My 40 Ford gets about 15-16.5 mpg, but I usually drive it on highways and not much around town. It also has a 3.55 rearend and a Mallory electronic ignition, which helps a bit guess. My 55 Chevy 235/3spd/OD with 3.55 rearend is around 17-18 mpg. Don´t sweat the milage. Just feel fortunate to be able to drive an old car daily. I can´t wait for the rain to wash the salt off the roads so I can get the old cars back into daily service again.
Seems to me you're just asking for trouble. You want to drive a 70yr old car on a daily basis because it looks cool. You say you 'get' working on an old car, but on that 90 degree day, with the humidity at 70 percent and the sun beating down on you as you chase some fuel or electrical gremlin in the middle of an intersection on the way to someplace you just gotta be, that 70yr old car might not be so cool. If you're prepared to start every day not knowing if you'll get where you need to go, maybe making repairs along the way, and waiting for parts to make those repairs that you can't get quickly, then by all means go for it. Congrats, you now have two projects instead of one. Better keep something dependable around to chase parts and get to those 'have to be there' times when the daily driver is needed.
My 283 57' Chevy will have a Rochester 3-2bbl. progressive set up, 3 speed/overdrive, and electronic ignition. Hoping for about 18 - 19 if I keep my foot out of it.
@gregsmy .....the post above, from @RJP is really on point. IF, on the other hand, you are committed to this venture, @squirrel is Gospel. Your call, but you have been advised what can be expected and what is required. Best Wishes whatever path you take. Ray
I hear you. Dont much care about looking cool, as most people on the road probably dont think its cool any way. I would still keep my current daily driver to use on days that I had to go some where important or when its supposed to rain for 3 days. I just like old cars and dont have much use for one if its just going to be parked in the garage to look at. Thanks for all the replies.
I almost, but not quite, get tired of talking about my cars. You can't stop for gas without a conversation. Nobody asks about the gas mileage. Couple months ago, some guy saw my Ford in the Dollar General parking lot and came in the store looking for the owner.
The blower car guys not complaining , he's bragging , I.e. " my cars so badass it only gets bla bla bla mpg" or " my cars got so much cam , it won't idle " , in other words , a blowhard !
It's simple then. Sell or trade the project car. Get a running driving old car and join the fun. Not everybody is cut out for a non running project. If you get an old car that's a little 'streetroddy' you'll have the best of both worlds. Old/new, and easy to maintain.
My suggestion? Get a 60's car. It will be more modern in things like brakes and carbs, but it will still be an old car. You'll have 12 volts, an alternator, maybe even power steering and brakes and if you're lucky, AC. A 60's car will still need more maintenance than a newer one, but most parts will be easier and cheaper to find. There's still a lot of lower mileage original cars out there that would make great drivers, they might not be the more popular models though.
Here is a photo I took driving my '47 to the Stray Kat 500 in 2015. It was a smooth and comfortable 300 mile round trip, not counting the miles driven around town when we got there. Stock with 6 volt charging system.
Thanks for all the replies. I guess it wasn't really about the gas mileage but more of a reality check. I figured I could get some good feedback here. If I can make the deal happen then I will probably buy the car, if not I will keep looking. I like 30's,40's & 50's cars so that's what I will stick with. Having looked at a number of butchered cars with later model upgrades I kinda put that out of the search and have been concentrating on more stock, less modified ones. Maybe I will add that back into the search as it does solve some of the maintenance and reliability concerns if its done right.
jumping on the hwy and doing 75 really comes in handy at times .even if not much of the time . and you never know when you might need to run !!forest!!
Not at all to rain on your parade. Whats with the recent flood of people who seem to be quite new to the old car thing asking about how to daily a stock old car? If you're concerned about the mileage and unsure of a flatty and 6volts are you ready for the task of making a 60+ year old car a daily? Its nothing like jumping in the honda and just going places. There is much more to keeping a stock old car alive.
Are you ready willing and able to keep a old car rolling only you can answer that? My thoughts on fuel mileage is old cars get poor to fair fuel mileage. However every modern car I ever owned got good fuel mileage was reliable and depreciated so fast - before you know it you owed more than it was worth! Plus all new cars to me look like a used bar of soap!
