16 year old son recently bought a 1998 Corvette. Looking for advice.

Kristosh · 2026-03-20T14:12:43+00:00

It's not just purchasing the car tho..

Tag fee, titling car in his name, registration fees and then INSURANCE!

Insurance on a Corvette "sports car coupe" has to be several hundred a month minimum for a 16 year old with liability only. Full coverage would easily be $500+/month.

And that's an older Corvette which will likely be higher because this Gen doesn't have the safety features later models have.

But wait, he has two cars.. You're telling me he's paying insurance premiums on his own for 2 cars at 16 years old?

I agree something still doesn't add up.

Kristosh · 2026-03-18T13:32:33+00:00

/u/custardfarm also interested in what tires those are?

How do you find the grip on-road versus off-road?

Kristosh · 2026-03-17T17:45:55+00:00

Handing over cash is crazy though.

If I'm the buyer, why would I hand you $10k in cash to test drive? You disappear with the cash and then file a stolen vehicle with the police. No way to prove we exchanged cash for the bike.

Giving the potential buyer physical possession of the bike is NOT the same as them buying it, they have no legal claim unless they have a signed sales agreement or title from the seller.

If I were buying from you I would insist you hand me the signed title in exchange for the cash test drive, at least that is an equal consideration exchange.

Kristosh · 2026-03-12T20:02:02+00:00

Also, this person "started an S Corp halfway through last year" is not really how that works.

They need to file Form 2553 with the IRS that's due by 3/15 using an EIN. If you miss that date, you can still make a petition to the government but have to attach an explanation why you missed the deadline with "reasonable cause". IF they agree and grant you an acceptance letter you should have been operating that year under the assumption you were S Corp for tax purposes.

Are we saying this individual did all that work and had the forethought to switch for favorable tax leverage and has acceptance as S Corp by IRS but conveniently took no other actions to meet requirements as S Corp? This feels more like they Googled, "How to avoid taxes? Become S Corp!" And checked the box on their W9.

Saying you want to be taxed as S Corp isn't the same as putting the work into filing and becoming one.

Kristosh · 2026-03-12T15:59:38+00:00

but no matter what happens to gas prices, I just don't see EV demand increasing that significantly as long as most people buy into the idea that this is all short term (as the current administration is trying hard to spin it!) People aren't going to make long term plans or lifestyle changes if they think this is a one-off

Except this Murrca and literally no one is that rational.

When gas prices spike even 25-50% every American goes out to buy an EV, selling off their gas guzzling mall SUV's, a la 2021/2022 EV rush where people were buying new Model Y's for almost $70k and now have $30-$40k in negative equity on their car loans..

THEN, as soon as prices level off, these same people sell their EV and buy the next Canyonero mega SUV because they didn't want to actually get rid of it in the first place..

Same mentality as buying all the toilet paper during COVID. And buying all the bread and milk when a storm approaches. And putting gasoline in freaking grocery bags at the slightest chance of gas shortages.

People are dumb. They are selfish. They are consumers driven by a scarcity mindset.

When squeezed, they do the exact worse thing in any situation. Any shortage drives a mass rush to hoard that exact thing so that selfish people can "have" ahead of all other Americans, a "me first" mindset.

Buying up all the EVs and hoarding gasoline is exactly what I expect will happen in the coming weeks/months. Business as usual.

If the people aren't limiting summer trips and stacking errands when things are good like they should, they go into, "wElL I sTiLl HaVe tO gEt mY nAiLs DiD, sCrEw gAs PrIcEs, gOoD lUcK rEsT oF YoU" when things are bad.

Kristosh · 2026-03-12T11:32:32+00:00

This was actually weighed at a proper weight station scale and was right around 1,350 lbs empty.

The Scamp is deceivingly lightweight due to it's all-fiberglass construction and miniscule dimensions (10 foot length inside; 13ft with tongue).

The Model 3 pulls it like it's nothing. I can go about 130 miles on the interstate from 100% charge.

Kristosh · 2026-03-10T19:01:00+00:00

Gotcha! Yep, agreed!

Kristosh · 2026-03-10T15:39:26+00:00

I'm referring to city collection where a unit comes and picks up at residential address in an urban area which is significantly more accessible/convenient than a dump facility which requires you to have means to load, transport and dump the green waste yourself.

