You have plenty of Time...Just getting the Car would be HUGE..

All the options can come later..Remember it will take time. And you may be buying Tires and brake pads first,haha..

Just keep your eye on the Ball.Your future and a Great Income.

Also if you are going to College, it can't hurt to ask the folks,"If I get a 4.0 average, will you buy me Rims when I graduate" That is an Incentive for you to work hard..

Nothing wrong with the folks helping out, provided they are financially secure. If they are not, then you will have to save it yourself..

I don't really see my mom doing that, and what I'm doing in college doesn't get me a GPA at all.
I'm going to be going to train/learn to be an X-Ray Tech for 2 years in the hospital, so once I get that certificate, or whatever they give me, I will be able to get a job at any hospital, Dr's office, etc.

I am mainly just doing this because I don't want to be like a lot of this country's graduates, wondering where and what they'll do after college. *And all the other variables like the job market*

To think back to find the clutch engage point is a challenge to me due to it engage so high off the ground. once I getting used to where it is it went much smoother.

also before I bought the car all the people I talk to said the car should start rolling 1000~1200 rev, but I found Z like it a bit higher for a better start.

I got my 370 couple Months ago and I'm 19 . I bought it on my own .
I am pretty responsible with it . I actually drive it slower compared to my Honda sometimes .
Mostly due to the car being more prone to getting pulled over than regular car .

:iagree: i find that my Z gets the smoothest take off at around 1500RPM, but 1000-1200 works equally well with a little more chatter around that range if you don't feather the clutch just right. as everyone else has said, it can be a little difficult to get used to the clutch on the Z as the Z is also the first manual car i have owned, but i had a little experience beforehand too driving my dads MT dodge daytona that was a turbo and also my buddies wifes 96 civic so it was a little less of a learning curve for me. Once you get it down though the driving experience of shifting through the gears is oh so rewarding :D

Very nice sir! Makes me wish I had kept my 67 Camaro. That was an awesome car.

I put the redline tranny fluid in mine and it didnt make a lick a diff.

:iagree: Thank you!

driving a standard transmission is a lost art... well at least here in the US.

TOTALLY AGREE. I've been teaching myself from reading and watching videos online, so when I went to the dealership for a test drive I was shocked at how long it takes to find the engagement point and right RPM compared to what most people preach.

yes... the Z is a bit less forgiving when it comes to the standard transmission, but I have never had a problem adapting to it... or to other cars at that...

I would totally take that deal from Mom! I explored being an x-ray tech after working as an assistant for a couple years. X-ray school has a waiting list usually a couple years long, then when you're in the program, you have a full year of full time internship(unpaid) so looks like Mom will be paying for most of the car lol

MT is totally the way to go and it's not that hard to drive! It will take a couple weeks to get the hang of it, but you will enjoy it regardless. MT keeps the car fresh and exciting by always improving and exploring the different ways to drive it.

*The GI Bill*??
I get 2100 a month just from going to college because my mom never used it while she was in the military.

Get the manual. You'll learn it quickly at your age. Trust me you won't regret it. Good luck and enjoy it!

It took me about a week to get the shifting down to where i wasnt riding a bucking horse. It took about 2 months for me to get really good at it.
I have the touring not sport package, so i didnt have the rev match system.

If you can drive a Z manual, you'll get in about any other manual and do great. It is definitely a little trickier than a lot of manuals, but rewarding to drive in any case.

As far as automatic vs. manual, I prefer an automatic in commuter/beater/grocery-getter, etc. When I have a car that's supposed to be an appliance that gets me from point A to point B, I want an automatic and a decent stereo, I don't want to feel a lot of bumps from stiff suspension, etc.

I wouldn't buy an automatic in a car like the Z, which I'd drive for fun. That said, the Z automatic is pretty nice as automatics go, and I certainly won't fault anyone for not wanting to shift themselves, but IMO the manual trans Z is a blast to drive for fun.

I purchased my first 370z (bare bones - no options) when I was 19. After a few years, I traded it in for the 40th anniversary. Both MT. Aside from the Z, the only other manual car I've driven was a long bed '99 Dodge Dakota pick up. I had 2 jobs at the time. One was paying $15/hr while the other $9/hr. I was also paying for college fees, books and rent. I had barely any money to spare for food as I had cell phone bills and car insurance to pay.

I understand that you will be supported by your parents, but please do understand there's a lot more to just paying the monthly on a sports car. Gas and maintenance will be expensive. I wouldn't want for you to suffer through what I have gone through (although circumstances are different). Theoritacally speaking, with current income I can purchase a Porsche Turbo 911. Can I afford to keep it? Absolutely not. Why? Because maintenance will be hell and it would be highly impractical for what I need daily. Do I enjoy driving my Z? Hell yes. It's what my budget can comfortably afford without getting myself in a hole incase of an emergency. You'll be going to college. Honestly, as much as I would like to tell you "HELL YES GET Z ITS KICKAZZ".. Get a more practical car for your purpose. Maybe a 4 seater (good on carrying books, dirty clothes and all other crap you'll have while in hs/college)and very good on gas?

Anyways.. back to topic

If you pay attention to the engagement point of your clutch everytime while taking off (that's where it matters anyways since manual cars are harder to stall while already in motion), you shouldn't have any problem. This car has a very "savage" clutch engagement point. It's never on the same spot. There will be times where its pretty darn high, then there will be times where engagement point is very close to the floor.

