any "regular working guys" own a 360

[Krashdoc]

Agree with misconception of doctors. Most doctors are graduating with 6 figure debt. My usual college weekends were spent working. After graduating from college, I did not take a summer vacation. I had to start my research project. Went to 4 years of med school that included countless sleepless nights and eating Ramen and Ragu. After medschool, came 3 years of residency. Had to work beyond what is expected of me to get into the fellowship of choice. After residency came 3 more years of fellowship. After fellowship came 1 more year of sub sub specialty. I was in school from 5 years of age to 36 years of age. No breaks between. Most of my classmates graduated with a huge debt. Some with over $200,000 from school loans. My reimbursement is being cut by medicare. My overhead is about 45%. I am still pulling all-nighters most time I am oncall. Despite all this, I love my job. I just hope to love it for a forseeable future. With the new health care reform and the unknowns, its scary. I feel for my colleagues who graduated with a huge school loans that are unsure of their future. I am an average joe who is working hard and long hours to get by. Occasionally I dream of owning a car that I lusted over since my youth.

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[SCEye]

yup. Most doctors in their 30's have been studying nearly their whole life to be where they are. They make money because of the virtue of their intelligence and hard work, not because they're doctors. They would have made just as much, if not more, money had they chosen to do something else.

[gandalfthegray]

Have driven over the road trucks for 9 years now, I currently own a 99 360. I am definitely your "regular working guy". If you want it enough, you will make it a priority.

[MrEdS4]

I know several working guys who have Ferraris. Some make considerably less than six figures. If you read sites like this, just be mindful of the maintenance costs and prepare yourself for the depreciation and you will enjoy ownership. Shopping is really fun though and my two cents would be to take your time, shop around, and experience as many as you can before you pull the trigger. It is easy to get caught up with the first one that you see and rationalize all of the downsides. 360's are 6-10 years old now and they all have their issues. There are good ones out there and there are some that are garbage. Always get a good PPI. PM me if you want any other advice. Ours will turn over 50k miles this week!

[gandalfthegray]

Originally Posted by MrEdS4

I know several working guys who have Ferraris. Some make considerably less than six figures. If you read sites like this, just be mindful of the maintenance costs and prepare yourself for the depreciation and you will enjoy ownership. Shopping is really fun though and my two cents would be to take your time, shop around, and experience as many as you can before you pull the trigger. It is easy to get caught up with the first one that you see and rationalize all of the downsides. 360's are 6-10 years old now and they all have their issues. There are good ones out there and there are some that are garbage. Always get a good PPI. PM me if you want any other advice. Ours will turn over 50k miles this week!

I've got 49k and change on mine! I'm right behind you on the way to 50k. Might even beat you if it ever stops raining here in Minnesota.

[StreetSpeed]

Originally Posted by mod220

. the difference with you is you have yet to quantify it. you claim to have been a poor 18 year old who saved up. nobody else's money, just saved, saved and saved. all I'm asking is for you to quantify that?

either you have exaggerated how bad your situation was, or you were hood rich buying a lambo while still bunking up with your folks. so which is it?

Kid must be a God damn drug dealer...

I kiiiiiiiiiiiiid I kiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiid.

I'm also fuzzy on what people are referring to as a regular working guy here. A trader on wall street who works 14 hours a day is a regular working to me, he just makes $700,000 a year. What are we qualifying as a regular working guy? Under a $100K a year? As far as I can see if you make less than $100K a year, I don't care how much you've saved, you're crazy to be buying a $150,000 car.

We're gonna need to bust out this classic:

[997.1]

I am 24 now, 23 when I got my first 997. Can't wait to actually start working. Oh, Im going the doctor route.

[lbmtb]

Originally Posted by 997.1

I am 24 now, 23 when I got my first 997. Can't wait to actually start working. Oh, Im going the doctor route.

Who paid for that?

[StreetSpeed]

Originally Posted by 997.1

I am 24 now, 23 when I got my first 997. Can't wait to actually start working. Oh, Im going the doctor route.

I will commend you for that. If I was enough means that someone was buying me a Porsche when I was 23, and there's obviously some generational money in the family, I don't know that I would have the desire to work for a living.

