"Dogapult" (dogapult)
07/03/2016 at 17:56 • Filed to: None
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"Dogapult" (dogapult)
07/03/2016 at 17:56 • Filed to: None | 0
| 17 |
I’m sure I’m not the only one who looks for cars I don’t need all the time on eCraigTraderBaylist. I can’t really afford any of them at this exact second, but it’s fun to see what I can find.
Recently I’ve started thinking about how, gas mileage be damned, it would be so cool to drive a big classic car every day. Something with presence. Sure, it’d be wallowy and not have all the amenities I’m used to, but I would get to feel so cool.
So Naturally I started checking California Craigslists. I have friends in LA and SF so those were my first two thoughts.
Here’s what I came across for under $3000.
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This Rambler is really goofy looking, but seems in really nice shape for the price. Sure it needs the rear brakes reset, but how hard can that be?
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It’s a two-door Studebaker wagon with a V8, not tons of rust, and a flame paint job. what’s not to love?
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That paint job. Just. That paint job.
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This Kaiser seems like a fantastic deal for the money and the sheer amount of stuff that’s been done to it recently. Needs...taillight lenses and a bench seat. Okay. bench seat can come from many things and I’m sure taillights can be sourced without tooooo much trouble.
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This thing is LOW. no idea what’s wrong with it. but it has some serious presence.
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Replace the driver’s seats, make sure it runs and stops, and then really enjoy.
So what does Oppo think? how bad an idea would it be to do just some mechanical fixes to an old car and then...just drive it?
(for the record, I live in Wisconsin. the bottom of the car would be very well sealed before I even thought of driving it year-round, as they really like their road salt here.)
Funktheduck
> Dogapult
07/03/2016 at 18:06 |
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My vote goes for an old truck. I DD’d mine through high school and several large chunks of college and after.
JasonStern911
> Dogapult
07/03/2016 at 18:07 |
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the fact you listed several cars means it’s a bad idea. but if one of the cars resonates with you, then life is short and it’s totally worth dealing with a bit of reliability and old age issues to drive a car you love and feel connected with.
in before PS9 says buy a newer camry because they’re faster stock in a draaaaag raaaaace - like that matters on public streets.
LongbowMkII
> Dogapult
07/03/2016 at 18:12 |
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If you avoid a large V8 with a huge carb, gas mileage isn’t too bad on classics.
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Dogapult
> JasonStern911
07/03/2016 at 18:19 |
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It’s not really an immediate thing. There are a lot of cool cars out there. I have plans in my head for so many different car models it’s unreal, but I figured that was pretty normal for an enthusiast. I just like the idea of dailying something from the 50s or 60s. updating a couple of things for reliability and just driving it like it was any other car.
CRider
> Dogapult
07/03/2016 at 18:20 |
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Maybe try an old motorcycle? They’re cheap to buy and run, many of them are easy to find parts for and they’ll let you get your fix of working on old mechanical/electrical nightmares.
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Dogapult
> LongbowMkII
07/03/2016 at 18:20 |
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Lot of the old cars I was thinking of were pretty large cars, so even with a 1-barrel they probably don’t do too great. Doesn’t mean I can’t find something, just the presence of something like a ‘65 Cadillac or a ‘56 Chrysler or ‘55 Studebaker is cool to me.
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Dogapult
> CRider
07/03/2016 at 18:21 |
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I’ve certainly thought about those. Never really owned a motorcycle, yet. just need to find something I’d enjoy.
lone_liberal
> Dogapult
07/03/2016 at 18:22 |
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I always say that if you need your vehicle to get you from A to B every day without fail then DDing an old car is not the way to go. Then that cool old car that you love tinkering on becomes the POS that you have to be constantly working on and made you late to work and broke down on the way to your first date with that cute girl.
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Dogapult
> lone_liberal
07/03/2016 at 18:26 |
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I can definitely see your point there. Doesn’t deter me much (in my head, at least) but I can see it.
TheBlacktopExperiment
> Dogapult
07/03/2016 at 18:41 |
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Some people think I should have taken the “DDing a classic” approach and buy a $1000 1977 Olds Toronado for sale. I had just got a new important job, and winter was coming, so I didn’t want to drive an unreliable 40 year old car in the winter time to work and back (I didn’t want it to break down constantly and come in to work late).
So I chose a reliable modern car (that hasn’t broken down) and backed it up 3 months later with a badass machine (‘72 Electra).
I still think it’s not smart to DD an old classic year round (at least in Canada), but some people oddly disagree and think it’s okay if it breaks down sometimes and you show up late to your career.
