is there any one here with a 1930's-40's car that is there daily driver ?

is there any one here that actualy uses their 1930s or 40s car or truck as a daily driver ? i really want to get a 1928-31 model A build a traditional hotrod out of it and once its completed use it as a daily driver. being that its a car and thats what they were ment to be used as.

i keep having people tell me that a car that old just cant be used as a daily driver but i dont see why not. i currently have a motorcycle which is my daily driver i ride it in rain, snow or shine. and when you think about it if you take a 1930 ford and a motorcycle, put them both side to side there really isnt much of a differance between the two so i dont see why it couldnt be done. to me it makes perfect sense to want to daily drive a car that you built and put alot of time and effort into.

so am i totaly crazy here or is there any one here that has a model A or any car from the 1930s or 1940s and uses it as their daily driver? although im into model A's im pretty sure i keep getting told that the cars cant be used as daily drivers due to their age so i figured id ask about all cars and trucks of around the same age.

 

Hey Scullboy...here's one for ya. I drove this 1946 Ford business coupe approx. 4 days a week...2 hr. round trip from late Feb. thru July 2009. This is in Michigan !! This car has the original 239 flat-head, 3-speed trans., and 4.11 rear axle, so because of the high gear-ratio, I usually stayed off the express-way unless I was runnin' late. I was quite a blast. I didn't worry about gettin' 'er rusty, 'cause it was already rusted!...............I've had other oldies with original drive-trains that I drove on a regular basis...I drove a 1952 Chevy 2-door sedan with a 235 for a few years. I also drove my 1951 Buick Roadmaster Riviera for about 2 years. None of these were exceptionally nice cars, but they ran good...had to make sure they did! If they had been really nice, I probably wouldn't have done it...I don't know maybe I would anyway. You're always taking a chance, but what the heck...I'm with you...drive 'em! Of course, the older the car, the more chance they won't keep up with traffic...the gear ratio is usually the limiting factor. But anything with a newer drive-train shouldn't have a problem. Lighting is an issue too...usually needs some improvement. All in all, I've had fun, and I'll do it again. Life is short...do it. See ya, Rick.

 

I drove my 40 Merc a lot when I first got it (Oct 2004) To work. Errands. Just fer fun. Drove it from Feb 2005 til that May, when we had to move aways out while our house was being redone. 50 mile round trip. Even in light snow a few times.
If you feel like the car is road worthy I wouldn't hesitate. I was the same way with bikes too. unless it's super cold or snowing I rode a lot when I was on two wheels.

 

I drove my old cars daily. That included 42-48 Plymouths (Sedans, Coupes, Woody Wagon), 40 Ford Std. Coupe, T bucket roadster, and later ones 51 Ford convertible and 57 Chevrolet BelAir 2door sedan.

 

ever hear of gray baskerville?

 

My neighbor drives his 30 pickup every day, he's retired and loves to drive around town in that truck, hell, his wife's daily is a 30 Model A.
Both completely original, told me I was going to "purgatory" for chopping up my 30, not to worry, we're buds

 

I was gonna say that it looks like were in the minority seesko, 'cause I wasn't seeing many responses yet...but were gettin' a few now. I've actually been waiting to see if someone was going to start a thread on this subject...thanks Skullboy. It cracks me up seesko, that we live in two states that get as cold as any, and we still drive'em!........a '40 Merc no less?!!...and your bike...cool...I mean cold! --- Rick

 

Most cars were daily drivers at one time.No reason you can't drive them now, just some parts are harder or more expensive to get than a new car. I drive my 29 alot and i do better maintenance and upkeep to it than any of the other cars i own. Insurance is the only reason i don't drive mine every day .

 

My daily driver is a 1957 Chevy truck with stock suspension. I have a 20-30 minute commute each way. Not really a 30-40s car, but it feels like it!

 

34 ford pickup driven over 1000 miles a month, everyday rain or shine.

 

I was driving a 26 "t" on the fast lane from la puente to a hollywood job site everyday.

Now i drive to a anaheim job site.

