18 Y/o Car fiance please help

Jackh1 wrote: »

As for my out goings at the time of my application I'll have no outgoings and if I get accepted only outgoing will be the finance, and fuel. Insurance will be paid outright aswell as tax. As for the car depreciating if its kept nice it won't. As the one I'm after is a limited model at only 444 Made.

Right, so it's not about posing or appearances, but you want an Astra VXR Racing, rather than the normal Astra that you can get for £2.5k at the same age.

Look, I'm a car nut, and I get it, you want something you think is nice. But seriously, the advice others have given you is spot on, this is a VERY BAD IDEA.

An 8 year old Astra at £7k is going to be no less of a lottery in terms of reliability than an 8 year old Astra that's only £2.5k. There's also a higher chance it will have been thrashed, compared to a non-VXR.
On top of that it's a high performance car; at 18 years old most insurers are going to want well over £1k/year. And you'll be paying £315/year in tax. How on earth are you going to pay for both of those outright when the insurance alone is more than your deposit?!

Please, stop kidding yourself that this is a sensible thing to do. You're in a weekly-paid job, which suggests it's not really very stable, and you have no savings. There's a very good reason everyone is giving you the same advice.

Jackh1 wrote: »

But there buying a car for a lot I don't want? Bring interested in cars and they all I have to spend my money on I want to be one I like enjoy and can grow into.

There's being a car fan (who isn't) and being a car fan on a budget. Your special edition VXR will have an awful lot of unusual parts on it which mean huge bills, for a start. You'll start to hate it when you see how much money you need to throw at it; we're talking about at least half of your pay checks, week in and week out. That's before anything breaks.


As another car fan, this is a terrible idea. Terrible.



You might have to reel it in a little bit since you're just about to turn 18 and have been burnt before on buying relatively high end cars for peanuts and wondering why they fail.


There are so many fun/interesting cars available for a lot less than £7500, that will likely be in better condition. Some are even cooler (there are some nice old Jags, for instance), and some are less cool.



Will you enjoy your Astra VXR Racing 3 times as much as a regular large engined Astra for 1/3rd of the price?


Honestly, don't. Save up, buy a "boring car" for now like all your peers are doing, and then in a few years when your insurance isn't horrific and you've got some money behind you, splash out on something silly.


When I was your age (a while ago now), everyones first car was a total banger, then they got a bit nicer over time, and by about mid 20's we all had nice sporty cars, but it took a while.


How long have you been driving if it's something you're so passionate about? You might find it much more rewarding to drive a dull car on the road and keep your money for some form of motorsport / track driving.

Jackh1 wrote: »

But there buying a car for a lot I don't want? Bring interested in cars and they all I have to spend my money on I want to be one I like enjoy and can grow into.

My cooper was cammed and had a short ratio layland gearbox. I bought the car. Everything looked fine. All past mot's were fine also. Then it broke. I knew it wasn't going to pass next mot with a subframe needed to be replaced. Against the point. Along with the audi. I looked for all the signs. Nothing. Then they strated happening.
I understand why getting a 1.4 makes sence obviously but u need to think Im a car enthusiast and want a car I love, and a reliable one at that if uou get me.

At the moment yes I am saving. I save around 80 pounds per week. A little less when tax comes out.

Your first post indicated that you wanted to spend to get reliability. Now, we have more info and you want to spend to get something that meets your aspirations for a fast car.

Dude, there is nothing wrong with being a young guy and into cars. The problem comes with affordability. It is a very expensive hobby - as you have already discovered. A performance car is not going to be purchased by a little old lady using it twice a week to collect her milk and pension. A performance car will be bought by someone that is going to use it as such and therefore it will require more maintenance and things will fail / break earlier. This will apply even more so to cars like your Mini that have been modified. You will not buy a car of this nature that will not break or need expensive work. Ain't gonna happen!

The bottom line is that you income does not support your hobby and chasing it will only dig you deeper into a financial hole - until it gets to the point where you are seriously messing with your future financial well-being. As a young guy perhaps your job prospects and earning potential will improve fairly quickly, in which case you can look to own the cars that appeal. In the meantime, trying to put an old head on young shoulders, I'd say stick with what is easily affordable and wait. Yes, I know, waiting is almost impossible at 18 but just think of all the extra money you will have for cars in a few years because you haven't spent it all on loan interest.

Looks like you've made up your mind (despite not a single person here thinking its a good idea).


Good luck