WASSSSAPPPPPP

[David]

Learn on a fairly agile car that understeers consistently - no transition oversteer!

If we lived in a perfect world and everyone spent their first year or two driving on a track, we should all learn in 911s. But, alas, we live in an imperfect world and your first car should be a fun throwaway. Get something you can drive into the ground for a few years then sprinkle over some tomato plants.

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Don't no nuttin 'bout no NSX;
Don't no nuttin 'bout birthin' no babbies.

 

[nsxtasy]

Did we break any records yet??

Yes!

 

[Lud]

PAL,

I hope you do get the car of your dreams someday, whether it is in 10 days or 10 years. If that car is an NSX, I hope the NSX Prime website proves to be a valuable resource for you.

However, I must ask you to go back and clean up the profanity in your messages by tomorrow or they will be deleted. You are welcome to participate on the site, but excessive profanity does not add anything to the discussion and is not tolerated on this website.

Also, if you ask for advice and don't like the responses, just ignore them. Just as you may have all kinds of useful advice for someone a few years younger than yourself, these folks are trying to give you some sound advice -- at your request -- because they have all been in your shoes. Some of the younger members were there very recently!

[This message has been edited by Lud (edited 10 August 2001).]

 

[H-carWizKid]

Originally posted by PAL:
Anyone want to buy some replica watches???

I bought two of those TAG replicas in New York City for $20.00, I wanted souvineers for a few of my friends at home, so I just kept saying 2 for 20, 2 for 20, and the guy with the little suitcase gave in. The good news is that they still tell time, bad news is that they fool no-one.

Your site looks very professional, and this is not a cheap shot. I am impressed with your entrepreneurial spirit, and wish you the best.
As a former financial consultant I would be remiss not to recommend that you find a better outlet to invest in. Fine automobiles like the NSX are good investments for disposable income, but seeing as how this 30k is every dime you have, maybe you should consider going with a cheap car (just for now) and investing the remaining capitol so that it might grow over time, and eventually (maybe sooner than you think) you would have the kind of DISPOSABLE income that justifies an NSX.
I know culture is leading teenagers in the direction of high dollar, ultra expensive lifestyles, I see the videos on Mtv featuring Lambos, and Ferraris. You would be a victim if you considered those lives normal.
A person of your intellect for generating income will certainly do well in the future. You are obviously smart enough to EARN money like an adult, do yourself the favor of continuing the trend, SPEND money like an adult. As I said earlier, be wise beyond your years. When the time comes that an exotic car is well within your budget the gratification of owning it will be two fold. (considering that you will not have to scrape together money for maintainance, and mods) Buy a cool car, enjoy it for now, then when you are fully financially prepared buy an incredible car and enjoy that too.

Phil

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See you all in Wisconsin!

[This message has been edited by H-carWizKid (edited 10 August 2001).]

 

[PAL]

Originally posted by Lud:
PAL,

I hope you do get the car of your dreams someday, whether it is in 10 days or 10 years. If that car is an NSX, I hope the NSX Prime website proves to be a valuable resource for you.

However, I must ask you to go back and clean up the profanity in your messages by tomorrow or they will be deleted. You are welcome to participate on the site, but excessive profanity does not add anything to the discussion and is not tolerated on this website.

Also, if you ask for advice and don't like the responses, just ignore them. Just as you may have all kinds of useful advice for someone a few years younger than yourself, these folks are trying to give you some sound advice -- at your request -- because they have all been in your shoes. Some of the younger members were there very recently!

[This message has been edited by Lud (edited 10 August 2001).]

I apologize. I will do it later today. Thanks for the warning.

 

[DanO]

Hi PAL

I believe you will indeed own an NSX at some point in your future if it’s what you really want. The fact that you’ve managed to save quite a bit of money over the past few years means that you indeed have both fiscal discipline and income ingenuity—-traits that are much more impressive and valuable than owing a fast shiny car. Seriously, earning and saving several thousand dollars at the age of 16 is pretty cool.

