It's your money, do what you want.

Honda's pretty much froze their technology after they made vtec up until like the mid or late '00's. You can get one of those. Otherwise, enjoy the beemer.

 

i wouldn't say that. I can easily afford a 10k car, but I also WANT to learn how engineering works. I am not a fan of the way 99% of the 90s cars were designed body wise, so that stops me from wanting one if I don't like the outside appearance of a car.

 

You will learn in Engineering school it has more to do with Space, Time and Cost. Aesthetics will rarely be in the quote.

 

I already understand that concept, I just see no part in purchasing something that I don't find appealing, you know?

 

Well... Cobalt's are super easy to work on the the HP rewards are good.

 

Parent's are being stubborn on letting me get another car, they say if I buy another car I have to insure it under my name from the day I buy it, and get it plated from the day I buy it. I don't understand why they won't let me have it sit in the driveway until I'm ready to make it a daily.. It's hard finding a car on a 5k-7k budget. They also won't let me sell my Cobalt so I can get a 12-15k car, I think they have a sentimental value in regards to the car because it was my grandmothers. They always go back to the subject of "She gave the car to you", and "We have all the service records of the car, and we knew she took good care of it.". Im stuck in a sticky situation, I don't quite understand how to persuade them to allow me to get another car. They say you should be grateful with what I have, but that's besides the point! I want to shape my future by working with mechanics, and by having a good understanding of combustion engines before I go into college, but they're not allowing me to chase my dreams. What should I say that might make them sway their opinion?

 

"mom, i'm almost an adult so pretty soon I can make financially irresponsible decisions if I want to in the name of education's sake. it doesn't matter that those decisions will have almost no bearing on the value of the education I'm about to receive in college."

sorry, that's all I can think of.

the car needs to be insured, even if it's sitting in the driveway (unless you want to take the risk of something happening to it). i have a feeling they also don't want you destroying a car in their driveway, which, BTW is a really crappy place to work on a car esp in a cold/rainy area like KC.

 

Don't listen to this guys, they don't have an LE5.
The most important mod on the car is the rotated motor mounts with the insert from Powell.
That will be the best mod you will do on the car.
Then you can do whatever you want after that.

 

KC isn't a cold/rainy area? It gets really, really hot here in the summers and spring. We might not have the most consistent heat, considering it was 65 degrees yesterday and 23 the day before, but it's not too rainy either. But no need to be a dick about it.

 

Why would I ever need a rotated motor mount? How's that going to benefit me at all?

 

Help get rid of wheel-hop when launching.

 

Do yourself a favor and just buy an SS T/C or S/C.

 

Idk if you read the post all the way down, but I'm not allowed to sell my NA lol.. I think my mom has an emotional attachment to the car as it was my grandmas from 0 miles until she passed, and I inherited it.

 

Save up and buy your own car.

 

That's what this whole post was about, either modding the cobalt I have now, or sell my Equinox and buy another car. I'm thinking about an IS250 F Sport, 335i, or a C250. C250 is really unlikely, but still an option. I know a LOT about the 335i, as it is kinda a dream car, but its within reach. I know all of the common issues and when they happen, and I also made myself a pre-purchase inspection checklist to make sure I don't miss anything if one comes up in my area I'm interested in. With that being said, A lot of people are recommending the IS250 F Sport, as it is a Lexus and cheaper and more unique than a 335i. I am only 17, so insurance might kill me on both cars, but who the hell cares? I'll still have my Cobalt as a daily, and I'll use this NEW car as a learning tool, and build it up from the way I want it until I feel it's daily ready. Then I'll eventually sell off the Cobalt once I'm graduated from College. Opinions on that plan?

 

I think the IS F Sport looks killer but I think I would get bored with the HP.

 

Those cars you listed don't start under 30 grand. If you have that much cash there are MUCH better ways to spend it at your age than on a German luxury sedan.

Not that 30k is a lot of money in today's car world, but you just went from asking how to mod a base model Cobalt to buying a Lexus.

How are you paying for college? Don't waste money on cars right now. Your goal should be to graduate without any loans. How's your 529 account looking?

If you can get your degree without borrowing money, then I don't see why you can't mod the Cobalt as a hobby to get away from your work. Keep the Equinox as a DD.

My .02. You'll need to spend a lot of time on your work if you want to be successful. Again, nothing wrong with a hobby, but don't drop 5k modding a Cobalt LS and then go out and buy a $30,000 car on top of that unless you're a millionaire and can afford to **** away money. Even if you can, the smart ones don't.

 

The cars start at a third of the price you're suggesting.. All the cars I mentioned are around the 7k-12k mark... But I've figured out what I'm going to do with my money, and if my plan goes accordingly (probably won't but oh well!), I should be really happy with the results.

 

Best of luck to you. Buying an old model of those cars is basically guaranteeing you'll be losing money. If you're dead set on driving one of those, do yourself a favor and get one with a car max warranty.