RotarySB

First off, I wasn't too sure where this should be posted so if it's in the wrong section, mods feel free to move it.

Now I want to direct this question specifically to FD owners that are still in school, whether it be college or high school as right now I'm a freshman in college. I've been working and saving for about 3-4 years now and still don't have what I want to spend on buying an FD. Being in college now doesn't make that any easier either. Spending time on schoolwork and trying to enjoy the best 4 years of my life doesn't allow much time to be spent on making any significant amount of money. Hell, I've resorted to applying for every scholarship I can to put more money in my FD fund.

Getting to the point, lately there has been many discussions and much talk about how more and more younger individuals are getting their hands on FDs. While I can't blame them for wanting and buying such a great car, there is just one thing I don't understand. How do they first come up with the money to buy the car and then how do they afford to keep it and MOD it? I mean I know of some forum members that are still in school and their cars have either 400+ hp or an exterior that I could drool over all day. So if you have some really good habits or a special secret, please share. For an FD, I will force myself to make new habits and break old ones

Sorry for the rant. The jealousy just kills me when I see others driving around in such sick cars.

And before anyone starts hating on anyone else that may have had help from their parents ask yourself, if your parents were going to buy YOU an FD, would you deny it? No.

Monkman33

iTrader: (28)

I make $26/hour.
I work 99% of the year (this is my first unemployment stint ever)
I don't finance more than I can afford.


Finish college. You'll thank yourself later.

sunburn

I have a FC -but I use cash for everything. Financing mods on a car is a truly BAD investment. If you cannot afford it, do not do it. A ton of kids just spend mom & pa's $$$

shifterkartracer

I got my first FD more than 10 yrs ago when I first got out of the military and was going to Junior College. I was working part time and I had my GI BILL- plus moved back in with the folks.

I had got a great deal on an FD where the dealership screwed up on an advertisement that showed the FD for $10.5K but they actually wanted 15K for. They said they would honor that price only for me if I was really interested. I thought it was a BS sales pitch but lo and behold, a couple of days later they changed their ad back to 15K. I got the car out of luck. So basically I was able to afford the FD at low monthly payments and also had my GI BILL as a back up. I ended up selling the car 3 years later as I got into racing karts as I couldn't afford both hobbies fresh out of college.

Basically, today parts come a lot cheaper and are easier to find than they did 10 years ago. I pretty much modded my current FD off used parts bought from here.

I think as long as you have a Part Time job and can support yourself, college and your hobbies you should be fine... But modding it and dropping huge amounts of $$$ or blowing a motor and finding the $$$ to get it fixed is a different story for a college student...

but if you can't afford it.. don't get it...

2RotorsNaDream

iTrader: (7)

Usually they can afford it because their parents pay for tuition, room and board, the car, and sometimes insurance. Not knocking them, if their parents have the means to make their kids lives easier God bless them. Unfortunately I didnt have any of those things when I was younger which is why I bought my first FD at 24 years old. If you cant afford the car, dont even try to save to buy one while you're in school. Its really just a car in the end, not worth stressing and going crazy over. College goes fast and when you're out you'll most likely be able to buy one quickly.

muibubbles

iTrader: (36)

^ yeah pretty much i was fortunate enough to have a mother who provides a lot for me and my sister...

but for those of my friends who do a lot of modding and such usually dont get their funds legally... personally i went nuts when i first started modding my first car... i used ebay a lotttt, sold pretty much all my childhood toys, various things i owned and pocketed well over a grand... the rest was from working and saving from holidays, birthday money etc... (thats when a big family is real big benefit lol)

gracer7-rx7

iTrader: (16)

I would not want to own any money sucking car while in college. Plenty of time once your done with school and have real job to get the car you want. Focus on getting a secure career and enjoying lots of college ***** and staying out of debt so you can actually afford to live a decent life style.

There was a thread a number of years ago the topic of which was something like - Move out of your parents house and get a real job before buying an FD.... I kid you not.

money

iTrader: (2)

just dont get an FD. u will not be able to handle the bills. so what u should do is save ur money!

but if u really want it... get it but dont mod it.. .you will enjoy the car because when it is stock.. u dont have to do much to maintain it

Sniper_X

This is a simple answer.

Once you think about it, this applies to ANYTHING you buy (aside from a house), and CERTAINLY to a hobby car.

1. NEVER LEASE A CAR
2. DONT FINANCE A CAR - if you cant buy it, you cant afford it, and you dont need to drive it.
3. Never use credit for your car and/or mods.
4. NEVER own cars/vehicles that amount to more than 50% of your annual GROSS income.
5. NEVER buy a new car. - (unless you have several hundred thousand - 1mil in the bank. - the reduction in value is too much, if you EVER were offered a loan that cost you as much as that new car in depreciation, you would laugh in that persons' face.)