The problem you may run into, aside from the insurance and maintenance costs (which will be substantial compared to your expected income), is the high cost of modifying the car compared to some of the other cars mentioned previously on this thread. For a teenager (and old guys like me <g>, ok I’m not that old) it’s fun to dink around with the car, making it faster, lower and shinier. Making the NSX faster, lower and shinier can empty even a decent bank account in about 30 minutes of on-line shopping: visit www.comptechusa.com, www.daliracing.com, www.rmnsx.com, www.scienceofspeed.com to see what I mean.

The other problem is the car will be your largest asset and therefore one would be inclined (and smart) to treat it as such. This is a problem because you are young, your friends are young and your enemies are young and wherever you go, your biggest asset goes (or stays) and this can make life difficult as you try to keep the world from using your NSX as an aluminum punching bag. If you’re always thinking about its wellbeing and have to always park away from minivans and shopping carts and crowded parking lots (like the high school parking lot or a concert venue parking lot) then it takes a little bit of fun out of life and can make one generally less carefree.

The other problem is safety, but I don’t expect you will comprehend this issue because I remember when I was sixteen and was the best driver on the road. Hell, I could slide my pickup truck sideways down a dirt road for at least 100 yards while eating a Big Mac and do doughnuts in forward and reverse and go really fast and pass old ladies and steer with my legs and play the stereo really loud. I was a really good driver back then. Most of us good drivers were lucky and didn’t really do too much damage, some of us were less lucky.

One needs to be taught how to drive a car at its limits, nobody is born with this knowledge. Our high school driver’s education classes are adequate in teaching how to drive a vehicle safely within the posted speed limits. If one wants to drive outside these limits (i.e. get out of 2nd gear in the NSX) then a professional high-speed driving school (or at least a BMWCCA school) is mandatory so you don’t end up taking a corner at 100mph that Mario Andretti himself could only take at 40mph. Unfortunately, most of these driving schools do not accept applicants who are under 18 years old.

If you get an NSX right now, then you may miss out on the joy of owning a car you can afford to dink around on and in.

Good luck,

DanO

 

[steveny]

Originally posted by hejo:
My perspective is the NSX is such an excellent handling car that it is easier for an inexperienced drivers to drive over there ability. This is fine until a situation occurs that requires knowing how to respond instinctively. What a Miata like car allows you to do is learn how to handle these situations at slower speeds where you have slightly more time to react.


It also teaches you how not to even get in these situations once you do get into a car that you will not have the time to even react.

In a mid-engine car the weight transfer that occurs is completely different than that of a car with the engine located either in the front or rear. The feel of the car when it's about to let lose is much more fine. This takes experience to learn. As Ken said if your tires are getting toward the wear bar the diminsioning traction can make the NSX skate and spin like a top. You have much less feel when this is about to occur and therefore much less time to give the proper inputs to control the car.

I am always looking for this limit. Does anyone else here take their car out to a back road and just push it looking for a shot of adrenaline???

I am so glad that this has finally gotten back to a reasonable level.

 

[Lud]

Originally posted by DanO:
Unfortunately, most of these driving schools do not accept applicants who are under 18 years old.

Excellent post DanO.. One tidbit: Mid Ohio regularly runs 16-and-up driving schools. http://www.midohioschool.com/index0504.html then click on Courses, then on the Honda Teen Driving Program.

It is mind boggling that it is so hard for someone who just got their license to participate in a real drivers school....

 

[erobbins]

The Porsche Club of America (PCA) has just approved 16 anf 17 year olds to enter autocrosses, time trials and DEs. They just need a "permission slip" signed by BOTH parents (or whatever the individual's legal guardian situation may be).

There isn't too much more to say in this thread. We have given all the advice we can, broken NSXPrime reply records, and gotten a lot of good information out on the table.

Phil, I think the most striking thing about this whole thread is simple. A whole group of VERY passionate NSX owners are advising someone to NOT buy an NSX. The time just doesn't seem right for you. Don't let people who took some jabs at you get you down, either. I'm a fairly successful guy, and I was nearly as entrepreneurial at 16 as you clearly are.

You've set a goal for yourself (NSX ownership), and you're doing everything you can to achieve it as quickly as possible. What we're trying to tell you is you're not there yet. Keep at the business ventures, continue your education and get some serious driver training on a track in a tossable little car like an MR2 or Miata or something. When you get out of high school, know where your life is headed a bit, and have better financial resources, get the NSX.