Definitely not new to the "old" car thing. But the oldest was a 55 Mercury 4 door that my buddy had. It was multiple shades of primer and paint and we drove that car every where, every day. Carried a toolbox in the trunk and had to fix more than one thing on the side of the road, but it never left us. We had an agreement that whatever broke or fell off of "your" side of the car (driver/passenger) you had to fix. He drove that car from 11th grade thru most of college. I agree if you dont know anything about "old" cars it could be a problem. But its some of the simplest systems out there and what it takes to make them operate is pretty basic stuff. Yes vacuum wipers suck when its a monsoon. Yes you have to do way more maintenance on them because the components where designed that way. Yes its 60+ year old stuff. I kinda thought that was all part of the fun. If not then I guess your a collector that just likes to park them and look at them. Not what I am thinking about.
I don't think anyone is stating you should not drive an old car as a daily driver, you asked for opinions, thoughts on the subject. my comment was on gas mileage, not a factor in a hobby car IMO. If driving that car is your desire, do it and see how it works out. Have Fun and enjoy the hobby. Your age is a factor, if you are a younger man you won't mind points/plugs 1 or 2 x a year, handling, discomfort of an old car. I remember those days and I have been spoiled with our modern cars with all the conveniences/safety, my hobby cars are modernized and I drive them, never as a daily driver, Again, "Have At It" opinion threads here will always get you many different outlooks, JUST DO IT !
great body style that you are looking at - driving to go for a ride would be Cool - driving in commute traffic need to up grade to 12 volt ASAP - use plastic tail light lenses, and "Brite Bulbs" - want your car to be seen as best as possible - even a 3rd brake light would be a good addition - then you can switch to an electric windshield wiper motor - put Rain-X, or other coating, outside and inside anti-fogging - replace brake shoes and drums - drums likely have been turned over the years and you will need every bit of stopping power that you can - flush/replace brake fluid too (non-silicon) - add front & rear seat belts - add aftermarket exterior rearview mirrors that 1 has long stem for passenger side, and shorter for drivers side - the original drive train is not high gas mileage friendly - check tires closely to make sure that there is no cracking, etc - Good Luck with planning on you Kid leaving the house right after High School - Have Fun
Since you asked, my priority when driving these old cars is ALWAYS brakes. I know some guys are going to say the old ones work just fine, (when adjusted, and if it's dry), but disc brakes stop straighter and harder and don't care about the weather. Like squirrel said, it's often about the other driver and their (lack of) driving ability that you have to watch out for. I lost one of my favorite cars (48 Fleetline coupe) to an idiot who ran a red light to turn left in front of me. The disk brake kit was in the garage, and I was waiting for the weekend to put it on. I have no doubt I would have been able to stop with the modern brakes on it (or if I could have read the moron's mind). Discs are cheap and smart. MPG is the least of your worries if you're driving an old car. Good luck with it. You'll have a lot of fun.
I’m not afraid to drive an old car/truck as a daily. Have for years. Why not put a T5 in it? r Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
Suprised no one has mentioned anything about TIMING - I'd bump it up 3-4 degrees, or as much as the flatty could handle while still starting on a HOT day. At the very least, stock a spare 6v headlight and tail-light bulbs, glass fuses. I would also stock a extra generator, voltage regulator -even if they are used. New fuel pump. Run a glass fuel filter near the carb, watch it for any rust or rubber particles. Carry a spare element too! I've learned that 6v systems are NOT as forgiving as a 12v when it comes to excessive resistance in wiring, or poor connections and bad grounds. Wire gauge is also critical. Know how to perform a voltage-drop test, to pin-down a bad wire with excessive resistance. 40 years ago, a graybeard tipped me off to a 8v industrial battery, adjusting the voltage regulator to 9.2 volts for my '53 Chevy truck. I drove it for decades with the 8v, the starter cranks like a 12v! The only downside was headlights burned out quicker, but I carried a spare under the seat! Make brake adjustments a HABIT, during oil changes, lube jobs. A pistol-grip grease gun works BITCHIN!
Check out getting insurance for use as a DD. I wasn't going to use "classic car" insurance that they said was only good for to & from shows & parades and locked in a garage and lie about why it got stolen or damaged at work or a store. I wanted declared, appraised value DD insurance like I had in the '80's when I was driving rods as DD's, but they wouldn't issue that I had problems getting it for mine and I gave up on use as a DD One of the reasons I'm getting out of the hobby
You summed it up quite well, and what you described is exactly what I love about old cars. If you do too, you're probably the right person to daily drive an old ford ! Just do it, you' ll figure it out.
I just have normal liability insurance on my old cars. No driving restrictions. And I have to fix or replace them myself if I screw up and cause a wreck, etc. Sent from my Trimline
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