I have made ALL these mistakes, and life is VERY VERY different and easier with no car payments. (I also now live completely on cash)

To put it simply, I equate buying one of these cars to OWNING A HORSE.

If you wouldn't be able to afford and care for a horse, then you dont need a hobby car. Much less one of these.

fdfreak

iTrader: (1)

I am 26 and a senior in college. The FD that I own now is the 3rd one I have owned. I was able to buy mine do to the GI bill plus the Marine Corps college fund. I recieve over $2k/month from the those 2 combined. I joined the national guard and they pay for my tuition. plus I get some healthy bonuses from the military as well. I also own a business and have a part time job. I have over $20k invested and its all because of the military.

Military is not for everyone, but they sure have treated me very well.

CheesePowder

That's a great analogy. These damn things need a stable and constantly eat more than they are worth as transportation. They **** oil all over the stable. And when you drive them into town, little kids point and say "holy crap he's riding on a ...."

wolf_9782

i bought my FD thru saving and budgeting myself hardcore for about 3 years. i had to quit drinking, going to bars, and wasting cash on stupid things like videogames or movies. yeah, i was crazy enough to sacrifice my social life and just work work work, but it paid off.

then afterwards i researched what kind of FD i wanted. either twin turbo or a single turbo. since i wanted a single turbo FD, i began looking for those so that way i didnt have to buy a twin then spend the several thousand in converting it. so yeah, research alot, save money, and plan ahead. if things look good and like they can fall into place make your choice. if you arent comfortable just dont buy it!

BenjiRX-7

iTrader: (3)

I'm 20 years old, bought my FD at 18 while I was in college

I had a lot of money saved from (beleive it or not) working at mc donalds for 3 years and some other random part time jobs (+ 2x full time during the summer). I still live with my parents and they pay for house and food, but not for school and everything else. I used to be geekish, didnt go out a lot, etc lol. However after I became legal (18 years old here) I started having a life (lol) and I spend a LOT more money on parties, restaurants, going out with friends etc.

Now I'm at university, but luckily here in quebec, my univeresity only costs 2400$ a year. plus about 1000$ for books. Its not too much but still a lot since I cant work during schoolyear, way too much study etc to do. I can hardly keep up with the FD, I had $4k saved just in case for a reebuild, but I had to use that money to survive during this winter since I don't work. So if my engine pops early this summer, I'm fucked :P. Dunno about other guys, but it is indeed hard sometimes to own an expensive car (and take care of it) while being a student.

hurleysurf24

iTrader: (3)

ramen and live at home

cable82

First, my advice is wait till you are out of college and have a job with stable income. A lot of these kids driving around in these cars usually have their parents backing them. Probably not what you want to hear but in an economy like this one, especially in college, save the money you earn...and not into a car account. You also need to consider maintenance costs and costs if you need to put it into the shop. When you do get a car, it is ok to finance a car if your smart with your credit and know if you will be able to pay it off each month. Don't spend more than you make. Focus on school and it will pay off. I know where you are coming from though. I am 26 with a full time job and I just recently bought my first FD. I have always wanted one since high school and throughout college. Looking back, its good that I didn't have one due to insufficient funds and the immaturity level of a kid in high school and college. I use it as a weekend car and drive a truck as a daily driver. It is really better to have another car as a daily driver. Gas isnt cheap either. You don't have to mod it out either. Try to find one with reliablity mods on it and it will much cheaper to maintain. If you get one treat it right and don't tear it up driving it hard all the time. It will last you a while if you treat it right.

1QWIK7

iTrader: (33)

Im not a student anymore but i was when i got my FD.

I was fortunate to have a good job back then while still going to school. I then realized i was wasting money ON SCHOOL so i left and worked full time instead. (was doing part time at work so i can go to school).

I saved for 14 months to pay for the FD IN FULL. I would have gotten the FD sooner if i was full time at work, at that time.

My grandmother gave me her car when i got my license (1992 civic) that i used for my daily driving routine. Even to this day i always had 2 cars, the FD and something else. There was one time a couple of years ago when i had 4 cars.

Another source of income i developed back in the day. Buy cars for cheap, clean them and sell for profit.

So like everyone said, if you have to finance your mods, that means you cant even afford the car. Dont get yourself into debt, its not fun. I have so many friends who are in debt and its so sad when they have to beg you for money cause they're late on a simple car payment.

The worst part of that is, they dont make that much less than me and their car payment is not even 300.

And i dont wanna brag but i make ALOT for a person without a degree.

dgeesaman

iTrader: (7)

Haha, I own a horse and an FD. Now that the FD's paid for, I can park it and the only cost is registration and insurance.