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CRider
> Dogapult
07/03/2016 at 18:44 |
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If you want a classic DD-ish type vehicle that isn’t a full time job to keep running and find parts for, look at old Honda CBs or similar. They made them for decades (they still do actually), they’re cheap, reliable and they still make parts for them. And if you don’t like it, well, you’re only in it a few grand.
DynamicWeight
> Dogapult
07/03/2016 at 18:54 |
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You have to be really into it. Like... really into it. Also, your budget of 3000 seems like kind of a low starting point. Anything at that price point is going to need fixing (lots of it). You either need to be handy and resourceful yourself, or know someone handy and resourceful who likes trading those skills for money (a good mechanic).
Even if you find a good example, old cars require more constant maintenance than normal cars anyway.
What is your idea of a bad idea? Do you care if your classic car ends up costing you more money and headaches than a modern car? Will the joy of operating an old machine give you that much a kick? Then HELL YEAH. Go for it.
Junkrat aka Rick Sanchez: Fury Road Edition
> lone_liberal
07/03/2016 at 19:20 |
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I rely on my 73 Valiant as my daily car. It’s just a slant six, but it makes a pretty good commuter. I just do the basic maintenance. It might take a while to drive the kinks out if it’s an old car that has been neglected. I do keep an emergency kit of another carb, belts, hoses, distributor with wires, fluids, and tools in the car.
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lone_liberal
> Junkrat aka Rick Sanchez: Fury Road Edition
07/03/2016 at 20:27 |
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I’m glad your valiant steed, so to speak, has done right by you so far but old cars have old electrical systems, wiring, suspension components, cooling systems (which might have been marginal to start with), brake lines, fuel systems, heater cores, heater blower motors,and possible rust in places that you can’t see, etc, etc. A lot of those are not going to be addressed with normal maintenance and will eventually fail. The fact that you carry all of that stuff with you pretty much says it all. I did it too. I DDed an old Camaro (my old ‘72) back in the mid-to-late 90s and when things were great it was fantastic. When things turned bad and I had to find parts that had to be special ordered, or when the transmission went out, that meant scrambling to find a way to work. That’s not fun.
Flman1967
> Dogapult
07/04/2016 at 06:30 |
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I used to DD old cars, primarily because tinkering with them was a fun hobby. Now that I have a kid, and coach two sports, it’s not as fun. I managed to keep one of my cars from this era. It’s a 1975 Pontiac convertible. I bought it for 3 grand in 1989, but realistically it was only a 14 year old car back then and parts, along with early 70s convertibles were relatively plentiful.
Once time demands caught up with me, it became more of a hassle to drive than anything. I considered selling it about a year ago and freeing up the garage space for my new jeep. Instead, I committed to driving it a couple days a week when I don’t need to leave the office during the day. The first few months were painful. I felt like it cost $100 a day to drive to work. Now it’s fairly sorted again, and just needs the heat and ac fixed, but it’s reliable enough that I’m confident driving it.
YMMV, but think of it more as a hobby that you can drive to work, not a viable means of transportation. You’ll spend a lot of time wrenching, especially at first.
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Flman1967
> Dogapult
07/04/2016 at 06:37 |
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Oh, and by the way, think about something that has decent parts availability (ie not the Studebaker). You don’t want to be sidelined for a week trying to find a part that was manufactured by some obsolete tooling company in bugtussle for six months in 1963.
I redid three jeep CJs in the 90s. Even without the internet, you could pick up a couple of catalogs and get a new version of literally every part on the vehicle.
I also remember walking into the dealership where my dad worked and buying a NEW Rochester Quadrajet for less than $100. At the time, rebuilt ones were about $60, and more than half the time the float bowls were cracked so you put 2 or 3 of them on before getting one that works.
Enough about me. Enjoy - if you decide you hate it, you probably won't even lose money if you buy one of these. Like Richard Rawlings says, you make money when you buy a car, not when you sell.
torque
> Dogapult
07/08/2016 at 08:41 |
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I’m sure I’m not the only one who looks for cars I don’t need all the time on eCraigTraderBaylist.
Wait, are you trying to tell me it’s not normal to do that? I thought everyone did that.
I can see and agree with the “life’s too short” argument, especially if you’re younger (20s or 30s) or hell even if you’re older if you don’t have kids. Older + kids will definitely cut in on additional available time needed for an older car.
I’d also recommend you own at least 1 other (doesn’t have to be modern just a “well known by you reliable”) car.
I’d also recommend your classic be a “known reliable” model that have solid base of followers, such as many old Volvos (P544, P1800, Amazon etc...) or a Ford Falcon or some old Mercedes. Of course, there are a lot of different choices in this group.
As others have stated at your price point be ready to do some wrenching yourself or make sure you have (or be ready to find) a LTIM (local trusted independent mechanic).
In any event, good luck with your search & if you do take the plunge, share what you get and your adventures with it!