As I have mentioned in the past, I drive a Nissan 350Z. I love sports cars, I have always loved sports cars, I will always love sports cars.
Being a single parent does not mean I have to invest in a minivan, a sedan, or a eco-friendly aluminum box shod with bicycle tires. When I bought my car there was no way to put a car seat in it as I couldn’t prevent the airbag from deploying, (kids under the age of 12 shouldn’t use an airbag, just a seat belt.) So I had a passenger-side airbag kill switch installed, and my son has always been able to ride in a carseat or booster seat and we can rock out to music together.
(Note: beside teaching him math on the way to and from preschool and kindergarten in the Z, I also introduced him to the finer selections of 70s, 80s, 90s, and today’s music via Sirius.)
I get 21 miles to the gallon with my 300Hp two-seater.
I can’t buy $500 of bulk products at Sam’s, but I can carry all the groceries for a week I need.
I can carry 40lbs of dog food, 10lbs of cat litter, book bags, and project stuff from the hardware store, all at the same time. I can’t carry lumber, but the hardware store rents a truck for $20 if I want to add an extension onto the house.
No, I cannot haul the cub scout pack — we’re starting cub scouts this month! — to and from camp. But I can get my son to the cub scout meeting in style.
We can go to the movies, go-karting, to Denny’s, to the pool store, get haircuts, hit up Walmart, ransack ToysRUs, and just about anything we want to do.
And we can do it all while looking like race car drivers.
Driving a sports car is different that driving a sedan. It’s not a living room floating down the highway. It’s not a panoramic outlook on the world. It’s not something you do just to get to work.
You drive a sports car because you love the journey, you love the feel of the road, the look of the dashboard, the smell of the highway, and the roar of the exhaust note.
My car has massive blind spots.
My car generates a lot of road noise.
My car requires high-test gas, expensive tires, the best oil.
My sister has a Nissan/Mazda/Toyota living room on wheels with room for seven, self-opening doors, multi-zone air conditioning, and more cup holders than a pack of five-year-old kids at a birthday party chugging Hi-C.
But when my car hits 4500 RPM, it shoves you into your seat like a roller coaster.
This week, my sister is coming to visit me! I shall bring her from the airport to my home in my sports car. I may even let her drive it. I’ll tell her to drop the hammer on the highway on-ramp and not to let up until she reaches the red-line. THIRD AND FLOOR IT! I’ll bellow, and she’ll be able to hit 90 with three gears to go.
I am a single parent. I drive a sport car. Being a parent does not mean you have to give up being You.
And in 2011, I just might upgrade to the gorgeous car pictured at the beginning of this post.
I LOVE the 350Z’s.. Absolutely stunning looking and the performance isn’t bad too. >.> Your car is one of the ones I shout, “WANT!” as it blows by me on the freeway. haha
Mini-vans are overrated
Would be considered an epic mount.
Way to go! If I could afford to drive a car like that I would at this moment I drive a 95 Saturn SL that cost me a dollar to buy and about $800 a year in repairs. With the cheap insurance and good gas mileage its cheaper than new and its what have. maybe someday. But I want a Volvo, I had a Volvo station wagon as my first car, that thing had more get up and go than most rice burners. (not that, that is hard but it was funny none the less).
I feel you man…While not as exotic as yours, I drive a 96 Toyota Supra. I love the feel when driving, and the looks when passing. Of course, here in Washington DC, I can’t let it go (Reckless Driving is 20 mph over the speed limit or 70 mph (Even in a 65 mph zone)) but off the line, it still is fun to drive.
People that give up being them, and make their lives sacrifice to the imagined “needs” of their children are doing both themselves and their progeny a dis-service. Having a self fulfilled dad, (and granted your having a cool car is only one VERY SMALL piece of that), is much more important than being able to take the neighborhood kids to soccer practice. You owe it to yourself and to your little dude to be happy and self-actualized, so keep up the good work!
Do not understimate the value of the cred your son will receive at Cub Scouts when he arrives in that Z. Make sure you wait long enough for the other kids to see him getting out of it. You drive a car like that and you have the responsibility of personifying ‘cool’.
Be wary of the cub scouts/boy scouts. Speaking from experience they will start you off with “hey can you help with xx, it will only take about an hour”. Next thing you know you are planning week long camping trips, 100 mile hikes (yes, we just did this in 10 days in the sierras) and desperately trying to sucker…er convince another parent to help out, no more than an hour per week.
Good luck and enjoy Scouting!
p.s. The 100th anniversary of Scouting in America is next year, I don’t know if Cubs go, but it is on the east coast, and would be an awesome experience. Alas we will not be attending but a large group of boys from our council will be there.
We bought a Mini Cooper a year ago, and to think I originally wanted a Prius. All it took was one test drive, and it was sold. Haha.
Why all the sedan hate? I drive a 4 door M3 and couldn’t be happier. The Z was a consideration, just that the blind spots are horrific. Nothin’ says lovin’ like pushing someone into another lane at 80 mph.
