I started saving when I was 14 and bought my first car (86 RX-7) that was a combo of like 3-4!!! Every time I shifted the tranny sounded like it was going to drop. Still my next car I bought was an 87 Supra and that broke because of turbo eating up all the oil
Next came the red 5.0 Another POS, but man was that ever my favorite. Second gear with the hurst shifter!!!!!!! And straight flowmasters cut right after the muffler

In Blue Valley......... someone could a VERY, VERY rich man if my high became a used car lot. Hummers, benzs, BMW, Vettes, Lex, SUVs galore you name it we had it. Then you get the kids who's dad lets them take the Viper or Lambo when it was nice. Of course if one got wrecked, daddy bought a new the next week!

My kids are buying there own because not only is a great lesson, but you have MUCH more pride in something when you have to work for it.

I shared my first car...a 1983 Ford Ranger with my brother...we got it for christmas along with the payment book. I think my folks did the right thing...we weren't worried about breaking down or having to spend all of our time and money fixing a beater---even though the truck was 3 years old...and it taught us the value of a dollar...we got supermarket jobs to make the car payments...

and...that car got washed every day and waxed twice a month

Unless you drove a Pacer or Gremlin back then I'd say you had a pretty cool car. I can just remember talking about cars, how ugly this was or that was.....but if somebody mentioned Gremlin the only thing you could really say was OH...I'M SORRY MAN.

My first car was a yellow '74 Chevy Nova with the 260 ci straight six. That car had balls to about the other side of the intersection, then it ran out of them!! Paid $1000 for it. Bias ply tires. At an icy intersection, you could stand on the brakes and the rear tires would STILL SPIN. Back would slide over...kinda strange. Had to shift to neutral at a lot of intersections!!!

Second car was a 1979 Datsun B210 Station Wagon Woody. Loved that car!! 4 speed stick. Rear wheel drive. Had big home speakers in the back!! That thing rocked!!!! Paid $1900 for it in 1984. It was in MINT condition. Was a tow behind for some old couple with a motor home. Only had like 35,000 miles on it!!! Most of those miles only on the rear wheels. Traded it in 3 years later for $1500. Drove that car for 3 years for a whole $400. Can't beat that when your only 19!!!

I drove a 1970 AAR Cuda' in high school ....It was 12 years old at the time. But still a very cool car.

I thought I was spoiled. My dads a dealer and gave me a beat down rusty 1980 Camaro with a V-6. I worked all summer just to get a paintjob, but I was cool cruising uptown!

I later won "best car" as a senior for the yearbook with an 84 Firebird. I think they liked it because it had cheap, but new chrome rims on it! I seen it at the junk yard a few years ago.......

I am a junior in High School and if you look in the parking lot at school most of the kids drive junkers. There are those few exceptions where they are spoiled or daddy is rich. I have a 94 GMC Sanomia and I love it. I pay for insurance and gas and if I can't pay for them then I don't drive.

You have a lot more kids into modifying their cars now too. They may pay $6,000 for the car, but we're talking that much or more of parent's money in mods for the car. There's always kids who come loaded. In the end they loose though, don't learn the point of a dollar and never respect much in life they get.