun, too heavy/body rolling/understeer etc. haha and now i'm wondering if the new shocks would make it fun again. but then i'm back to whether its worth spending as much on fixing it as the cars worth.....talk about going full circle.
If I'm getting something for fun then I think it really has to be RWD, as I've only owned Subarus and i'd like to learn some proper drifty-control before I can afford something really fast. R32 Skylines are still quite tempting, 2.0 GTS (na) can be had for $3-5k, or GTS-t 2.0 turbos for $5-8, but they're mostly modified which makes them a bit of an unknown quantity, and insurance may also be trickier for those. gah! thats also getting into Legacy GT price range, which would be a faster, newer, probably more fun version of what I have. hmmmm
>> Edited by GravelBen on Wednesday 8th February 10:34
so now, to find a cheap, fun, reasonably practical car......almost like what I already have?
great thing about the wagon is filling it with 5 people and loading the boot with all their gear for a week, the 4wd is handy too, its a very competent car but its just not that much fun, too heavy/body rolling/understeer etc. haha and now i'm wondering if the new shocks would make it fun again. but then i'm back to whether its worth spending as much on fixing it as the cars worth.....talk about going full circle.
If I'm getting something for fun then I think it really has to be RWD, as I've only owned Subarus and i'd like to learn some proper drifty-control before I can afford something really fast. R32 Skylines are still quite tempting, 2.0 GTS (na) can be had for $3-5k, or GTS-t 2.0 turbos for $5-8, but they're mostly modified which makes them a bit of an unknown quantity, and insurance may also be trickier for those. gah! thats also getting into Legacy GT price range, which would be a faster, newer, probably more fun version of what I have. hmmmm
>> Edited by GravelBen on Wednesday 8th February 10:34
Esprit said:
Peugeot 205GTi or similar....
thanks for the suggestion, but they're Fwd (I realise Fwd can still be fun but just don't like it, probably a gravel thing...) and I think a hatch would also be a bit small for my lifestyle, often carting people/gear places.
Esprit said:
22b
22b although I do prefer 4 doors. incidentally, did you know that 22b is hexadecimal for 555. or so I'm told. who? me? anorak? 
Yep. And 555 is 1000101011 in Binary
Times have changed but when I bought my first house at 23 (such a long time ago - sometime during the last millenium) I had an excellent savings record but no credit record because I had never had any debt or paid off any loans. It would have made the mortgage application a bit easier if I'd had a good history of paying off debt.
FOR THE AVOIDANCE OF DOUBT - This is not a recommendation to slap a Zonda on your student loan
There are 10 kinds of people in the universe. Those who understand binary and those who don't.
GravelBen said:I certainly haven't changed my mind . . . but . . . 0% interest is quite attractive and it is important to develop a credit history.
. . . however with student loans becoming interest-free now thats become less important. (thats why I could afford the STi if I decide to).
Times have changed but when I bought my first house at 23 (such a long time ago - sometime during the last millenium) I had an excellent savings record but no credit record because I had never had any debt or paid off any loans. It would have made the mortgage application a bit easier if I'd had a good history of paying off debt.
FOR THE AVOIDANCE OF DOUBT - This is not a recommendation to slap a Zonda on your student loan
There are 10 kinds of people in the universe. Those who understand binary and those who don't.
whitey said:Hi Whitey.
Where has it all gone wrong since I left? Riceburners everywhere!
IF you can introduce The Russian to Jonathan (Taxi Chit) Hunt at the High Commission, and IF he can convince Aunty Helen to force LTNZ to change the LVVTA rules, then I WILL buy a TVR.
Then I'd have one jap and two brits.
Doing my bit to bring some balance to car ownership statistics in NZ.
maybe it sounds like I'll be getting a loan to buy a new car, thats not the way it'll work out, I have the cash to buy a decent car, but it was cash I've been keeping earning me interest (while the govt loans me study-money at 0%) to help pay the loan asap once I finish. (old system was no interest while your studying but interest after that, now they're saying completely interest-free).
Having slept on it, and thought some more about what I want/need in a car, i'm tending towards finding a newer Legacy (pref GT/GT-B but may stick with na for economy) with major work such as cambelts done and km's a lot lower than the 170,000 on mine. eg noticed a very tidy-looking '95 GT with 85,000 km on it for $8k last night, didnt look too closely though at the time. reasoning behind that is lower km's generally means less likely to go wrong with it, and being a nicer, newer car i'll be likely to keep it longer than just until I finish studying.
so next question is, what have I missed in my thinking here? theres bound to be something...
