Well when you have mommy and daddy pay for everything then no you don't deserve it.

I have a 98 4.6L F-150. No it's not as powerful as a Lightning. It used to be my dad's until I payed off the last $4000 on the truck. I pay for my insurence, I pay for my gas, I pay for the repairs, and the mods.

When you get handed everything, how are you going to turn out when your on your own? $300 apartment payment, $300 water/electricity $300 insurence(guess). That's nearly $1000 a month. How are you going to pay that working at some fast food joint? Oh that's right, mommy and daddy will.

Anyways, I'm just ranting. I'm 17 yrs old. I have a clean slate, and I've been driving the last two years. I say if you can go a year without a ticket then you are lucky, or deserve the L.

After I get out of college, that I'm paying for(besides scholarship) I plan on getting a L. What I'm saying is you don't deserve something you haven't earned.

 

I'll be 22 in a month. I have had my truck since I was 19. I didn't mod anything but the stereo til I was almost 21. This truck will get into trouble, weather that is a simple fishtail here and there or serious incidents is beside the point. There have been many times that I have scared myslef sooo bad in this truck that it is hard to believe.

The point I think that should be made is that it really doesn't matter how mature/appreciative or anything you are. You just simply dont have the experience driving that older drivers have. I am not saying it is a bad idea to get a Lightning, I am just saying that there will be times that your heart will be beating 300 beats per minute and your a$$hole is so tight it feels like you will never be able to open it again cause of the power this truck has.

The more experience driving you have, the better you will keep your calm and not overreact when the ocassional butt-pucker comes around.

With that being said, good luck making a decision.

-Kimball

 

You will never know if a 16 yr old has the maturity or not until he has driven before. I remember the first big quad I had, I wrecked that thing often, even though it wasn't super fast. But, then I got a quad that was 3 times as fast, and never wrecked it once. My point is, you do need some experience before jumping into a something.
I'm 17 (almost 18) and do have a supercharger on my truck, but this is practically my 4th vehicle. My first being a '73 cj5 (wasn't safe enough on the highways, but good offroad, which I live). Next I drove my mom's expedition (so, you can count that as one or not), then I got my first f150. It was a lifted '97 with a 4.6. It was an awesome truck, definitely the toughest f150 around. I payed the downpayment, and made both the truck payments and the insurance payments every month. Hell, I even payed the 800 dollars for new tires.

Then I wanted something for college that was little quicker with low miles. My mom said she would trade me flat out for the '02. It was chance I couldn't pass up. I traded it, sold my quad, and slapped on a supercharger.

The only tickets I have gotten have been with the lifted truck I had, and with my dad's truck (expired registration).

Another thing though, I have been driving since I was 12, so I do have more experience than most others my age.

lifeguardjoe-
if someone doesn't buy something themselves, doesn't mean they don't deserve it. There are a lot of kids out there that are really spoiled and get whatever they want, and don't even have a job. But, there are some that do deserve what they get, whether or not they payed for it. I just wanted to put that in. But, I do agree with everything else you said

 

Add me to the list, I was 16 when I got my L. It wasn't too much truck for me to handle, I just kept the mods basic such as: chip, exhaust, filter, and pulley. I have never had a speeding ticket ::knock on wood::. It was a great truck when I had it and i loved it to death, but it just proved to be too big of a temptation for me; Both my friend and I got racing/excessive acceleration tickets and we were on probation for 6 months. If you have the opportunity, go test drive a friend's L for a while and see if you truely want it. Just remember, it's a 30k investment for either you or your parents and it's and is potentially hazardous not only to your life, but to others.

Bottom line, use you're brain and think everything out clearly before making any descisions.

 

well, i drove a l, lots of power, too much for me, parents thought so too, so i went with a reg f150, great truck still has power and is huge and good to get use to before going stright to an L and having to learn to park it etc, i didnt have to pay for all my truck, just 5g (yes parents paid other 18) of it, and i worked my *** off all summer and i still am working 2 jobs 7 days a week to pay it off, but its worth it because i appreciate it a lot more and take better care of it and i would suggest getting a xtra cab because youu are going to want to drive people like i wanted to and do, and a single cab aint cutting it for that.......

