A&Q about 350Z
Q:
Thanks for the info morepower. Yeah, Unfortunatly my Z days will be over in a couple of months sadly enough. I may just get into a SUV which should keep me outta trouble but will tlk to my insurance guy. Unfortunatly i have no ties to the military, so thats a bummer as well. I don't know if i totally see myself in a Scion, but think they are gr8 cars. Any other thoughts.
Also, how much does anyone think i save?
A:
If you do have to resort to an SUV, and I'm not recommending that you do, at least consider the Saturn Vue V-6. Yeah, don't laugh. It's build quality and overall reliability and interior is NOT up to Nissan standards. BUT. The v-6 and 5 speed auto transmission in the Saturn Vue is the Honda V-6 and auto tranny from the much heavier Honda Odessey (spelling?). Which in the front wheel drive version is well over 4000 lbs. in the fwd Odessey, but only 3400 something lbs. in the Saturn Vue front wheel drive. Nice power to weight ratio. In the Vue, the Honda V6 puts out 250 hp and 242 lb/ft torque in this relative light weight body. The handling is pretty good for a suv if you get the redline option. If you don't get the redline handling package, the cost is easily in your mid $20K from your original post. And the quality and reliability of the vue's Honda V6 and auto tranny is excellent. I test drove one a month ago, among others, and I think I remember I could get it low $20K if I'd forego the redline option. Yeah, the vue has some limitations such as kinda cheapo interior, you folks don't need to blast me, I know of its blemishes, ha. But it is the hot rod of compact suv's. It really scoots. And I do like the dent resistant panels. But, if you can afford it, there are much nicer overall suv's out there, granted. Good luck, and when you get finished being on the lamb, come back to the Z Continuum and raise some more hell! Ha. Good luck!
Note there have been some roll over concerns with the vue that have supposedly been fixed. In consumer reports, the vue did receive the highest acceleration score among suv's except for one Porsche suv that cost something way up - what was it - I think over $70K. (I'm at work and can't check that price for sure, sorry.)
A:
i dont mean to be a jerk and i dont know the circumstances behind your accidents but anyways.... that sucks for you. people like you are the reason my insurance costs are still so damn high even with a clean record. anywho, you could check out the acura TSX, theyve been out long enough that you could find a nice used one for your budget. not too sure about incsurance costs though but its a 4 door family-esq sedan.
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03 CS Touring
VIN #189
A:
Err, don't want to be a naysayer. Check out the rates on the SUV. If it has 4WD it can cost as much as the 350Z your getting out of. Plus, the overall price of a SUV tends to send them a bit higher as well.
My '01 Patherfinder is right up there with my 350Z.
Don't kid yourself. Stay out of trouble in a 4WD SUV.....ha.... I got into way more trouble in a 4WD's. Like what can we climb today.....and I can make it through the river. Oh, S#it .... I think that was the bumper. Live and learn .... hopefully you have a lot of fun doing it. LOL
Now a nice 2WD Tacoma pickup with a ARB locker is really nice. ;) You can go just about anywhere a 4WD can and the insurance is cheap. Install a Baja bar on the front with two driving lights and go prerunning. Only $19K brand new. TRD would be $25K. Or go for a year used TRD for about 20K. Cool as hell too!
Sorry guys .... I know it is a Z board but this guy is looking for options. :)
My .02 anyways ....
"Racing is life. Anything that happens before or after is just waiting"
Quote - Steve McQueen
'04 350Z Silverstone 6spd
Previous owner of 240, 280, and 300 Z's
Post Edited (Jun 8, 12:42am)
A:
I insure 5 cars for $3500.00/yr. including the 350Z. (along with '95 SC300, 2000 Maxima, '87 200sx SE and 260Z.0
If you are under 26 and have accidents, you can expect these rates, especially if live a major metropolitan area.
A:
Problem is he's paying $8400 a year for one car. I was there myself when I was young. Mine were exhibition of speed mostly.... Go figure.
