Cheaper driver or expensive show car?

[h76]

Any of you find more enjoyment in driving a lower end, less desirable car over driving around in a nice, redone car?
I'm talking of course about cars of the same vintage(60s-70s). I've heard guys say they get so much time and money stuck into their nice redone car they are afraid to drive it anymore and get a less desirable car to mess around in. Not to mention these days having people know you have a nice car and getting some unwanted attention(people finding out where you live or store the car). Any thoughts?

[Baldwinvette77]

my thoughts, i can take a scratched, slightly rusty driver to the bank, grocery store, schools, wherever, still get the same looks as if it were a show car, and i don't have to be a jerk while giving friends rides or if people ask to sit in it or just touch it, all at the fraction of the cost of a show car.

[Cooter]

ALL of mine are less desirable cars, so I don't worry. I'd have to kick my own ass if I "Invested" over $20K in ANY OF THEM. Many times, I own four (4) cars and don't have $30K in ALL OF THEM.

[1970Moparmann]

I here what your saying.  Each person is different though.  I know people that will drive their Superbird cross country, yet others are afraid for the "what if's".

I've owned at least one old car since 1993 and learned about 5 years ago that driving the cars is a hell a lot of more fun than sitting at a show.  I put over 5000 miles on my restored (still in progress) 68 Charger and 4,000 was on the Hot Rod Power Tour driving in rain occassionally.  Each to there own I guess.

I'll be starting my restoration on my Superbird soon, and plan on driving the hell out of it.  Probably not on the Power Tour, but all around.

At the end of the day, get what you want.  I agree that people will look at a 70 Newport and say "cool car" but is this what you want?  People buy the cars they want and can afford.

[lukedukem]

my thoughts, i can take a scratched, slightly rusty driver to the bank, grocery store, schools, wherever, still get the same looks as if it were a show car, and i don't have to be a jerk while giving friends rides or if people ask to sit in it or just touch it, all at the fraction of the cost of a show car.

X2

luke

[70 sublime]

I would rather have a driver
Looks good enough going down the road and not afraid to park it and walk away

Most of the cars around here that go to the cruise nights are of the show car type
I almost feel bad to park my car beside them

[billschroeder5842]

My '69 will be a bit bi-polar; she will sit for a week and then I will drive it for 3 days in a row. This is dependant on weather, where I'm going ect.

My "daily" is a BMW 335 (lighting fast twin-turbo)

[Mike DC]

I agree that it totally depends on the owner.


The restoration process tends to push you towards building nicer-looking cars that get driven less.  When you spend all day fixing old components instead of using them, you get really focused on making everything look nice. And you also aren't driving the car during all that time, which makes you gradually forget how much you were annoyed by certain details of how it was built (things that looked good but weren't comfortable, or wore out quickly, etc).  After a couple years of this, you end up assembling something nicer looking and less comfortable/practical than you would have done if you had kept driving it all along. 

Cars that get driven 10,000 miles a year will not be set up the same way as one was built to win shows with its appearance.  I don't just mean the wear & tear, I mean things like the choices of the finishes on things, the optional equipment added or subtracted, which things are modified to be longer-lasting or work better than stock, etc.  



Another thing - you should realize that a vintage car owner saying, "I drive the car all the time" is every bit as prone to exaggeration as "It's got ____ horsepower."  Every bit.  I have heard guys saying that about cars wearing 10-20yo tires.  IMHO most well-restored classic cars will probably never roll another 15,000 miles again.  

[hemi68charger]

...Any thoughts?

It's all in one's head......... I would drive my Daytona even more from destination to destination. But, I also know how things with these old cars can go bad. Now that I'm a family man and take the family with me on occassion, I have surcomed to the "peace of mind" of a new vehicle pulling a trailer with my Daytona on it. Now, for trips of a couple hundred miles round-trip,,,,, "Jump on in the Daytona Julie, we're going for a ride"...... 

[Cooter]

Another thing - you should realize that a vintage car owner saying, "I drive the car all the time" is every bit as prone to exaggeration as "It's got ____ horsepower."  Every bit.  I have heard guys saying that about cars wearing 10-20yo tires.  IMHO most well-restored classic cars will probably never roll another 15,000 miles again.  

AMEN!

[dyslexic teddybear]

NICE cheaper driver.....

One of the big reasons I joined here, was to learn as much as I can about aero cars. Plan to build a clone......not quite a cheap driver, but something I can drive a reasonable amount. Not a DD, more of a nice day/weekend cruiser.

Just a nice driver...nice enough for me to wash it regularly......not so nice I'll have a stroke if it a get a stone chip.

[redmist]

 I would much rather have a driver....

I am going to fix the little rust patches, Primer the car, and then have it wrapped instead of painted. Paint money could be used for better driving parts for the car!!   

[Darkman]

I look at it this way......

The charger was built to be driven, so from the factory it was a daily driver. Restoring one to factory condition means it should be a daily driver not a trailer queen.

In Aus, an average family car is $35 to $40K and people will not hesitate to drive it daily to the shops, grocery store, out and about etc. But put $35 to $40k into restoring/rebuilding a classic, an they want it to be stored in a humidicrib?

I say, rebuild/restore it to whatever state you want it in and drive the tyres of of it!

[Kern Dog]

I don't want anyone to take this the wrong way, but.....
Driving the Charger makes me a bit nervous. It is quick, it is fast and it handles well. I am a competent driver. It is the OTHER people on the road that wig me out.
When I was a Chevy guy, I drove a 76 Camaro. It wasn't some POS either...It had nice paint, a great Trans Am suspension and a potent 350. I drove that car without fear. I hammered the car, banging gears, doing smoky burnouts, drifting around corners....It was a kick in the pants. The Charger is 3 times the car. It would beat the Camaro in every performance category but I am constantly afraid of wrecking it or being hit my another driver.
There really is some truth to the belief that a driver quality car is more fun to own.

[1970Moparmann]

I look at it this way......

The charger was built to be driven, so from the factory it was a daily driver. Restoring one to factory condition means it should be a daily driver not a trailer queen.

I say, rebuild/restore it to whatever state you want it in and drive the tyres of of it!

[Dino]

Cheap driver or expensive driver, that's the only options I have.  

When I still worked in autobody and my car got a bit beat up I would roll it in the shop early morning and by the time I went home that night the car would be fixed.  I don't have that particular luxury anymore but it won't stop me from driving my car.  It's in driver condition and far from a basket case.  Whenever the time comes that I can restore the car I will still drive it like I drive it now.  With work and school and the inability to drive it December-April, I still put a good 3K miles on it every year.
Sure I'll be a bit more nervous when it has a new coat of paint but it sure won't stop me.  See the bit of damage on the front fender?  Shame right?  Happened in the garage, not on the road.  I'll take my chances out there.  Life is short, enjoy your toys.

[Back N Black]

I did a complete nut and bolt restoration and i drive her hard and often. I drive it to work, mall, grocery store etc....

[flyinlow]

I have been driving mine about 5K a year. Built the 440 six years ago as a 100k mile build with OD trans. Car is dependable, gets the same gas milage as my '04 Ram. Try to take a 1000 mile road trip in it every fall. Buddy took his '55 Nomad round trip to California from Ohio pulling a trailer last year putting me to shame. Maybe MATS in 2014? anyway ,driver for me.

So I'll  have fun ,fun, fun ,  'till Obama takes the Charger away.