daily driver questions (midwest)

Searching through all the threads on daily drivers I found that is seems like 90% of them are in the west or gulf coast. is there any one is the midwest or east coast or other places with weather extremes? I'm looking at a 64 ranchero to drive daily year around would be trading my late 90s work car for it, I have about a 80 mile daily commute on I80 in Iowa.

who has driven one like this any stories or experiences? Thanks.

 

My 54 has run in all 4 seasons.

 

What section of the country you live in doesn't make any difference in what you drive except where you get a lot of snow your going to have a lot of salt which as we all know it's not kind to sheet metal,,especially old sheet metal.

HRP

 

Cant imagine it would be a lot of fun driving 80 miles a day in a 64 ranchero during an Iowa winter.

 

What did they drive year round in 1964? Granted not many if any at all had an 80 mile commute back then.

 

I couldn't get 10 feet out my shop today. Not certain if my 4-wheel drive could get out of the yard.

 

My dad had Chevy or Poncho wagons with snow tires, sometimes he'd put on the chains, and that worked pretty well until you plowed into a really hard drift.

 

The way the weather is now a off topic car might be what you need. HRP

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I remember that commercial. Wow, that dates me.

 

A lot of us on here, remember driving in all conditions, manual drum brake, carburated, non-power steering, vacuum wiper cars.
It was what you did, to get where you were going..no second thought about it.
But, there were a lot fewer cars on the road then also.

 

Dead serious,only a total idiot would venture out on a 80 mile round trip in a car or truck in bad weather that is not in good mechanical shape ,,a 64 Ranchero can fill that bill.

For more than 25 years I drove my 1965 Ford truck day in and day out,,in rain,wind,sleet,snow,hail and the scorching heat,never stopped me driving the 60 miles daily to and from to work.

Here on the right coast we get all kinds of weather from freezing rain,black ice roads to 90 plus degrees days,,so,I'll stick with my original assessment. HRP

 

Ed,we have a average of 49 inches of rain a year,,I drive my Deuce pickup a lot in the rain,,

I still have my 65 Ford truck sitting in the darn which I have owned since 73 but it's in need of a total rebuild. HRP

 

I drive my Buick year round and a couple times I was still able to drive when others (new cars) were in the ditches. Like others have said, it is important to make sure it's reliable. Also don't drive like a dumbass and you'll be fine.

 

I drive a '61 Falcon 4dr every day here near Chicago. As said, condition is everything. My car is a 55K mile well-maintained original, with heater - automatic - electric wipers. The last could be improved with WW washers, which I'm working on now.

However, 80 miles daily will take a toll on the six (if yours is such), so I'd recommend a stick, or raising the gearing to lower RPMs.

I don't go that far, but I tend to avoid expressways, as it's just not comfy much over 70 mph.

Cosmo

 

I drive my 60 Ranchero nearly every day year round, except in bad weather. I average mid to upper 20s for gas mileage using a toploader OD transmission and 3.55 gears at interstate speeds. The Black Hills are the "banana belt of the midwest" so it's not all that often that the roads are bad or full of slop. I do have electric wipers but currently no windshield washer system other than a paper towel!

My Ranchero is very simple and reliable. I've been east to Wisconsin, west to Utah in it and to the Fremont Nebraska swap last June. Definately not scared to hit the road in it!

On those days the weather or roads aren't good enough for me, I drive another vehicle..

 

Bullshit commercial, I had one back in the 60's and commuted 15 miles each way to work in the winter, one hand out the window scraping the snow off the windshield cause no defrost or heater......

 

I had a '66 and the defrost worked fair and the heater was great,,if you want your left foot cooked that was no problem. HRP

 

Too light in the rear for the snow, unless you add weight. how about an old Toronado?

 

The reason I don't have much hair on my head is because of having to roll down the window and stick my head out the window to see even with a little ice or snow.The good old days give me a heater and wipers any day when there is ice,snow,and rain

 

I drive my 61 bel air EVERYDAY, that includes the snow storm today. The heat and defrost work great. I have never been stuck. It's just like driving a 2-wheel drive truck. If you are up for a bit of an adventure you will be fine. I think it's sad people shoot the idea of a older daily driver down on a forum like this. Bunch of part timers.

 

They drove them everyday in '64, and certainly would not have hesitated to drive one 80 miles. Might want to add some weight in the bed in the winter and be prepared to do rust repairs every other year. The best car I have ever driven in deep snow was a '64 Dodge station wagon, used to go look for unplowed ally's to go through with snow pouring over the hood. The only problem is that it didn't want to do a donut, it would hook up halfway through!

 

thanks for the input! I would like to make my 61 f100 a daily but it needs a lot of work witch i plan to do just not right now and I hope to be full time self employed with in 2 years then I would only have a few blocks to commute.

now the hard part, talk the wife into it.

 

Do it. You'll be fine.

I agree with "obsolete zach"s post.

I drove a 51 Pontiac on bias plies every day for three years, going through Sierra Nevada mountain snow storms, rain storms, 100 degree heat... everything

I do the same with my new '46 Chevy Coupe.

And my '66 Ford truck.

As the teenagers say nowadays "YOLO" (you only live once) hahahaa

 

x 2

 

Im from boston and currenty my daily is a 69 elcamino.previous winter rides were a 76 vw and a 62 galaxy and before that a 61 lincoln.they used to drive them back then and what could be more fun in the snow than a v8 powered sled

 

I drive my 50 suburban daily 75 miles. Mostly rain, only a few frozen days and snow. I maintain the drum brakes, swapped a 700r4 and 373 into it and installed a new heater blower. Rain x is my best friend and I use a space heater plugged in at night and at work.

 

I80 is damn scary in good weather in a late model vehicle. Especially in the rolling hills West of Des Moines.

I would not recommend driving a 64 Ranchero on that road no matter what the weather.

 

I have been daily driving 60's and older vehicle for 20 years plus a couple 80's & 90's. Currently a '49 Chevy half ton. I'm from St. Louis. Now in Denver. If the Ranchero is in good mechanical shape, it should be just as good or better than a new car. Only thing is you have to watch out for the idiots who don't care to drive responsibly. Gotta protect the old metal!