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Classic Cars as daily drivers

552 messages,  Last post on May 11, 2009 at 8:03 AM

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#548 of 552 Re: Advice on using classic car for daily driver [deniseal0902] by andre1969 May 07, 2009 (12:55 pm)
Replying to: deniseal0902 (May 07, 2009 12:36 pm) I wouldn't consider a '64 Chevelle to be a particularly dangerous car, but it's nowhere near as safe as what's out there today. They only had lap belts, no shoulder belts. And I think belts for the back seat were still optional. I don't know anything about infant seats, but don't you need seatbelts for the car seat to anchor to?   If he gets a 2-door hardtop or 2-door sedan, which are more valuable than the 4-door, getting a car seat into the back could be a bit of a challenge, anyway.   Also, these cars just had single master cylinders, seats without headrests, very little useful padding on the dashboards, and steering columns that did not collapse.   I'd suggest something a little later, like 1968. By that time, they had collapsible steering columns, shoulder belts up front, dual master cylinders, and interiors that were much more impact-friendly in a crash.   I guess if he has his heart set on a '64 though, some of the stuff like a dual master cylinder and shoulder belts could be retrofitted?   Putting 250 miles per week on the car is definitely going to hurt its value, unless he buys a high-mileage car to begin with, and then he's going to run into reliability issues. And being a 40+ year old car, it WILL break down on occasion, no matter how well it's been taken care of! How mechanically inclined is your husband?
#549 of 552 Re: Advice on using classic car for daily driver [deniseal0902] by Mr_Shiftright HOST May 07, 2009 (2:23 pm)
Replying to: deniseal0902 (May 07, 2009 12:36 pm) A car like this could be reliable enough if it was in good shape to begin with, but I agree with those posters who would retrofit a dual master cylinder and better seat belts.   As for putting on miles--only if it was a very low miles original car, would this matter. These odometers turn back to zero anyway at 99,000, so people rarely know what the real mileage is on 50 year old cars anyway. Not an issue IMO unless it is documented low mileage, and VERY low mileage at that.   As for safety, no car is safe, but a back seat is a lot safer than a front one. Most of us alive here right now grew up without car seats and air bags.   So yeah, go for it if you can do the retrofits and if he drives sensibly. Even front disk brake conversion would be a good idea (if the car has power brakes already).   Also gas mileage is gonna hurt if gas goes back up to $4 gal.
#550 of 552 64 as a daily driver - A few ideas before she starts work as a Commuter by lokki May 08, 2009 (5:20 am)
I think that besides the upgrades to the brakes and the belts - if he's really going to do any serious commuting in it, he'd be well served to dump a little money in it up front before he goes road warrioring in it.   Repairs that are done up front on a scheduled basis are cheaper and a lot (read LOT) less hassle in the long run. When it comes to car maintenance, my whole goal in life is to try to do things on MY schedule. I hate surprises.   I'm thinking core the radiator, change the water pump and do all the belts and hoses. Perhaps do the ball joints and redo the brakes while the car is down. A new battery is just about mandatory.   The idea is to cover all the common stuff that might drop the car off the road unexpectedly and fix em before they happen.   There's nothing worse than being 48 miles from home after work on a Monday evening and blowing a radiator hose. WalMart just doesn't stock radiator hoses for a 64 Chevy any more so there's no quick easy fix. So you get a roll of duct tape and a couple gallon jugs of water. Now you have to limp home AND THEN you have to figure out how to get to work on time Tuesday morning.   This kind of thing isn't about having 1964 - it would be true with any car older than about 1995 if you're looking at 250 miles a week.   You two will spend a lot more happy family time together if you do it this way. He'll still be out in the garage, but it won't be at midnight on a Wednesday and you won't be shouting at each other   You don't need to ask me how I learned these things, but I have vivid memories of being in my apartment parking lot at sundown with the hood open, tools scattered everywhere, and my beloved asking "Aren't you done YET?"
#551 of 552 What he really needs... by bumpy May 08, 2009 (6:59 am)
is to have a full-blowm mechanical restoration done if he wants to drive it 50 miles every day (assuming that hasn't been done already). It doesn't have to be pretty, but all the suspension bits and bearings should be renewed, upgrade the brakes to front discs and dual MC, refresh the rear axle and transmission, carefully look over all the wiring plus the starter and alternator, clean out the gas tank, check over the carburetor and all the linkages, and make sure the metal and rubber fuel and brake lines are good.
#552 of 552 Re: Advice on using classic car for daily driver [deniseal0902] by euphonium May 11, 2009 (8:03 am)
Replying to: deniseal0902 (May 07, 2009 12:36 pm) Safety is a relative value. It wouldn't be any safer today than it was when it was new.   Reliability is also a relative value, but IMO more important when driving 50 miles round trip to work.   Economy is relative, but considering where the price of fuel is going, perhaps a much younger economy car should previal. The money saved in running the ecocar could be applied to purchasing "the toy" further down the line.   He will always be able to buy a used car, but will never get another chance to spend time with his real baby. The little one needs his attention now a lot more than the old car at the curb.

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