This sounds 100% spot on to me. My first car (that I still own) was a 1999 3000gt SL. I payed 3800 for it, Salvage title with 99,xxx miles. Still love it at 113,xxx. This was around my 18th birthday. Moving on at one point I've had 3 jobs Working 65+ hours a week (have been working full time since before I turned 16 and haven't had more than a week off since) doing Valet on the weekends($not near as good when I only worked weekends), working at an assisted living in the dining room full time during the week($9/hr), while also working for a small photography company shooting school ID's and yearbook photos ($15/hr, 5 hr minimum pay) and what not a few times a week, for which I woke up super early!

Now I'm just Valeting 45+ hours a week (I walk to work cause its just across the street from my spartment) making more than a 19 yr old should be able to make in my opinion. Also I was homeschooled and haven't started college yet if you must know lol. Getting to the point without spoiling exactly what I make I'm currently working over full time hours making $16 as a BARE MINIMUM. With that said me and my girlfriend live together (saves quite a bit) and we both just payed cash for our rides in June. She worked with me at both jobs (not valet.... The other 2) but now she tends bar at a upper class steakhouse. I've got the 09 sport touring nav Z and she's got the 2010 synergy green camaro, with the 3kgt saved for rainy/icy days(front wheel drive).

In the area I live in it is especially common for kids my age to be bought nice cars, and the sad part is I look just like the teenager who's mommy and daddy bought me this Z when in reality I couldn't be further from them and actually dispise, no maybe not dispise, just feel bad for knowing they will never know how I feel about my Z! So that about sums my book up haha!
I make between $30-50k a year and bought this car paying cash within 4 years of starting my first job. Hope this motivates lazy teens to get off the couch and work your *ss off!

Just Rep'n myself a little cause I'm new to the forum, check out my first thread I've posted as a member here on the members Z gallery and let me know what you guys think of the pics!

You stopped the poll WAY too low. The average Z06 owner makes $144K a year according to GM's marketing study (I am far and away not one of those, lol). The Z06 doesn't cost that much more than a fully-loaded 370Z (like $25K).

At any rate, I just discovered that I am poorer than the average 370Z owner. *sigh*

But being single w/no kids or alimony, I have a solid amount of disposable income. :)

In the lowest category.....but I have a Z that I paid for myself so I'm still good. Living at home for the win! :tup:

I figured anyone making over $75k, barring any other responsibilities, would be more than able to afford a Z. I was more curious about the number of people who can barely afford it.

I might fit into that category as a college student working part time. I live at home with my parents though so I don't have any living expenses (rent/mortgage, food, etc.). I make enough to pay all my bills and have some left over for fun stuff (including mods ;)). Although if I wasn't going to become a full time engineer with an expectation of making a good amount of money after I graduate, I would have never bought the Z.

Oh, well, I could BARELY afford a 370Z if I made $25K NET per year, at my current level of lifestyle. That's just me, though. I do not live at home, and my parents pay for nothing but my cell plan because my Dad owns a company and I get full internet/media for $40/mo on my Droid. Impossible to beat that.

I'm 25 and only make slightly north of $50k/yr but I am single. I have no kids. All my income goes to me. I can easily afford the car with my lifestyle but I can see how someone making the same as me but has kids/wife would be working a little harder to have one.

Good job Dallaz, the world needs more responsible fellas like yourself! I live in N Dallas area too and am sick of all these spoiled brats driving cars they really dont deserve. While I didnt pay cash for my Z, I put a good chunk of change down. I have lots of bills since I live by myself, for now. I'm not complaining, bills are just a part of life.
Keep up the good work!

I make total sh¡t money myself. Unfortunatly, what little money I HAD was from losing both of my parents. I spent the family "fortune" on a house and the Z. My dad was a car nut. Grew up in the 60s drag racin on the street. The days where a guy would say "i got a 1/8 mile car, thats what I run" so my dad would be in the driveway droppin a different trans into his car the day before. He was a Corvette man thru and thru. He actually went thru the windshield of his friends Vette at one point and bounced off the pavement quite a bit before comin to a stop. He was read his last rights in the hospital, but made it anyway. He always joked that when he died I would buy a Lamborghini or something ridiculous with his money, so the way I recieved it sorta prevented me from doing so, not that I would have. Ive been a life long Z lover, owned many. My 370 was part of a healing process. My father and I were always talkin bout cars, one thing we really had in common. We never got to do a project car together and he never got to get his Vette back befote he passed. My Z project is dedicated to him. Oh and he was a total "do it yourself and use the right damn tool!" kinda guy. So I make sure I personally spin all the wrenches :)

That sucks man, but kind of cool. :tup:

the tough thing of course is where you live. I took a huge pay cut in terms of numbers by moving to the south, but the money goes a lot farther down here. $75k is barely surviving in NYC, if you go down to Mobile, AL, you might be the richest guy around.

the difference with the Z06 is the average owner is MUCH older than the average Z owner-- offhand, I think it is like 50. The Z average is about 30 IIRC.

Dude, I know it may not mean a lot to you but I have a lot of respect for you and for what you went through. I'm glad you kept fun memories of your father... best of luck to you bud :tiphat:
Very well put broski. Your money goes farther in the South. My lady gave up on trying to convince me to move MidWest since I could work from anywhere I wanted :icon17: we would have lived off comfortably in a ranch style place with tons of land and within a fraction of our income closer to her family :wtf2: but noooo I'm enjoying so much being close to all the partisan bickering among politicians, working harder to squeeze more value of my dinero, higher property taxes, higher property cost, new earthquakes + hurricanes, being closer to my family and the last but not least not having to squash the pumpkin of some dumb clan member staring at me because I was macking a couple of caucasian ladies in the club all by myself :rock:, I'm loving it out here a lot. I'm digressing, your money goes a long way in the South ;)

:eek:
I wish I could have been there to see that:icon17:



Of course for me, I'm still paying for a place in Reston as well...so I guess that's losing?

No worries man, I am very lucky not to have dealt much with it; I'm guessing my size tremendously helps. That one and only instance was in Muncie, IN (believe me, if and when you get there, your first reflex is to check if we are still in the 21st century). It's rough that you also have to pay for the place in Reston dude. We're hanging out this Saturday with Randy right? :tup:

I'm actually not gonna be up this weekend. I will be up Sept 23-24, so I'll be at that meet. :tup:

Darn man!! I'll be in OC for the bike fest :( No worries, you'll be back :tup:

I make way more money when I goto the desert...

I remember my 1st outting I made 10k in spending cash.... I miss those days

But we like to have you stateside. You were kicking a$$ way too much in the desert Isamu ;) An acquaintance went out for a 6 month assignment; the day he completed the assignment, the bunker right next to his got hit by a mortar. Always a scary thing being out there but we are very grateful for the service and sacrifice.

:tiphat: much appreciated.

I agree, and I honestly have no CLUE how people with a deadbeat wife/husband and 3 kids even make it at all. I admire their thrift.

I always thought the average 'vette owner is on a fixed income :icon18:

I live in Louisiana right now. IN a year or so, Oregon or some other more northern area. I have had all the dumb redneckery and thugdom that I can handle. The different races here play out their stereotypes perfectly to the utmost negative. I have found that racism here is a product of experience and common sense and not prejudice in many cases. People BECOME racist after living here, and people as a rule do what's expected of them, so you get a bunch of dumb rednecks hooning around in pickups and a bunch of thugs robbing K-marts.

Money may go a long way in the south, but you get what you pay for.

yea, I miss it tho, before I got married, I would volunteer for every 365 to the sand box that came up.. the money is good... and I only got 6 months worth of a taste..

now that I am married... as much as I would love to go, and come back and have my TT all installed an ready to go, I would miss my wife waaaaay to much :happydance:

They struggle and hustle, seriously. Howard County has one of the highest household income in the US; the media income currently stands around 81K, average house in the area is in the 500-600K (not the fanciest home but average) for a family with 2 kids & a dog, plus car payments. Things get tight soon in that type of situation. Not a situation I would ever like to find myself in; when purchasing my house a few years ago, the real estate lady was trying to get me to go for more; I simply asked in a polite fashion to keep out of what I can afford and focus more on what I asked her to get me. I have too many friends my age living in close to million dollar home and being house poor, struggling every month to meet their engagements though making great money.
You are all over the place man ;) well placed about stereotyping being a product of experience and common sense. I always have a good laugh at the trucks with hanging silver/gold b*lls.

Marriage would do that to you and slightly tame down that uber wildness of yours. I said slightly when you have an awesome wife who lets you be :tup:

:icon18:

The z06 crew is viewed like Honda kids by the rest of the vette contingency:roflpuke2: