How old to drive?

Hmm, this is ond thread but I couldn't help but throw in my 2 cents. I started out with a subaru when I was 16. It cost $100 and came from the junkyard. It needed a heluva lota bondo and fiberglass because the last owner was a girl and she got caught in the backseat with some guy by her boyfriend. He wasn't too happy and took an ICE PICK to the roof and windows, TWICE. She didn't get it fixed the second time. I fixed it up and repainted it with my fathers help but it still require a lot of work. This gave me respect for the car to some degree because I wanted it to last. It was a 1987 GL10 Turbo Loyale, like 115hp, But there was a hole in the headers so the turbo didn't do much for it, but the exhaust sounded better than most of the hick trucks at school LoL! I got it fixed and it still wasn't that fast. Then the radiator F'ed up and it kept boiling over and the tranny wouldn't shift. Drove it for 2 years then paid $2400 for a 94 mercury sable 238hp, drove it for two years. Paid for a lot of repairs all from my own pocket. It drove like a twitchy bus. Then I bought a 97 Grand AM GT for $3000. It had 143,000 miles and I drove it for 6 years to 228,000 miles slowly upgrading what I could by trial and error until I found combinations of parts that I liked without blowing up the car. I still replaced 2 transmissions, and engine and full suspension. Only after all this did I feel I was ready for a $25,000 WRX. I still have bad luck, but have not had any speeding tickets yet. I got 4 over the 6 years with the grand am along with a failure to yeild which I won in court. Obviously I had a lot of growing up to do. Now I'm 27, I can afford the WRX and insurance all on my own dime. But I think I still have some growing up to do.... maybe.

That being said, I have a younger friend with a WRX whose parent's helped him get it but he pays for it and is a better driver in the seat of a Subaru than I am. He's not old enough to drink yet but if he can pay for it and accept any consequences of accidents. (he has had none compared to my new bumper and 2 new rims) I guess it's ok. It depends on the persons temperment and thier financial means. I'm still a little jealous he got it so early.

 
Hmm, this is old thread but I couldn't help but throw in my 2 cents. I started out with a subaru when I was 16. It cost $100 and came from the junkyard. It needed a heluva lota bondo and fiberglass because the last owner was a girl and she got caught in the backseat with some guy by her boyfriend. He wasn't too happy and took an ICE PICK to the roof and windows, TWICE. She didn't get it fixed the second time. I fixed it up and repainted it with my father's help but it still required a lot of work. This gave me respect for the car to some degree because I wanted it to last. It was a 1987 GL10 Turbo Loyale, like 115hp, But there was a hole in the headers so the turbo didn't do much for it, but the exhaust sounded better than most of the hick trucks at school LoL! I got it fixed and it still wasn't that fast. Then the radiator F'ed up and it kept boiling over and the tranny wouldn't shift. Drove it for 2 years then paid $2400 for a 94 mercury sable, like 238hp, drove it for two years. Paid for a lot of repairs all from my own pocket. It drove like a twitchy bus. Then I bought a 97 Grand AM GT, 150hp, for $3000. It had 143,000 miles and I drove it for 6 years to 228,000 miles slowly upgrading what I could by trial and error until I found combinations of parts that I liked without blowing up the car. I still replaced 2 transmissions, and engine and full suspension. Only after all this did I feel I was ready for a $25,000 WRX @ 265hp. I still have bad luck, but have not had any speeding tickets yet. I got 4 over the 6 years with the grand am along with a failure to yeild which I won in court. Obviously I had a lot of growing up to do. Now I'm 27, I can afford the WRX and insurance all on my own dime. But I think I still have some growing up to do.... maybe.

That being said, I have a younger friend with a WRX whose rent's helped him get the loan but he pays for it and is a better driver in the seat of a Subaru than I am. He's not old enough to drink yet but if he can pay for it and accept any consequences of accidents (he has had none compared to my new bumper and 2 new rims) I guess it's fine. It depends on the persons temperment and thier financial means. I'm still a little jealous he got it so early.

