Help me set a clown straight!

[I drive a VL Commodore]

So I have been tossing this theory around for a while. Got on to it again today discussing with my 15 year old mate who's dead set on a 20k+ loan for a VY SS Commodore for his first car when he's got his apprenticeship.

I reckon a very high percentage of blokes' first cars get wrecked or otherwise irreparably damaged, more so than older people's cars.

Lets be honest most of us here had/have a bit of a go with our first cars and many of them met grief as a result. So I'd like people to vote on how their first car came to its' demise or otherwise. Leave the debate about hooning and speeding and other assorted bullshit at the door, I just want some numbers to get this clown out of his Commodore wet dream and buy a shitbox like most blokes starting out do.

Please place your vote according to which scenario best fits your first car:

OPTION 1:
"My first car was confiscated or wrecked in an accident as a result of either speeding, other hoon activity or my own inexperience."

OPTION 2:
"My first car was involved in an accident not my fault, or was stolen and not recovered/damaged beyond repair."

OPTION 3:
My first car's life ended due to mechanical failure and was parted out, sold to a wreckers, is rotting in the backyard etc."

OPTION 4:
"I sold/traded/gave away/ etc my first car without major accident damage or mechanical fault."

OPTION 5:
"I still drive my first car."

Cheers.

[vlv8vic]

option 4 but i still think your mate is a ******** for taking a loan on a car. even worse being an apprentice.

[badaz]

Option 4 for me, I have to agree with vlv8vic your mate is nuts getting a loan. I think he would be better off getting a cheap car for at least 12 months and learn to drive with traffic.

[nicko]

your mate is a douche. Just let him do it and watch him fail hardcore. Even if he pays the car off he will be 30 with no money and a clapped out vy.

[WogBoyz]

option 5 for me had my first car for nearly 2 yrs now and havnt had one accident or been the cause of any accidents

[CANYONERO]

a SS commodore isnt the wisest choice for a first car.

Even though my first car was a $500 bomb, it went well but no way in hell did i feel safe in it. i think something cheap reliable with safety options like airbags and abs is the smartest move. its up to him.

[hakhawk]

i'll say option 5 at the moment, im not driving it, but its still registered and i may drive it at some stage in the next month or so before i start stripping it.

it was involved in one accident, which was due to inexperience/oncoming ******** driver, not a result of me "hooning". i repaired the car, and continued to drive it.

[Jesterarts]

My first car got pinched a week before I was going to use it as trade in on my second car.

I've owned 4 cars now... and each one I've paid cash... no loads... and i would never consider taking out such a massive loan on a first car.

[nicko]

borrow money to make money.

[ClairBear]

I think it is a bit rich to make the outrageous statement that you believe a very high percentage of blokes' first cars get wrecked or otherwise irreparably damaged. Also that most here have given their cars a bit of a go - utter rubbish. Obviously in your world that is the case, but not everyone lives in your world. I can think of many young guys and indeed men who took great pride in their first and subsequent vehicles driving them sensibly from day one.

I wonder if the op, who owns a VL, is a bit jealous that someone younger aspires to own a better model than him? Given you are calling him a clown without just cause because the lad has a dream of owing something nice. Obviously if he is undertaking an apprenticeship he has his head screwed on right in that he is establishing a trade for himself. You are making assumptions clearly based on your own actions as to how he will treat his car.

Maybe you are the clown here

[AirStrike]

Not up on the law's in SA, but can he even drive a SS on P plates? Also he's 15, by time he reaches a point that the bank will loan him that amount of money he will either not want that car or it will be alot cheaper.

[Scooter79]

I reckon a very high percentage of blokes' first cars get wrecked or otherwise irreparably damaged, more so than older people's cars.

Lets be honest most of us here had/have a bit of a go with our first cars and many of them met grief as a result.

Well your theory is full of crap as 'option 4' is the most popular so far. My opinion would be that most people will take care of their first car as it's something special to them.

I turn 30 this year and I've only ever owned two cars in my life. My first car was a 1995 VS exec. Bought it in 1998 with 161,000kms on the clock and I sold it in 2005 with 384,000kms on it. It still ran bloody fantastic, no dings and mechanically it was all original. Needed new valve stem seals and a new diff but other than that it was awesome.

My second (current) car I bought in '05 and still have it now with no intentions of selling anytime soon.

[excalibur]

option 4 for me traded my little Datto for my first VP

[LUMPY 8]

Isnt the law about L and P platers driving turbos and v8 in now tho? so he wouldnt b able 2 drive it

[walesy]

Option 4 for me too... Was sad to see that vl go :-(

[red truck]

His first car should be a Mitsubishi Triton 4B, 2.5 diesel....64 KW

My son has a VY V8 and just lost his license on the spot when caught going 30kms over. Best thing that could have happened to the idiot. The urge to squeeze the accelerator pedal is irresistible for the inexperienced. The car is a toy to them.

[leigh 7005]

im 24 ive had about 20 cars lol havent had any acedents or been in any only sliped a thooth on the crapy bitsamisen colt and locked the engine lol. option 4 and it was a gold vh with a 173

[Sharoo]

I was option 4 too. I love my first car. It started to get chain reactions of problems so I sold it. I have 2 kids so needed a more reliable, safer car. Looking back it would have been cheaper to fix my vp than pay just the insurance for the Vx a year oh well...