I love my V6 Malibu. It is my first V6 car, and I love the power. That said, my dream car is the old Ferrari Berlinetta Boxer 512
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferrari_Berlinetta_Boxer
It is a much more gorgeous car than the Testarossa (which replaced it.) And it has to be Ferrari Red. There is no substitute for that color.
Unfortunately, I am probably too tall for the car (6’2″). That is sad.
Ever thought of getting aftermarket upgrades like a turbo kit instead of buying a whole new car? It’ll increase your fuel efficiency as well as save you the money in buying something new. On top of that, the extra horsepower you’ll get switching into third and the subsequent blow off valve whistle afterwards will make the hair on the back of your neck stand up.
@Todd.
It’s not sedan hate. It’s the “I have to get a domesticated car just because I have kids” idea. An M3 sir is most certainly not domesticated car.
I’m a few years ahead of you, Daniel. My son’s getting his school supplies together for 6th grade and entering his 2nd year of Boy Scouts.
Had a small 2 seater back in the day, and, while not anywhere near as cool as your ride, I fought the idea of getting rid of it pretty hard.
Now I’m just another dad in a gas guzzling SUV. No roller coaster ride, no pizazz. But, I’m ok with that.
This weekend my son had a final end-of-summer sleepover blowout party and I chaufffered the crew all around since I had a vehicle big enough for them all to fit. Watched my son and a half dozen friends in the rear view mirror as they bounced around like Mexican jumping beans, comparing summers, speculating about middle school and lockers and teachers and – just a bit – about girls, laughing and joking and generally acting as goofy as only 11-year-old boys can.
For a chance to see my son that happy, I wouldn’t have traded pink slips with a Porsche Carrera GT
So enjoy the ride now with your son, but if you ever have to move up to something less awesome, just remember, there can be compensations.
Sweet, Daniel. I hope your sister has fun with her stay at your house, and I love the 350Z myself <3.
Change the 350z for a Boxster and I could have written this post. I’ve had my car for 7 years and my son for four. He has been riding to daycare in it since he was 12 weeks old curtesy of an airbag kill switch. The only drawback? My wife is pregnant with our second. I can’t fit two car seats in. Guess it’s time to break down and get something with back seats.
Got my eye on a 911.
A tiny little convertible is my dream car. Someday I’ll have one. Good thing to know about the airbag kill switch, because it is one of the hypotheticals I’ve wondered about….when we have children someday, they will definitely not herald the coming of a minivan…I had to drive one of those in high school, I’ve done my time!
Good thing is my fiance needs an SUV to haul huge amounts of fencing equipment around! So I can have the cool car and he can have the hauler.
What colour? I always liked the orange or the gun metal 350Z, though the orange is a cop magnet. they’re sex on four wheels. If i were looking to buy a car, I’d have a 350Z, or a Cayman S. Just need to level my engineering skill so I can buy a recovered one from auction and fix it up.
And reading this post, its the same reason i ride a bike. Its about the love of the journey. A commute needent be just a commute on the right vehicle.
If I won the lottery Id get a 1967 Shelby gt 500, Elanor from gone in 60 seconds, but the jew on my shoulder would never let me pay for something like that.
Awesome post as always but… Single dad? I thought Daniel was married?
@Dave The last 6 months have been the saga of Daniels getting un-married, pretty much.
You are my new hero.
I think I’d go in a different direction… I want my damned Jeep. I’ve had this vision of my daughter and I (single father as well) driving around day and night with the top down for some time now. I see her red hair whipping around in the breeze as I look in the rear view mirror. Or the both of us, kicked back and counting stars as we wait for traffic to clear out after the final show of the night at the local drive-in. It doesn’t need to be fast or sporty, I’ve been there, done that and I’m just over it. It doesn’t need to be flashy. It just needs to be a Jeep with a soft top and room for two. Well, maybe three… we want a puppy.
I am a single father. I can not own a sports car, for the simple fact that I like driving too fast for the local authorities to approve. So I made a compromise and picked up a near mint condition ’77 Cadillac. No airbag, no problem (there’s 6 feet of hood to compensate). It may not have the screaming nimble acceleration of a 350z or the top end speed, but driving one of these is literally like floating down the highway on a pillow. As for hauling things, with the modifications to the drive train (400hp, ~450ft-lb) I can pull as much as a semi truck. And who can forget the auto-cruise (set throttle position, instead of speed).
Me, I’ve hedged my bets. I drive a Golf VR6 (GTI VR6 there in the USA)
The practicalities of a 5-door hatchback, German build quality and a 2.8l, narrow-angle V6 engine shoehorned into the front. It’s getting on a bit in years, but it’s paid for and still gives new cars a run for their money…
There’s something special about that VR6 sound, it’s different to a normal V6, it’s more like a straight 6, and the buttery smooth power delivery that just keeps on pulling all the way to redline is guaranteed to put a smile on your face.
OK, I confess, the VR6 is now my wife’s car, and as I’m doing lots of km every day, I’m in a Golf 2.0 TDI. Not as sporty, but nice to drive, very comfortable and costs me half what the VR6 does to run.
