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By: Noah Ptacek
Photo Credit: Robin Naumann
In a way, a good car can be one of our greatest friends. They take us place to place, put a smile on your face, make us yell in anger, and end up being the spawn of some of our most memorable experiences. With most people in America getting their first taste of the driving world in high school, a period of our lives where we discover who we are, and share countless memories with countless other maturing students, cars will always be a vital part of the experience.
Sure, you may not be able to afford a Ferrari 488 GTB with the money you earn at McDonalds, but there are plenty of affordable, fun, enjoyable, and memorable cars for everyone. Why would you buy and drive a pitiful Chevrolet Malibu that makes you a miserable heap of pouty gloom, where you could have spent less money on a soulful machine that will positively impact you for the rest of your life? Whether you like coupes, convertibles, trucks, hatchbacks, wagons, sedans, or vans, there are countless cars across the world which are just waiting to please their owner.
Cars are like an art form, with everyone being entitled to their own opinion of what kind of cars they like and dislike. Let’s say that there’s a 16 year old named Jim at Grady. He’s been working at a local restaurant since freshman year, setting aside a sizable $4,000 to spend on a car. Jim likes sportscars, but he can’t possibly buy a brand new car from any manufacturer with just four grand. He’s going to need to find a second-hand car if he wants to even remotely afford the kind of car that he wants.
One of the easiest ways to do this is use the Internet. There are countless websites that offer a range of used cars of all specifications and prices. Craigslist offers some of the cheapest cars on the web, but has been known as one of the most untrustworthy services when it comes to selling cars. There are plenty of filters to find a certain make, model, year, transmission, price, and mileage within your area. This means that Jim could plug in all of his must-haves into the site to find a sporty car for $4,000 or less. After intensive searching, Jim had found a 1988 manual shift Mazda RX-7 convertible, costing only $2,800. The same applies for people with all other automotive tastes. The Internet gives you access to loads of different types of cars wherever you may be.
Proudly a huge car geek, I make sure that I get the best experience out of my car. I own a 1999 Volkswagen Passat Wagon Turbo with a manual transmission, a car that has been part of my family since I was born. It’s part of who I am and what I do. In high school, many people (including myself) discover who they are, what they want to do, and what they’re passionate about. It is a very important part of life which will serve as a significant memory for everyone. One of the factors which ties into the overall sensation is what car you drive and who you drive it with. Cars can be the birthplace of amazing events which will stick with you forever. You’ll laugh, cry, cheer, yell, sing and spend quality time with those you love in your car. When it comes down to it, your car and what you did in it will become part of your high school memory. This means that you don’t need a fancy Ferrari to have Grade-A thrills. Using tools such as Craigslist, any type of car can be found and bought for as low as $1,000. There are countless cars scattered across the world just waiting to please their next driver. All you need to do is find your own.