Want to impress your high school friends? Don't do it now. It doesn't matter that much later in life. Wait until you've played your cards right and you go to your 5 or even 10 year high school reunion. What you'll find is that all the "popular" and "cool" kids you know are leading rather ordinary (or even miserable) lives. It's the "smart" kids (and the geeks) that took the time to let things happen at the right times that are leading exciting, successful lives (and driving high performance sportscars). I know... I was one of them, and I just had my 10 year reunion last fall.

EDR

 

[DocL]

Originally posted by erobbins:
...Want to impress your high school friends? ...Wait until you've played your cards right and you go to your 5 or even 10 year high school reunion...I was one of them, and I just had my 10 year reunion last fall.

EDR

Very well spoken EDR! I used to say that when I was in HS and I knew that one day I would go back being very sucessful. You're right how peoples lives change in the 10-15 years after high school.

Also, I think that Skip Barber does allow 16 yo's to participate in the three day advanced driving school. I took one when I was 18 and another when I was 28.

PAL, follow the link below and click on line 8.
http://www.skipbarber.com/sbrsfaq.htm

-Cheers

 

[PAL]

Hey-

About the Mustangs,

What were the different convertible trims? Different HP?

The driving schools offer 3 day courses? That would be great.

 

[Electro]

About the mustangs... you can get several different types... if you want something really fast and easy/cheap to modify, go with a 97+ Mustang Cobra SVT

Check out my friends site @: http://www.street-lethal.com

But a bit of a warning... Psychoholic is the web admin and club president... be nice to him or he'll tear you a new one!

-Electro

 

[ak]

I think getting an NSX at age 16 is absolutely ridiculous...as the matter of a fact, getting it any age before 25 is ridiculous! Why? Cuz I couldn't get mine till 25!

Seriously, I'm glad I had my crappy highschool chick deflecter mobile('84 Renault)...I can appricate what I have now so much better than those kids who used to steal all the hot chicks with their cool convertibles and what not. But then, if I had the money back then, I don't know what I'd have done either.

 

[Edo]

There are 3 different trim levels on Mustangs during the 97-98 model years
V6 - 190hp
GT - 225hp (98) 260hp (99)
and Cobra 305hp(98) 320hp(99)

I bought a '98 Cobra when I was 18 (in 1998), and boy was THAT a humbling experience. I learned to back off on aggressive driving REAL fast. Its a good thing I didn't get an NSX back then. I would not be alive today.
A good car to learn on though.

 

[Fast Lane]

-PAL-

I know exactly your thinking when you say you want a NSX, because I too am 16. I would also love to have an NSX (or any exotic for that matter).

I do want to caution you though. Not all crashes result in death; some are worse, they paralyze. If that were to happen your life goals would instantly be erased, and worse you would never be able to drive an NSX again.

So, if you do buy an NSX, or any other sports car for that matter, do not assume YOU can take a courner 70 mph because the CAR can, and regret it for the rest of your life.

 

[PAL]

Where all models of Mustangs offered in convertible? I could get a 98 or so Cobra convertible in yellow?

Thanks.

PAL

 

[SigEpUCI]

Where all models of Mustangs offered in convertible?

At this point, this discourse should either be taken offline, or to another forum.

Lud, how about closing this thread? I think all that could be said has been said.

Best of luck to you PAL

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95 T bl/bl @ 39K
DC Headers
RM DTM Exhaust
CT Strut Tower Bar

[This message has been edited by SigEpUCI (edited 11 August 2001).]

 

[PAL]

Thanks,

I'm sorry, I was just asking a question.

I forgot that isn't allowed.

 

[bartonkt]

-

[This message has been edited by bartonkt (edited 14 August 2001).]

 

[PAL]

I would just like to close the thread by saying THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR ALL OF YOUR HELP. You guys are great.

 

[nsx808]

I see this thread is just about dead.. but thought I'd add some thoughts...

Pal, if you're still viewing this message board, check out someone's story who was just like you two years ago:
http://www.nsxsc.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/000551.html

I'm now 18 with an NSX and I drive like an old lady on sedatives compared to my Supra days.

Rob