Hey guys, I just got a job with Discovery card where I'll be making $17.50 or something. And well my parents have a deal with my sisters and I they help us buy cars when we turn 19 or 20, I've still got a couple of years but this is serious. I have a major dilemma on my hands. Keep the 3g and get my rents to help me pay for it all or drop it all and go for a new maxima/altima. I've been itching at the chance to get my max to where I want it but when I'm so close to a brand new one its hard to say "okay lets pour in $4,000 for engine/tranny and so on" when I could use it on my future car. Hopefully there are those in here who see this and understand and just blurt out GET THE NEW ONE! Parting with my baby VG is going to be so hard for me, so many fun childish memories.........lol. Honest opinions guys. Thanks.

 

I was actually in the exact same situation as your some years ago. I was at the dealership and ready to buy. My girlfriend told me to sleep on it. I guess you the know the ending as I am at these forums. My friends also bought new cars a few years ago and it was just too much to handle.

I know $17.50 an hour sounds like a lot, and it is when your 18. But car payments need to be paid no matter what happens in your life. If your out of a job or something happens, the bank still wants your money. Pouring $4000 into car is a lot for the age of the car, but why not trade it in and get a nicer used car where the monthly payment and insurance is not so demanding. Then, in a few years if something happens with the job, you'll still be able to make the monthly payments without having to sell plasma (yes, i had to do this many years ago!!!).

Usually, one of the following conditions must be met to buy a new car:
- one word, "inheritance"
- graduate college and get a good job and a new car
- don't graduate, work your up and once things are steady, new car
- compulsion, new car, sell new car, cry

Do what you want, but you may wait a few years to get that new car, most people do. Also, don't get an Altima, that's just common sense.


Good luck my friend.

edit:
I just reread your post and if your parents are going to buy you the car than count yourself lucky and take it. Wait for the 2007 though.

 

stick with the 3rd gen and turbo it dump like 5000+ into it and keep it clean and fun

 

a new altima 3.5 looks to be a fitting succesor to the 3rd gen.
but as stated above, unless the parents are paying for it in total, stick with a car that has 0 payments and either save the money to be able to buy the car you want outright or spend it on modding and maintaining the current car.
Life tends to throw a lot of curves at you when you are 18. make sure you won't wreck yourself by not being able to move with them

 

Drive that POS as long as you can and start saving for a house or condo -- something that you will own, not rent. Trust me, that is the best thing you could ever do for yourself, no matter what situation you are in.

Cars are the worst investment ever.

 

quoted for truth and the wish that I had done it when I was 18
tell that to the guy who bought the hemi cuda vert for $50 back in the mid 70s and it's now worth 1,000+ times that

cars can be a good or a bad investment, depends on how you buy and what you buy.

 

There is no need to part with the VG in order to buy a new one. Just keep it running and have it as a spare. That is what I did. I cannot in good concious tell you dump serious money into a VG auto, especially at your age. I would go with a newer Maxima or Alty. VQ35 is

 

Buying a new car when you are young is not wise. If you want another maxima get a 5.5gen or 6gen with low miles. It will be considerably cheaper but still be a reliable ride.

 

depends on how much your parents are willing to help

inr eality a new car, road side assitance, warranty, new sexyness.

Keep the 3rd gen as a project car to tinker with. get a new car to have to drive and not really tinker with

 

get somethin newer like a 2nd gen altima or 4th gen max and keep the old one. its nothin like havin to hitch a ride to work becas your car was hit by some jerk trust me.

 

3rd gen=project/beater

5.5 gen 6spd= FTW

 

sell that VG and buy a Ve5

 

Exactly what I was going to do. Drop a hell of alot of cash and time into it. Luckily(spelled right?) I have connections at 3 really shops out here so maybe I can get a discount on labor....... But I planned on buying a whole engine, tranny, exhaust and so on, Basically make it a new car on an old shell. I'm going to try and not let it get real flashy though.
I decided to sleep on it and talk it over with a good friend/max buddy who agreed that I should keep the 3g and go for a new car as planned. Planning on a 2003-06 max if I stay in the family or I'd branch out into an alty.
Also to discuss the money factor, they plan on dropping atleast 75% of the price right then and there so the rest is up to me to pay off. But what I plan on doing this summer and next is working full time and basically only touching my earnings to eat food so the rest will go to my car. Thank god my parents own a house by the college I'm going to, I'll be living there free of charge.
Once again I plan on keeping the 3g for a LONG TIME so it will just get nicer and nicer over the next few years.....Now to research the 03's and up lol.

 

Ouch.

At the end of that time, your car will own two cars that have depreciated in value, but you will be wanting to move out of your parent's place and you will have no money for the down payment on a house. Instead, you will be living in an apartment. Maximas are not a good investment at all, new ones or old ones.

 

Additionally, I suspect that if you sold the 3rdGen and added in the cash you were planning to spend on the car, you could buy a car that was faster stock than yours would be modded.

Think about if you wreck it or if someone hits you and totals it. The insurance payout isn't even going to come close to the money you sunk into it.

Damn, I am getting old. I remember when I thought like the thread starter does and I wish that there was way to make him understand what a termendous waste of cash, time, and energy this would be. But I also remember how quick I would have been to blow off someone telling me the same thing.

 

OK, I will tell you a little true story in hopes of opening your eyes...

I rented an apartment when I first got a good job and moved out. This was in the early 90s. Rather than save for a house, I took most of my savings and used it for a down payment on a nearly new 92 Maxima 5-speed (pebble beige, black leather). I thought I was pretty fresh in my nearly $20k car, (making $350/month payments) with the admiration of most of my friends. My rent was cheap, so I thought everything was great. I was in a tiny apartment, about 400 sq feet, but I thought I was the king in my Maxima.

Then came a revalation! A good friend of mine bought a house. It was beautiful, on top of a hill with a nice yard, 3 bedroom 2.5 bath, 2 car garage, central air, tile, marble counters, etc. He paid around $125k for it back in about 1993 or 1994 -- what seemed like a lot of money then. He had saved his money for a few years and put about $30k down. During that time, he drove an old beater Civic and always watched his expenses.

Now, in 2006 his house is worth about $500k, maybe more. Looking back, I was a total idiot and my friend really opened up my eyes to that fact. Now my friend owns his great house, with a very low payment and he could probably pay it off in the next few years and be debt free.

After learning from my friend and seeing the light, I bought a house in 2000 and already, it has just about doubled in value. If I had bought the same house in 1995, it probably would have tripled in value, or at least my payments would be about 1/3 less.

 

Two major differences between you and I. You were paying for an apartment and also decided that you yourself would attempt to buy a at the time new 92 se. I will not be paying rent for the next 4 years because my parents own a house 1/2 a mile away from the university. Secondly my parents will be paying for the majority of my car. So you do the math, its going to be a better situation compared to yours. Also your vision of "king in your maxima", thats how you wanted to feel you chose to take on the financial burden of 2 of the most expensive things in our country. I want to have my nice car and truly I don't care if I go home to an apartment or my average home right next to the U. Its in the eye of the beholder.

I'll be moving to denver within 2-4 years so if I even bothered with a house it would be more expensive then anything with the mortage rates on a teenager with almost non-existent credit.


Maybe I should have mentioned that I would not sell my max for the life of me if I put that much money into it. I would drive it until the camshafts rusted through and it became a pile of heap in my driveway......

 

You have a VG AT -- you already own a heaping pile...




There is no difference in my story and yours -- both involve having money available that will be spent on a car that could otherwise be saved toward something much more valuable. If your parents are putting money toward a car, instead I would have them put that money in savings toward a house, trust fund, grad school, whatever. My point is, a car is a horrible investment (with a very few exceptions).

If you will be living with your parents that close to your school, that should be more incentive to save money and not buy a new car that you won't be needing on a 1/2 mile commute.

Do whatever you want. Everyone learns from their mistakes. When you are 30, 35, 40 you will be kicking yourself for spending money (even if it's your parents' money) that could have gone toward a home.

 

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Truff!!!

 

You really don't read every word do you? I said I would be buying a new engine, tranny, and pretty much changing everything. Or SAVING my money and using it towards the car I would be getting soon. If I chose the latter then I would of course not need to spend nearly as much money which would end the end lead to still having a decent amount to work with for a home/apt.. Secondly I currently live with my parents while still in high school and said that when I do move out it would be to a house that my family owns downtown. I would be out away from my parents. But if all goes(right word?) well then I would be moving to Denver right around the time I would be getting a new car or in need of my current one. Your are right about mistakes but I'm confident in my career choice which basically guarantees me a starting salary of $60k a year which isn't that large of a number in the long run but would be very good for my current situation or one I plan on getting myself into. Thanks for the input guys. I'm pretty sure it will all come into focus over the next year or so .

 

Why ask for advice when you have it all figured out?

 

Guessing your car is running fairly then invests most of your money that you have saved up. You might have a place to live during collage but after your done that your “starting salary of $60k a year" will be mostly to paying off your education. Also you’re forgetting the basics while you’re in school. You won't want to work to focus on school instead so you'll need money for books, food, beer, cloths maybe gas. If you do go for a newer car with small payment's you'll still be screwed with an enormously gay insurance bill.

Btw what career starts at 60k?

 

I didn't have it all figured out Keith thats why I asked, I'm not that dense. Pagxe I'm going to into film/audio engineering and the current demand for people with that education pays 50-60 depending on the company that hires you or the location you work in. And you are right I won't want to focus on school if I work that much. So I am working full time over the summer and taking a light class load first semester to make sure I can ease into it. Thank god I'll be within walking distance of the campus so I won't drop cash on gas too often. I know the insurance is going to gay me so hard I won't be able to stand it.......

 

go consult a genie. no seriousl i am in school too so i can relate. do what makes you happy, but always remember unexpected things will happen and when something goes bad you can only blame yourself because you made the decision

 

I think N34JZ still has his red VE5 for sale. That is probably the nicest 3rd gen around, plus it's a lot cheaper than a newer one!

 

Most straight forward yet. Thanks man.

And doesn't n34 live in NY or something? Thats hella far away.....

 

Why not count your blessings, that your parents are not only paying for for part of your car, but you can stay at their place relatively rent free. Many young people don't have that luxury. That being said, why not save the money you'll earn. You'll be happy seeing the amount of interest it will gain while sitting in your bank/credit union. If you just have to get another Max, why not look for a 1st generation RWD? IMO, they're more fun than the front drives, aren't overly expensive or complex to work on, and can be customized to your hearts desire. The new Maximas are overpriced, bland, and with all that power over the front wheels, have been afflicted with excessive torque steer. It is your call.

 

1st gen rofl.......Well just to let everyone know. I decided to shop around on the .org. I'm currently looking at n34's, Clavin's, and also one in the Wi area. So if I go with a 3rd gen it will be one of those 3 otherwise I'll be thinking it over for next year or two. Thanks for the input guys.

 

no problem

 

KEEP THE 3RD GEN

No question...there's no reason for you to go into debt at 18. After working for a few months, you'll get a good perspective of what money is really worth.

I inherited a 91 GXE. It looks OK, and it runs. If I had to buy a car, I would get a $1,500 Toyota/Nissan pickup. At your (our?) age, the last thing you want to do is to go into debt.

 

i dont kno about older toyota trucks but you wont hardly get a hardbody in driveable condition for $1500. the cheapest i have ever seen is $1750 wit tranny problems. usually $3000-8000. im lookin for one to tow my nissan cars. i don wanna tow my nissans wit my ford

 

Im 18 and graduating high school in about t-minus 11 day.Im almost in tha same situation as u, fixin to get a decent job making around 12 an hour, free rent, free car (93 vg at), and goin to a college relatively close, but im putting all of my money in a savings account and maybe even cd's (like 50% to 75% of my check each week) imma try to screw tha bank outta as much interest as possible, F- a new car when my max runs smooth and good as new. Keep in mind tha future and not just right here and now, it can never hurt to save as much money as u can spare up.

 

For no car payments...IMO there is no need for a $300-$500 a month car payment ever in your lifetime..Just my .02 on this..

There are plenty of nice cars out there that a few grand can get that will last many years without major repair costs..

For instance,i just picked up a 94 gxe with 104,000 miles on it for $800[pics coming soon ]..Runs great, looks nice too..The kbb private party book value on this car in it's condition and miles is a little over $3000...

I just hate car payments..New cars are the worst investment you can make...

 

3 days for me I also plan on investing in CDs. Those things make your "rich" by a teenagers standards. Like I said though n34's is looking damn good right about now so I'll just wait and see.

 

if i were you, id keep your VG auto and dont put anything expensive into it and just run it until it dies....or the tranny blows....car payments suck..... im paying off my dodge stealth right now......payments SUCK..... save alot of money and put a HUGE down payment on a car that you want, or even pay cash for it if you can.

 

iv put right around 3k into my car in tha last year(grand-parents gave a nice x-mas present lol) but i got tires, all tha minor upkeep that comes with an older car, brembo rotors, which get installed 2marrow, a paint job, tint, and a $1200 stereo system( im really into audio, but could get wheels and tires for that amount of money) i thought the car wasnt great lookin when my mom gave it to me stock, but i really like tha way they "fix up" not that ricey flashy look but a more sophisticated intelligent look, ya know? But for my .02 save up ya money and make ya car look and feel exactly the way u feel comfortable with it, cuz in 10 years ull b more interested in a nice roof over ur head than a 10 year old car.

 

Yeah, I've dropped $1400 on a system myself, I'm a music freak(plan on going to film/tech school for it if you read the whole thread). But just a bit of advice if you go to circuit city don't let them do the wiring. Its gone out on me 3 times. Well if I can get my parents to warm up to it, n34's red SE is almost my exact idea of my car, with the somewhat noticable exception of the paint job. I want to get my car in white or all black. Most of the people have said that same thing "roof > old car" which is so damn true. I would rather buy a car like n34's for 8 or 9k rather then dropping a downpayment like that on a 22k car that I cant mod too much cause of the beastly insurance I'd get.

 

You're going to do what you want to do anyway, regardless of what these guys say, so why bother them with a pointless thread. Keep the max you have, buy a used/new one, Who really cares? but you

 

Someone's fiesty ....Actually I do car what most of these people have to say because most are older and have dealt with similar situations so I figured I'd pose a legit and fun question to them. I've decided what I'm going to do anyway....Go for n34's red 3rd gen or just save for the future.

 

If you buy it, you owe me a test drive...