Art & Inspiration Winter Beaters/Daily Drivers

They run forever because they don't have enough power to hurt themselves! lol

 

This was my only car for years. Rain snow or shine... never let me down. Straight eight, six volt started when nothing else would! Heater was iffy though. I don't drive it in the winter now, but I would if I had to.

 

Ever since I saw this truck of yours years ago, I have loved it to death and hated you for having it! Man, such a beauty...you built your own 4x4 drivetrain for it, if I recall correctly?

 

My Nomad was daily driver for first 11 out of the 24 years I've owned it.
Driven year-round, went camping and fishing in it, hauled stuff in back, slept in back, driven up in mountains on logging roads, etc
I don't do that much anymore not because car can't take it, but because someone else might take it

 

Ha ha. Thanks.... Yes it is my own creation....i have clocked 120000 miles on it since building it 6 years ago.

I have a build thread on here for it.

 

Hey /6 may be slow but it gets me there in style.

 

my 58 apache was my daily untill the 283 finally bit the dust. Burns more oil than a 2 stroke. I got a fresh motor lined up to replace it. So give me a couple weeks and it will be road worthy again. Untill then I'll suffer and drive my (don't shoot me) Honda.

 

I did. My ford wagon. The poor thing was rotted to begin with and i don't think all the salt used from November till march helped. Now I got a 61 Chevy that spent almost it's whole life down south and its time in ny staying in a garage. I don't want it to rot out so its tucked in im my parents driveway. I can wait for spring im over proving I'll drive in anything anytime.

 

Some day I'm going to build a street beast 33 coupe and drive it up here in lousy NY all winter. Glass car should not hurt a thing in fact I think that was their real purpose.

 

If I could build me a vintage diesel ride, I would use it every day!

I drove my volvo 122 for years from
I got my license, and six years after. 10 km pr liter and 10kr a liter. Only pre-kids and pre house could I afford that on top of everything else.
I drove 40km every way, everyday. Now I drive my OT Diesel 55km everyday, at 17km liter. And that's almost 9kr liter but gas is above 10.

Although I restored my Volvo, and used it a lot in the summer, I miss driving it every day!!
But vintage tin and salt, is sworn enemy's!

 

Before the engine got too tired to run I drove the 48 daily for most of the time it was running and driving every time it was running and driving including a 13 year stretch between 1989 and 2003 when it was my daily driver to work and then for work. That included driving in 20 below 0 F weather one winter with 20 inches of snow on the ground to 105 degrees in the summer with no ac and not much insulation. When it's the only thing you have that is reliable you drive it.

 

I've had many old cars as my only transportation. With the '53, I plan to drive it every day once some of the stuff is sorted out. I've driven a shit load of old Slant 6 rigs, 65 Dart GT, 66 Valiant, 69 Valiant, 70 Scamp, 71 Dart, 72 Valiant, 73 Duster, 74 Dart Swinger too.

My last classic that was a daily was my 70 Checker Marathon. I've got an '83 Volvo 244 Turbo for driving when I would like a heater and radio.. otherwise I dig the oldies far more.

~TK~

 

I am super impressed! Damn.

My Dart has been through 40 years of Michigan winters and is still rockin. I wouldn't be surprised if it out lived me. It is just a car, and if you wash it, and replace the metal that rots off, and stop the rust and cover it with something, it should last a long long long time.

I've come to the conclusion as many of you have stated above. Life is WAY to short to not have as much fun as you can, so why let it sit in the garage all the time? Build something you can commute in, and have a blast!

It's actually cheaper than a late model most of the time too!

I'll post some pictures of my Dodge beaters soon.

 

Sold the 62 Chevy I was driving at the time and had the drive the Charger for a couple weeks in the winter before I found another vehicle for winter driving. 3 years later, and there is no extra rust...granted, I washed the PISS out of it.

Here's the truck I used as a winter beater/hauler. 235 stovebolt six. I payed $750 for it and it was a rusty pile. Nothing some LOWES steel and a 110 mig couldn't fix. The box heater kept up just fine with the defrost duties. The only issue I ever had with this truck in the 3 years I banged around in it was the Delco generator died. Threw in a $40 GM three wire alt and called it a day.



Seeing some of the bad ass stuff you guys are rockin, I'm going to have to step it up a notch.

 

Dodges. Snow. Arizona. Bad combination.

Here we are pulling my wife's car out of the ditch off I-10 about 27 years ago.

 

Snow in Arizona ? Is that a rate combo too? Or a joke?

 

It's rare in Tucson...but it happened Christmas Eve 1987. We got stuck in it.

 

Here's why I won't drive a vintage car in the winter, all that "stuff" on the jeep is salt.