[beantowntechy]

Regarding the perception of doctors and lawyers though, I would like to comment on that because I think it's comical. So many doctors these days, in particular the younger ones, are up to their ear holes in debt...now factor in the cost of being a doctor (malpractice insurance especially)..and I can say the several I know are far from being rich...and one goof away from someone else owning everything they have. Lawyers? I know so many lawyers who make a very modest income (40k in boston, and for the northeast, you can make the same amount of money doing retail mgt)...and there are a glut of lawyers out there (3 additional yrs post undergrad) and so few jobs, the average lawyer won't make good money for a long time.

I, on the other hand, got my start in information technology. I have passed all of my peers since I started in this industry 12 years ago and would surprise anyone with the money I make...and I only have an associates degree. But, I work hard and make things happen, and all of my employers have rewarded me for such. None have ever wanted to lose me, and those that heard about me were willing to pay more than the next guy to obtain my employment.

Moral of my rant? I guess perceptions are so way off base these days, they need to be re-written to reflect the sign of the times. If you work hard and make the right career choices, the money will come with it...it doesn't matter what you do. If you choose a job solely to chase the almighty dollar, you are destined to fail before you even start.

In the end, so long as you're happy when you go to sleep at night, that's all that matters.

Update: CNN's feature article this morning. I didn't see any Dr's/lawyers in top 10, but my career is #1.
http://money.cnn.com/magazines/money...apshots/1.html

[PARealtor]

buy what makes you happy and screw what others think. If you feel you can afford it then by all means go for it. Sure youre going to have those trust fund babies and lottery winners who will look down on you but even doctors and lawyers have to work hard for what they earn.

Buy it and enjoy it so long as it does financially hurt you down the road.

[Onetime]

Originally Posted by StreetSpeed

Kid must be a God damn drug dealer...

I kiiiiiiiiiiiiid I kiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiid.

I'm also fuzzy on what people are referring to as a regular working guy here. A trader on wall street who works 14 hours a day is a regular working to me, he just makes $700,000 a year. What are we qualifying as a regular working guy? Under a $100K a year? As far as I can see if you make less than $100K a year, I don't care how much you've saved, you're crazy to be buying a $150,000 car.

We're gonna need to bust out this classic:

That's exactly what I'm talking about!

[adamls2]

Originally Posted by redhotmurc333

Personally I don't think it matters "what" you do, what your title is or where you live, whether it's a house, a mansion, or a apt...AS LONG AS YOU CAN AFFORD IT and the maintenance(Services, repairs, insurance, registration, taxes, gas)and it is your passion, go for it!!!
My passion for cars stemmed since I was a little boy in the 70's as I watched my big bro work on his 76' Pontiac Firebird in the garage or take me on canyon runs in his Jensen Healey...That's when my love affair for cars began and I knew I would ALWAYS want a nice sports car!!!

And years later when I got into college, I lived with roommates, in a rental property and I went to school full time AND worked full time and when my other friends spent all their money on nice clothes, leisure activities and partying, I didn't!
Instead I saved and saved and bought myself a 1 year old pre-owned 93 Porsche 911 C-2 in triple black! Was I pushing it??? YES...but was I happy??? HECK YEAH I was!!!
And yea I got stares and yeah I got comments like, "DADDY'S CAR?"
But you know what??? I LOVED IT and DIDN'T GIVE A CRUD! Because at the end of the day, after parking the car in the garage, I would shut the door, set the alarm, and then take one more look at the baby before going inside and have a feeling of fulfilment that was undescribable...It was like feeling full even if I haven't eaten yet!!!
And since then, about 16 years after...I have owned almost every car that I've dreamed of owning! Am I the richest man in the world? Not EVEN CLOSE! Do I lose alot of money than justifiable from depreciation? Probably!
Do some people think I'm crazy for going thru cars so quickly? You betcha!
Do I care? NOT!
Why??? Because it is my passion and if I'm going to be working hard to get these hard earned dollars, I think I am entitled to have at least one hobby that will make me happy! As long as I have all my other priorities straight, it doesn't hurt anybody~
Because maybe to someone a $1200 pair of shoes, $180k watch, or a $5000 Cell Phone may make sense... but to me... NOT REALLY!
But I don't knock them because maybe that's their passion...BUT my passion is in cars!!! Different strokes for different folks!!!
My friends used to ask me, "If you had a choice of having a huge house and a mediocre car or have an AWESOME car and live in an apt, what would u choose?" What do you think my answer was?? Right!!! HAHA!

