[gtointheblue]

Hello everyone,

2 days ago me and my dad went to test drive an '06 gto. BIG MISTAKE! lol i didnt plan on buying one untill around december cuz im going into the air force in may and wont be back until december and i was going to use the money i saved up while in tech school and basic training as a down payment. But after driving it i havnt been able to sleep! haha that car is amazing. So im trying to buy one here in the next few weeks (gotta sell my car first). But b4 i do buy one i had a few questions

What is the cost of maintenace? Oil changes, new tires (ill prob need new ones every month or so lol), and whatever else you pay for to maintain it (problems that come up or whatever)

Also im only 20 years old, do you guys think thats too much power for a 20 year old? My first car at 16 was a mustang and i learned real quick what rear wheel drive can do and how to respect it but this is a 400hp monster. I know you just have to respect it but from ur guys experiece can it get away from you quick? im pretty confident that ill be abel to control it and once im in the air force and stationed it will mainly be just a weekend car since i live at my job, get out of bed and walk across base to my work i go.

Anyway ur opinions and answers are eagerly waiting to be read.
Thanks,
Dustin

 

[Ironmancan]

With great power comes great responsibility Maintenance cost will vary with your driving habits. If you drive normally maintenance cost will be reasonable. Or like any other car. If you spend every weekend at the track then your maint cost will be quite a bit more. If you do get this car I recommend taking it to a track and putting it through its paces there so you can get a good feeling of how to react when you get the car sideways, how to launch etc. Yes you can learn these things on the streets but theres not to many places you can do this without putting someone elses life in jeopardy. And we need to be more mature than that especially with 400hp under the hood. I didn't take mine to a track because I'm an old guy and this is not my 1st 400hp car. I've got quite a bit of experience under my belt on the track and on the street but one thing I never do is lose respect for what I'm driving. I just broke mine in so I'll be heading to the tracks soon. Good luck!:cheers

 

[noz34me]

As far as costs, it's going to depend on your driving habits, and how much you drive.

I was quoted ~ $60 for oil/filter change at local Pontiac dealer. About twice as much as my other cars, but that's synthetic oil, and it take 6.5 quarts.

I would expect tires are going to be a good chunk of change, especially if you're burnin' out all the time. Otherwise the tires are not so exotic (I've got 17's) that they're that pricey.

If you're leavin' in May, you may want to re-think getting one now. That's only a couple of months, and come late fall, December, the prices on these cars become VERY negotiable.

Also, why be paying insurance and property taxes for all this time you're not going to be here? Think about Jan.2 '07- - -save yourself some money.

 

[s2gordon]

As far as costs, it's going to depend on your driving habits, and how much you drive.

I was quoted ~ $60 for oil/filter change at local Pontiac dealer. About twice as much as my other cars, but that's synthetic oil, and it take 6.5 quarts.

I would expect tires are going to be a good chunk of change, especially if you're burnin' out all the time. Otherwise the tires are not so exotic (I've got 17's) that they're that pricey.

If you're leavin' in May, you may want to re-think getting one now. That's only a couple of months, and come late fall, December, the prices on these cars become VERY negotiable.

Also, why be paying insurance and property taxes for all this time you're not going to be here? Think about Jan.2 '07- - -save yourself some money.

I agree also...
I know it's hard but you should really wait till you get back. I don't know where you are but i'm sure winter will be a slow time for sales. Not many people will want to buy a 400 HP RWD car in the winter.
As for oil changes $60.00 is a steal. My local pontiac dealer charges me $75.00 for full synthetic oil and filter. I went to a mobile one quick lube place ONCE and they raped me out of $90.00 for full synthetic and mobile one filter.:confused

 

[Ironmancan]

I guess I won't complain. They want $45.00 here for the oil change at the dealer.

 

[gto_lady04]

I agree with the others, wait. It will give you something to look forward to while you are in basic training, if you buy it before you go it will make basic a little more difficult cause you'll be missin' the car.

OT-- Have they given any hint as to where you'll be stationed (I doubt it though). And what tech school? My son is in AF, so just curious.

Monica

 

[mumrah]

I got lifetime free oil changes in my deal. I think I am the only one here that got that, the service manager wants to kill the sales dept. because of the price of mobile1. He said that there should have been a surcharge atleast.

Before you sell your car look at what you get on trade in because that comes off the selling price and you don't pay sales tax on that amount. Depending on the value of the car you may want to just trade it in.

As for tires I had to replace my rears at 6500 miles 500 to do but upgraded to 275s.

 

[lotaguts]

I also to get free oil changes for as long as I own my car and as long/if as pontiac stays alive :lol:

 

[dealernut]

Like everyone else said. Wait for this car.