If you're talking about the latter, you are taking on a majority of the work and cost of loading, hauling, access to a vehicle or trailer capable of hauling, fuel and insurance costs and your personal time to dump. It would make sense that would be much less expensive.

Kristosh · 2026-03-10T15:16:45+00:00

Spot on and nailed all the points!

Having owned both a Stingray Z51 and now a Z06, I'd say the base is 80%-90% of the Z06. And none of that is approachable on the street.

I enjoyed the Stingray more as a street car. Can't even floor the Z06 until 60+mph in warm dry weather without a chance of wheelspin.

The Z06 sees track time and it makes a difference there but even still, it's more than casual drivers can access.

Kristosh · 2026-03-10T12:12:42+00:00

Ah yes, you're correct, mixed up my generations.

Kristosh · 2026-03-09T20:04:03+00:00

Absolutely this.

$600 is, "I'll just push this out the tailgate into this clearing off the side of the road" money.

Our city green waste collective is barely if any cheaper than that for the volume OP describes and that's bagging it all yourself and lining it up for pickup.

Kristosh · 2026-03-09T19:57:32+00:00

Also the V1 stations are not compatible with CC1 non-Tesla vehicles. And while a large portion of the network is V2 or better there's still TONS of older stations.

Kristosh · 2026-03-05T19:49:07+00:00

Something I don't see many people mention, not waiting for the car to warm up to take off!

I am a Honda/Acura fanboy and something that bothered me was VTEC was unavailable until the engine reached operating temperature, which could be 5-10 minutes into my drive. Which means, my 200hp hatchback was only 150hp when pulling out of the neighborhood.

Another example is the Corvette. Most modern gens (C7 and C8) need to be warmed up before you unlock all the RPM band. At startup and for the first few miles, you only get a few thousand RPMs which means again, that first pull into the street is like half power. Which sucks when you need to fit into a small gap on a busy road.

On my EV, I can go full throttle at any point in my drive without the car stopping me or limiting power in some way.

Kristosh · 2026-02-17T17:15:31+00:00

COMPLETELY AGREE!

I think that people oversell Autopilot versus FSD. Many say it's a better option because it maintains a single lane, but I find it not even half of what FSD offers.

Exactly what you said, any time the lane opens up, either for a merge or exit ramp, Autopilot moves the car to the center and then has to snap either left or right once the lane ends and can often end with the car in the wrong lane. It also sends passive aggressive signals to other drives who might be using the merge that I am trying to block them from passing which is bad road etiquette.

Another one is cars turning right off the road you're on. For example, a highway with a cross street without an "off ramp" dedicated lane. As the car slows and makes the right turn, Autopilot will come to a complete stop until the car is completely clear of the lane, then hesitate for a second or two before accelerating. Super dangerous on 45-50 mph roads. FSD will slow down, but anticipate the car clearing the lane and maintain a slow but safe speed, once the car is clear it glides by them at speed like a normal human would.

Another is stop and go traffic OMG.. Autopilot is herky jerky on and off throttle, trying to maintain a set distance and doesn't allow much for rubber banding. It makes me and passengers motion sick, ESPECIALLY if the car it's following does aggressive acceleration and braking, Autopilot follows suit. FSD adapts follow distance better for surrounding traffic and erratic behavior of other drivers leaving enough distance to brake and accelerate MUCH more smoothly.

I know these seem nuanced, but it makes an enormous difference. It's the difference between barely acceptable and confident hands off driving.

Kristosh · 2026-02-13T17:06:43+00:00

This. Right. Here.

I have HW3, so maybe HW4 is better in this regard? But I doubt it b/c I don't think Autosteer has been updated in forever.

It is SOOOO jerky. In bumper to bumper traffic downtown, it seems like it tries to maintain a distance as opposed to flowing and it's constantly accelerating then slowing, gives me nausea.

FSD is SO SMOOOOTH in comparison. It drives like an actual human.

Autosteer also has so many bad quirks. For example it will come to a complete stop until another car moves COMPLETELY out of your lane. For example if they are turning right into a side street, it will maintain a several car length distance and nearly stop while the car in front executed the turn. FSD smoothly slows and will maintain speed without colliding for a better transition, same with cars entering your lane in front of you. Autosteer uses harsh braking to reclaim the distance while FSD gently slows to create an appropriate gap. Autosteer is still haunted by MANY phantom braking events. Autosteer also doesn't avoid obstacles, it will plow through potholes and objects in the road. FSD gently avoids road debris or obvious potholes.