So yea, you will always have someone judging you or saying things that you don't want to hear BUT they are all entitled to their opinions and you shouldn't let it get to you and you should never have to justify your passion to anyone! Because that is your prerogative and your forte~

Sorry for the long story but if you want it, whether it's the prancin horse, a stuttgart shield or a raging bull and you CAN afford to pay cash or finance it(either or it's all just a numbers game cuz if you pay cash for this you're probably making payments on something else)... Just GO FOR IT!!!
Because in the long haul, you're the one that's paying the notes anyways...not them!!!

thanks for the wonderful story....really inspiring...thanks for sharing

[adamls2]

Originally Posted by Auctung

I couldnt disagree more with everything you have to say.
First, I bought my Lambo when I was living at home at 22 and only kick myslef for not doing it sooner. I now own my own home and it is by far the dumbest thing I ever did. I NEVER wanted to be a home owner, but when prices tanked I bought a home at a great price in a nice prentious pompous neighborhood in the "rich" area of town. I also bought probulay the worst house in the neighborhood so Im surrounded by snobs whos main focus in their life is keeping up with the Jones and entire self worth seems to be on showing up each other homes while I couldnt give two ****s about my own, and boy do they love that
as far as "investment" thats a huge joke. Getting past the equity thing vs throwing your money away with an apt, you are throwing even more away with a home. Property tax, when you need a new roof, when the AC ****s out, when the fridge takes a crap, when the sump pump goes bad, when the toilet backs up, maintance on the lawn, tress, shrubs, etc., painting the house, HOA dues, and on and on and on and on some more. Its an endless money pit, then when you work all week to pay the mortgage you get to work all weekend keeping the house clean, mowing the lawn, making it look nice like the neighbors etc. A home slowly kills your soul, a car may depreciate, but the joy and passion it fills you with is something you can never put a price on.

Further more, great you bought a say 400k home and after so many years its now worth 550k. You sell it to "move up", but all the homes you want to move up to have now gone up in value too, on top of that after all your prop taxes and endless expenses what ever is left now goes to the realitor and her 6-7% commission, so you either lost money or made next to nothing for all your risk, time, effort, etc.
In the end you should only own a home if you abosultly must (such as a large family) or it is your passion and you know what youre in for.

spend your money on cars if thats what makes you happy, dont follow anyones BS rules of how to live your life.

I made the best of it by getting roomies, so ALL of my expenses are covered and I can go back to putting all my funds towars more cars
next up a CGT, and that may be here next month
now isnt that more fun than wasting your life to have glorified place to eat, sleep, and poop?

btw, all my neighbors think Im a drug dealer too, and Im for real about that. A friend of mine is friends with a lady in the next neighborhood over and told him how they all talk in detail about me being one
or Im a "rich daddys boy"
I couldnt give two ****s less, I just let them think what they want

ur completly right man and good posting...hope u get the CGT soon!! its truly the best sounding car in the world imo and my dream car

[ice350]

I only read the first post by the thread starter and don't know where this has gone but here's my 2 cents.

I don't agree with seperating the dr's and lawyers from regular working folks. Anyone who works is regular working folk.
I might seperate out the trust fund kids or people who are spending someone else's money but anyone who works, set their goals and have achieved some degree of stability or success is a working stiff. Ask dr's how tough it is for some of them. Many lawyers are stressed to the hilts over decreasing income these days.
Many business owners work 10+ hours a day. It's tough all over right now.

Me, I consider myself a working stiff. Not near exotic car ability but I have 2 Lexus cars and I ain't complaining.

To the OP, why even worry about anyone else. Sounds like you have made the proper decisions and want to reward yourself with the car of your dreams. You're probably gonna need more than you thought to maintain it but go for it.