Remember to use your hand brake if moving from a stop going uphill. Our cars do not have hill assist like others. Hell.. even my girls prius has hill assist. lol. Anyways, keep the hand brake engaged until you feel the car starts moving forwards then you can just immediately disengage it. Does no hard if done properly.

Soon you won't need any of these little tricks because you'll be good enough to drive a manual car and think you're a pro. ;)

I apologize for the long write up but whichever path you may choose to go, please do understand what you're in for.

Best of luck and appreciate what you have.

^^^what the hell is hill assist? Never heard of it.

no, no, no.....be better and quick going from brake to throttle while feathering clutch.....friends don't let friends handbrake om hills. Practice and use it with confidence.

I just open my door and stick my left foot onto the ground Fred Flintstone style and spread my right foot across all 3 pedals.:happydance:

I do have the rev match and it scared the crap outta me the first time I heard it (during the test drive-OMG!)

I also took about two months to get the shifting down-somebody on here suggested higher revs between 1st and 2nd and that works like a charm...love my Z-:yum:

That is when we fire everyone on Capital Hill and start over..:tiphat:

:tup:

I think Manual will be much better as long as I get the Sport Package because I'd want to have the Rev Matching as a handicap until I can Heel Toe. Or maybe Ill just keep it on forever. lol

And thanks for the tips.

Well.. I call it hill assist lol. The current prius has this feature. While parked on an inclined hill/lot you press the brake pedal all the way down. There will be a light on the dashboard indicating you have activated the feature. Gives you roughly 3 seconds to move your foot from the brake pedal to the accelerator without the car rolling forward or backward. I believe some subarus have this feature as well :)

FX i totally relate to your story. I purchased a dodge charger new in february of 2008 when i was 19 and making $13 an hour it was $30k out the door 7 year loan(I was young, greedy and doing it alone so I was taken advantage of) So as we all know, the economy crashed later that year and I was literally starving trying to keep the payments going. My parents were in the same boat so I was on my own. I finally got through that and after a year of saving a "in case ****" fund from a new career that pays very well and is safe, I purchased my 40th. Which was only a month ago. Sometimes kids have to learn the hard way like you and I did. It was a struggle and I was so pissed but I definitely learned my lesson.

I know this is the very last thing he wants to hear but it had to be said to at least say we tried to help this kid. Who knows if Mom will need help with that GI bill money in the next few years. He is at least 4 years away from making any money as an xray technologist.

Anyway, I have a 40th which is a touring with sports package, have to say its sooo fun to drive and I don't see it getting old any time soon. that rev matching downshift is sweeeeet

oh and I also average 18MPG which is not so sweeeeeet.

This is a no brainer since its your first car. Get the manual. You need and want to learn manual before you ever get into an automatic so you can have full understanding and control of the car. Once you have done that. (Approx 3-5 years behind a manual). If you want to drive autos or or manuals or whatever? Be my guest.
I drive the A7, there's a lot of control with this kind of automatic. Quicker shifts and better use of the cars power under acceleration. But having manual control is a superior gift to earn than speed.

I seriously doubt he's "jealous" that you're getting a Z. He has one. :ugh2:

Get the manual. Look at it this way...

If you learn to drive stick now, with your first sports car, you will be learning a skill that you will have for life. When you are old and gray, in your 30s like me lol, you will be one hell of a manual driver.

I learned on my 5 speed Nissan Sentra when I was 19, and have owned nothing but manual cars since. Just be careful out there. The 370z is tons of fun to drive, but it can get you in a lot of trouble fast. IF you don't know your limits, or aren't paying attention, you can kill yourself or someone else pretty easily.

:iagree:gotta respect the power....

Someone needs to pull up that picture of the wrecked Z that was doing 150 and hit a small rock in the road. Scary ****.

when you get it ask them to hard wire the VDC to stay on at all times.........

Absolutely get the stick. Driving a stick is a fantastic skill that you will keep for life. It's also more personal than an auto. You will get to know your car better because you'll learn how it feels. Tough to describe but you'll understand later. I do suggest you rent a car with a stick first and learn on that as it will save your clutch much abuse. :driving:

Good luck with all this I won't preach practicality to you because it never worked on me either :tiphat:

What does this do?

Your name is legit. lol :tup:
And i actually think my friends brother is going to teach me in his honda so I will have experience under my belt before actually getting the Z.

sonic is messing with you...basically he's saying dont end up like a few people that have turned VDC off and didnt know how to control the car with it off.

You learn from your mistakes. Will this be a mistake? Only time will tell. I did get a great deal on mine from a young man who was in college. He decided it wasn't the right time and I got the deal.

Get the manual. I have to laugh when my daughter has to pull her car out of the car wash because no one there can drive a stick.........The auto's now days are generally excellent but there is just something about doing it yourself.

Oh lol. I actually had to good VDC to figure out what you are talking about. :D
And for me, it will probably stay on for a few years until I get on a track or something. :tup:

wait, is she pulling out someone else's car? or is someone pulling out her car?

I taught her to drive a manual. She hated me for it but now wants a manual car. She has to pull the manual car she drives out of the car wash because, generally, none of the employees know how to drive a manual. It is funny watching them come into the waiting area and asking her to pull the car out, so they can dry it. ;)

ive had a mazda dealer ask me to pull another customer's MT car out of the parking spot to get to another car they wanted to show another customer. :facepalm: