Buying your first car can feel like ordering at a fancy restaurant when you don’t understand the menu — confusing, stressful, and a little humiliating. In this video, Alex from Fitment Industries breaks down how to pick your first car especially if you're planning to modify it. From setting a real budget to avoiding common newbie mistakes, Alex shares relatable stories, practical tips, and a dose of humor to help you buy a ride that fits your life, your goals, and your wallet — without making your parents cry.
We’ll cover:
Setting a realistic budget (and sticking to it)
Understanding insurance, taxes, and hidden costs
Choosing the right platform for mods
What makes a car practical and fun
Why research will save your sanity
If you're ready to get into the car scene without ruining your bank account, this is the place to start.
💻 Browse our gallery: fitmentindustries.com/gallery 🚗 Add your ride: fitmentindustries.com/add 📸 Follow Alex: @Alex.FI on Instagram
02:49Think you're paying $130 per month for insurance?
02:52Better plan for $150.
02:55Got $10,000 for a car?
02:57Buy one for $6,000.
03:00Set aside $600 for tax slash title slash fees.
03:05Drop $400 on the dumb eBay mods you're going to buy anyway.
03:09Then use the rest on wheels, tires, and coilovers.
03:12And now you've got a modded car.
03:15Without overdrafting your bank account.
03:17Google Sheets is your friend here.
03:20Step 2.
03:21Know what you want.
03:22Your first car might tempt you into some bad decisions.
03:25My first was a baby blue 89 Mercedes-Benz 300E.
03:30It had a button that only made the back headrests go down.
03:33Didn't bring them back up.
03:35Just down.
03:36But the car I picked for myself?
03:38A 1994 Mitsubishi 3000 GTSL.
03:42Front wheel drive.
03:44Manual.
03:45Red.
03:46I was 17.
03:47VR for was too expensive.
03:50But I love that thing.
03:51Still, I had to swap it out for a Chevy Lumina with rust holes in the footwell.
03:57Winter A I see from road air.
03:59Not ideal.
04:00If I could go back.
04:0288 miles per hour.
04:03I'd buy something I could drive year-round.
04:06So think.
04:07Do you live where it snows?
04:09Maybe AWD is important.
04:11Do you drive friends around?
04:13Four doors might beat too.
04:15Have no time to wrench?
04:17Maybe skip the high-maintenance imports.
04:20Write your needs down.
04:21Then match them to the right car.
04:23Match your lifestyle first, then your dreams.
04:26That's why you see so many first-timers go for.
04:29Subaru WRX.
04:31Honda Civic C.
04:33They check the boxes.
04:34They're fun, reliable-ish, and practical.
04:37Step 3.
04:38Research.
04:40Seriously.
04:41You say you want a Ford Focus ST.
04:43Cool.
04:44But do you know the difference between the ST1 and ST3?
04:48Do you want cloth or recoros?
04:50Do you want to be sad later because you didn't know your trim level?
04:53Read buying guides.
04:55Join forums.
04:56Become a keyboard warrior.
04:58Facebook groups.
05:00Reddit threads.
05:01YouTube rabbit holes.
05:03There's no excuse anymore.
05:05When I bought my C5A6 at 18, I knew exactly why.
05:09It was the cheaper, bigger twin of the B5S4.
05:13Still had the 2.7L twin turbo V6.
05:16Still had a manual 6-speed.
05:19Paid $6,200 instead of $17,000.
05:23Thank you, Adam Raul.
05:26Do your homework.
05:27Sometimes you'll find a hidden gem that checks 90% of the boxes for 60% of the cost.
05:35And finally, if you've done all that and you still want an E46 M3 with a rebuilt title and 210,000 miles, and you live in Wisconsin, then be patient.
05:48The market is wild right now.
05:51People are overbidding on everything.
05:53Buying is hard.
05:54But if you plan right, think smart, research well.
05:58Your first car won't just be cool.
06:00It'll be something you can actually enjoy.
06:03Without panicking like it's date night at a place with $22 soup.
