The Daily Driver Journal

How much driving do you do? If you drive only a bit, you might be able to get a good lease deal and in about 3 years your will be forced out of it back into your F100. Wife may even be done with school by then.

Just a thought.

 

I shamelessly drive a 2014 F150 4x4 crew Lariat, because my employer provides it. Before they stepped up it was Corvairs and mid 70 Ford trucks, or worse, AD Chevy trucks!

Now I wont admit it out loud, but that new Ford is super cozy to drive. It's like sitting in your living room when you are blasting down the highway... which I do a lot of for my employer. It doesn't have a soul, but... cozy. It's like secretly dating the nerdy girl in high school. She's really sweet, but you don't want your friends to see.

I haul my kids in it, and my customers, and it just "works" with no drama. Soullessly. Seriously, I enjoy not having to worry about it. Not paying for it has helped

 

I drove old stuff (or newer pieces of shit) daily starting at 16 for a combined 10 years and am beyond over it. I want electronic fuel injection, air conditioning, heat and defrost, overdrive, cup holders, comfortable seats, 20 speed wipers, keyless entry, power windows, and total anonymity. For times when I intend to have fun while driving, I’ll take the old car.

 

guess that this is a reality check that most here have had to face at one time or another - one of those "ya gotta do what ya gotta do" - part of this dilemma shows up in the old cars with more and more late model drivetrains, etc - more talk here about use of cell phones, GPS, etc - look at the latest issue of Street Rodder magazine, full of hi-tech installs - main thing is to not forget the roots of old timers building true Hot Rods & Customs - keep History alive the best that you can

 

On topic: stock heater in my old 65 F100 would melt your tennies, and the Sears under dash A/C ran so cold the vents would frost up.

Off topic: I don't get all the minivan hate. They are probably the best all around functional vehicle in existence, way better than a dumb "big on the outside, small on the inside" SUV, or a pickup with a much higher tailgate load height (unless you are towing - then of course a big PU would be the ticket). I have a company provided daily, but if I had to buy one it would probably be a used Ford Transit Connect passenger minivan.

 

I have driven “older junk” since I was driving age. We started a family in 2013 and I bought a brand spank’n new Dodge Ram in 2014. Best decision I ever made. Drive the hotrods when time allows......

 

Adding a heater really wouldnt take much effort at all. A.c. is a bit more work but very do able.

Last year I added a vehicle that is a bit more than a decade newer than my daily f1......since my wife and both kids can't fit in the cab with me. Going a decade newer adds a lot of nice features (in my case I got a deiesl powered Series 2a Land Rover).

So maybe look for something just a bit newer than your f100.

 

50's-60's station wagon is the best all-around choice: power, comfort, safety, style.

 

I say keep the F100 - maybe buy an AC kit for $1500 and some shoulder belts for the kids? Get that heater fixed and your good to go. Doing a little to make it comfortable is a lot less dough than buying a new truck.
just my .02

 

I love my old cars and I drive them when I can. Since I don't drive them every day, it seems like more of a treat when I finally get to spend some time in them. It just seems more special. When I have my grandbabies with me, they ride in a big modern SUV with all the latest in safety features. As an ER Doc. I routinely see the kind of damage the human body can sustain in an auto accident and it is not pretty. I make no judgments as to how others live their lives. But, I feel like protecting my family as best as I can out trumps driving a cool car on a regular basis. YMMV.

 

My German allegiance belongs to a different mark I'm afraid

that's OK, they're all great.
My kids are grown, maybe you should just sell me your F100............
on second thought, I live on top of a hill and really need 4wd to deal with this shit........
and it's happening again today, another 15" predicted

 

Ok @Ryan Post up a pic of the Mercedes you had for a bit. Better yet, the drag race.

 

Yup. The old junk is where it is at Ryan. Buuuuut it can be the last place you want to be when newer junk can do the job better, safer and more reliably. Not sure how three kids and an adult male fit into a regular cab pickup with a bench seat, anyway. Maybe some crazy-ass Texas math if you carry the one or divide by 3.1415 or some shit. Get a damn family truxter to fill the need until the Daddy cabby responsibilities are fulfilled. You live in Texas man, old Ford pickemups are all over the place there. Replaceable. Safety aside, kids schedules don't tend to lend themselves well to "hold on a minute I have to fix the points, damned float is stuck again or where's THAT leaking from....". My life demands some common sense too. My hemi-powered Model A pickup isn't gonna move 18 inches of snow today. It ain't a hard decision when you really think about it.

 

You’ve got it tough Ryan ‘cause you hobby is your business.
Most could say that your hobby shouldn’t get in the way of life.
Get the coolest thing that still meets practical. You live outside the box, figure out what you’ll feel good driving that also makes you grin.
And keep the F100 for when you need your old truck fix.
Old Fords are happy to wait for you.