 

Running my '88 van year round. Wish I wasn't, it's a nice one, but I'll wash the hell out of it if it ever warms up enough.

 

The key is to get an undercoating gun and fill it with half ATF and half CHAIN SAW BAR OIL and literally OIL SPRAY THE PISS OUT OF IT regularly if you want to drive an old car. For over 20 years up until 2 years ago ALL I DROVE ALL YEAR ROUND were 58-63 X FRAME CHEVYS and CANADIAN Pontiacs-same frame and driveline as a Chevy. My winter beater now is an 86 GMC 4x4 because our winters are so shitty but I still oil spray it like crazy. It hasn't rusted a bit but it sure is grungy until spring when you wash it. I did the same with my 63 Impala 4 door for years and it never got worse. My buddy is on his 20th year with a 67 Beaumont (for you Americans it was sold at Pontiac dealerships to fill the void of the expensive to import GTO-it looks like a Chevelle) and it's STILL going strong. OIL SPRAY OIL SPRAY OIL SPRAY!!!!!! Sometimes my gravel driveway looks like a murder scene but it works trust me! There's also an old guy on his 25th year driving his 69 Chevy 1/2 ton and he taught me this. Fill the doors, rockers, frame, underhood nooks and crannys, etc, etc. In the sloppy weather I even oil spray halfway up the body!!!! and don't wash it off! Then wash 'er in the spring! Oh ya and HUGE MUDFLAPS are a MUST HAVE! LOL

 

Would't it be cool to build a fiberglass rod on a 100% smooth frame with a stainless steel frame, axle and bones. And the powercoat the rear, install a heater and run a Diesel.
Then I could drive it year round, to and from work and even take it to bonneville with out fear of it disappearing in too the ground. ️

 

o

Great idea, but as I write this it is -30f -32c with a -45 windchill in this area, nothing would rust here today. On Monday it's going to be 25 f or -4c, and sloppy, go figure. I am going to try this on a utility trailer, as the frame and inner fenders have been getting rusty.
My off topic Van, has rusted rockers, not from salt, but from gravel dust mixed with dust control getting trapped inside, and staying wet 24/7, rotting things out, going to spray that area with oil.
Would it be a good idea to spray the under side of my 55 Fargo truck, in summer it would get coated in dust and be like an old time undercoating....brrr it's friggin cold here this morning.

 

I know it's an OT car, but it's been my daily this year since my son got his license. (I've been letting him use my truck, much safer for a new driver). It will be his car, but my wife isn't quite ready to let him use it every day. With a 5gl pail of sand in the trunk, and new Michelins, it goes through the snow pretty well. Only problem is, I can't see over all the f'n snow banks we have around here. Surprisingly, the heat and wipers actually work, and with the hardtop, it stays warm enough.

PS, anybody have a Buick 215 they want to sell, so we can turn this thing into a real car,

 

Despite being small in displacement. It can be made to behave all different with the right work, and some fit'ling. Twin 40 or 45 webers and a 4-2-1 manifold, better cam and headwork.
They are small, but it's light too.
And a hot banger, is fun and go-parts a cheaper for the banger then the Rover.
I know you asked for the Buick, but there is a reason the lifespan of the Rover more then 3 decades. It's the natural evolution of the Buick, it's superior.

 

About 15 years ago, Tuck and I went snow-cruising in my old 33 pickup.

 

OH ya today we have nothing to worry about the road salt will be totally inactive. It is -28 below zero this morning. It's really just the shoulder months where you drive in the slop that's really bad. Also if you do a lot of highway driving they use MEGA AMOUNTS of salt so extra oil spraying for those situations. And you are absolutely right about the dust coating the oil it is the best preservative ever. That's what we do oil spray and drive down a gravel road-works great! The key also is to make sure before you do the spraying you flush out all the areas really well and make sure all drain holes are clear-even add more if you know what I mean!

 

here in wi. we can get our fair share of snow and bad weather but we have a veteran with pow plates that drives a coupe as his only vehicle and he is out on some pretty bad days. he did ditch it a few winters ago but it is rebuilt and back on the road again as his daily. this is not a beater either, most people would use it as a summer play car around here but he uses it daily.

 

Damn, was it that long ago already?! I remember the vid you guys made.
Both it and the song in it were great!
I drove my old 33 Ford truck a couple winters here back then, but realized it was stupid with the amount of salt thats used here. No pics though lol

Tony

 

I have never owned anything in my life but a daily driver. I am not one of the privileged, anything I own gets driven and as far as salt on the roads and etc, I know that it washes off and most of what detriot ever built is moderately water resistant.