US Member

[Pyrokenesis17]

Hey guys, names Alex and im really interested in tuning cars and such. I live in NYC and was wondering if you guys have any ideas or info about shops and cars in the area. Im not old enough to drive yet, only 15, but when I do get a car, i want to start customizing it RIGHT away.

[waynne]

HI Pyrokenesis17 and welcome to TorqueCars. I'm sure it wont be long before you get out some tools and start modding the car yourself. I'm in the UK so unfortunately I can't recommend any custom shops in the NYC area. What do you think your first car is going to be? At what age can you start driving over there?

[Pyrokenesis17]

Well we can start driving at 16, driving permit, but license can vary from 16 and a half to 18. I personally wont be able to drive for quite a while, living in NYC, driving is a major issue, everybody uses public transportation. Plus, insurance is a pain and idiots are everywhere. I was thinking my car to be one which is highly customizable, such as Mitsubishi Evo, Mitsubishi Lancer, Acura Integra, Dodge Neon, and those are some of them. I would love to work in a custom shop, to help broaden my understanding of cars and such, but nobody would hire a 15 year old.

Thanks for the warm welcoming!

[Prince]

Alright mate, welcome to TorqueCars! Again another UK based member here, so I can't help with the local garage problem. But I'm sure you could find some online in your local phone book (if you have one?). As for the car, how about an old 70s Cutlass Supreme?

[Pyrokenesis17]

Thank you for the welcoming! Personally, im not into older models, I prefer imports, tuner imports, and such. Its a nice car though. Im more into the whole "Fast and the Furious" series cars

[Prince]

What kinda cars can you get as your first car over there? In England we have to get an old, low engined car because we get ragged on the insurance! My first car was a 1.0 litre Vauxhall (Opel to the rest of the world) Corsa. I'm assuming the situation is pretty much the same in the US?

[Pyrokenesis17]

Well for us in the US, insurance depends on many factors. Area, model, method of purchase, year, and so on. Insurance would be cheaper if you bought the car without borrowing any money from the bank than it would be by borrowing. Generally the cars a lot as well, so I'd need to save up money for quite a while.

Generally, any car can be bought. I mean, if you can afford it that is. Usually insurance is much cheaper in the suburban areas than it is in the City, thats the other reason I wont be getting a car any time soon. Insurance here costs 4000 dollars a year... and were not rich . I realize customizing cars is quite expensive.

[Prince]

$4000 a yeah?! Bloody hell! That's like £2000! Customising is expensive...not so much because of the price of Modifications, but as soon as you declare the Modifications to your insurance, your premium goes up. I'm waiting for my insurance to get to back to me on whether I can put a sports exhaust on my car. They've said the brakes are fine though! Won't have to pay any extra for that!

[Pyrokenesis17]

oh great... so you have to report the stuff to the insurance company? crap, so the more Modifications you have the more you pay... crap. Do you have a list or a website with more info on it? im also doing a HUGE school project, and it happens to be on car modding, it kinda determines whether I get a International Baccalaureate diplmoa, i dont know if you've ever heard of it, its a worldwide diploma. This is why im asking so many questions, the more information I have the better.

[Prince]

u could try getting a couple of quotes from insurance companies with and without Modifications...then compare them. as for the info, its UK law that we have to declare Modifications! i don't know US law, but i'd imagine its the same. As for websites....I tried searching google 'UK car modification laws'. But the only results just list illegal Modifications (neon lights, window tints that don't let in at 75% of daylight). You could try making this a forum topic. It'll get the attention of everybody and there's al ot of guys on here with a lot of experience.

[waynne]

Have a read of htis article on insurance (its more UK biased but the general principles will apply!)
http://www.torquecars.com/articles/m...-insurance.php