Having slept on it, and thought some more about what I want/need in a car, i'm tending towards finding a newer Legacy (pref GT/GT-B but may stick with na for economy) with major work such as cambelts done and km's a lot lower than the 170,000 on mine. eg noticed a very tidy-looking '95 GT with 85,000 km on it for $8k last night, didnt look too closely though at the time. reasoning behind that is lower km's generally means less likely to go wrong with it, and being a nicer, newer car i'll be likely to keep it longer than just until I finish studying.
so next question is, what have I missed in my thinking here? theres bound to be something...
The trouble with buying anything like the Legacy is the potential for big bills just when you don't need it. A collegue of mine recently purchased a nice GT for a good price and despite getting it checked out before hand has already paid for leaky head gaskets (they all do that), clutch, new tyres, cambelt etc etc. Don't get me wrong, it's a good car but it is also 8 years old and these things need doing.
Go for something cheap, practical and still fun - what about something like a Toyota Carig with the 20valve 1.6 motor? Hardly rip-snorting but a nice engine, good handling car available in 4WD. Toyotas go on forever and the parts are readily available and cheap. The petrol costs would be relatively low too which you have to consider these days. My Subaru is hardly economical so I can't see a Legacy being more frugal!
Go for a classic car, something cheap to run, easy to fix but ultimately fun to drive. My BMW 2002Tii is (was) one of the most fun cars I've ever driven. It was quick, reliable, very cool before it was vandalised (IMHO) and only cost $70.00 a year for fully comp insurance with the AA!
What about going to the opposite from a performance car? How about an old Landrover/Landcruiser/Patrol? You can have just as much fun off-road as on it.
VW Camper? Very practical, very cool and will hold it's value forever.
Anyway, just a few thoughts.
Go for something cheap, practical and still fun - what about something like a Toyota Carig with the 20valve 1.6 motor? Hardly rip-snorting but a nice engine, good handling car available in 4WD. Toyotas go on forever and the parts are readily available and cheap. The petrol costs would be relatively low too which you have to consider these days. My Subaru is hardly economical so I can't see a Legacy being more frugal!
Go for a classic car, something cheap to run, easy to fix but ultimately fun to drive. My BMW 2002Tii is (was) one of the most fun cars I've ever driven. It was quick, reliable, very cool before it was vandalised (IMHO) and only cost $70.00 a year for fully comp insurance with the AA!
What about going to the opposite from a performance car? How about an old Landrover/Landcruiser/Patrol? You can have just as much fun off-road as on it.
VW Camper? Very practical, very cool and will hold it's value forever.
Anyway, just a few thoughts.
jamieheasman said:
potential for big bills just when you don't need it
yeah that is something I'm trying to consider.
jamieheasman said:
Toyota Carib with the 20valve 1.6 motor
could be a good option, I'll have a look round, see what prices they're going for down here. also thought about downgrading to an old Leone, have great memories of mine and they're practically bulletproof, but I also used to get passed by campervans going up hills.... (while foot flat wringing it out in 3rd)
jamieheasman said:
My Subaru is hardly economical so I can't see a Legacy being more frugal!
funnily enough, all the feul consumption figures I've found say that all the 96-onwards Legacies (including GT-B!) have better fuel consumption than my current 1990 2.0 na Legacy.(ie better than their figures for it not just better than what I get) - better aero, more torque I guess.
jamieheasman said:
Go for a classic car, something cheap to run, easy to fix but ultimately fun to drive.
I've thought about this, considered mk2 escorts etc, but haven't been able to find anything that appeals in condition better than "project". theres also the factor that the majority of my mileage is done long-distance, open road, and often at night, so don't really want something too loud, bouncy etc. old cars often have crap lights too, but that can always be fixed with some nice big spots.
jamieheasman said:
What about going to the opposite from a performance car? How about an old Landrover/Landcruiser/Patrol? You can have just as much fun off-road as on it.
thats also occurred to me, but similiar reasons to the above for not wanting to do this.
jamieheasman said:
VW Camper? Very practical, very cool and will hold it's value forever.
now you're just being silly jamieheasman said:
Anyway, just a few thoughts.
cheers for the input, its given me a few other options to consider.
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