[Turbowned]

Originally Posted by Tenament05

Never argued that it was cheaper.. but the cost associated with what benefit? Learning to wrench? One could learn to be resourceful and do their own repairs no matter what platform they choose.

If OP makes a mistake while he's learning it could be a lot more costly mistake in a new car than a used. Not to mention older cars are (generally) significantly less complex. If I tried doing something myself on my inexpensive car and something went wrong it was just another challenge to overcome. If I did something on the BRZ and there was a problem it sent me into a panic because it's a heluva lot more expensive repairing and replacing new car parts than sourcing parts for a 20yr-old car in a junkyard or the forums. Case in point: I did some work on my interior and left a wire loose that set my airbag light off, just a month before my state inspection was due. Now I had a close friend who was a Subaru tech diagnose and fix it for the cost of a sandwich and soda, but not everyone is so fortunate. If it had to go to the dealer they could charge hours of diag and it would not be covered under warranty.

Originally Posted by Tenament05

If that was the case, then I would underline the importance of making friends and helping them with their projects rather than buy a beater for the sake of education and experience. Even in this day and age, restorations are pricey, especially so for anything worth a damn. Yea, it's cool to say you built up your MR2, miata, or whatnot, but all that time and energy could be focused into other things unless one REALLY likes the beater to begin with.

Of course friends can help and he can and should help friends with their projects. Also, did you miss the part where I said "However if this is more of a minor hobby for you (nothing wrong with that!) the BRZ will be a nice car to satisfy the occasional driving event or wrench session." And who said he had to restore any car? You can buy a nice sorted Miata for two to five grand these days. Then if he breaks something or stuffs it into a wall he'll be out a lot less than if he bought a brand new car (insurance would give him used car retail value on his car that he just paid a new car price for). And if he gets bored or decides it's not for him he can sell it and get most of his money back.

Originally Posted by Tenament05

We don't have much time on this Earth.. often times our interactions with each other teach us far more than reading a book on the subject or going at it alone

Yeah, don't read or try anything on your own. You might hurt yourself. Or worse, you might actually learn something and then others would constantly ask you for your expertise.

In closing, at least consider buying a Miata (or other comparable cheap sports car). Or don't. The choice is entirely up to you. I have friends whose BRZ/FR-S's are their first tuner cars and they've done well modifying/driving them, and I have friends who have riced them out and/or crashed them. We can't just assume that you're going to do the latter.

http://jalopnik.com/5654312/miata-th...every-question