 

At 16 i drove a 414 stroked 351C.. I put it together, along with the 4 speed trans and rear end. Basically, at 14, i had to learn everything possible about the vehicle before i could ever drive it. It paid off. I also got a reality check when i had to buy my first set of rear tires within 2 months of driving.

If youre mature enough to handle it, go for it. But be forewarned, that one mistake will cost ya big

 

At age 16 i was racing moto cross, and at age 18 i was an amateur superbike racer. This also came with 6 accidents out of the 5 bikes i have owned. Use your noodle. Whatever medicine you pick to drive, you are the only person in control of your actions no matter what age. If you push anything to the edge it always increases odds of bad rewards coming.triple digit speed theory. In short, before you drop the hammer on anything just remember the faster you go the faster things are going to happen. There won't be a damn thing you can do to take control those situations when the shat hits the fan. One of those accidents was going 120mph and the next second I lost it in a increasing radius turn being thrown high side 20 feet out and sliding another 60 ft into a barrior, then having a reunion with my bike landing on top of me.

Have fun with the L. Your are going to be the one to decide if it's too much for YOU. not a 16 year old.

 

Dam things have change,
27 yrs ago when I was 16
NONE OF US drove brand new hot rods
unless you were stupid rich. BUT I ALWAYS DID OK,
my Dad knew I was a Motor Head
and helped with the first few Cars.

The 1st car I registered at 16 was already the 13th car
I owned. Everything from 57 Chevy's, to Gto's,
to 440 Mag Super Bee's, to me favorite BB Chevelle's

Dam to be 16 in todays world MUST BE NICE
Hot Babes
G Strings
Fake *******
AND S/C Cobra's + L's

BUT ARE THE DRUGS AS GOOD AS WE HAD ???

You know if you can respect it ?
None of us can answer that Question
GOOD LUCK Supreme

 

I am gonna say, "Must be nice to have everything handed to you". I had to work my hind-end off to get where I am today. I was only recently able to afford to buy my L. I drove a ratty camaro in highschool, and a pile of crap jeep after h/s. I have bought and paid for every one of the cars I have ever owned myself. No help from anyone. I want to know what kind of job a 16 year old kid gets to afford a 600$ + carpayment, plus insurance. I saw some kid post earlier that he bought his own L in 02. Whatever. If you are given everything in life, what satisfaction will you feel when you accomplish something on your own? Oh you never will cause you won't know how to get anything for yourself.

 

why did i even post

 

I had jobs from the time i was 12. I payed for my own crap cause my mom couldn't afford it and my dad had to move away. I remember what it was like to mow the neighbors yard for a BOLOGNA SANDWICH. I payed for more of my stuff than my parents did so don't get all high and mighty if you can't even buy beer yet.

 

16 with an L (17 now) and my truck is happy

 

!7 here and no problems. No Tickets or acidents. I love the truck. I'd say to wait about 6 months before touching the engine to get used to the power.

And try to go to the track so you can nail it legally and to get used to the power these beats have.

Yes you will most likely smoke all your friends
Yes you will look cool doing it.
And you will look cool doing it.

JUST DON"T BE STUPID.
The lightning would be awesome for a first car in my opinion. Just be careful of the mod bug. Thankfully it hasn't bitten me yet

*knock on wood

 

ahaha

wow accomplishments ey?

im not the 16 year old that works at McDonalds and isnt going to pass High School.

I pride myself in accomplishments in school. I never got allowance and nothing was ever just handed to me.

Refrain from the judging until you know what the situation is.

Can i handle power? You never know until you try

i would def. stay away from mods for a while.

no i dont drink
no i dont party all the time
no i dont do any drugs


sounds pretty responsible to me.


thanks alot for your replies
-rishi

 

im 18, and this really made no sense to me, u must have had everything handed to u, i am now $20,XXX in the hole for my first year of college, had to take the loans out and do everything by myself, bought my first car and the one i have now by myself, i had 5 jobs last summer. I live in a rich town and know plenty of my friends who all got the "Im 17 now mommy, time to get me a new car" treatment. It shouldn't be about being mature enough to drive an L, it should mature enough to actually go out and work and EARN it.