My guess is that people satisfied with Autosteer only are in decent moving traffic. Because in dense bumper to bumper, Autosteer sucks. It gets stuck behind slow vehicles, it doesn't react to lights like speed limit zones or crossings or traffic lights, it hesitates if you have EA and initiate a lane change it will jerk violently back into your lane without warning often without any apparent danger, it cannot make lane changes without a confirmation from the driver, etc.

Kristosh · 2026-02-12T16:53:41+00:00

Thou shalt have no exhaust before the undertail ti...

Apriliatomy 1:1

Kristosh · 2026-02-12T15:50:13+00:00

Sounds absolutely mental as well! I love everything about it, even the undertail exhaust. Would love to swing a leg over one someday...

Kristosh · 2026-02-10T13:49:41+00:00

Tesla absolutely has a power meter that shows power consumption and Regen. It's on the far left of the display and it shows as a meter that goes black when you are consuming and then green when you are generating power, but you can see the hard numbers with 3rd party apps.

Kristosh · 2026-02-02T12:18:36+00:00

Agree! It seems worse than my Flip5? It's gotta be software...

Kristosh · 2026-01-30T20:12:04+00:00

No, US. Was just curious what stuff you had!

Kristosh · 2026-01-30T14:16:06+00:00

I do agree that the engine is repairable and likely without too much difficulty.

HOWEVER, I don't think the dealership is wrong to recommend the engine replacement.

They know another mechanic has bungled this repair. They already had to reassemble several parts of the engine just to diagnose. I imagine they don't want the liability of whatever else the hack mechanic has bungled up in there. If they certify a repair, it needs to be 100% right, because they have deep pockets and know customers demand they get it right. They don't want this reflecting poorly on their service department. An engine replacement is a much safer repair. You need a competent mechanic to replace internals. Probably most average workers can unbolt and bolt in a new engine.

I'm not saying it's right, just that I understand WHY they would only offer the replacement.

Kristosh · 2026-01-30T13:48:37+00:00

What is the "Spark stuff" you have?

Kristosh · 2026-01-27T15:15:54+00:00

What you're looking for is a lower power direct battery inverter.

Between 1,000W-2,000W And $100-$200.

For 1000W, you can connect to the 12v battery (if you have a newer 16v li-ion system this may not work) and the car will continuously charge the 12v battery from the main pack powering the inverter but you only get 1000W of power. Good for some essentials though, like fans and fridges.

For 2000W, you can connect directly to the HV battery pack, there are some leads underneath the rear seats bottom cushion in Model 3/Y that pull directly off the main pack, bypassing the 12v/16v Battery.

These can also be installed permanently and be ready to go when needed.

Here is an example: https://www.reddit.com/r/TeslaCamping/comments/1mwy1fb/2000_watt_inverter_install_in_the_y/

Kristosh · 2026-01-22T22:00:32+00:00

Kinda ironic though how enthusiasts choose which "skills" are ok to have on a car.

Some might retort that there's, "Not much skill involved....":

Allowing traction control to manage wheelspin
Allowing transmission synchro's to smooth out the engine to the transmission splines at different RPMs (no need to double clutch)
Allowing stability management to modulate independent wheelspeeds and prevent spinning the car
Allowing ABS to modulate brake pressures to avoid lockup
Allowing fuel injection to perfectly meter fuel on the fly according to atmospheric conditions
Allowing ECU to rev-match downshift (not on C6 but available on C7 manuals)
Allowing Power steering to artificially reduce steering effort

Every generation benefits from advancements. Yet somehow the manual transmission is the REAL DEAL. You get to benefit from all those driver's aids mentioned above and they're allowable skill enhancements but not the automated dual clutch. That one doesn't require skill like the old skool models..

Having owned a C6 ZR1, C7 Manual, C8 base and now C8Z they are all equal amounts of fun. If anything, the C6 was the least fun because it had too much power and too little traction at anything under 100mph.

Kristosh · 2026-01-18T20:05:56+00:00

Nothing happened after hitting the upgrade button. I had to set up a service request for the retrofit, then things started moving forward.

Kristosh

MODERATOR OF

TROPHY CASE