I still like the idea of getting a one year old truck. A truck should slow you down on the street. As long as you don't try to race every truck you'll be fine in a few years.
Been there, done that. You just need to cool it for a couple of years and then when you buy your rewards sports car at the end with zero tickets KEEP IT THERE. Tell yourself: As long as I am cool and don't get tickets I can keep this cool quick ride.
I mean race at the track. It is a lot cheaper than tickets and insurance.
That is what I had to do. Now I get all of the discounts on my insurance and have lots of toys. For five cars, boat and Motorhome It only costs me $320 a month with 100/300 and 500 ded on all.
Please take this from someone that did stupid things when he was young.
Here is a picture of my street legal race car. I never speed on the street in this bad boy. They are just sitting there looking for me to stab this one on the street.
In street trim:
In race trim:
Just something to look forward to. ;)
"Racing is life. Anything that happens before or after is just waiting"
Quote - Steve McQueen
'04 350Z Silverstone 6spd
Previous owner of 240, 280, and 300 Z's
Post Edited (Jun 9, 12:57am)
A:
I drive in Virginia, too. I can't imagine the combination of traffic offenses and accidents that would get an $8400/year rate. Now I'm convinced that a nice little scooter is the right choice.
A:
I live in MD, but, there is a certain judge in northern VA that has “drawn a line in the
sand” at 90 mph on the xpressway. Maybe you had a run in with him, DgtlBullet.
Ouch! Stepping over this line in the sand means jail time and fine and insurance points
devastation of Biblical proportions. Judge is around Winchester, VA or thereabouts
. The speed limit through there on interstate 81 is 65 mph if I recall correctly. I have not
ran afoul of this judge but I know someone who did and narrowly avoided jail time (with
a very good local lawyer and had a very good prior driving record), but still got torn
up… pretty bad… When I go through there, I put my cruise control on 70 mph which is
5 over the speed limit. That’s as far as I’d push it IMHO. Radar detectors are illegal in
VA BTW.
Like mecinoid said, better to behave on the public roads and run like hell at designated
race ways. I go to Mason Dixon dragway near Hagerstown MD and very near northern
VA. I grow fangs that extend right through the floor board there, but leave it all there
. All legal and relatively safe. It is a real beautiful area and the people are real friendly
I highly recommend you try it, DgtlBullet.
Maybe someone can help DgtlBullet and me out here. I have heard that there is a very
good road course somewhere around northern VA where, at certain times, you can pay
and run some laps as fast as you want. Again, all legal. With you being the only car on
the course at the time. So we don’t have to worry about trading paint and metal with
other cars in our 350Zs. Can anyone here give me specifics on this road course. Namely
contact info and how much it costs roughly. I’d like to put in some fast laps there from
time to time and keep my good insurance rating by behaving on the public roads.
Thanks.
Post Edited (Jun 9, 8:25am)
A:
I totally sympathize with that need for speed. Most days I'm a mild-mannered Clark Kent in my '90 Honda Civic 4WD wagon. It's a great little car that gets me where I need to be, but it doesn't have the horse power to let me drive aggresively. But when I hop in my Z, I start thinking I'm superman, and start driving like an idiot.
If I'm not careful, I'm going to get a ticket or hurt somebody. It's so hard to restrain myself, but I must try...
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My ride: 2003 Silverstone Touring, Stillen front end, AEM cold air intake, 18 inch chrome wheels
A:
We need to all meet at the race tracks in our areas and have a good time. Ha. On test and tune days, usually Saturdays, at Mason Dixon, you can pay like $25 and race as often as you want all day long. There are no eliminations or anything, just running heads up for fun as often as you want or as little as you want.
I also want to find out about that road course in northern VA as well. If we had a group meet there sometime, we could probably get discounts and all the track time we need. There is not point in having a sports car and driving it like "grandma". We just need to do it cheaply, legally, and relatively safely.