Beautiful car. One of the more consistent objects of my automotive attention, as is its upscale big brother from Infiniti.
Completely understand where your coming from. Course i’ve had to compromise some. I have a mini-van for when I have both kids with me. But I also have a motorcycle, and a 89 5.0L mustang with lots of Mods. Heck the mustang doesn’t even have a passenger seat anymore and the license plate reads DRGSTR. But the one kid has a helmet for the motorcycle and loves when I pick her up from school or day care on the bike. Don’t compromise, keep the car put the pedal to the metal. Just be warned the kid will pick up driving habits from you.
@ Dave
My thoughts exactly.
@BRK
Reading “Single Parent” after following you for so long, caught me off guard. I hope you do one day write a book. I’ll stand in line at GameStop all night to get the first copy. =)
SPORTS CARS ROCK! And riding in style with your little man… I can’t see it getting too much better.
That IS a very nice car.
I’m a sucker for the Cadillac CTS myself though…
Oh, a 350Z? I thought we were talking about sports cars?
lol
Not a single parent, but not committed to the minivan just yet. Owner of a 99 Mustang GT Convertible, pull me over red, and lots of go fast goodies.
I know what you mean I drive a 944 S2 Cabriolet as one of my good weather daily drivers. I put my son in the front seat and off we cruise in style to the babysitters or were ever we are going at the time.
@mehlord
A mustang? as a sports car? My Jag handles better then that car
nicely put Damon – Just so happens I passed a 911 driving around today with kiddy seat in the back
I had a 1985.5 Porsche 944 NA for about five years. It had about half the power of your 350z but it was still a ton of fun to drive. It weighed in at under 2800 lbs and was nearly perfectly balanced between the front and rear. When the power steering died I didn’t bother to replace it as I liked the extra feel of the road and it wasn’t hard to steer. I finally sold it to a nephew in law who was going to a Vocational School for auto-mechanics for a buck. I had just gotten married and the cost of repairs was too unpredictable.
Now I drive a 1990 Toyota Corolla that’s in awesome condition, it even has working A/C. But I dream about someday buying another 944 or even better a Porsche Cayman S.
@FORD
lol depends on the model of Jag .. But with all the mods on my 89 stang I’d bet it would give your Jag a run. Oh did I mention that it was setup for cone racing in the SCCA. Its 4 inches lower than a stock stang, engine is also on lower motor mounts to bring the center of gravity down even more. It also corners like its on rails as long as the wonderful 5.0L and all its mods with the 4:10 rear end cause the rear tires to just start spinning then it tends to become somewhat of a drifter. But for a 3,000lb steel monster she corners really good and still has the straight line stability needed for smoking the teenage punk in his ricer from a stoplight.
@ all you sports car fans
Muscle is the way to go. Who needs to steer when you got 5ft of hood on a car that weigh close to 4000 pounds?lol but really I’d take a old charger to a car known only by numbers and letters any day. Just something about that brute bulkiness that attracts me. I guess its like being a monster or a ninja.
I had no idea you were a single parent. sorry to hear about that.
I have followed you for a while now, and unfortunately lost track of you during my WoW hiatus. I am glad to find you here, but I am so sad to hear that you are a single parent now. /hug
Dan,
I first found you through WoW (of course, my main is a hunter (Horde FTW!)). I enjoyed your posts, I participated in naked gnome race or two. Great stuff. Being ex-military, I loved the “Airmen Howell” stories, identifying way to much with your antics. I have stopped by this site from time to time, just to catch up with your life. I read this post, and sadly, identified with it as well. I am going through my own struggles, learning how to be a single dad. A few months ago I bought a new sports car (2010 Camaro, 1SS Black on Black, 426HP, 6Speed!) and to be completely frank, I was feeling a bit guilty about it. Trading in the grocery getter for the car I have dreamed about for years.
As I read through you post, I laughed (of course), was sad a bit, but ultimately found inspiration in what you posted.
“I am a single parent. I drive a sport car. Being a parent does not mean you have to give up being You. ”
No it does not, as a matter of fact, being a single parent has given me a gift of sorts. To allow my children to know their father, funny and flawed, in a much more relaxed and normal environment than they would have. Sure, I wish things could have gone differently. Nothing I can do about yesterday, everything I can do about tomorrow.
When you get your new Z, I would love to see photos, Please post `em.
Thanks for the laughs,
Ken
Blind spots & mirror checks are irrelevant when you’re driving faster than everyone else.
If I had the money I would buy the GTR hands down. Maybe I can buy a really run down one in 15 years.
I have found that buying tickets online actually save me a lot of money.
Hello there, I think you’ve got a great blog and it is much like my niche and I want to exchange links with you. Would you be interested in doing so? Thanks
While we’re discussing the Brain Needed Space » Blog Archive » Sports Cars and the Single Dad, topic, Whenever possible, combine your errands and plan your route in advance, so you do less driving. You may not increase your fuel efficiency, but you’ll reduce the environmental impact by using less gas.