First car, Monte Carlo LTZ :)
 

Just got this for my very first car. I'm 16, got an 06 Monte Carlo LTZ. 3.9 litre 242hp V6. Its very very nice, amazed with the quality of these cars. Bought it with 50,000km, only highway driven by a nurse. I now have the fastest and probably the nicest car in my whole school. :) Fully loaded too.

http://photos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos..._1957242_n.jpg

http://photos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos..._5054005_n.jpg

Any tips on keeping it in prime condition? I plan to keep this car as nice as the day I bought it. Its almost too good to be true.

AWESOME first car! Congrats. Stick around. You'll learn a lot.

Tips to keep it in prime condition:
- Wash frequently, wax twice a year (spring and fall)
- Don't beat on it. Having fun is one thing, but don't go smokin' the tires off. Just be gentle.
- Run the recommended octane (I believe regular is fine in your car).
- Always perform scheduled maintenance on time. (ie. oil changes and other fluid changes)
- Regularly rotate the tires

Do you have any mod plans?

I'm located in Saskatchewan, Canada. Far out in the country. I have to drive on a lot of gravel so anything to minimize stone chip damage is of utmost importance to me.

I am very interested in increasing the power of my Monte, but I'm not sure where to start. I want cheap, but effective mods.

Also, could anyone enlighten to me as the difference between a regular LT and an LTZ?

To minimize stone chip damage I'd recommend a 3M clear "bra" for your car. I don't like the look of regular bras though so I don't recommend those. Check out ebay.

http://shop.ebay.com/items/?_nkw=3m+...ar+b&_osacat=0

That sounds great. I'll get one of those. Also, I noticed everyones rims seem to be either black, or chrome. Did I get the cheap rims or whats the deal? Haha

You got decent rims, don't worry. We all buy aftermarket ones (though I'm still running my stock 16s)

The difference between the LT and the LTZ is drastic. basically the engine 3.9 compared to 3.5 and the LTZ comes with every available option as standard. Such as premium sound, better engine, little things here and there.

Just keep the car very clean, and don't be stupid in it. Transmissions are a lot more expensive than showing off is worth it :P (trust me on that one haha)

My car is 9 years old, with WELL over 160,000 miles or 258,000 KM and people think it's an 04 or even an 05 sometimes.

Thanks. And, funny you should ask that, I do actually have 13 Icelandic pure bred horses. ;)

welcome to the MCF Bego. you'll learn lots on here, i know i have. i have in the past, lived on gravel for many years and it is not friendly to a neat freak like myself. like rickakated10 mentioned, get the 3m clear bra for your front end. i would also recommend good splash guards if you don't already have them and putting that 3m clear bra on your rocker panels and behind your wheels to further prevent rock chips. i will also suggest washing underneath your car to minimize the dusty buildup.

i have a very similar vehicle to yours so if you have any questions i would be glad to help. just pm me any time.