The horse keeps consuming money and leaving it in brown piles on the floor.

Advantage: FD.

But seriously to the topic: as a student I could never have afforded an FD. I could only work in summers because during the semesters I was competing Div I Track and Cross Country, and my engineering classes left no extra time. While I made a little time to party, I believe that college is a wonderful opportunity to sit down, focus, and bite off the biggest that you can chew. No other time in life can you live free of distractions and get school stuff done. And chase poon on the weekends. If I were working lots of hours to pay for something like a sportscar, that means I'd have compromised what I could have done as a student-athlete. If you study harder, get better grades, get good internships in the summers, you might not make much cash but within a year or two after school you'll be in much better position.

Dave

Brent Dalton

iTrader: (31)

I purchased my first FD in 2000 when I was 19 in college. I worked all through high school(stared with a summer job when I was 15, once I turned 16 I worked during the school year as well), purchased my first car, fixed a few things, sold it and turned a profit on it.... continued to work and go to college full time, flipped another car for profit. I paid for my college, rent, insurance, and all other expenses. I struggled somewhat with my first FD while going to school, but FD purchase prices and parts were much more expensive then. I was also screwed on insurance after owning the car for a year, but that's another story. I then started buying RX-7's with issues or blown engines, fixed them, and sold them. The profit I made from those transaction went towards my RX-7's maintenance and mods. That was the only money that was spent on the car... that was my rule.

I agree that the added financial stress of owning an RX-7 in college is not the best idea and if that is the case I don't recommend purchasing one, but come on... this is America. The means to make it happen are there. There are a million different ways to make money. It all depends on how motivated you are and what you are willing to give up to achieve it(ie 90% of the time when my friends were out drinking/partying their money away on a Friday night, I was working). I, however, wouldn't compromise my studies/career for anything car related. It's simply a hobby. I use to have people say **** to me like "must be nice having mommy and daddy buy you stuff" or "I wasn't afforded the opportunity to go to college". I always got a kick out of that.

Blackadde///

iTrader: (27)

I'm a junior in college. Make sure you have an extra way to make money (I design websites) and have a part time job (15 hrs a week). Apply for as many scholarships as you can. Some pay out $5000 and can take car of a lot of bills. Last year I made about $3k in scholarships alone, which was almost a third of my income.

Doc-1

iTrader: (2)

My FD is part of the Stimulus bill. 12.6 Billion for Doc's FD

4CN A1R

iTrader: (6)

im not a student but im only 20 and i find it hard sometimes to pay for my fd. i bought it when i was 18 and have been paying on it for 1 1/2 years

Income

-$13 an hour(full benefit package)
-side jobs(maybe $150-$200 extra per month)

Bills:

-$250 rent per month(including utilities)
-$500.00 car payment(loan)
-$300 car insurance(due to tickets and full coverage on 2 cars)
-$15 internet
-$35 cell phone
-$80 gas

Drawbacks:

-dont have tv
-still live with parents
-very hard to afford performance parts
-living paycheck to paycheck with very little savings(big one)
- cant buy anything unless i absolutely need it. (where credit card comes in)

its not easy owning an fd at 18 or 20 for that matter..but it can be done

Dejewski

Im 17 years old and i own a jdm fd. trust me students can't afford fds. i spent 3000 bucks in 2 weeks. gas and maintaince is to expensive. i was lucky enough to have an engine fire. FC's are more affordable in terms of students.




it extra expensive especially if you buy RPF1s for 2000CDN

zachg88vert

iTrader: (7)

alright ive seen alot about "students cant get fd's" im 24 and im a ful ltime college student and im on the deans list. i had 2 fc's and this is my first fd. i got lucky ive been saveing for a supra since i was 14. my tips are
1learn how to work on cars in general
2 learn how to work on rotarys
3 DONT BUY A NEW CAR find a beater for 500 bux for the winter
4 i dont ahve a credit card so no debt
5 pay for everyhting upfront with cash
6 give yourself 100 bux a week to live on and bank the rest
7 dont spend money foolishly... do you really need that new cd or dvd.
8DONT HAVE A GF they are very very expensive.. i just got lucky with mine shes not materialistic.
9 dont be a dumb @ss treat your car like its your first born
10 DONT PUT THE ***** ON A PEDESTAL fd's are great cars and very reliable if you treat them right and do the reliability mods dont be a honda ricer

hyperlitenerd

iTrader: (1)

I can't.

Just trying to make it through school so I can get back to making real money.

(quit IT career, to go back to school and burning through savings at an alarming rate)

Hossler

iTrader: (3)

i pay roughly $100 a wk to own my rx7 (loan+insurance)