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The best car ever made is still plenty available without all that computer stuff and a dashboard that is talking to you all the time:
The fabulous Mercedes W126 - simply the best car ever made. You can buy a well functioning example for $3500 or a museum piece (like I have) for under $15,000. And, good news, everything can be fixed on it (you replace the brushes in the alternator for $20 instead of the alternator for $300) and parts can be sourced everywhere in the world.
I agree... moms 1988 W126 is still going strong! True, they are easy to service as well!
I like to take my 66 Bird out everyday, somewhere, but it is not my daily driver.
The R/T in the background is for that.
I am one of the fortunate ones to have a fully restored vintage car, and I didn't buy it to see how pretty it looks sitting in the driveway.
I don't think it does these big ford engines any good to just sit idle, and not be used.
Bob.
I like to take my 66 Bird out everyday, somewhere, but it is not my daily driver.
The R/T in the background is for that.
I am one of the fortunate ones to have a fully restored vintage car, and I didn't buy it to see how pretty it looks sitting in the driveway.
I don't think it does these big ford engines any good to just sit idle, and not be used.
Bob.
That Thunderbird looks great!
Yes, I agree; not good to just let a car sit around for a long time without driving it.
Nice Tbird. I've got a 72, but I'm just going to sell it as I've got too many cars as it is and there are others I want more. Right now I'm really craving a nice 68-74 Mopar, 20s or 30s ratrod, and big fin Caddy. Showroom condition would be great, but really I'd be more than fine with something I wouldn't feel bad about driving to work occasionally.
Fox body mustang makes about the most sense. Huge aftermarket support and they made millions of them so parts are cheap and easy to find. A lot of them got wrecked so they are in every junk yard I've every been to even today. The later EFI cars actually got good mileage and the parts are really pretty strong.
Anything older than that is going to nickel and dime you and will most likely get poor fuel mileage. I a 72 Monte Carlo with a 402 BBC. If the weather is nice I drive it which is typically 4 or 5 days a week during the summer. It's been a good car and nothing major has gone wrong but it still needs care and the mileage is sitting right at 14.4 mpg around town. Over all not much worse than the truck I drive so I'm pretty happy.
One thing you have to keep in mind when driving today is safety. I know some feel like they'll never been in a serious wreck but It can happen and older cars will not protect you the same way a modern car will. In my area every soccer mom and day drive the biggest SUV or P/U they could afford and I would really hate one of these mental midgets to run into the side of the Monte as I would have a chance.
One thing you have to keep in mind when driving today is safety. I know some feel like they'll never been in a serious wreck but It can happen and older cars will not protect you the same way a modern car will. In my area every soccer mom and day drive the biggest SUV or P/U they could afford and I would really hate one of these mental midgets to run into the side of the Monte as I would have a chance.
Cna't live my life in fear. if your that scared of being mangled, stay off the roads.
I've been driving for 32 years, in performance cars and classics. You CAN simply pay attention properly and avoid any dangerous situations/serious accidents, and minimize/mitigate the ones you can't avoid (which are generally rear end type accidents where you're stitting still). Been there, done that. Won't let fear of some one else's stupidity keep me from driving a fun, older car, like my MGB or my '63 Comet.
One thing you have to keep in mind when driving today is safety. I know some feel like they'll never been in a serious wreck but It can happen and older cars will not protect you the same way a modern car will. In my area every soccer mom and day drive the biggest SUV or P/U they could afford and I would really hate one of these mental midgets to run into the side of the Monte as I would have a chance.
Your Monte was/is a fairly robust car. Your biggest issue might be if you were to be involved in a wreck in it, you might absorb more of the shock than someone driving something newer.
Even though your Monte is a '72, by then the government was already implementing safety standards in the event of an accident. Unlike the 59 Chevy you've probably seen the video to, that depicts how late 50's Chevys with X frames, offered little, if any protection in an accident.
Your other concern is probably going to be trying not to kill the other driver once you've emerged from the wreckage unscathed and then see red....and not the red as in the paint on your car.
Cna't live my life in fear. if your that scared of being mangled, stay off the roads.
I've been driving for 32 years, in performance cars and classics. You CAN simply pay attention properly and avoid any dangerous situations/serious accidents, and minimize/mitigate the ones you can't avoid (which are generally rear end type accidents where you're stitting still). Been there, done that. Won't let fear of some one else's stupidity keep me from driving a fun, older car, like my MGB or my '63 Comet.
I'm not in fear of driving my Monte. It's a fairly large strong car but you are correct that my body would take more of the impact than the car. My concern is with the larger SUV's today some of those things bumpers sit right around the driver window height. If it was a bumper to bumper or bumper to door hit I'm sure i would be fine but someone drives their daddies H2 into my drivers side I don't have a chance. That would be a face full of bumper and grill.
Last edited by johna01374; 04-06-2011 at 09:56 AM..
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