2 seater in a 2 car family household?

[Cookie Monster]

He's saying it's financially improbable to pay for a kid before it's born. He's pointing out that you have to work for years to afford a kid, while you're raising him or her.

Well, yeah, it's not like I'd immediately stop working after having kids...

I guess I am missing his/your point.

[Tave]

Well, yeah, it's not like I'd immediately stop working after having kids...

I guess I am missing his/your point.

Let me put it this way,

Do you know how much money you will make, save, and spend over the next 50 years, and do you know much money your kids will cost to raise?


For most people, you never know if you can "afford" a child. You have a general idea of whether you're in a good position or a bad position, but that is subject to change, sometimes completely out of your control.

[Onslaught]

To all of you guys with kids I was thinking about this today and perhaps you can help me with it. I'm sure this will sound over the top.

If you're a parent should you want a sports car? What I mean is, as soon as you've got a child then he/she is your number one responsibility in the world. Your life is devoted to taking care of the child and making sure that it's got everything needed in life until it's old enough to go out on his/her own. Or if you're a parent that's worth a shit that's how it is.

So driving around in a Mustang or whatever with a kids seat in the back would be torture. Here you've got a fast car and for the love of God I'd think you wouldn't drive it in a "Sporty" way with your defenseless child in the back seat.  So what's the point of it?

And should you drive it in a "sporty" way even if the kid isn't in it? What if you fuck up and crash and can't work for some time and put food on the table? What if you get killed and the kid won't have a dad. Sure these things could happen to you in a Camry too. Just driving like a grandpa from work and some kid in a Honda with a fart can plows into you. Anything can happen.
But you must admit that driving a sports car/sedan and getting any real feeling of fun out of them means taking it past the point that's normal legal or safe on public roads. And doing so increases the chances of you fucking up.

So you'll just take it out on track days? Well how often do you really do that? Sounds great but most people I know don't do it all that much. And you can still get hurt or worse doing it. Not a very good chance of that but I've seen it happen before.

I'm not sure if I'm suggesting that a parent shouldn't have any kind of life. But I was wondering if these things come to mind after you've had a kid? To tell you the truth us kid-less people shouldn't drive in too much of a fun way too. We could be the ones running into someones family car. But if I go out on a track day and wrap the RX-8 around a tree then it will only hurt my parents and brother. If a dad did it then his kid would be hurt more.

[Tave]

OK, what I'm asking is, why should the car be the first to go? There are many other things that can be let go first before the car. It's what you prioritize. Yes, ultimately, I'd let go of the car if I had to, but I'd cut out other, less important (to me) things like buying myself new clothes, eating out, etc.

That was just one of an infinite number of scenarios. Yours is probable as well. Like I said, I know people who had cool cars growing up, and I'm not saying you won't. I'm just saying you won't really know one way or the other until it happens. That's life.

[Vinsanity]

If you wait until you have enough in the bank before having kids...you will never have kids.

this will probably be me

[Cookie Monster]

That was just one of an infinite number of scenarios. Yours is probable as well. Like I said, I know people who had cool cars growing up, and I'm not saying you won't. I'm just saying you won't really know one way or the other until it happens. That's life.

Yeah, I agree that you don't really know what'll happen until it happens, but it sounds like some of you guys (mainly SVT666) are saying that as soon as you get married and have a kid, the car is gone.

My only comment originally was that I wouldn't let my wife sell my car when we get married just because she doesn't like it. Unfortunately I know some people like that too and it kinda pisses me off. I kind of think that's what MrH was implying as well. I don't know how I got roped into this other bullshit.

[Cookie Monster]

this will probably be me

I'm banking on my lack of social skills to never get married in the first place.

[sportyaccordy]

OK, what I'm asking is, why should the car be the first to go? There are many other things that can be let go first before the car. It's what you prioritize. Yes, ultimately, I'd let go of the car if I had to, but I'd cut out other, less important (to me) things like buying myself new clothes, eating out, etc.

Yea this is a good point. Everyone has their things, they let go of a bunch of them when they have kids.

[Onslaught]

I'd think it's rather clear why the car would be the first thing to go. Other then your house, a car is normally one of your most expensive possessions. So it would be one of the things you could get the most money for. And  a less sporty car would cost much less to keep up. Gas, general up keep and tires cost MUCH less on a family car compared to a sports car.

[Cookie Monster]

I'd think it's rather clear why the car would be the first thing to go. Other then your house, a car is normally one of your most expensive possessions. So it would be one of the things you could get the most money for. And  a less sporty car would cost much less to keep up. Gas, general up keep and tires cost MUCH less on a family car compared to a sports car.

Not on something like a Miata.

If it's a Porsche or Ferrari, or something, then yeah I agree, but at that point you probably shouldn't be owning a sports car like that if you need to sell it due to unforseen circumstances.

[sportyaccordy]

I'd think it's rather clear why the car would be the first thing to go. Other then your house, a car is normally one of your most expensive possessions. So it would be one of the things you could get the most money for. And  a less sporty car would cost much less to keep up. Gas, general up keep and tires cost MUCH less on a family car compared to a sports car.

