I'm still thinkin if I drop an S about 1" or so, and get him to put about 12" of lift on the Silverado, I'd always have a nice dry place to park right underneath

 

If I remember correctly, Daddy Rocket thought that was pretty funny too. You go kid!

 

RedY2KS2k makes some very good points.

Based upon the sum of money you quoted as income I still believe my point of view has merit. When I said you should consider a small loan I was not thinking small as compared to my mortgage, I was thinking small as compared to the price for a used car. Yes I agree it is foolish to put down a huge loan for a used car, but I was only thinking in the 2 to 4 range at most. When it comes to buying a used car that little extra money can go a long way in getting a much cleaner, well taken care of car, be it an S or a Miata.

Rocket, keep in mind I usually have a contrary opinion around here...

 

If you really want something go for it and don't let anyone tell you it's not achievable.

P.S. I suggest you PM Chadwick he's a full time student that can truly relate to full time studies and S2000 ownership

Enjoy

 

Hey,

I'm not really sure my reply should be posted in this Vintage thread, but Rocket directed me to this post, and I believe that my reply could benefit all of those "youngins" out there that think the S2000 is the ideal car for them.

I just turned 21, and as Popeye mentioned, I'm a full time college student. I should give you a little background beforehand, however, so that everyone understands my situation, which is unique and may not apply to everyone.

I went to the University of Cincinnati for two years. The school is basically in the "ghetto" of the city, and I was afraid at that time to even drive the car that I had before that there. I had several friends have their cars stolen from security patrolled parking garages, and countless others have their cars broken in to for nothing more than a couple dollars in pocket change. You're a senior in high school, so you probably have a good idea at this point which college or university that you plan on attending, and while the parking situation shouldn't be an issue in college choice, if your planning on buying an S2000, it's something you'll have to consider. You're lucky though, because you don't already own the car, so you're not stuck with having it but not being able to take it to school with you.

I had a rather personal situation occur during my 2nd year at UC, and that forced me to make a few hard decisions. My school is being taken care of out of a fund that my mom and dad agreed to establish when they divorced my senior year of high school. They didn't want me to worry about having to pay for school, and even though I'll probably end up having to pay for some at the end, that financial burden isn't as great for me, but that's my "special situation" that I had previously mentioned.

This situation also forced me to make the hard choice of transferring schools to someplace closer to home. There are several benefits of living with my cool Mom though. My living expenses aren't nearly as high as someone who rents their own place and has to buy food, utilities, and the "beer fund". This also allows me a much more stable place to do school work and keep my grades up, which is very important to me. My Mom is also hardly ever here, so even right now, as I type this message, I'm by myself.

But anyways, back to the subject at hand, which is S2000 ownership. A couple years ago I got a nice summer full-time factory job that paid pretty well. I hoarded all of that money into an ING savings account, and then that following year I worked as much as I could along with going to classes, and I was able to amass a good sum of money. I knew I wanted an S2000 ever since they were first released in the States, and I started looking at used ones. I found a 2001 Berlina w/ the red interior (which is my dream color combination by the way), and was pretty sure that that's the car I wanted. It only had 1800 miles on it too, and this was 2003, so those miles were accumulated in 2 years. What a prize such a low mileage car would've been.

I was also very intrigued by the changes for the model year 2004, and went toying around with Honda Financial's website one day. I checked out the leasing idea, and to my complete and utter surprise, I realized that I could afford the monthly payment on a new S2000 if I leased it.

An S2000 at 20 years old rose some questions though. Insurance being one of them. Well, I'm still on my mother's policy, but I also have, as a beater car, a 1989 Buick Skylark that still runs awesome. I'm listed as driver of that car, and only as a secondary on the S2000. That saves me from a huge insurance nightmare. After talking to my insurance agent, I realized that my insurance was only going to go up a couple hundred dollars a year over my current car at the time, and after calculating what I make yearly I realized I could afford that with money to spare each month.

Then came the issue for me of modding the car. You can't mod a leased car. However, when I did the lease arrangement, I planned on from the beginning of buying the car out at the end. Now I understand that I'm paying more in the long run. I even calculated how much the car was going to cost me overall compared to saving up even more money and buying the car instead. You can call the stupidity if you wish, or just immaturity, but I rationalized that if I was to ever own a car such as this in the next 10 years (I assumed graduating, moving out, getting married, and possibly even a kid), I needed to do it now. And when I get my mind set on wanting something, I'll do everything in my power to make it happen.

So I ordered a MY04 before they even hit US shores, and haven't looked back. Having the car for almost a year now I regret nothing in my decision, and I have even started to mod the car to more of my liking. I'm really lucky to have a pretty stable job (for what I do) to help insure my car payments are made each month. It sucks because I'm starting to not like my job as much as I used to, but now that I have financial burden I have to stick with it. But that's also a sign of more maturity and a fact of life that I'll eventually have to learn.

But with a lot of consideration and planning, S2000 ownership can be had if you're willing to work for it, and it, along with the S2000 community here, is one of the better car experiences I've ever had in my life. This is not a car you bore of quickly. Someone the other day asked me if it was worth it, and I said very emphatically, "Yes"

Check out your current financial situation, try to anticipate the worst, figure out what you're going to do for school, living, and accomadating your vehicles. If an S2000 still fits in the equation after that, then I promise you you won't regret it.

 

^ Nice job! You can post in Vintage any time.

 

^ A very thoughtful post. One I'm sure Doug will appreciate. Thanks...

 

Hi All!
It's been a while since I touched base with the vintage crew, so I thought I'd stop by. I'm still bagging groceries and saving like a mad man . I've talked to HardTopGuy and my father, and it still looks like I'll be pickin up a MY00 around February. I also found out that barring any suprises, I could have it fully paid for before I leave for college, which is monumental in my decision process. All is not said and done, but things are looking good for Rocket. Best wishes to all of you. Be safe, have fun, and live life to the fullest!!!


Rocket

 

Awesome! So you'll be ready to join us on our spring Rt 26 drive!

Keep your eye on the prize, and you shouldn't have any problems!

JonasM

 

Yeah I'm gonna buy whatever car I end up gettin by March. So God willing I'll be in an S2000, but if not then I wanna be a +1 lol.