Classic cars and those that drive them
- Thread starter Knowklew
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what do you consider a "classic car"..i drive a 50 y/o ...its cool & fun...it has its pros & cons
no power steering/brakes/or air cond.
Its a no win situation,unless ya' want to spend some $$$ for all modern tech.the classic's cant compete with modern tech.
but they still look great on the street...good luck on your search man..(my car is for sale)
no power steering/brakes/or air cond.
Its a no win situation,unless ya' want to spend some $$$ for all modern tech.the classic's cant compete with modern tech.
but they still look great on the street...good luck on your search man..(my car is for sale)
My biggest problem is finding parts - mainly because nobody tries to make a racecar out of a 61 ford falcon 4 door...
But at the same time, it's good for learning how to fab stuff, find troubleshoot, etc etc - and i will most likely never see the same car at a car show
I haven't had a classic for many years but, when I was younger, I had a variety of muscle cars, '68 Chevelle, '70 GTO, '73 Camaro among others.
As mentioned, they aren't as sophisticated and smooth as modern cars.
Good points include (relatively) raw power, simplicity and the ability to sit in the engine compartment and actually see and reach the part you want to fix.
Bad points include difficulty in finding parts, expense, weak braking systems and very poor steering and handling.
That said, there's nothing like turning the key of an original muscle car and feeling and hearing the power as it shakes you in your seat. Put in a lopey cam and it's as good as sex.
As mentioned, they aren't as sophisticated and smooth as modern cars.
Good points include (relatively) raw power, simplicity and the ability to sit in the engine compartment and actually see and reach the part you want to fix.
Bad points include difficulty in finding parts, expense, weak braking systems and very poor steering and handling.
That said, there's nothing like turning the key of an original muscle car and feeling and hearing the power as it shakes you in your seat. Put in a lopey cam and it's as good as sex.
I would agree with these guys. I've been back and forth with modern, classic, modern, and now back in a classic 66 Mustang coupe. My classics were/are a bit more fussy but not terrible. The driving experience is completely different, and each are enjoyable in there own right. My current mustang did not have a/c and it's miserable so that is the one thing I'm adding right now is the Vintage Air system so I can have it cool in there and enjoy even more.
I have days when I want to go back to a modern, and then days where I feel like just keeping the classic. Wish I had more garage space
Good luck on whatever you decide.
I have days when I want to go back to a modern, and then days where I feel like just keeping the classic. Wish I had more garage space
Good luck on whatever you decide.
^^ Ha Ha! That brings back memories. When I lived with my parents, I would push my '69 Torino out of the garage so it would coast down the driveway and then down the street until I was far enough away to start it. May have had something to do with the fact I was 15 and didn't have a licence yet. Thanks for reminding me. :smile:
I love old shit. With that said I own a modern dd with AC, heated seats and is comfy.
If this is to replace your fun car, you'll still have fun. Be prepared to fiddle here and there, and usually at the most inconvenient time. Also keep in mind it's going to take more money to get it to be as quick as your vette and it'll never handle as good with out a fuck ton of money.
If this is to replace your fun car, you'll still have fun. Be prepared to fiddle here and there, and usually at the most inconvenient time. Also keep in mind it's going to take more money to get it to be as quick as your vette and it'll never handle as good with out a fuck ton of money.
As much as I love my vette, I also appreciate the cool cruiser easy going factor of a classic. If I could find a nice car about 20k and have another 20k available to do upgrades and work I think I could have a very reliable classic that would be fun to drive. I found a 66 with an LS7 in it in St Louis that is probably 40k
Problem with updating an old car that much... might as well burn your money building a race car! Otherwise you'll dump $40 into a old car, that will still be out performed by any 16 year old driving daddys 2016 mustang
Best thing to do is try and have the best of both worlds... have a nice, comfortable, fun DD and have another nice old muscle car / cruise night car
Spend $15k on a fun DD (ex. subaru BMW, f-body etc.) And spend the other $25k on a reliable, mildly updated/modified old car
Older cars have style, ya anyone can buy a 2016 mustang or Camaro for $40k but how often will they be noticed. Say you want to go to a cruise night or car show. How lost would that car be in the sea of new cars just like it.
I got rid of my mustang for a classic car and don't regret it. Yes it's no where near as fast, it smells, didn't stop or turn for shit but even sporting 15inch donut tires and a primer paint job people noticed it. Granted it's a rust bucket and may never see light outside my garage right now but I enjoy it and that's all that matters.
Only you can say if dropping your vette for a classic will be the right move.
I got rid of my mustang for a classic car and don't regret it. Yes it's no where near as fast, it smells, didn't stop or turn for shit but even sporting 15inch donut tires and a primer paint job people noticed it. Granted it's a rust bucket and may never see light outside my garage right now but I enjoy it and that's all that matters.
Only you can say if dropping your vette for a classic will be the right move.
Okay, here's what I love and hate about my Lemans.
Like:
-The simplicity of the driving experience. This is extremely subjective and not for everyone. It's not super complex, it definitely is not smooth or quiet. It has personality.
