Hello, I will be attending Wyotech in Sacramento in September and need to get a car before hand. I want something HAMB worthy so no I don't want some Prius. I need something reliable that will run constantly and have no problems. I don't know how much the school will let me work on my own ride so I don't want any type of project. What do you guys think???? What should I look for???? What is reliable as balls???? My dream would be; Model A - Coupe but would be happy with anything else. 1949 - 1954 Chevrolet. I am also on a farily strict budget as my education is going to cost a lot. So I need something relativly cheap. What do you guys think whats good in Nor Cal for a college kid?
That is funny, but on another note, none of those will be reliable unless you have extra parts in the trunk! jk man, as long as you take care of them, they will run. Good luck on your search.
how much do you have to spend? how far do you have to commute each day? since September is 9 months away i would think you'd have time to do a little fixing up
how far are you going to be driving it daily...? your on a budget.... maybe look for an early 60's car with a 6 cylinder.... they are simple to work on and most of them will run forever.
I like to look at the "survivor" listings on Evil Bay. Nothing like an all original car for basic transportation. I guess anything you buy would need belts, rad & heater hoses and brake hoses. Thats the type of stuff that'll leave you sitting. How about a '60s Chevy wagon? 4 door Nova?
cheap, reliable, easy to work on = the good ol non hamb friendly vw. dont be scared, you might have fun with one
I live overseas now so I can't fix anything up. I will get to Sacramento an will have to purchase something right away. I don't see how this is funny either. I have had to many late models in my life and am sick of shoving my arms in hurtful places just to change spark plugs. And I do take good care of my shit so I would expect it to last. I am not really sure on my budget yet as I am still looking at apartments at the moment. I have thought of the '60's car thing but would rather have something older. I would really like a inline six Chevy car though in maybe a '49 body that would be nice.
No that's a good idea. I will do that search. I probably want something stock because all the hot rods I have had in the past were not really streetable. I would hot rod whatever I get though when I am done college and get a place to stay with a garage. That is why I was thinking Model A. If I got a Model A (stock) I could drive it around with the 4 banger and then build up an AV8 chasis in school and then swap the body on when I am done school.
You're going to be in school and should be focusing on that. Get something cheap, easy and boring. I'm a fan of late 80s, early 90s S10 trucks. Not a hot rod and not traditional, but good heaters, wipers, and run well with fuel injection. All those things are good in a daily driver that you don't have to fool with. Focus on the learning, you can build something older some time down the road.
I have also thought about this a great deal. I have always been into the old V-Dubs infact they are the only import I like. I would love a split window bug or something like that.
I`m a Mopar guy, so naturally I would recommend a product of the Pentastar family. But, in reality, old Mopar parts are hard to find. I have to special-order almost anything I need for my `58 Coronet. So --- on that note, I think an early `60`s GM car would be a great choice. Parts are readily available, cars are fairly plentiful and usually pretty budget friendly. Good luck !
keep in mind that rearend gearing on the 40s to early 50s stuff is made for going about 50-60 mph on the highway, and the old brakes are pretty crappy before they went to the bendix style in 1951 (on Chevys). 6v is great until it gets cold out and you need a jump start.
True you bring up a good point. But I have had '80's and '90's cars ever since my early teens. I am fed up with them. I had a '91 Camaro and would have to jack it up to change the #7 and #8 spark plug it is stuff like that that irratates me. I also am fed up with driving things that everyone else has and want something old. I have grown up in a country without old steel for most of my life. I finaly have the chance to fulfill my dream in owning something old so why not do it.
you have to do some digging, but there are still some decent wagons and more doors around here (it is drier than a popcorn fart in a whirlwind here so not so much rust). also a el-camino would have to be on my list. good luck in school, study proud and make us hard. i do think it would be difficult to score an A. (model A that is)
I have also always been into old Mopars. When I was about 14 that is all I could talk about was Mopars. When I started hanging out with the older car guys and around engine shops though I found out about the whole parts thing. Expensive and hard to find. I have stuck with mostly small block Chevy stuff for that reason although I am getting sick of seeing all of them. But parts are so cheap and easy to find for them.
I know that is why I though about maybe getting someone old "mild" custom. With a 12v. But the brakes on say a '54 are not that bad for just the inline 6 I am not going to be running a dual quad 454.
I have also thought of the El Camino factor. I am a big time biker so it would be nice to throw it in the back. I would not mind a '59 Elco at all.
I have run totally done up SBC's on late model Camaros with stock disc brakes and just about killed myself a few times (me being dumb at WOT).