I wouldn't worry about him, with a loan like that he won't have any money left over to put petrol in it.
I know as I was a dumbass getting a car loan as when you sort out all the payments I didn't think about all the other things involved in getting a newer car, like the many services, the insurance, the general up keep of it.

I like my new car but I was happier with my vp.
If something happened or if It got scratched I'd be like 'oh well' but I'd have a heart attack if it was my vx.

At the end of the day its his problem not yours, theres pros and cons for both.

[BigDaz]

I turn 30 this year and I've only ever owned two cars in my life. My first car was a 1995 VS exec. Bought it in 1998 with 161,000kms on the clock and I sold it in 2005 with 384,000kms on it. It still ran bloody fantastic, no dings and mechanically it was all original. Needed new valve stem seals and a new diff but other than that it was awesome.

Not trying to have a go but, u bought a 3 year old car with 161000 kms on it? 53,000km's per year? thats 1000km's a week. thats heavy.

Look at this little fella!! >>>> <<<<

ITS PADLOCK BUTTER JELLY TIME!!

oh and i was option 4. worst decision of my life to date.

[Tas_HSV]

Oh crap....Im the only one who ticked the first one.....Little AE92 4AGE twin cam fwd corolla....engine died in quite an entertaining fashion....blew a rod out the side of the block after sustained high revs,sold it with a dead motor and quite a crumpled rear due to a coupla mcdonalds trays under the rear wheels with the handbrake up,and put that money to my first rotary on my fathers advise......"If your silly enough to blow cars up revvin the crap outta them,get something built to rev..get an old rotary or something"....at the time i thought it was strange advice from a father,but he fully expected it to be a doomed experiment,heavy to run,heavy on maintenence,but the one thing he really wanted me to learn was mechanical sympathy.Those old things could be rather fragile with silly treatment....

[andyman]

Oh crap....Im the only one who ticked the first one.....Little AE92 4AGE twin cam fwd corolla....engine died in quite an entertaining fashion....blew a rod out the side of the block after sustained high revs,sold it with a dead motor and quite a crumpled rear due to a coupla mcdonalds trays under the rear wheels with the handbrake up,and put that money to my first rotary on my fathers advise......"If your silly enough to blow cars up revvin the crap outta them,get something built to rev..get an old rotary or something"....at the time i thought it was strange advice from a father,but he fully expected it to be a doomed experiment,heavy to run,heavy on maintenence,but the one thing he really wanted me to learn was mechanical sympathy.Those old things could be rather fragile with silly treatment....

lol got used to replacing apex seals lol

[Scooter79]

Forget about what the car is and think about the amount of the loan for a first year apprentice. I did this mock up on my banks website and based it on $20000 over 7 years.

Your quote has been calculated as a Used Car Loan.

Estimated cost or value of vehicle or boat..........$ 20,000.00
Amount of the loan..........................................$ 20,000.00
Your State............................................. .........NSW
Government Stamp Duty (Contract, Mortgage)...$ 0.00
Other government fees....................................$ 12.20
Establishment fee............................................$ 250.00
Personal Loan Protection premium*..................$ 1,928.00
Total amount required for loan.........................$ 22,190.20
Loan Maintenance Fee (monthly)......................$ 7.50
Term of loan.............................................. .....7 Years
Interest rate.............................................. .....12.29%
Your monthly repayments (including Personal Loan Protection) will be:...$ 402.67

$402.67 per month over 7 years. That's 84 months.

$402.67 x 84 = $33,824.28. For something that was only worth $20,000 to begin with you end up paying that much it's ridiculous.

[BOGANV8]

Forget about what the car is and think about the amount of the loan for a first year apprentice. I did this mock up on my banks website and based it on $20000 over 7 years.

Your quote has been calculated as a Used Car Loan.

Estimated cost or value of vehicle or boat..........$ 20,000.00
Amount of the loan..........................................$ 20,000.00
Your State............................................. .........NSW
Government Stamp Duty (Contract, Mortgage)...$ 0.00
Other government fees....................................$ 12.20
Establishment fee............................................$ 250.00
Personal Loan Protection premium*..................$ 1,928.00
Total amount required for loan.........................$ 22,190.20
Loan Maintenance Fee (monthly)......................$ 7.50
Term of loan.............................................. .....7 Years
Interest rate.............................................. .....12.29%
Your monthly repayments (including Personal Loan Protection) will be:...$ 402.67

$402.67 per month over 7 years. That's 84 months.

$402.67 x 84 = $33,824.28. For something that was only worth $20,000 to begin with you end up paying that much it's ridiculous.

Dont forget comp insurance cause the car is under finance.....

[Tas_HSV]

Personally,ive paid in cash for every car ive owned...finance has always been a last resort backup for a bargain that I can buy and then resell at a moderate profit in a small timeframe...

[one_and_only2004]

option 3 here - 1991 holden barina with 425,000km's. I guess the old motor just decided enough was enough really. Was a great car but had next to zero safety features, after that i got the ute, and yes i got a loan out on it in my first year of being an apprentice. Why? because i wanted it now, it looked nice, and refused to drive some old piece of crap.