Not necessarily. Miata is a perfect example. Family sedans like Altima 3.5 or Accord V6 have the same big engines/wheels/brakes as some sports cars. RX-8 is supposedly a perfect combo of everything.

Plus obv if an emergency comes up and you need to liquidate a car is obviously something to get rid of. But if you need cash you won't get much money replacing a car, unless you have like a 911 GT3 and downgrade to a '90 Sentra. Plus having a kid shouldn't be an emergency or surprise to begin with. If you can't afford it don't have it.

A lot of sports cars have bottomed out on their depreciation curves. Obv you have to pay insurance + gas + maintenance but that's a given for any car. Point being the case can be made to keep a cheapish sports car once you have it.

[Eye of the Tiger]

I grew up in the back if a Monte Carlo SS. I don't know how I survived with two doors and such a modest
backseat.

[Cookie Monster]

I grew up in the back if a Monte Carlo SS. I don't know how I survived with two doors and such a modest
backseat.

I grew up in the back of an '83 Mazda GLC. It must have stunted my growth. I would have been 8'6" otherwise.

[Onslaught]

First of all I'm drunk, so forgive me.

But I thought we're talking about having just two cars. One a family car like a Mazda6 or Camry and the other a sports car/sedan for dad.
How did the Miata come into this? Did we not already say that having a pure two seat car as the only back up was illogical? What if the other car
is in the shop?  What if the wife calls and says she needs you to pick up the kid from daycare?

So you can't have something like the Miata (by the way, not having a Miata is evil) as your second car. It's got to be something like an RX-8 or 3 series.
And those cost much more to keep up then something like an MX-5 or MR-2 Spyder.


I could be off on this because I've been hitting the Gentleman Jack rather hard.



I said hard.

[Onslaught]

I grew up in the back of an '83 Mazda GLC. It must have stunted my growth. I would have been 8'6" otherwise.

Whatever, I would ride in the back of my dad's 1978 Chevy truck in lawn chairs going to the beach in a 4 1/2 drive. It was fun when he had to stop.

[Cookie Monster]

First of all I'm drunk, so forgive me.

But I thought we're talking about having just two cars. One a family car like a Mazda6 or Camry and the other a sports car/sedan for dad.
How did the Miata come into this? Did we not already say that having a pure two seat car as the only back up was illogical? What if the other car
is in the shop?  What if the wife calls and says she needs you to pick up the kid from daycare?

So you can't have something like the Miata (by the way, not having a Miata is evil) as your second car. It's got to be something like an RX-8 or 3 series.
And those cost much more to keep up then something like an MX-5 or MR-2 Spyder.


I could be off on this because I've been hitting the Gentleman Jack rather hard.



I said hard.

I was talking about the Miata as a 3rd car. Gas, maintenance and insurance wouldn't be any more (in fact may be less) than a normal family sedan.

[Onslaught]

I was talking about the Miata as a 3rd car. Gas, maintenance and insurance wouldn't be any more (in fact may be less) than a normal family sedan.

Oh, as a 3rd car then ok. My car is cheap as shit. Hell, it cost me less then $2K over 14 years ago.

[Cookie Monster]

Oh, as a 3rd car then ok. My car is cheap as shit. Hell, it cost me less then $2K over 14 years ago.

You got a 7 year old car for less than $2k??

[Onslaught]

You got a 7 year old car for less than $2k??

I have skillz. And it came out of a junk yard. That helped.

[68_427]

I grew up in the back if a Monte Carlo SS. I don't know how I survived with two doors and such a modest
backseat.

The back seat of at least the early 2000's Monte is entirely habitable by grown people.

[Cookie Monster]

The back seat of at least the early 2000's Monte is entirely habitable by grown people.

Pretty sure they didn't have early 2000's Monte Carlos back in the '80's and '90's when Nick was growing up...

[Eye of the Tiger]

The back seat of at least the early 2000's Monte is entirely habitable by grown people.

I'm a bit older than that.

[68_427]

Pretty sure they didn't have early 2000's Monte Carlos back in the '80's and '90's when Nick was growing up...

I can't imagine there being much of a size difference.

[68_427]

I'm a bit older than that.

Your parents had a Nascar? 

[Eye of the Tiger]

Your parents had a Nascar? 

Yeah, with a "H.O." 305 boat anchor.

[68_427]

Too bad it wasn't an aero coupe.  Cus you woulda been going like 200mph anytime you went somewhere.

[Eye of the Tiger]

Too bad it wasn't an aero coupe.  Cus you woulda been going like 200mph anytime you went somewhere.

Ya I know. My dad says he got it up to 85 once.
Now he'll drive 85 in his SUV without even realizing it.

[68_427]

Ya I know. My dad says he got it up to 85 once.
Now he'll drive 85 in his SUV without even realizing it.

Maybe because the speedo only showed 85mph?  Coulda been like 87mph.

[Eye of the Tiger]

Maybe because the speedo only showed 85mph?  Coulda been like 87mph.

That is true, it only showed up to 85. Supposedly, the actual top speed was 130.

[68_427]

That is true, it only showed up to 85. Supposedly, the actual top speed was 130.

If you drop it from the heavens...