I have had a few old car daily drivers and from my own experience 60s cars tend to be much better suited to modern traffic. Parts are cheaper and easier to find, they are geared higher, and most of the motors have better oiling and hydraulic lifters. That said my favorite daily driver was a 53 Plymouth Cranbrook. It wasn't real reliable mostly due to the faulty wiring, but ran good and had enough pep to go 55-60 mph no problem. Gas mileage was really good, between 25-30 mpg. Most reliable old daily driver I had was a 63 Rambler American. It had a gazillion miles on it and burned tons of oil but never had a problem with it (other than throwing a rod, had been knocking for a long time). Unless you have an obvious mechanical problem (such as my Rambler six that sounded like a diesel) the biggest issues will be soft parts. If I was stranded somewhere it was because of a busted belt, bad hose, or bad electrical wiring. You eliminate those things and I think you'll find old cars can be just as reliable as anything else.
My grandpa only drove AMC's when he moved to Canada. My dad grew up in a '63 Ramble American. I am probably going to be carrying belts, hoses, tools, etc. in my truck because I am going to be driving this thing a lot. I drive a lot I will be commuting 10 minutes everyday to and from school. Not to mention I will be looking for a job in Nor Cal at a rod shop so will have to drive there and back. Also will probably be up to Lake Tahoe now and then and I know lots of people in San Fransisco so will be there a lot.
A fookin' Toyota. But you want something that has barely survived 50 years of abuse plus is cheap, AND will not need any repair. How IS life on your planet?? Weather good?? Girls cute?? Kid, get something reliable, fairly late-model and cheap. A fookin' Toyota. Then don't tell us about it, soak up your education, THEN go out and try to be cool. Absolutely no one will care what you drove through college, and certainly no one worth a shit will care after college, it's all on you. I know you want to be cool, but if YOU are not cool, your ride won't help, and if you ARE cool, your ride won't hinder. I had folk start conversations when I drove a 'T' bucket, and when I drove a Citroën 2CV. It didn't matter what started the convo, it mattered after it was started as to whether I had anything to contribute to society. My ride really didn't matter. Your education, on the other hand, WILL matter every day of the rest of your life. If you miss something because your ride quit and you hadda spend a couple days fixin', you lose for the rest of your life. Quit worrying about how you look, and start worrying about how you are going to pay your bills, eat, and study. Because there will be no time for anything else while in college, unless you sacrifice the rest of your life. Cosmo
It's not just the cool factor. Personally I don't give a shit what others think of me. Never have never will. I just want an old car because that is my passion. I live for old cars. I have had nothing but late models since my early teens. They are hard to work on, ugly, and uncomfortable. I can easily fix a '49 Chevy if anything goes wrong with it but if I get a new Toyota I won't have a clue and it will sit in a dealer for four weeks. As for living over hear it sucks. The weather is okay but is starting to heat up again. As for the girls this place is 85% expatriat so we get all sorts.
I don't see the humor in this. I want something old school and reliable. Just wondered what the old dudes with experience had to say.
You may indeed be able to fix a '49 Chevy, but can you re-babbit the bearings?? You are now going to college. It's a new ballgame, and all the rules have changed. You now have a passion for education, it has replaced any other passion you have. If you cannot understand this, start flipping burgers and practice the following: "Ya'll wan fries widdat?" Sorry if I'm a little harsh, but I'm a lot older than you, and subsequently a lot more experienced. I never had an older ride that could get through what you want it to get through. Not even when they were new. And any one who speaks the truth, and not simply from memory, will say the same. Today's cars are more reliable than yesterday's cars. FULL STOP. Yesterday's cars are a second car, or for a person who has time and resources to indulge themselves. You have already said you have neither AND the mere fact that you are in college presupposes the same. I would not care to tell you the times I have been stranded by an old car, but my friends will. Cosmo Just an example: I used to run W123 Merc diesels, the very same car that is used today in darkest Africa as taxicabs. Ran across the country three times with them. Always broke down. ALWAYS, means every time. Once twice. Took my wife's Taurus (yup, ultra-boring and dull) to Seattle last time (4000+ miles). Now, it may be true that it is hard to work on, and you'd probably hate every minute in it, but that never reared it's ugly head - for that car never broke. Now calculate the time it would take you to change the plugs, set points and time an older car (basic tune). Take that time and subtract it from the time you have to study. Now, take the time it would take to do absolutely nothing to a newer car. Do you have more time to study in the first example, or the second?? You are forgetting the one main thing about college (if you ever knew it) - it's ALL about the education, anything that takes away from the education is BAD!!
Thank you for the advice. I am not sure however if you know what wyotech is... http://www.wyotech.edu/ If anything does go wrong I could fix it in class. But you are right I would be fucked if I had a problem on the road. What about a '60's Chevy muscle car with a 350? or an old VW bug?
Get yourself like a 80's Monte Carlos, or Cutlass Supreme...fairly reliable...easy to work on...and cheap and easy to find.
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