Getting first Mustang!, need advise...

[mlsbraves]

I'm 18 and I just graduated high school. As a graduation present, I am getting a new car. I have always loved Mustangs so thats what I'm going to get. But I'm not sure excactly what I want. Thats where I was hoping to get some advise from some of you.

A V8 is a must, so I've been looking at the GT's. I was also considering getting a convertible but have been told its not a good idea by some people(mainly because of: leaking, security, and hard to keep warm in winter). The GT convertible is $29,000 witch is the same price as the Mach I(All my friends want me to get the Mach I). My other issue is standard or automatic. I have driven automatic since I've been driving, and have tried standard a few time but I must say I burn the hell out of that clutch . When I told the person at the Ford dealership about my concern about this he told me that the more I use the car, the more I will want standard.

So I'm faced with: Convertible or Hard top, if hard top should I get a Mach I, and should I get Standard or Automatic.

If you don't really have an answer, could you just tell me your experiences and what you like most about your Stang. I've looked around but I'm still not sure. Hoping you can help me out.