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I knew a guy that daily drove a 1970 Boss 302. He owned it for 20+ years, lost his storage and brought the car to Florida. While he was glad to be reunited with an old friend, Florida heat/sun/rain killed that car and made it miserable to drive daily. No a/c, no heat/sound deadening material made it a loud, sweatbox even on short trips.
He finally made the decision to sell it and it went quick for a decent price even though it needed a total restoration. His next car had a/c, power everything, abs brakes and he never had the "old car" fantasy again.
He didnt love it enough. I woulda been fine driving that everyday.
My dad been driving his 69 camaro for 20+ years as a daily driver. But he lives in San Diego, when he worked at a job was only 5 miles away. Plus he does almost all of the work himself. My mother only worked part time so he could borrow my mom's car whenever he needed to. Plus he parts in disabled parking places in front so usually thieves don't mess with his car.
If he worked 30 miles away or couldn't do most of the work himself it would have been a huge money pit.
I have a 64 fairlane 500 v8 coupe that I planned to drive often but I am going to sell it and let the person buying it finish making it ready for road trips..260 v8 isnt hard to get parts for either.
i could see it if the classic was a drop top; we drive around SC all the time with the top down in summer in our newer 'stang w/out running the ac, and our heat/indexes can be quite similar to areas in FL.
But that said, if it was a 2dr coupe/hardtop with little ventilation, i may change my mind lol.
Seriously, if i had a solid running classic/muscle that made for a good daily driver and I lived like i do now in a year round nice climate, my main concern would be one of the idiots out there hitting the car and not my comfort. Heck any classic/muscle ride i owned back in the 70's/80's were mostly uncomfortable to begin with even in WI's summers (always parked in winters)...
The problem I had when my primary car was my '89 Trans Am, was that with rear-wheel drive and racing tires, I fishtailed all over the place in ice and snow (even heavy rain I had to take corners and brake slowly and cautiously) so maybe it depends where you live. A truly irreplaceable car though, I'd be too worried about some yahoo rear-ending me or side-swiping me in a parking lot to drive it every day.
Starting in the 90's all cars began to have electronic ignitions and fuel injection. These systems are VASTLY more reliable and maintenance free than the carburetors and points-based distributors on older cars. Modern cars do not require tune-ups at all, while pre 80's cars require them every 3-6K miles (while the term "tune up" may still be used to describe maintenance service, all that is done with a modern car is fluid and filter service).
Not only that, but those cars are VASTLY more polluting, (100's of times so) especially when their systems are not maintained or malfunctioning, something that the planned obsolescence ethos of American car companies of that time almost guarantees.
Not only that, those cars are VASTLY less safe than modern cars, they handle poorly in emergency maneuvers, have much longer stopping distances, no crumple zones and no airbags. You are more likely to have an accident and much less likely to survive it. It has gotten pretty hard to die in an accident in a modern car.
Theres nothing wrong with driving a classic on a daily basis. They are easy to work on, parts are widely available, and they are not that expensive to repair when something does go wrong. Its a good idea to keep a small tool box, maybe an extra set of points, a fuel filter, belts, etc.. just to keep you going if it needs a little attention during your drive. The know how and ability to fix your own car is half the fun of owning it.
I see safety seems to be a concern for many on here. I could care less about it. If I die riding in my classic, ill die with a smile on my face. The govt is trying to play God in my opinion with all these safety features they install on cars these days. I like the basics...big V8 engine, lots of chrome, a metal body, throaty exhaust, the smell of combustion and raw fuel. Noting beats a classic. " Ar Ar Ar" (courtesy of Tim Taylor..Home Improvement).
Starting in the 90's all cars began to have electronic ignitions and fuel injection. These systems are VASTLY more reliable and maintenance free than the carburetors and points-based distributors on older cars. Modern cars do not require tune-ups at all, while pre 80's cars require them every 3-6K miles (while the term "tune up" may still be used to describe maintenance service, all that is done with a modern car is fluid and filter service).
Not only that, but those cars are VASTLY more polluting, (100's of times so) especially when their systems are not maintained or malfunctioning, something that the planned obsolescence ethos of American car companies of that time almost guarantees.
Not only that, those cars are VASTLY less safe than modern cars, they handle poorly in emergency maneuvers, have much longer stopping distances, no crumple zones and no airbags. You are more likely to have an accident and much less likely to survive it. It has gotten pretty hard to die in an accident in a modern car.
A friends father had a Buick circa 1974 with factory airbags...
My 85 Chevrolet with 160k miles is carbureted... so far no issues
My 72 Plymouth has electronic ignition and it is one of the things I like about the car... no more adjusting points. there are aftermarket conversions for older cars going all the way back to the 1930's to replace points if one is so inclined.
You make a good point as to safety... my neices and nephews are not allowed to ride in my older cars... parents said they simply are not safe...
No. No air bags or other modern safety features. Probably not good gas mileage. Probably quite a polluter.
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carbs and points
