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I would do it since I am retired and have to drive much less. I'd trade my '24 Dodge coupe in for a classic driver in a heartbeat. My preference would be a '57 Chevy convertible. I'd only have to add about $55,000 to the pot to do it.
Emissions for classics is hopefully exempted in your chosen region. That was a killer on my carbureted MoPars. Of course you can stay pre 1968 and be pretty safe.
It's 76 and newer now in California.. glad they changed that rule.
Very doable. Just have a backup plan for when your classic needs work.
Although not as old as those classics, I have daily driven Fieros on and off up to the present. Those, like any really old car, will need occasional maintenance and repair. Things go bad for no other reason than old age. Nothing that is terrible, but you may find yourself without it for days to a week doing repairs, ordering parts, etc.
Other than the occasional need for attention and the associated down time, a classic would work fine for a daily, shorter commute. I would not stress it one bit.
In 1980 I restored a 68 Mustang, auto with power brakes and factory air with center console... etc for my 16 year old brother.
He drove that car for 32 years on the 302 I rebuilt and the transmission I sent out to have rebuilt.
It was a very clean car and he always had offers and notes left on the windshield.
The reason he no longer has it is because it was stolen right out of his driveway... recovered it the next day with the interior and GT wheels missing.
After that... he was too worried about driving it... put it on Craigslist and had two guys with cash show up to buy it... one from New Zealand and the other from Germany... car went to New Zealand.
Both said the Factory Air made it desirable and being a rust free California car too!
He didn't qualify for any collector type insurance so it was a regular policy and he fought tooth and nail to get the insurance to pay for a new interior and to replace the tires and wheels...
this thread posts an interesting question; if i had one of the cars of my youth (70 1/2 camaro or 66 chevelle), it was both mechanically and structurally sound, and i had the interest and abilities to still work on them like i sued to then heck yes i'd use it as a DD. After all i never was into having a trailer/show car; those classic/muscle cars were meant to be enjoyed.
I recently talked with an owner of an actual cobra (one of the early track cars), and he drove it everywhere. Paint wasnt in perfect shape with its chips, etc but he wouldnt get enjoyment from it if only garaged and trailered. I assume his insurance isnt cheap but guess if one can afford a toy that is a true cobra and not a knockoff, then insurance costs are just part of the expense sheet.
That all said, these days i'm past working on cars. And as much as i'm still into cars from those good old days i just prefer now to run a modern version.
Depends on the insurance plan. I have Grundy and it doesn't allow for daily use, but I could have probably bought a plan that allows that.
Just like any older car, driving a classic is going to require more maintenance and repairs than a new one. Things just break after so many years, even if the car is low mileage. Best to have a newer or second car for back up while work is being done on the classic.
I have a 46 Ford that is going to become my daily driver as soon as I finish my current build, a 29 Ford rpu. It is going to look old but have all new stuff underneath, and have nice additions, like AC, power steering, etc. I drove my 27 roadster pretty much daily for about 10 years, but without a roof it isn't very practical with rain and all.
One thing about owning a classic car is that you have to allow a LOT of time to get anywhere. Not because they are slow, but because people keep stopping you and wanting to talk to you about it. You can't stop for gas or go to the grocery store without someone asking questions or wanting to comment about it. Whenever I come out of a store I always have a few people standing around my 27, but that is the fun of it.
The tan 46 in this picture is the one I will be building to drive every day.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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I have done this twice, with my business I had a 1963 Ranchero as my shop truck while restoring it, after that a 1972 El Camino that I drove daily for 5 years. The only real problem was the manual drum brakes, on the Ranchero if I hit a puddle I'd lose stopping power until they dried out. On the El Camino I converted to front discs right after I bought it since it had 300 HP and I really needed it to stop. I also rebuilt the entire steering and supspension on it. At about 11-12 mpg I sold it when gas first hit $4, now drive a Ranger. As long as you can do your own maintenance and repairs or can find an old-school mechanic driving a classic every day is a lot of fun. I'm currently looking out for a deal on a 1968-72 Nova.
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