Camaro vs. Nothing

[Bowchickawowwow]

Hi, ive recently wanted a camaro for a while especially a zl1. Im 17 have good driving experience, responsible, smart, dont have a heavy foot. And for some reason a part of thinks i deserve it and the other thinks i need to stop being a spoiled brat.im not a brat im one of the few good teenagers who show adult respect. Im a junior in high school AND a freshmen in college (ive worked really hard).im captain of my JROTC team. Ive grown up in a bad neighborhood and have succesfully stayed from bad influences.money isnt an issue as soon as ordering is available i can order one. My dilema is...is it a smart choice??? I feel id be taking advantage of my parents and my resources therefore being selfish(cuz ive been around the world and know of kids who work for cents a week)and it breaks my heart....my moms ithcing to go and buy it already but im still confused...she almost bought me a 2011 gt500 until she found out they dont come in auto
If you wanna paint a better picture of my dilema feel free to ask questions...
Be homest...i know how to take brute honesty

[dermo1989]

How do you have the financial resources to buy a 50,000 dollar vehicle? It sounds like you have your act together and are respectful. I say if you are truly appreciative and will honestly respect the power of a ZL1 then go for it. There is nothing better than coming from "nothing" and working hard to be rewarded for your efforts. I bet your parents are proud of you, just be careful if you do pull the trigger!!

[REEFBLUE93]

And.......we're off

[bmorecam]

I think what he is saying is that his parents are going to pay for it but in a way he feel like he might be taking advantage of the situation but on the other hand he feel like he deserve it because he is a respectable and a very good kid and also doing good in school.

Im a parent too but to a newborn. If I was in your parents shoes I would tell you to start off in a cheap car that you can get from point a to point b and build some overall experience before getting into a brand new car that is not slow by any means regrdless if is a v6 or a v8. I know you and your parents are going to do what you guys want at the end of the day, but dont let the car itself be a deciding factor. Think about it. Like my dad always told me, the car will always be there so dont rush into it. Sometimes the wrong decision can cost you a lifetime so sit down with your parents and listen to them and have a talk about this. There are plenty of nice cars that you can get into without being too much of a burden to your parents.

Listen, think, and make the right choice

[justa25thTA]

you've grown up in a bad neighborhood, but your parents are itching to buy you a 50k car? maybe they should move instead.

[Jason7]

I'll be honest, I think its a rather stupid move to buy the ZL1 at your age. It's a car that deserves to be pampered in a way and I will argue with anyone about everyday driving a ZL1 or a Nickey etc... I believe that it should be your escape and with that said a 17yo kid is Gunna be driving everywhere. This is just my .02 and I'm sure ppl won't agree...

Jason

[aarpdlnkqnt]

If half the kids in the world today were as decent, respectful and sound-minded as you say you are, we'd be in a heckuva lot better situation. But enough philosophizing here.

Some people say that kids won't respect things that are "given" to them. I've seen it happen time and time again. On the other hand, I've seen just the opposite also. It really boils down to how mature the person is and how much respect they have for their parents, if that's the paying party.

I knew early on that I'd have to pay for my own car. Oh, Dad would help me get it, but ultimately the monthly payments would be my responsibility. I started working in the summer of '73, at $3.25/hour. By the time March of '74 had rolled around, I'd saved a whopping $900. The car I wanted: 1969 Camaro. Dad thought he might change my mind, I guess, by going to a dealer and checking out a new 1974 Camaro. Auto, Air, PS, PB. A nice ride indeed. I told him, no thanks, I still wanted the 69. On April 28 of '74 I took possession of my "dream" car at the ripe old age of 17. It was just a base Camaro. Never did anything much to it because I didn't have the know-how or the funds. But it was still a fun car.

I was 45 before I ever bought my first "new" car. A 2002 Z/28 Camaro. I took care of the '69. I babied the '02. February 25 of this year, I bought my second new car. 2011 Summit White SS Camaro. What is the superlative form of "babied"? I'm eat up with it, although i know right now I could even do better.

How bad do you really want that ZL1? Are you willing to do what it takes to totally take care of it in all aspects of that phrase?

Much more important, how much do you truly love and respect your parents for them WANTING to give you this? Honor them in whatever car you decide to get, whether it be in the care or the driving of it and you ought to be "worthy" of it.

My hat is off to you. Would love to see you in a ZL1, because I'm just a Camaro freak. With that car, you don't have to "drive it like you stole it" to exude an attitude of coolness. It's just automatically there.

That's not to say you SHOULDN'T at times drive as such. What's the point of all that HP if you can't throw the needles of the speedo & tach extremely quick to the right?

Just my $.02.

[JHL88]

i first got my LS1 camaro when i was 18 years old(paid in full by myself). thats a lot of car for that age but i too was responsible and not a little doucher teen. never got a speeding ticket, i did however got pulled over RIGHT in front of my house for my tag light being out at 2 in the morning honestly speaking (coming from a 22 year old) a ZL1 for a 17 year old is too much car IMO and the fact that you're in a bad neighborhood doesn't help.

[lolcamaro]

I'm 19 and own a 2011 Camaro LS base model. I am beyond happy with it. I am working each summer to pay for half of it over the course of the loan. I still feel very spoiled as it is, but a 17 year old owning a ZL1? C'mon now. Why not just start of with the base model or at least something in the v6 range of models? Sounds a little more reasonable to me.

[jmack71]

Can you guys not tell a troll when you see one?

[lolcamaro]

Originally Posted by jmack71

Can you guys not tell a troll when you see one?

Not sure. I remember making a post very similar to this except I was 12 and was asking about buying a treo 650 (early smartphone). People thought I was trolling there too.

[3.5VQ]

I would be scared to have a 17 year old driving a ZL1. I started off with a neon and moved up to a V6 which has a lot more kick, it scared me how much faster it is than my neon was. Eventually I will move up to a V8 or a turbo charged car I can mod. The point is start with a V6 Camaro, for a 17 year old it has more than enough power. Drive that for a few years and then move to something with more power. We don't want to see you wrapped around a pole.

[Georgie]

get a used 00-02 z28 and just have fun

[SnoopyAce7]

hmmmm. get it. wrap it around a tree. (hopefully)walk away. learn your lesson. i have TOO much fun in my v6 camaro at 19 years of age. But a supercharged v8 for a 17 yr old? I finance my vehicle myself, so i appreciate my investment and know the feeling of having complete responsibility over it; not it being given to me. And we have similar backgrounds to an extent. Advanced studies program in high school, ROTC, dual enrollment in college...etc, etc. All that means little to nothing when your temptation overcomes your better judgment when you're sitting in this car. Yes, the discipline helps, but bad decisions will always be made out of haste and immaturity/inexperience at such an age. Its inevitable. Trust me you will understand this like I did as soon as you make one of those decisions.