 
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I'm sure I could get myself into enough trouble with my legacy, I don't need a WRX... Besides I couldn't afford insurance right now.

 
I look back and wish I was 16 instead of 15 at the start of driving. The only beneifit arising from this is realizing I enjoy the physics and workings of cars. Two threads up mentioning a 1987 gl-10..I still drive a 1987.

good comes from unlikely, its a thing called facts, regardless of events with young drivers, its all education, unless of course learning disabilities.

The 1980s subaru taught me there is a lot more disabled learners than I ever thought humanly possible. I drive one the same age as the year I started driving, 22 years old now.

EDIT: The point for this thread is, I am first hand learned of the stigma that goes with certain makes and models, subaru has been on its own wavelength for a looong time. Add a sport version what do you get in maine locales passing through with the fart can giant turbo boxer? young drivers do not know this. A granny car even gets beatings by young drivers, it needs extra care, or life alerting could happen in split seconds.

 
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ya insurance does suck being 19 with an sti i got quotes first and one company wanted 6,000 for a year i managed to find it for 4,000 cheaper

 
ya insurance does suck being 19 with an sti i got quotes first and one company wanted 6,000 for a year i managed to find it for 4,000 cheaper
OMG!!

I'm 19, and I only pay something like $600 a year for insurance on my legacy. One of the reasons I love it.

 
Im 27 and I pay about $150 a month. It was $130 a month before all that bad crap happened with the front bumper, then the wheels. I still have a tire out of round a little but I dont want to push up my insurance so I keep driving it and hoping it will wear down, then I will rebalance again. It only bothers when its cold anyway. These dunlop like to go square overnight like my old Cooper Zeon's use too.
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ya insurance does suck being 19 with an sti i got quotes first and one company wanted 6,000 for a year i managed to find it for 4,000 cheaper
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Holy crapola......

500/year for 2 cars doesn't sound bad after all
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You pay less for 2 cars than I pay for one?? Damn, I need to turn 20 and get married...

 
There's a kid who's girlfriend lives up the street from where I stayed in Washington who has an 05 STI at 17. He seems responsible on Nasioc (I guess that's saying something, huh?) but he does have at least an axle-back and a BOV, but probably more custom exhaust than that.

 
I pay about 145 a month for full coverage on my FXT, liability on my 89 GL and liability on my wifes Saturn, When I first bought my 97 Impreza L when I was 19, it cost 205 a month just for that!!!

Side note, Chris, I didn't know you were only 19!!

 
Yep, I'm still just a teenager... mostly to my detriment.
Yeah people always look at your age before they really know you. That's why I was surprised though, you seemed older when I met you.

 
Yeah people always look at your age before they really know you. That's why I was surprised though, you seemed older when I met you.
well, thanks, I try not to act like a stupid teenager. I guess it works... I guess it is just that I do things most 19 year-olds don't do. Like having sailed around the world...

 
things most 19 year-olds don't do
which reminds me, I thought that the left turn signal in the left lane was an Italian thing, or maybe just a European thing. I've never seen anyone do it in the states.

 
which reminds me, I thought that the left turn signal in the left lane was an Italian thing, or maybe just a European thing. I've never seen anyone do it in the states.
Huh? It's a joke... trying to pass on the left, but already being in the left lane you can't go more left to pass...

 
ah, in italy its basically the same, but it just says "get over now or I go from 8 feet from your bumper to 2 feet"

 
I would only give my kid a sti only if he deserves one + a kidney. A little backstory, as a kid the first car I drove was a volvo 940. It only had 114 hp. and it pissed my off to no end. That car taught me a lot about controlling a car. All I wanted to do was go faster. So I practiced techniques to get the most out of that slow POS. Then I got rid of it for a faster car when I was 21. Though I shouldn't have sold it, if I knew back then I could put a mustang engine in it I would never have bought a STI. lol

long story short start off with low Hp makes them appreciate and understand Hp even more.

 
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