Driving? No Way!
- Thread starter Trip
- Start date
symphonix
Scratch & Sniff Committee
Hmmm. Driving officially. Does that mean you get a little flag on the bonnet?
- The world is full of stupid people. The roads even more so. Watch out for the people who don't take it seriously; people who use their cars to show off, or who are too busy chatting on their phones or yelling at their kids to actually think about little things like where the hell they're driving.
- You'll need respect and patience. Lots of patience in some cases.
- Insurance. Comprehensive. Know what your excess is and set it aside. Know what your insured value is. There are a lot of idiots out there, but there are even more utter #$#@ who will steal anything that isn't riveted to the wall. Enough said.
- If you're buying a car, no matter what the salesman says, don't buy it the day you see it. Get insurance and finance quotes from a handful of sources. Get the machine checked by your mechanic, even if it is only a couple of years old.
- Learn to do things yourself... if you can change your own filters, plugs and points then thats a hundred bucks a year you've saved (depending on how much you drive) plus you get a better understanding of whats going on under the bonnet and what potential problems you might see later on. Plus, its kinda fun tinkering with your car on a rainy Sunday afternoon.
- The world is full of stupid people. The roads even more so. Watch out for the people who don't take it seriously; people who use their cars to show off, or who are too busy chatting on their phones or yelling at their kids to actually think about little things like where the hell they're driving.
- You'll need respect and patience. Lots of patience in some cases.
- Insurance. Comprehensive. Know what your excess is and set it aside. Know what your insured value is. There are a lot of idiots out there, but there are even more utter #$#@ who will steal anything that isn't riveted to the wall. Enough said.
- If you're buying a car, no matter what the salesman says, don't buy it the day you see it. Get insurance and finance quotes from a handful of sources. Get the machine checked by your mechanic, even if it is only a couple of years old.
- Learn to do things yourself... if you can change your own filters, plugs and points then thats a hundred bucks a year you've saved (depending on how much you drive) plus you get a better understanding of whats going on under the bonnet and what potential problems you might see later on. Plus, its kinda fun tinkering with your car on a rainy Sunday afternoon.
Um...don't wreck. 
This makes your parents very unhappy and the insurance people will love the big $$$$$$ you'll have to start paying them.
See/hear an emergency vehicle approach, slow down and/or stop pulling to the right if possible to do safely. Don't stop in a sharp curve or on the crest of a hill as that creates a very dangerous situation (you wouldn't believe the number of people who do this...sad part is most are driving expensive cars which makes you wonder ).
If you live in an area prone to snow, go and practice in a large empty parking lot before driving on the roads. This'll let you see and feel the difference.
If you have access to a sportier car (doesn't have to be a Mustang or Camaro...my first time was in a 91 Volvo 740 Turbo, and I placed in the top 1/3), think about participating in a SCCA Solo event in your area. These are closed course timed events (usually in large parking lots) where you race around a cone course. It helps to get that "hot rod" itch out of you blood safely, and you learn ALOT about how your car handles...plus it's a helluva lot of fun too. http://www.scca.org
Even though you might drive good, never trust anyone else to. I've actually been cut off by a nun before on I-75 (who would have guessed !?! She was even in a car that had the church name and stuff on it).
If you want a cheap car that'll last forever (if properly maintained), is cheap to insure, and safe...buy a Volvo. Some are even fairly quick. I'd suggest 1990 to 1991 740 models, with the turbo (stay away from 16v GLE models, and the nonturbo is ok but slow). Even pretty cheap to repair, kinda in between a Ford and Toyota cost wise. Volvo info site
This makes your parents very unhappy and the insurance people will love the big $$$$$$ you'll have to start paying them.See/hear an emergency vehicle approach, slow down and/or stop pulling to the right if possible to do safely. Don't stop in a sharp curve or on the crest of a hill as that creates a very dangerous situation (you wouldn't believe the number of people who do this...sad part is most are driving expensive cars which makes you wonder
). If you live in an area prone to snow, go and practice in a large empty parking lot before driving on the roads. This'll let you see and feel the difference.
If you have access to a sportier car (doesn't have to be a Mustang or Camaro...my first time was in a 91 Volvo 740 Turbo, and I placed in the top 1/3), think about participating in a SCCA Solo event in your area. These are closed course timed events (usually in large parking lots) where you race around a cone course. It helps to get that "hot rod" itch out of you blood safely, and you learn ALOT about how your car handles...plus it's a helluva lot of fun too.
http://www.scca.orgEven though you might drive good, never trust anyone else to. I've actually been cut off by a nun before on I-75 (who would have guessed !?! She was even in a car that had the church name and stuff on it).
If you want a cheap car that'll last forever (if properly maintained), is cheap to insure, and safe...buy a Volvo. Some are even fairly quick. I'd suggest 1990 to 1991 740 models, with the turbo (stay away from 16v GLE models, and the nonturbo is ok but slow). Even pretty cheap to repair, kinda in between a Ford and Toyota cost wise. Volvo info site