 

lol how do you think i felt when this thread made it to page 2 with out getting any responce's

your welcome

iv been waiting for a post like this as well and couldnt find one doing a search so finaly desided that im sick enough of my friends and others telling me that its a bad idea that i should start a thread about it.

the only thing that stops me from riding a motorcycle is a ton of ice on the road or bad drivers who cant drive cars other wise rain and snow wont stop me.

why is that ? whats the insurance cost on it ? i figure it wouldnt cost me any more a year to insure a model A then it would to insure my 87 camaro.

although its from the 50s it still fits in the same basic idea being i want a 50's era hotrod. i probably should have typed 1930s-50s

 

My coupe is my daily from April 11 till they start salting the roads, usually mid Dec. I also get it out several times in between when the roads are not wet. It is starting to get a little rusty underneath but what the hell, after all it is a car.

 

I drove my 38 Chevy 2dr sedan from 95-2004 as my daily. In 2002 I bought a 53 chevy truck...to use as a truck. In 2004 after our daughter was born I wanted a 4dr (car seats are a pain to get into the back of a 2dr sedan). We bought a 56 chevy 4dr. drove that as a daily up till 2006. Then the mini van showed up.....oh the humanities
BUT now I'm working on my Model A which might just turn into my going to the office car. who knows. I do know that you will get the old guys who will tell you that you are ruining that beautiful car driving it in the rain and snow. Some of them will get angry with you, which is stupid because it is a car and it is yours. Do it you'll be glad

 

I drive my 31 model a rain or shine snow or not...

 

I drive my two jalopies. one or the other everywhere, for everything. We have an '03 minivan, but only because my wife wants to keep it. I drive that beast maybe once every couple of weeks, just to keep it limbered up.

Even though she prefers the '03, she's a good sport and humors me in my old age. I use the '29 pickup when she's going along, she detests the Nash hot rod.

It doesn't take any more to keep an old car up than a newer one. Some things are simpler, and unlike new ones, there isn't a thing on the old ones that I can't fix myself. Nothing. Fact is, if I took a bias ply tube type tire to a shop to get it fixed they'd be scratchin' their heads.

 

I like this thread.

 

Cost is the same as my other cars .I have Grundy but they don't allow daily driving and i don't trust regular insurance companies with my truck in the event of a total loss .

 

i'm impressed by the guys who live in the northern states and drive their hotrods so much! i know guys here in the florida sun that don't have balls that big.and heck skullboy, if yur already ridin' a bike year-round an A-bone would down right luxurious.

 

My 41 dodge pickup /318 auto ps pb five days a week. My avitar is what I started with

 

I drive mine everyday!......Its my ONLY ride! and itsgot the orig. flathead in her still!

 

this is my mothers '33, she sold a nissan and bought this, so this is her daily driver. they have the farm ute too, but this and the mustang are her cars. I've known her to drive in rainstorms on the bias plys that guys with radials will pussy out of.

think she has had it about 4 years now, she seems happy enough driving it as a daily.

 

Hell, my daily 360,000 '72 V8 Falcon (yes- 72- aussie) feels old. Hats off to ya !
Yo FlatOz y' mum's gotta sweet lookin' coupe there...

 

I drive this everyday, rain, snow it doesn't matter, driven it to bonneville, austin tx, kansas city, all over the place, and love every mile.

 

I drive a 46 chevy truck daily.

 

I dive my 47 studebaker quite bit, not everyday though. I haul crap in it all the time. People get real weirded out about it. I don't give a shit.

 

Of course, this guy............Actually this is a piece of art from Tom Fritz.

 

oh the humanity!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

same here i didnt think this thread would get this many response's

rain hurts at 60mph on a motorcycle and snow is well cold lol. im jobless at the moment but you wouldnt want to know how many times at my old job my boss would call my cell if the weather was bad to ask if i wanted a ride to work only to have me not answer it and show up on my bike as he was hanging up the phone. so an A-bone would be lurious due to it has a roof,doors,4 wheels and windows lol. the lack of heat and lack of a radio wouldnt bother me at all due to im deff not use to them although the passenger seat would be a concept that im not use to.

 

coupster do you mind if i use this for my desktop backround ? would be the perfect inspirational picture

29nash that picture looks like it could be on a christmas card or book cover its awsome