Hi all! when I leave school (next year) I plan to train hard at collage, or maybe then go on to university to get a good job etc... but when it comes to cars, well...I have always wanted a classic Mustang, but since I saw Christine, I have fallen in love with '58 Plymouth Furys (even though Christine really was a Belvedaire). I could save up big amounts for a cool car like that, or maybe even improve/modify the engine to save fuel and precious money. I know I won't drive it everywhere or that often and not park it on dodgy streets, but I have to have one sometime in my life. Yet, since Taxiguy has learned to drive in his '88 Toyota Camry, it looked cool and fun to drive or fool around in when I saw his video. In a garage near where I live, a U.S. imported 87' Camry has just come up for sale, second-hand and in good condition, just a little rusty at the wheelarches. That would be easier to park and cheaper to own and run. With lots of my friends already driving and buying cars, I don't want to be singled out in a couple of years having to catch the bus. A Fury may not be so good for a first car, but it attracts attention and in the town where I live there are quite a few yank tanks. I know a 19 year-old who has a Triumph Stag and his pal has a Capri, so classics are popular with the kids. Yet, despite getting that Arnie Cunningham feeling in a car that I might struggle to buy, a 20 year-old Camry would be great to feel safe and secure in.

So which is best?

Whoops! I put 1987-'98 Camry by mistake, instead of '89! can't change that.

2 totally different cars. I would say you're better off with an 89 Camry. Maybe you should look for something newer like a 95 or 96 Camry.

@Leoz: Are you able to do repairs at the cars by your own, or do yu have friends, who have the knowledge?

This is a very important point. If you need help by professional garagists, a newer car is better, because they can handle with it and -important, too- you can find used spare parts for resonable prices at junkyards and car-wreckers.

By the way: a Toyota is always a good choice, when the question of reliability is on top. And Toyotas are sold nearly everywhere in the world, so it shall be easy to get parts.

If you are able to do work at the car by your own and -very important!- you have connections to the hardcore-freaks of that car, you prefer, an classic car would be a good -and cheap- choice. In that situation you know, that you never have to pay lots of money at official garages and not to pay money for spare-parts at parts-shops.

As a classic-car-freak with good connections to a plenty of different enthusiasts-clubs and the freaks in there, for me it would be a easy and cheap way to drive an enthusiasts-car (different models and brands). Just because I have a long way to work every day, I drive an semi-actual all-day, car, too.

In Britain it is expensive for a 17-year-old new driver to get insured on little hatchbacks let alone something like a classic American car! Even getting affordable insurance on an old Camry (which will have at least a 2 litre engine) might pose a problem. At 17 (if you live in the UK) you need to think Toyota Yaris rather than Camry.

Thanks for the help guys, like I said I would work hard to earn enough money for insurance etc. I suppose, at first a Camry would be OK. I'm still only 15, by the way...I HATE the Yaris, when it comes to a first car I'm only interested in oldies from the eighties which would be good to drive, or even many from the early nineties. My stepsister turns 17 next year and she looks forward to buying a classic VW Camper. No power steering and slow gearing, but at least she takes the same interest as me when it comes to most cars.

Do you can make the trick, we do in Germany, to make the registration as a second or third car under the parent's name?

O.k., our insurance-system is different. Not the size of a car is important. The insurance-fee depends on a (very complicated) statistics, which includes the average of the amount of crashes, the repair-costs, the amount of thefts of this model, even the area, where you live (contryside is theaper than town).
So a big, but unpopular cars, mainly typical "old daddy"-cars are quite cheap, sportive small cars very expensive.
So the insurance for a Ford Scorpio is much cheaper than for a Focus. All kind of Golf GTI, G 60 and so on cost nearly the same as a Porsche Carrera or a Ferrari! Opel GSI, Peugeot 205 GTI and other powerful small cars aren't much cheaper.
Alfa and Volvo are expensive because of their high repair-costs. Diesel-cars are more expensive by their higher average mileage as similar fuel-cars.

Expensive, because often stolen are BMW X5, Porsche Cayenne, Volkswagen T4 and T5 Multivan, Porsche Carrera, Mercedes SL, S 500. These newer cars often will be stolen by "homejacking" (we use this English word), so by a burglary in the owner's house, where the keys were picked up.
The most stolen cars in the pre-anti-theft-electronic-times were(stil are): Mercedes 500 E, Porsche Carrera, VW Polo G 40, Jeep Cherokee and - the Trabant. The Trabant, because everyone can open its shitty locks.

The car, which -statisticially- will never ever be stolen is the Proton.

@Leoz: and think about that, that cars from the 80ies and older, you can easier repair at home than the actual one with their lost of electronics, fuel injections and so on.

But tell your stepsister, that ALL VW Campers are very expensive to buy, especially in the UK.
I know several VW-Bus-freaks, who are complaining, the the prices are high -too high for the real value of just a VW- and that this is also caused by the popularity of old VW Buses and Campers in the UK! A lot of them, even LHD, were bought and exported by British guys.

I see what you mean. If I ever buy a '58 Plymouth then maybe the insurance will be effective since many people have really banked on Furys and Belvedaires since they are known for being contributions to a famous movie car.

@Ingo it sounds exactly like the Swedish system.
Most kids in Sweden put their cars on their parents put that may cause a problem if they are in a crash, they could end up with nothing if they are unlucky!

Do you would have a chance to get a cheap insurance for classic cars?

We have that, usually the car must be 30 years of older, you must have a garage and annother car as all-day-car. But often there are some restrictions, for example a limited mileage per year. And it's possible, that you aren#T allowed to make business-related trips with that car.

There is special insurance for classic cars. You have to be member in a classic car club that will clear your car for the insurence. The car must be in perfect condition or in "interesting unrestored shape" there is also limited milage and it must be stored in a garage, you also have to show a dailydriver. The classic car can't be a dailydriver.
The car must be 30 years or older.

