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Originally Posted by Accumulator
Series1- Learning to drive a stick isn't something you oughta do in a car that's expensive to repair. Clutches and synchronizers aren't all that cheap to replace on *anything*  Most people get the hang of it pretty fast, but getting the double clutching and heel-and-toe work down to where you don't hurt the machinery takes a little while and I'd want to learn on something easier (and cheaper) than a Viper.
Having a car sitting in the garage never/seldom being used is hard on the car and on your mind. Gee, ask how I know  Get something you'll put a lot of happy miles on.
IMO the single best thing you could do to take advantage of your father's largess (and I mean that in the best possible way  ) is to do a few of the better driving schools. You'll have a *LOT* of fun, you'll learn all sorts of stuff that you could never learn on your own, and you'll not only gain skill as a driver, you'll also get a feel for what kind of car you really like. By the time you've a few on-track classes, you'll be viewing this stuff from a whole 'nother perspective.
Honest to god, having had a few radically fast cars, beastly performance cars simply aren't all that much fun on the street (great heaps of fun on the track though). There's an old saying that's very true: driving a fast car slow isn't nearly as much fun as driving a slow car fast And you really do have to drive fast cars at about 4/10ths on the street or you'll end up incarcerated (or worse). No you *WON'T* behave; you'll yield to temptation, eveybody does when they're young. I was lucky; I only lost my license for forever and a day
I'd be pretty surprised if an insurance company would write you a policy for a Viper anyhow. For the price of that policy your dad could buy you a lot of tires and brake pads
Nothing wrong with enjoying your father's generosity; get some good training and then get him to buy something you'll really enjoy driving day in/day out. I betcha it won't be a Viper |
Accumulator, you are a wise, wise man my friend.
I couldn't agree more. You go out to a few professional driving schools, and not only will you be more adept at handling yourself in a car, you'll also have a completely new respect for driving in general. And as long as you vent the testosterone on the track regularly, you'll have no reason/excuse/want to drive like the typical out of control teenager in an Sti that ends up on youtube or worse. I think it should be mandatory for every teen ager to attend a
professional driving course (leagues above what passes for "Drivers Ed" at schools now days) before getting their licenses.
The Viper (and the vast majority of two door, extreme performance coupes) are punishing cars to drive. They are not daily drivers, by any means. Extreme performance comes at the expense of extreme discomfort. Plus, I'm sure a young guy like yourself is probably gonna want to put more than one other person in the car, right? Don't get me wrong, I look forward to the day when I'm old(er) and grey(er) and can afford to launch my new Viper at the track, but until then, the Charger offers enough bang for the buck, and comfortably holds my whole family, too.
As for driving a clutch.... you *will,* as Accumulator mentioned, damage a Viper if you try to learn on it.
No matter what car you get, you should honestly think about taking Accumulator's advice and attending every professional driving school you can. Not only is it great fun, you'll come out the other end a better driver in all respects.
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