Looking for insight from Z owners who also own a GT-R

ImportConvert

What kind of job are you planning on getting/where are you going to live? Depending on your level of pay, and where you live, a Gallardo might just be a monumental PITA. First, service is only in major cities, and second, that service will make BMW's service dept. seem like a bargain.

m4a1mustang

Chemical engineer in DC/MD/NOVA. I think he'll be ok.

Plus he's a high dollar hooker by night. I can't even tell you how much I pay this guy.

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b1adesofcha0s

I should be set after a few years of experience and a master's degree

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Project: b1adeZmobile (2009 370Z) | Uprev Tune by AAM Competition | Berk Exhaust
Project: b1adeZmobile 2.0 (2014 C7 Z51) | Corsa Xtreme Exhaust

ImportConvert

PayScale - Chemical Engineer Salary Survey, Average Salaries

Assuming that is anywhere near accurate that's not much more than I make, and I have 0 debt and live pretty small other than my hobbies and I would NOT be able to take on a Gallardo without selling my soul to the thing.

Of course, that's just an average, and he may do much better than that.

Just food for thought, but my car payments are around $1K a month and insurance on both my cars is around $240/mo. I can do this comfortably but a Gallardo is well beyond me, though. Maintenance on that car would kill me, and you can't finance maintenance, lol.

*On a Gallardo, you are looking at $1-1.50 per mile to maintain. If you buy it used, check to see how much clutch is left. It's about $5K to replace and lasts around 15-25K miles normally, depending on how you drive it. Also understand that when you bu ya car like that pre-owned, it is HIGHLY likely that you are buying someone else's mess in that you are going to have a lot of wear/maintenance items to tend to right out of the gate. Have it inspected THOROUGHLY if you don't buy new.

m4a1mustang

I was dead serious about the high dollar hooker part.

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FL 4Motion

/\ check your PM's...












J/K

m4a1mustang

Check YOUR PMs!


NOT kidding.

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BrianMSmith

Car affordability is a very relative thing. I make well into 6 figures but support a family of 5, quarter mill mortgage, aggressive savings plan, kids in private school, child care with the wife doing post-graduate to start a career (which will make us a lot of money long term), and thus a $40k car has only been possible for me the last year or so, and I am now 41yo. So, what is "affordable" for me might be the same as for a 20 year old living with mom and dad, like many of the members on this forum.

m4a1mustang

Exactly. Everything is relative.

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ImportConvert

Exactly! I make a ton less than you do and one of my cars cost about 200% what a 370Z costs. I also live alone, don't like to go out, and have no debt. It's about lifestyle more than income.

b1adesofcha0s

I think the average pay here is higher than that. I have a couple friends graduating this year that are starting in the high $60k to low $70k range. With a couple years of experience and a master's degree I should be making quite a bit more. I think making six figures some where down the road isn't too unreasonable.

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Project: b1adeZmobile (2009 370Z) | Uprev Tune by AAM Competition | Berk Exhaust
Project: b1adeZmobile 2.0 (2014 C7 Z51) | Corsa Xtreme Exhaust

ImportConvert

I don't think the notes are going to be an issue for you, I think it's the maintenance that will be a pain. You could well begin looking at the car as "another mouth to feed" rather than the toy it should be. When Italian cars break, they take the piggyback with them.

One other thing to consider:

If you are going to buy a Gallardo in 5 years, it will be 5 years old. No warranty. Probably lots of stuff that needs attention, etc. Might leave a bad taste in your mouth from the get-go.

I dunno, I am just VERY leery of foreign cars that don't come with bumper-to-bumper warranties. That is also part of why I got a 7/70 bumper to bumper in addition to the 5/100 powertrain warranty on my Z06. When things on expensive cars go wrong, it is a $3-6K hit (if a "cheap" system goes out, like A/C or clutch) right off the bat. It sucks to get smacked with that when you least expect it.

I have owned about 5 cars in my short life, and every one of them at/past the 5-8-year point had, at some point in its life, absorbed at least 50-75% of current residual value in repairs. I have no reason to suspect a Lamborghini would be any different.

b1adesofcha0s

It's just dreams and high hopes right now. I'm sure by the time I'm ready to even thinkabout buying a car like that my priorities and responsibilities in life will have completely shifted from where they are now.

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Project: b1adeZmobile (2009 370Z) | Uprev Tune by AAM Competition | Berk Exhaust
Project: b1adeZmobile 2.0 (2014 C7 Z51) | Corsa Xtreme Exhaust

FL 4Motion

ImportConvert

Don't discount it. I planned to buy a Viper or a Z06 when I was a Junior in highschool. Then in my last year of college, I narrowed it down to the Z06. Then the last 1/2 year I got on the forums and began researching more and more and was certain I wanted a Z06.

Sure, most people on the forums talked a lot of ****, etc. about how I would never buy anything, on and on, but I'm the one laughing now.

Just because something is 5 years off doesn't mean you can't be serious about it and put things in place to make it happen. I wish I had taken more time to spruce up my credit. As it was, I was low 700's with no car-credit history. That made securing financing a bit tougher for me. However, my WS6 had a T56 transmission, which made the switch to the TR6060 all the easier. When I bought the WS6, the Viper and 'Vette had T56's, so I wanted to learn how to manage THAT transmission, as each manual I have driven has its little quirks. It served me well.

Anyway, my point is, 5 years is nothing, and don't let anything come between you and your dreams.