What kind of car should a 16 year old chaser buy?

[Andrew Pritchard]

I havent read the entire thread yet, so someone may have already said this..

As a fellow young just out of highschool chaser, I'll tell you the most important thing to consider is gas mileage. If you arent careful, you'll run yourself broke putting on lots of money on a highschooler's salary

 

[J West]

Oh yeah, and read this again...too many people forget this stuff and wonder why their insurance is so much, or why they got dropped.

Originally posted by Tyler Allison+--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Tyler Allison)</div>

<!--QuoteBegin-nickgrillo

But, ummm... When you screw your car up, isn't that what insurance is for?

Yes. But you have a deductable. A deductable will usually be $500 or $1000. The higher your deductable the lower your monthly payments. The insurance company doesn't start paying for repairs until AFTER you have paid the deductable to the repair shop. Each and every time your car is damaged.

Also, every time you make a claim to the insurance company to have them repair your car you can expect your monthly payments to go up. After too many claims they will drop your insurance and you'll have to find another company. And since all the insurance companies share information about you they will charge you more than the original insurance company would have charged you.

So basically....you only use your insurance company for car repairs when the damage is major (like my $12,000 collision with a deer).

A couple busted windows will be cheaper in the long run if YOU pay for the repair yourself than to make a claim to the insurance company.

Remember...aint nothing free in this world...

ps: a busted engine because the car is old is not covered by insurance..it wasn't an accident. In general fixing broken parts on cheaper cars is cheaper than fixing broken parts on more expensive cars (bmw, mercedes, etc). Not always..but in general.[/b]

 

[Rob_Davis]

Excellent point. And it raises a serious consideration. Since chasing is only a concern for less than three months out of the year, I wouldn't even factor it into my decision making process at 16. I'd just buy the coolest, most mechanically sound and economical car I could afford, then save the rest of my money to buy gas for somebody with a real chase-mobile to partner with me when the season comes around.

[EDIT] On second thought, good luck getting any adult to accept the responsibility of a minor in their vehicle while chasing. What was I thinking? Never mind. :?

 

[Rob_Davis]

Originally posted by nickgrillo
I have no reason to ARGUE with anyone over this, especially people with a high ratio of noise posts...

Dude, I wasn't arguing with you. In fact, I was responding to another members' post, not yours. No need to get defensive. :?

I was questioning neither your means nor your bona fides as a chaser. I thoroughly respect what you have accomplished. I think it's awesome. I wish I had been doing that at 16. I simply considered the reality that most responsible adults would probably not be comfortable taking some strangers child into a dangerous situation, alone, out of state, and probably overnight, just to pursue a hobby. I like kids as much as the next guy, but I sure wouldn't do it. Call me paranoid, but that just has trouble written all over it with a capital T.

 

[Tyler Allison]

Originally posted by J West
Oh yeah, and read this again...too many people forget this stuff and wonder why their insurance is so much, or why they got dropped.

What can I say? I work in the specialty insurance business

 

[Jay McCoy]

nick i tell you this from years of experience driving many different vehicles chasing. I have chased in everything from firebirds to olds 98's to blazers to explorers and even a station wagon and yes a mustang LX 5.0

I know a mustang is cool for a 16 year old and for cruising its perfect (along with getting girls) but for chasing it is crap. not much room and not comfortable for 12+ hrs of driving. MPG sucks (would suck having to stop for gas as a wedge drops 15 miles away), and handling in wet conditions is poor. also dont even think of taking it on a dirt road let alone a muddy road. Since it is so low to the ground compared to most vehicles you would bottom out in the ruts and rip your oil pan out or worse.

The thing you have to decide is do you want a cruising car or a chase vehicle. best of both worlds is 2 seperate veichles but since most of us only have 1 it is a choice of priorities. I chose a chase vehicle I drive all year instead of a cruising vehicle I chase in. its all about priorities and choices. I now its hard on a 16 yr old to NOT choose a hotrod but is chasing your #1 or is cruising? tough choice for your age.

a good front wheel drive car or a 6cyl SUV should work. I prefer SUV's due to roominess and offroad (for those dirt roads). being in a vehicle for 12 hrs I want comfortable seats and leg and head room.

goodluck with your choice. think this way. If you dont like your choice then in a year or 2 you can trade it in on something else. (if it survives that long. I know how I was with my cars when I was a teen...poor things)

 

[Brandon Clement]

Here is a link to a vehicle that will last twice as long as a mustang, will be cheaper to insure, gets better gas mileage, is all wheel drive and handles worlds better, it has more room and is even faster.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAP...item=4563072492

My g-friend had a mustang and it began to fall apart at 40K miles. On wet roads it was the worse handling car I have ever driven (by a long shot). The V-6 mustang is not very fast and you will be pumping gas every 350 miles since it does not get great gas mileage and has a small tank. It is not a good chase vehicle or a first car for a teenager.