 

If you are driving the kids more than before, then I would recommend a late model daily. Especially driving 290! Some people drive like crap. I leave plenty of room for the car in front of me and there have been times driving with the kids to jujitsu that I have barely avoided a wreck with a 3 year old truck with anti-lock brakes that stops pretty good. If I were in an older car I probably would have plowed into someone.

 

You know you want a minivan...
No you don't... LOL.
But maybe? Does it really have to be a big ass expensive pickup truck? I almost hate to utter the words, and you probably don't love me saying it... but you can buy a very nice used minivan for a fraction of the cost of a new pickup truck. Then you can have your late model and keep your short bed.
A little philosophy...
I know exactly what you mean about enjoying being the guy around town who doesn't always color inside the lines. I used to do the same thing. For a long time, I drove my old cars in any kind of weather... even through the winter... and I live in Michigan. Though I have to say that I wasn't hauling children.
But I have a thought about that. Some others might think it's cool. But the fact is I think, that hardly anybody else really gives a flying flip what you drive... they're all too caught up in their own lives to give it any real thought or for it to matter to them. May I kindly and humbly suggest that you do exactly what you want to do and need to do for you and your family... and don't ever even consider what the masses think. Drive that minivan with the knowledge that you know exactly what you're doing and why. And if anybody ever did say anything, I love the response...
Yeah okay, whatever.
Again, us hot rodders like to be different. We don't want to be just one of the many robot sheep. But there's a very good reason why the majority of responsible people do what they do... mow their grass on Sundays, the fork goes on the left, eat dinner before dessert, and yes... drive minivans... because it works.
I'm not preaching. I know you know this stuff. Just my two cents to help you think about it. God bless you and your family, Ryan.

Sent from my VS835 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

If you end up buying a minivan, we won't make fun of you...
We PROMISE. Lol.

Sent from my VS835 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

Well Ryan, Just about everything on the planet has been recommended to you at this point. Let us know what ya end up with.

 

No, do not let us know what you buy - be in the stealth mode

Sent from my SM-G930V using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

I don't have kids, so the safety driving is not on my list, but. I am driving my race car towing vehicle, a 04 Ford Diesel cause when it sits it becomes an old car and argues when I needed it. So I drive it for a while to keep it 'loose'.
Then I will go back to the 59 panel, then the 40 truck, then one day the 54 wagon.
Go with the safety and reliability, and its easy to get use the; heated seats, good brakes, Sirus radio, auto locks, power on demand, and safety.
Go to the Dark Side Young RyanWalker,,,,,,,,,,

 

If this were me I'd be potentially somewhat resentful of having to sell a cherished oldy in order to get a kiddy carrier, and that could easily eat me up over time. So nothing would be sold that I'd rather not sell. To fulfil my responsibilities I'd therefore be looking for a cost effective solution, and ideally something that I'd not necessarily want to jump into as my default vehicle if the kids weren't present. I'd probably end up with an ageing Volvo estate, and a bag for my head.
Chris

 

found some suggestions for family safe cool rides
most fit the pre-65 bracket
View attachment 3835514 View attachment 3835515 View attachment 3835516 View attachment 3835517 View attachment 3835525 View attachment 3835526

 

Oh, man, I love that 4 door PW and the street going half-track!
I think maybe one of these would be more Ryan's style......... if I had to take a guess....
You could build one with double thick, Live-Oak sides, then other cars would just bounce off, like cannonballs off "Old Ironsides"
.

 

Ryan,I know you like Porsche's,they make a suv now.

This is so off topic I'm gonna report myself! HRP

 

Its really not that complicated....there are tons of used rigs with ~100K on them that will last another 100k easy....<$10K.

I bought a 2004 Explorer from a pot lot with 40K on it for $8Gs....used to be a Dept. of Interior vehicle.....is it a King Ranch? No. But does it have 4-wheel discs, airbags, ac/heat and plenty of room? Yes.

In today's society people turn in cars because they don't have a back-up camera, GPS, remote start, etc....the technology that you are looking for has been around for ages....should be easy to find a perfectly suitable crew cab pickup on the cheap.

 

I actually just bought a newer Impala and I love it. Fits kids great, 305 horsepower and is the last of the big American sedans in my opinion. If you want a brand new one, they're running 20% off right now.

 

The whole point of family cars is to do that which is responsible. And the whole point of hot rods is to rebel against these earthly bonds. Many attempt to combine the two into a "practical hot rod" -- in many ways defeating the fundamental purpose of the hot rod.

Point being, just get a practical vehicle that doesn't break the bank, and don't fret about it. Shit, one of my other passions is ruined buildings - doesn't mean I have to live in a ruin.

 

Hi, my name is Thom and I'm a worrier also.
But I've learned to ease up on the maintenance, just do what it needs. Maybe pick one to really go through and keep the rest running.


As of last weekend, I have all 4 in a driving status! pick up the slack