#130 of 175 Insurance... by andre1969

Feb 28, 2006 (6:05 am)

here are a few reference points, just to show how bad it can be. I got my driver's license in December 1986, at the age of 16. My mom gave me her 1980 Malibu, and I got an insurance policy in my own name in January 1987, liability-only, and it was $1361 for the year. By around 1989-1990, when I was 19-20, my insurance was down to around $900 per year. I started getting the new car urge, and looked around at a few. A 2-3 year old Monte Carlo SS would have run me, with full coverage, around $3200 per year. OUCH! Funny thing is, even a brand-new, 4-cyl/automatic Ford Probe with a sticker of around $11,000 also ran around $3200 per year! I shudder to think what something like a brand-new Camaro or Mustang would have cost me!
 
Now, with age your insurance will go down...provided you don't do anything stupid. I knew a guy who was 25 and paid $2600 per year for insurance on a 1989 VW Fox! Idiot had full coverage on it! Plus, he had a very naughty driving record. He also caused a 4-car chain reaction on the interstate once with someone else's Ford Focus, leaving her with a heap of debt. Oh, and he drives big rigs now, cross-country. And can barely see over the dashboard, unless they put booster seats in those things. So be afraid...be VERY afraid!
 
Oh, as for a Caprice/Roadmaster, don't let their massive size fool you. They had a 260 hp 350 V-8 with gobs of torque. 0-60 times are in the mid-7 second range, which still isn't Camaro/Mustang V-8 territory, but when something that big moves that fast, and still handles well, it can be a very pleasant surprise.
 
Plus, they're very spacious inside, so you can do things inside them that in a Trans-Ero or Mustang would give you back problems for life!

#131 of 175 Re: Mustang or Camaro [z28convertible] by ubbermotor

Feb 28, 2006 (9:58 am)

Replying to: z28convertible (Feb 26, 2006 8:59 pm)

Replies to this message:

• john_324 (Mar 01, 2006 9:36 am)
  • pony_pirate (Mar 01, 2006 6:03 pm)

#132 of 175 Re: Mustang or Camaro [z28convertible] by john_324

Mar 01, 2006 (9:36 am)

Replying to: ubbermotor (Feb 28, 2006 9:58 am)

"I want a car that when it's needed I could shut the ids up that think there cars are so much faster than mine."
 
Just be careful. No offense intended to you personally, but this is can be the sort of outlook that gets tons of beginning drivers in a lot of trouble. There's a reason why your insurance is sky-high...your age segment is the most dangerous group of drivers on the road. Adding a high-power car to the cocktail of testosterone and lack of experience can very quickly make for a dangerous situation.
 
So not saying you shouldn't get one (I wish I had one when I was 16 ), but rather know your limitations and respect them. Considering trying a high-performance driving school...you'll improve your abilities, and nothing impresses chicks more than telling them you've driven your car on a racetrack.
 
We want you to keep posting here for a long time to come.

Replies to this message:

• pony_pirate (Mar 01, 2006 6:03 pm)

#133 of 175 Re: Mustang or Camaro [john_324] by pony_pirate

Mar 01, 2006 (6:03 pm)

Replying to: john_324 (Mar 01, 2006 9:36 am)

I was nuts when I was his age, 16, lucky to be alive.

#134 of 175 press request by Kirstie@Edmunds HOST

Mar 02, 2006 (4:22 am)

A newspaper would like to interview a female consumer who has been turned off by Dodge: either she shopped for a Dodge vehicle but couldn't find anything to meet her needs, or she did not like the macho approach that Dodge uses in its ads. Please respond to jfallonedmunds.com before Friday, March 3, 2006 with your daytime contact info, your vehicle's year, make and model, and a few thoughts on the subject of interest.

#135 of 175 RE RE RE RE RE RE z28convertible by z28convertible

Mar 02, 2006 (8:00 pm)

#136 of 175 I would assume that... by bumpy

Mar 02, 2006 (8:15 pm)

everything you can do to a '90s LT-1 Camaro could also be done to an LT-1 Caprice. Impala SS suspension upgrades should also work on the Cappy. Or if you have the wallet and like the cosmetic changes, you could just go out and find a nice Impala SS.
 

Replies to this message:

• rockylee (Mar 08, 2006 6:22 am)

#137 of 175 Re: I would assume that... [bumpy] by rockylee

Mar 08, 2006 (6:22 am)

Replying to: bumpy (Mar 02, 2006 8:15 pm)

#138 of 175 I always thought it would be cool... by andre1969

Mar 08, 2006 (6:40 am)

to get something like an '80's Caprice coupe and put in an LT-1 drivetrain. Those older, boxier B-bodies were a few hundred pounds lighter, and while they weren't much shorter or narrower, they just didn't feel quite as ponderous.
 
Or better yet, an '80-85 Delta 88 or LeSabre coupe would probably be a good candidate for modding. Buick and Olds used more weight savings techniques in their cars so something like a Delta or LeSabre from that time weighs around 200 pounds less than an equivalent Parisienne or Caprice/Impala.
 
Or, just imagine something like an '80's Monte Carlo SS with the LT-1 drivetrain! That would almost be scary! But in a fun way!

#139 of 175 9C1 by ubbermotor

Mar 10, 2006 (9:31 am)

Replies to this message:

• chevyt454 (Mar 10, 2006 9:35 am)