Well i'm on the hunt for another vehicle since my truck isn't easy on the wallet gas wise. Anyways i've been doing some looking around, and i can't really find a new(er) vehicle i want. Is it unreasonable to drive a 60's car daily? My parents seem to be 100% against it, and i'm not really sure why. My current DD is a 1971, so i'm not sure how it would be any different.. but they have the final say, considering they're paying for most of it. Do you guys(and gals) have any tips on how to help convince them some more?
I'm building my fairlane to be just that, a daily. I've always liked pick-ups and had 80's or early 90's S-10's. But, I felt I wanted older for daily. So far now, I'll drive my Fairlane. I'm even bringing the stance back up. In a year or two I hope to get a 60's Ford, Chevy, or Dodge pick-up for a daily. My only tip would be that the insurance is cheaper and it's cheaper to repair as you can fix most of it yourself with cheap parts instead of paying someone to first do diagnostics and then repair at $100 an hour with cheap Chianese or Japanese parts. Oh, you can also say it's AMERICAN MADE!
I drive a 1963 International everyday. Still has the stock engine and trans. Any vehicle can be daily driven as long as you make sure to go through the entire thing to ensure trouble free operation. Every car I have that's on the road gets a lot of miles put on them. Don't hesitate. Do it. BloodyKnuckles
I drive my model A at least 3 or 4 times a week to work and back, and I drive it at least to the store and back or some kind of errand every day. What do they think people drove for DD in the '60's?
Your parents are concerned about your safety, so its going to be a hard sell. Its hard to beat an early 60's valiant, falcon, chevy II, for simplicity and reliability,decent economy also. The automakers have been selling safety advancements for years(basically selling fear) Your old compact may not fare well against a large suv or truck ,but neither will a focus or smart car, as its always will be, the bigger vehicle wins. I think your best selling point to your folks is your actions and maturity.
I've been driving older cars all of my driving life, and all I can say is, if you know how to take care of them, do it. Do take note that driving an old car daily means much more preparation and regular care than a museum-piece driven on sundays. As long as you're willing to abide to these conditions, a 60's car can be just as reliable (or more, since there's less to go wrong) as a modern (or transportation appliance as I like to call them). If you choose the right models, they can even have sensible fuel consumption. In the 60's car engineering was at its peak, so tech-wise the cars were already quite advanced, and little more was gained in the next years when it comes to the basics of the car. There are also a few simple mods you can do to improve the performance, such as electronic ignition, an electric fuel pump if the car of your choice still uses a mechanical unit, halogen headlamps (with relays wired through the harness), twin-circuit brakes if it still has single-circuit... just sensible stuff. I've been driving my '67 car everyday for almost 5 years now, and before that I used a '78, and they all provided sterling service, and never bothered a tow-truck. What they did demand (and still do) is carefully followed maintenance. I do all my maintenance, as I know them quite well, and much better than any mechanic around here. So I'm always on top of things, and know pretty much what's going to need doing in the next months. I enjoy working on them almost as much as driving, so the maintenance is not a chore, either. Well, I think I've given you the full picture... Cheers, Eddie
Uhhh - all of these older cars were daily transportation. They are mechanical and wear out, need to be fixed. A wore out car, 50s 60s 70s. Up to 2011 will leave you stranded if it's not maintained .. Safety issues, ABS, airbags ect have a part in your decision.
well one thing is the fact that for the price of a set of CV joints and boots you can rebuild your motor and trans at still have change. for a timing belt and water pump you can have brakes and and front end kit . ow divide there gas mileage over a year cost then divide cost of up keep say fuel filters 35 and up for there newer car over the 12 month time and you will find there extra mileage isnt worth the savings at repair time. my new car is a simple 79 ford Granada 24 on the Hy and 17 in town.
Oh yea, oyster definitely cheaper to keep an old one going than it is to pay for a new one. Grab any pile of parts and spend 3-500 a month on it wether it needs it or not Do the same with a new car for 60 months. What will you have after five years?
I drove a Citroën CX and 2CV daily (at different times) for years. Here's some of what I learned: You WILL, at some time, need a part that does not exist in your immediate area. Prepare for it (I have a motorcycle, now it's my daily, but is another story). Find a couple of dealers in parts, so you can have stuff shipped quickly (I've gotten an injector in 2 days from Holland, it can be done). As to your parents, well, if they buy into the fear marketing that the automakers are doing, you're probably toast as long as you live under their roof. But if (when) you don't, understand their concerns, but do what makes sense to you. Cosmo
I'm also interested in this....if I can't afford an oldie and afford gas and cost of maintence (even with a 6) I'd have no choice but to go with a newer one....With gas currently in town at $4.01, right now I couldn't afford 10-15 mpg.
parents not always wrong, especially when your well being is very important to them. on a regular basis the new cars include more and more safety items that they likely see. on a limited budget will be tough, but maybe install front disc brakes, 3 point safety belts, head rests (they were a cool new option in the 60's), good outside rear view mirrors, etc. keep the engine on the mild side so that you can get the best mileage possible. remind them that your car is made of real steel. no speeding tickets, etc. know any guys that drive older cars that you can use as a example? be patient.