This is an expensive vehicle to purchase and an expensive vehicle to properly maintain. You must use Synthetis oil, Premium Gas, and you will go through tires like many people go through air filters.

 

[gtointheblue]

I agree with the others, wait. It will give you something to look forward to while you are in basic training, if you buy it before you go it will make basic a little more difficult cause you'll be missin' the car.

OT-- Have they given any hint as to where you'll be stationed (I doubt it though). And what tech school? My son is in AF, so just curious.

Monica

Yeah i had also though about that, knowing i have such a beautiful car back home would make basic/tech a living hell for me lol. I think i am going to wait the only thing that worries me is the chance of them stopping production of them in the summer. I read about it on car and drivers web site. I found a used one while i was out today an '05 with 2078 miles on it for 27995 and i did the credit app and tried to trade in my car but my interest rate was 9.9%! I have great credit but being im only 20 years old ive only had a 1000 dollars at a time on them and going from that to financing 30000 made the rate high. So i think i will wait cuz im sure i can get a good rate with close to 6000 down and through a military credit union. My friend just bought a car and he is in the air force and he got a 32000 loan at somewhere around 5% and he is 21.

As far as where ill be stationed i have no idea yet. Tech school should be in Biloxi, MS

 

[gto_lady04]

Good decision and as far as for stopping production, have your Dad keep an eye on things, he knows what you want and I'm sure he'll let ya know if you need to make a move while your in tech school.

The longer your in tech the more privileges you get. My son was at Sheppard AFB, TX for tech training, we went down and visited him about 6 weeks in(I think). And by then he could go anywhere within 100 miles or something like that on weekends. So you'll be able to shop around if necessary.

Good Luck with your new career and keep us posted on things. I'm proud of you for joining the AF.

Monica

 

[707GTOLS2]

Don't worry Bro I'm 20 too, I came from a 70 Nova with a 383
Just learn to Respect her it's like those ESUVEE commercials
As far as maintanence,
I'd say If you would like to learn your car do the oil changes yourself and for more challenging things just ask if its possible to do on your own

ACDelco oil filter $5
Mobile1 5W-30 synthetic $35 =5 gallon+2quarts

Also my cousin is in the Air Force as well and he uses the base's garage and thier lifts to work on his Supra.

 

[Ironmancan]

Yes all military installations have Auto Hobby Shops. Usually very helpful people work there and you can do anything from balance tires to rebuild an engine. Some have paint booths depending on how big the base is. You can do just about anything to the car and getting a space is reasonable (couple of bucks and comes with tools). It's nice because if you get in over your head you'll have a qualified mech to help you get out.

 

[noz34me]

Good decision and as far as for stopping production, have your Dad keep an eye on things, he knows what you want and I'm sure he'll let ya know if you need to make a move while your in tech school.

:agree

Your Dad, or even yourself (if you have internet access) can keep an eye on things through the GM Buypower website. Right now, you can search for '05 or '06 model GTO's by plugging in your zip code. It will pull up the closest 25 available vehicles I think. I also believe it sorts them by closest first. So, using that tool, you see how the available pool closest to you is either being maintained or dwindling.

That was very valuable for me when I was searching and deciding when to buy the car. Haven't regretted it at all.

 

[greaser32002]

As far as maintenance, You can change the oil yourself for $45 (fully synthetic is expensive) and just make sure you rotate the tires when you should. Now if you get stationed at March Air field in California, hit me up. I got an 05 impulse blue/blue m6. There is some officer with a yellow jacket 06. I work across the street at the credit union. The interest rates are going up, so by December dont be alarmed when you have a somewhat high rate. If your a 1st time car buyer, the credit unions might have you get a cosigner, when a bank will rape you on the interest. Get a pre-approval 1st, then go to the dealer. Dont buy the extras (gap, extended warranty, etc) from the dealer, the credit unions usually have those way cheaper. Im in the USMC reserve so I also went to tech school (air wing) for several months. I regret not saving my money, but there is nothing to do when your there. Just be patient, take on a cheap hobby or something and your schools will be over in no time!
Dont worry about the production stop, from my point of view, a new car is great, but I'll never get one again. You can get a way better deal on a used car with low miles. I see it time and time again. I know that there several GTO owners that have to sell their cars (which I know they probably don't want to) and if you go through a private party, you will get one WAY cheaper and don't have to put the money down. I would use the money for the intake/exhaust, any other bolt ons, and who knows, the one you get might already have them! I'm just a couple of months older than you so dont think that I don't know what I'm talking about. I wish I could do it all over and do it the "smart way" for someone our age. Besides, the military paycheck isn't that great as a newbie.:cheers