I bought my wife a 55 Ford 4dr to drive. I was able to get a car with nice paint, decent interior, new engine, trans, totally rebuilt rear end, disc brakes, rack and pinion steering, air conditioning, new exhaust system, new wiring for $6000. I needed to fix a few things, and install seat belts, but other than that, its a dependable daily driver. She has no safety worries about carting the kids around in it. Where we live the regular street traffic is close to 70 mph, and in the 50's in the town. Accidents are catastrophic, and usually fatal. Always the fatal is the little brand new car. I have a 98 Explorer that I need to put a motor in, that she thinks she wants to drive as well. the only reason I am considering it is that the car was virtually free, as well as the replacement engine. Running and driving, that car isnt worth $5000. She loves the 55, but also likes the newer cars..CD player, no wind leaks, power windows, etc. I've never bought her a new car. The 55 will always be worth fixing, as long as it doesn't get wrecked. The explorer will go to the scrapper once it blows another major component.
Another vote for an LT1 caprice wagon. Impala SS grille, wheels, & springs then have 4 snows on the stock wheels for winter. It's cooler than a minivan, and are suprisingly capable & efficient machines.
Thats what I thought too... but its a '97 with 70K miles on it, and they run less than $10K. We got it from a dealer, too... ~Scotch~
What I drive to work varies by what the weather is and what mood I am in. I choose the 2000 Diesel Excursion for trips, It will pull our 30' camper and the kids can watch TV. And get 20+ MPG with out the camper..... If the weather is nice I'll drive the 41' Ford tudor. The 1957 Chevy 2 door-210 with a Gen III drivetrain gets driven when I feel like it. The wife's daily is an 07 Ford FiveHundred, she drives an average of 3k miles a month. But I never feel like my kids or wife, are in danger of being injured just because we are driving one of the old cars. We are making the plans to drive the 57' on the Hot Rod Power tour, 1900 miles round trip. True old cars have no air-bags.....They are steel, not plastic..... I'd rather have a crash in my 57 Chevy than any cracker box car...
This whole debate is DUMB. A bunch of car guys are sitting around not able to accept some plastic appliance in their family. It's alright, I did the same shit. Thing is, the break away steering wheel wasn't intro'd until 1967. Even then it wasn't very pleasant! Has anyone ever smashed their face into one? I did, not very hard, but hard enough to break the wheel. It's no fucking bueno for shit. Ohh but you can install lap belts! Yah sure, except small children do NOT have the weight to hold them down. They tend to come up and out of the belt and right into the windshield. No, they don't go thru it completely, they get stuck midway. Try explaining to your 8 year old son that he still has to ride in a car seat because that's the safest way for him to utilize a lap belt. How many of you have walked down a freeway, in the middle of the night with a baby on your hip? Yah, that's what I thought. I did MANY times, once it was down an old road when my alt bolt broke and I was left walking past orchards with a baby on my hip. Good thing most murders like to leave bodies in orchards. Once, a man even offered to pick us up. WHAT A NICE MAN. =/ Old cars break down, you can't prevent EVERYTHING. A/C? Yah, 2-55 doesn't REALLY work on babies. Ever seen a child start to heat stroke? It's not REAL pretty. Needless to say, CHILDREN cannot sustain the conditions that ADULTS can. Modern cars CRUMPLE and fold up for a reason, they are DESIGNED to. The fronts and rear are SUPPOSED to fold up and leave the cab intact. Nothing's forever and everything has its weak points........but come on guys. A/C, heat, disc brakes, maybe even Onstar? Why the hell not? Lap and shoulder belts, air bags and a warranty? Pffft you'd be a fool not to. It's not about what the WIFE wants, or if she's INTO OLD CARS. It's about what's gunna save the lives of your babies. They are our future and it's our job to protect them. My daily is an 07 GMC Sierra. A/C, heat, Onstar, airbags, disc brakes, multiple impact bracing sites.........all the good shit AND a 100,000 mile warranty.
this is what the wife wanted and this is what wife got , i didnt ask a shitload of questions but as long as shes happy , im happy and it keeps her off my ass about my addictions
Safety? It's highly over rated. I even let my kids play outside and ride motorcycles with no adult supervision. Kids these days are nice and safe...in their rooms, playing x-box, eating doritos, drinking mountain dew, and getting fat. They have few real life experiences and no life that isn't bubble wrap padded. Too bad to. I had a great time when I was a kid terrorizing the neighborhood.
I have to agree with alot of the points Brandy made. "a child cannot sustain the conditions an adult can" <---abosolutly right! you shouldn't put your child's life in jeoprady just because 'you want something cool to drive'. no i do not have kids, but when i do...better be damn sure ill have a cayenne or a Q7, something i enjoy, that's sporty and SAFE. won't catch me dead in a minivan! lol yes, newer cars depreciate, but look at our economy...nothing holds value anymore. people are spending money on gas instead of Christmas presents this year. whatever new car you buy, WILL depreciate. you have to be brand conscious and find something that will decrease slower. (this is coming from a former car saleswoman btw) SUVs and minivans do NOT retain value...trucks hold value better thatn SUVs. Toyota is now the largest automotive manufacturer in the world and are quality vehicles that will maintain their value well, they also come with good warranties. A new loaded Tundra would be a great family car. you accomplish form and function, while meeting a financial quota. If you don't want to keep it forever, lease it and get a low payment...when the kids get bigger, she can find something she likes that's not 'just for the kids'. bigger cars aren't always safer either. if she doesn't feel comfortable in a large vehicle, id definatly recommend an IS250, Hybrid Camry, or a new Accord. seating for 4-5, with all the options and sidecurtain airbags. New cars also come equipped with the Latch System and airbag sensors for when the kiddos are riding along.
Bottom line...dont sacrifice the safety of children cause you think you're cool. And I really hate to say this but if depreciation is a worry dont buy domestic, they generally are on the top 10 for worst depreciation.
There is a lot of truth to this however, just in my zip code there are 109 registered sex offenders. My kids are not going to just run free all over the neighborhood. I do think kids need to play outside more, I grew up on a 1000 acre farm in the middle of no where and we were outside from morning to night.
my grandfather has a 49 more-door fleetline he has driven every day since new, took my parents, friends, and anyone else he could cram in that car to wherever they needed to be. i would reccomend either a four door fleetline or style line they are comfy and roomy even for 57 year old seats.
With all the above being said, and the concern for gas mileage as well as esthetics, I would stick with a nice old wagon or a suburban and drop some money into the drivetrain. I think people are forgetting that they can squeeze out mileage comparable to new cars with a change in gear ratios and more gears. Plus, the old cars are more appealling and hold their value. Ideally, you could get a nice 6-speed tranny (Yes, I know it's a couple $1000 bucks), and swap out the gears in the diff for some nice highway one's and eailsy get in the 25 mpg range (give or take some). It's a win-win situation....Right
The Jalopy Journal