-It's not perfect. I actually like cars with some quirks.
-When I'm wrenching on it because I want to. They are a lot simpler than a new car to wrench on overall IMO.
-The stuff I fabricate and/or bolt on is mine, I consciously chose those parts based on what's there.
-Surprisingly mine cools well as long as it's moving due to the corner window layout even without A/C
dislike:
-When I have to wrench on something that's broken. I'm also doing what I do on a very tight budget so that factors in.
-It's not as reliable as say the vette you're going to replace it with. Partly factored with above, partly factored with the car being 45 years old.
-Leaks fluids. Sounds stupid but newer engines even say a Vortec 350 doesn't leak oil like a traditional Pontiac.
-Power nothing. This is something that I've progressively lost the romance with. I am going to eventually retrofit power steering and power brakes.
-The good stuff back then sucks today. The rotors that came as the best option on a 71 Lemans were 10" tops, and mine had drums. Mundane 98-02 F-body stuff is 12" rotors even on the 3800 cars.
My advice is
A)make sure you understand the implications of the chassis choice you make in terms of braking, suspension and engine choices.
B)pick something with an aftermarket if possible, mine's a 4 door but it's an A-body. If I was willing to drop coin parts grow on trees for them and you can get nearly anything as a bolt in. Understand the aftermarket before buying
C)Don't sneer at the idea of a "full power" car. I did, lesson learned.
D)Be ready for surprises. This is less relevant if you're going to do a repower, but I had to shove a cam in my Lemans after I found out a lobe had been totally starved from top fed oil due to carbon build up. Totally unexpected though.
E)Don't underestimate other chassis just because they don't look performance. My Astro van has a high degree of interchange with a second gen Camaro in terms of front suspension, as does a C1500 or a Caprice. The powertrain is also largely similar to say a Third Gen Camaro.
F)Perhaps look for a mostly complete Pro Touring setup someone is getting out of. It sounds like that's the way you want to go anyways, and you may be able to get what you want for not a ton more than the car. As said they are not exactly sound from a fiscal investment standpoint.
Like:
-The simplicity of the driving experience. This is extremely subjective and not for everyone. It's not super complex, it definitely is not smooth or quiet. It has personality.
-It's not perfect. I actually like cars with some quirks.
-When I'm wrenching on it because I want to. They are a lot simpler than a new car to wrench on overall IMO.
-The stuff I fabricate and/or bolt on is mine, I consciously chose those parts based on what's there.
-Surprisingly mine cools well as long as it's moving due to the corner window layout even without A/C
dislike:
-When I have to wrench on something that's broken. I'm also doing what I do on a very tight budget so that factors in.
-It's not as reliable as say the vette you're going to replace it with. Partly factored with above, partly factored with the car being 45 years old.
-Leaks fluids. Sounds stupid but newer engines even say a Vortec 350 doesn't leak oil like a traditional Pontiac.
-Power nothing. This is something that I've progressively lost the romance with. I am going to eventually retrofit power steering and power brakes.
-The good stuff back then sucks today. The rotors that came as the best option on a 71 Lemans were 10" tops, and mine had drums. Mundane 98-02 F-body stuff is 12" rotors even on the 3800 cars.
My advice is
A)make sure you understand the implications of the chassis choice you make in terms of braking, suspension and engine choices.
B)pick something with an aftermarket if possible, mine's a 4 door but it's an A-body. If I was willing to drop coin parts grow on trees for them and you can get nearly anything as a bolt in. Understand the aftermarket before buying
C)Don't sneer at the idea of a "full power" car. I did, lesson learned.
D)Be ready for surprises. This is less relevant if you're going to do a repower, but I had to shove a cam in my Lemans after I found out a lobe had been totally starved from top fed oil due to carbon build up. Totally unexpected though.
E)Don't underestimate other chassis just because they don't look performance. My Astro van has a high degree of interchange with a second gen Camaro in terms of front suspension, as does a C1500 or a Caprice. The powertrain is also largely similar to say a Third Gen Camaro.
F)Perhaps look for a mostly complete Pro Touring setup someone is getting out of. It sounds like that's the way you want to go anyways, and you may be able to get what you want for not a ton more than the car. As said they are not exactly sound from a fiscal investment standpoint.
One more advantage that I didn't mention and that isn't really relevant anymore is the smell of pure, leaded gasoline. No additives, no ethanol, just pure gas.
Like they say in the movie, it smelled like victory. Gas today smells like crap in comparison. I'm sorry you younger guys don't get to smell the real stuff.
Like they say in the movie, it smelled like victory. Gas today smells like crap in comparison. I'm sorry you younger guys don't get to smell the real stuff.
I go back and forth all the time for what my next car will be. With a newer car I can do track days, drag strip, comfortable long-haul trips and have side airbags, stability control and good safety ratings. But the style and cool factor of an old car is unbeatable, plus few things are as badass as a big block four-speed car. I really like how much aftermarket support there is for the popular platforms as far as handling and brakes. UMI, Hotchkis, etc.
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