My first car was a beat up 73 Covertible Super Beetle... (Got it when I was 15) I worked my ass off to fix it (Painted houses/did lawns + saved every penny) @ 16 when I set out to college I had two part time jobs.
Took me almost two years to get everything up to date...but there was nothing better than sitting back and looking at her Curved body style and just telling myself "HA...thats mine"
Candy apple red / EMPI-style 5 spoke rims/Beige leather interior/A new 2054cc engine w/dual Weber's...and all the other little toys (Including a custom rack for my surf board)... Girls at the beach loved it (first)
I guess what I'm trying to say is... you work hard or harder for what you want in life... the end result is satisfaction; knowing that every screw and knob on the car was put there by your hard work... not any hand me down crap. This in turn shows you the meaning of achieving something, helping you later in life with more important things.
(God I sound like my Dad....Scary)