I wouldn't complain then. BUT to answer your question, I drive a '55 Chevy pickup as my daily, I haul lumber, gravel, mulch, etc. - just as if it were a regular truck - haha,
I drove a '60 Pontiac as a daily for several years when it was 35 years old. Carry some tools and spare parts and know how to fix things and you'll be fine. Mechanically most 1960s cars are little different from most 1970s cars, outside of the change from generators to alternators about 1962.
So YOU're the guy who bought Kurt's car before he left for college. Damn it, I went home and was counting out my money from the piggy bank in my closet and when I got back to the drive-in with my Dad and his tow truck it was gone!
I've driven loads of older cars as total daily drivers (including my 60's Volvo in my avatar , till I sold it last year) . If you get it up to snuff & then keep up with the maintainence , you'll do fine . My 49 Ford will be a daily when it's done - I like driving interesting stuff .
Personally I drive an O/T Jap pickup, its gets good gas mileage, its 4x4, so I can go everywhere, I really dont care about scratches dents or dings and it has AC.
I drive a 65 custom 500 more door as a summer daily driver,it does have disc brakes and electronic ignition but is still basicly a 60s car
My '71 International is my current DD, and it's no different than using a '60s-something. Just plan my stops a tad earlier!
they care about your safty and dont want you stuck on the side of the road, my advice is a newer daily, then have your classic for fun, work on it enought to get the hang of it then you can start to be comfortable with old stuff all the time. my dailys were in the 70's but now i have a 01 mustang for daily and the model A for fun, i am slowly makign the model A more user freindly to drive a bit more but theres just something nice about being in a newer car in a rain storm or at night
I drive an old 65 F100 every day. It hasn't been bad although I will say replacing all the window seals will make for a much more enjoyable DD experience. Nothing ruins the mood like having water dripping on my feet.
I personally enjoy disposables. I just bought another one for under a grand. Its a 90's honda. If it lasts a year it cost me 80 a month and if it doesnt the wrecking yard will give me 500 for it. Food for thought.
I can understand your parents concern, and with the way some people drive on the road today, they have good reason. I spent many days picking out the right car for my girlfriend's daughter. We found a 2000 Camry with airbags ABS etc. It came in handy when she slid off a gravel road and hit a tree head on. She walked away without a scratch, but the car was totaled. If she were driving my 63 Chevy we may not have been able to see her graduate. With that said, we all have to decide how we want to live our lives. I drive a 79 Ford pickup everyday, and my 63 Chevy will share the burden once I get a few more bugs worked out. Driving an old car is like choosing to ride a motorcycle, there's more risk involved, and it is a different animal to operate compared to a modern day cocoon on wheels. You just have to understand and respect it's limitations, keep it well maintained and be extra vigilant for the "other person".
Ditto. I do not have any car payments. That translates into older cars. A car payment, whether it runs or not will cost you about $500 a month, plus full coverage insurance, plus the cost of repair if it breaks down. An old car, with no monthly payments, liability insurance, and even if it breaks down every other month, is still cheaper than a new car. What most folks forget is that a car is for transportation, not a place to BS on a phone, look at yourself in the rearview mirror, listening to rap at full blast, etc... Of course a lot has to do with your location. Up here, I don't have traffic to worry about, just a thousand deer crossing the road every day.... and road salt.
Like other people have said, these were ALL daily drivers at one point. I have had plenty of old cars as daily drivers, one of which is my 1960 Vauxhall in my avatar. That's a very obscure car so I just made sure I had enough spare parts on hand to keep it on the road (Tune up, hoses, fuel pump, etc) as if it blew a fuel pump good luck finding a new one quickly. Depending on what you buy, you may have an easier time finding parts. Old cars can be plenty reliable, a nice thing about em is that if you know how to work on cars there's NOTHING you can't fix yourself, I can fix cars but when my POS 07 Lexus lost its' heat I had to either take it to the dealer or buy an $8500 scanner to fix it. I can't wait to find the right old car to replace it but that's me. WTF I was thinking when I bought the Lexus is beyond me... Plus old cars are cheaper to fix generally, unless it's something really rare or obscure, parts to actually FIX them when they BREAK are usually pretty inexpensive, it's stuff like correct upholstery or rechroming or finding a NOS hood ornament or radio knob that costs. There's pros and cons, safety is a reality, a 60s car simply will not hold up in a wreck like a modern car, this talk of steel and heft is bullshit, weight has NOTHING to do with how well a car survives a crash. Modern cars are dramatically better than old cars as far as crashworthiness. Period. Also safety features are lacking in older cars, modern cars have 3 point belts with pretensioners, airbags, ABS brakes, Side airbags, etc all help a lot, but structurally old cars aren't even in the same galaxy as modern stuff. The other thing to consider is cost, while an older car simply WILL require more frequent and involved servicing, there's one HUGE cost to consider, depreciation. If I buy, say, a 56 Lincoln in clean shape and keep it nice, it's not going to depreciate. If I pay $12k for a used Modern Lincoln, in 3 years it will be worth $5-6k, a 56 won't, if I pay $12k for a 56, and keep up on it, it'll be worth $15k perhaps, and it might take an extra $3k to keep it nice, but I'll still be $6k ahead of the game.
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