 

[Caleb Lawrence]

Originally posted by Brandon Clement
Here is a link to a vehicle that will last twice as long as a mustang, will be cheaper to insure, gets better gas mileage, is all wheel drive and handles worlds better, it has more room and is even faster.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&category=31868&item=4563072492

That's the kind of car I suggested to him lastnight. WRseX.

 

[Andrew Khan]

NickG, I have a Benz, and it get about 14 MPG..(not very good) of course our model is pretty big. If you got...say...a Compressor, then you'd get great MPG. I would think, that Hondas would be good. They get good MPG, they are good quality, and are safe.

Hope this helps..

 

[Jason Boggs]

Nick, I have to agree with pretty much everything that Jay McCoy said. Bottom line is, do you want a flashy, fast car for cruising and getting attention, or do you want a dependable and economical car for storm chasing? Your going to have to choose which of these 2 options is your #1 priority and go from there.

 

[J West]

NickG, I have a Benz, and it get about 14 MPG..(not very good) of course our model is pretty big. If you got...say...a Compressor, then you'd get great MPG. I would think, that Hondas would be good. They get good MPG, they are good quality, and are safe.

Hope this helps..

Yeah, right...if you had a Benz then I doubt you'd spell Kompressor with a "C"

Nick, let me also toss my hat in the ring for the WRX. I almost bought a 2002 instead of the geezer Impala, but the Impala was much cheaper for me at the time. Hindsight being 20/20, I'd have bought the WRX.

 

[Paul Stofer]

Nick,

Driving a mustang would be cool, and fun while your not chasing. You could get a Cobra, GT, something cool like that. That would be a nice setup though for a chase vehicle. I do have one word of caution. My 17 y/o and 25 y/o cousins both have mustangs. The cars aren't meant for chasing in rain which in your case is inevitable. They would be great cruising on blue sky bust days, but from what I've seen being in those vehicles you will hydroplane like none other in the rain. The subaru idea would be cool. The WRX is a good all-wheel-drive vehicle which would be great for chasing, and if you want to impress the chicks it has great horsepower and can move REALLY quick (I'm in NO WAY glorifying or stating that street racing is a good idea) so no one please jump me about that one. It would look awesome if you hooked up a t-timer and gauge cluster on your dash. Would look nice, thats what one of my friends did with his. Insurance will also be higher with a sports car, which the mustang and subaru both fall into. You can always go the other route and get a used 4WD Jeep Cherokee and use the rest of your money for equipment. :-D Good luck in finding your new vehicle dude! Get what makes ya happy though, dont want to be stuck in something you hate for the next few years.

 

[mrobinett]

I'd go with the Pinto Pacer.

Glen

Its an AMC Pacer, ahh the car of the future, well the early eighties!!

Very good suggestions here, have they pursuaded you at all, Nick?
(this coming from a 1976 chevette first car owner when I was 15!!)

Mike

 

[mrobinett]

A couple busted windows will be cheaper in the long run if YOU pay for the repair yourself than to make a claim to the insurance company.

In Florida theres no charge to fix a cracked windshield, I went a week out in Oz through up to 1.5 inch hail in May to come back to FL and have a little pebble smack the windshield on the way back from the beach!!
By Florida law they waive the charge, no wonder our insurance down here is so high, that and a few hurricanes!!

Mike

 

[Andrew Khan]

NickG, I have a Benz, and it get about 14 MPG..(not very good) of course our model is pretty big. If you got...say...a Compressor, then you'd get great MPG. I would think, that Hondas would be good. They get good MPG, they are good quality, and are safe.

Hope this helps..

Yeah, right...if you had a Benz then I doubt you'd spell Kompressor with a "C"

Nick, let me also toss my hat in the ring for the WRX. I almost bought a 2002 instead of the geezer Impala, but the Impala was much cheaper for me at the time. Hindsight being 20/20, I'd have bought the WRX.

Okay, thanks for correcting something, and then talking about what cars I have and you don't even know me. I don't a Kompressor, and I never said I did, I have a 1999 Benz.