It seems that it's very similar!

There is also a enthusiast insurance that is similar to the above one but 20 year old cars is also alowed if they are made in a limited number.
A friend got a BMW 750 AIL High Line that he wants to insure like that but the insurance company don't agree (I think it's still to new or something like that). He can't afford the regular insurance so the car is stored in a garage...

It sounds very similar. In the past we had the 20-years-regulations, too, but this was cancelled by the insurance-companies. Reason: there were coming too many cars like Mercedes 190, VW Golf II, Scirocco II, Opel Kadett E, which were old enough, but reliable enough still today, so used -illegally- as all-day cars. And often by younger people, who make more crashes. When the "Schadenquote" got up to 500% (means: for 1 Euro fee, the insurance had to give out 5 Euro for claims and damages), they stopped the 20-year-regulation and have made the 30-years-rule.

P.S. One or two years ago there was a small scandal, because one local authority didn't want to give a historic plate (also an indicator for a cheaper insurance) to a 1974 VW Golf I in rustfree, perfect shape. A Golf is ever and always an all-day-car, they said and will never be a classic car. Just harrassment by a guy, who didn't like old VW's.
You must thin about, that in 2006 there were only 4 (FOUR!) 1974-Golf's still in official registration in Germany!
A car, much rarer than a split-screen-Beetle or a 1951 Opel Kapitän! There are even more Kübelwagen from the WWII existing than Golf's from the first year!

Very interesting topic Leoz. They are both wondeful, awesome cars each in their own way, but they are certainly not at all two cars you would ever want to compare in the way you are comparing them.
I'm glad that I sort of inspired you with my video, but I find it quite strange that you've taken such a liking to late 80s Camrys. I mean, it is just a normal bread and butter car, you know? It's not fast, not sporty looking, and certainly not an enthusiest's kind of car in any way at all! I mean sure, I love them a lot. I like the way it looks and drives, but for a person like you that wants a fast, rare, classic, sporty car I just wonder why you've taken such a liking to such a "family sedan".
Now of course I'm certainly not saying it wouldn't be a good first car for you, becuase it definitely would be. It's practical, reliable, great mileage, certainly not ugly (not anything special mind you, but not ugly). And most importantly, it would be cheap to buy. Now, I'm not familiar with the UK-spec Camrys much at all, but I'm sure you could find a good oldie like mine for a reasonable price. Certainly they are more common than a Fury and I know that they must be thousands cheaper.
Now of course, a 1950s Fury would be a fun car to have too, but I'm sorry to say it just isn't practical at all, especially in your situation. Here's just a few reasons why:

-UK has narrow, winding streets, and the Fury is a BIG car
-UK has very high gas prices, the Fury gets 10-12 mpg
-Simply finding one would be near impossible
-Even if you did find one, the price would be much too high for a teenager to afford
-It may look good, but like all 50s cars, it is quite crude and basic. It wouldn't be comfortable or fun to drive due to the primitive mechanics and features of the time period

So really, if you want a practical everyday car, I would opt for a Camry, or a car similar to it. Maybe an Accord, Civic, or Corolla even.
When you get older, and have more money, time, and space, then by all means get a Fury if you can. Of course, it would most likely have to be a "fun" or "toy" car, not a daily driver, because as I said, it is simply not practical.

Also G-MANN, I'm not quite understanding what you're saying about insurance. Why would a Camry be more expensive to insure than a subcompact hatchback such as a Yaris? Are larger cars more expensive to insure in the UK? Becuase that is certainly not the way it is over here. A Suburban cost just as much to insure as a Metro does here in America. Usually other factors are taken into account instead, such as age and driving record.

Oh yeah and Leoz, have you got your license yet? I mean can you legally drive now?
And also, you say you are going to college next year? You are the same age as me, and I'm not old enough to go to college for another three years. Do schools work differently in the UK then?

You can't have a license in the UK until you turn 17 or 18. Schools do work differently yes, as you can start college after the last term. I suppose it would have been a good idea to get a wrecked Fury and build it up/improve it for the 21st century so it would be cheaper, I would have no trouble with parking as I live right on the green belt in the country and there are lots of big open spaces with wide roads. Yet I might scrap that whole though know. I like Camrys as in my opinion the Yaris, Corolla, Civic and Accord etc are all boring and do not turn many heads, including mine. Seeing as a Camry is wider and quite rare around here, I would stand out in it, the one for sale grabed my attention when I last saw it, yet forgot the price. I really hate boring asian and Euro hatches because the main reason is that everybody drives them and they do not express a lot of character. Maybe I won't even get a car, public transport is good in the UK and you still see the Routemaster bus. I'd probablly get a car in the next ten or twenty years though. I was thinking too much when I typed 'Fury or Camry'. 'Fury' should have been something else, like 'Ford Escort' or 'Ford Cortina'. I just like to see your helpful opinions at the end of the day. Thanks!

Odd that you say Camrys are rare where you live. Here they pretty much the car. In fact, they're so popular that they've been in the top 5 best selling cars in America for the last twenty years, and have been the best selling car for the last 7 or 8 years. Currently, about half a million are being produced for the American market each year.

I also find it funny that you say they "turn heads", as the majority of people here would think that they are just as boring (or exciting, depending on how you look at it) as other family sedans like an Accord, Taurus, or Impala. Of course I suppose since it's rare in the UK that does contribute to its "head turning" value somewhat, no matter how the actual car may look

Also, I have never really thouhgt of the Camry as being "wide", but I guess compared to the Accord it actually kind of is now that I think about it.

A US-imported Camry is much wider than a British car or a car built for Britain. A Camry would turn my head at least.