DRIVING and DESTINATION

[LAS VEGAS DAVE]

I was wondering how often those with running cars drive them. We drive ours at least once a week and in cool or cold weather we drive it more. It gets to hot here in Las Vegas for a few months to drive it in the daytime with the sun beating on it so we take it out late at night or around 5am while its still dark. We look for an excuse or reason to drive the car. Car shows become boring but at they are a destination and fun if we don't go to too many. We will drive to the market as there are some not to far but not to close that are open 24 hours and its easy to shop because there aren't many people in them at 5am. We will drive around Lake Mead just as an excuse to drive the car in the early mornings or late at night, even if its 90 degrees out as long as the sun is down and the car is not in stop and go traffic the drive is enjoyable. In the cool months meaning highs in seventies or low eighties we use it almost every day at least once. We don't have any Buick meets here in Southern Nevada or the surrounding area and even tot much in Southern California so we end up using the car as plain transportation. Our late model cars live outside but the Buick is in the garage and the garage is hooked to the house, we go through the garage to go outside many times so Its always beckoning us to drive it.

[39BuickEight]

I'll say this much, although my car is not driveable yet, I do, when I can, plan on driving it more than most would.  Driving, appreciating, and enjoying the nuances of driving these old cars will be a true joy of mine.  I plan on only using trailers when problems arise.

[Gary W]

My Model "A"'s go out every week.  (The Model "T" not so much as I'm comfortable at about 25 mph, and limits it to use around the neighborhood only.)

 Usually for bagels and coffee, but always to Sunday School.  I can't wait to get the Buick in the rotation!

[Ben Bruce aka First Born]

I have to play "musical cars" to get mine from the garage , which is behind the house, to the street.  So not as often as one would like.  I have driven over 11,000 miles since refurbishing it.

 

  Ben

[Mark Shaw]

Spring to Fall is my driving time with no rain.  I participate in HCCA tours every year.  Some are national tours and others are just one to three day tours with the two local HCCA groups here in the Pacific Northwest.  One group is pre-1916 only, and the other is pre-1932; although they have never objected to my 38 Special on the local one day runs and ice cream socials etc.  Sometimes, I get a phone call from local car buddies who just want to get out to the local Dairy Queen for dinner or ice cream.  I usually put over a thousand miles on my cars each year.

Edited May 7, 2017 by Mark Shaw (see edit history)

[MCHinson]

I own two AACA eligible cars, a 1937 Buick Century and a 1989 Buick Park Avenue. My wife and I go out to lunch every day. If the weather is nice, we take the 1937 Century. If the weather is too hot and humid to enjoy the 1937, I drive the 1989. The only non-antique car I own is my driven by my daughter who is away at college right now. I drive an antique car everywhere I go all of the time.

[LAS VEGAS DAVE]

Matt, its hard for me to picture a 1989 car of any make to be anything but a modern car. I can't even consider cars in from the seventies as anything but modern cars. If the AACA considers a 1989 Buick to be an antique car so be it but to me the fifties are the last of antique cars in my mind and even the late fifties cars seem modern to me.

 

[414TATA]

Year round I'm out on  average about once a week.  In summer like you  Las Vegas Dave I take the car out more often but pretty much get back to the "barn" by noon as the Central valley of California is a hot place.

I am thinking I'll start taking evening rides after the sun goes down this summer.  The clime here is very much like Las Vegas but not as dry. Lots of 100+ degree  days dropping into the low 70s at night makes for balmy  after dark drives.

 

Sorry guys I just can't help myself.  I love pictures.  Wish more would post.

 

Wayne Burch

1941 Buick Super

[MCHinson]

Dave,

 

I can understand how you feel and I prefer the 1937 and certainly have more fun with it. I recently rented a new car for a long trip. You would be surprised how much different a new car is from a 1989 car.  For an idea of the comparison, think of 1965. When driving a new 1965 car in 1965, would you have thought a 1937 was an antique car? It was a 28 year old car, just like my 1989 Park Avenue is today.

[Frank DuVal]

Or to put it in a decade mentioned by Dave, when I looked into the AACA in the late 70s, my 1956 Buick was only seen as a used car, go away kid............

 

So now the 56 Buicks are welcomed, but the 1989 Buicks are "go away kid, that's a used car..."

 

It was 2015 Before I joined AACA because of this thinking. We should combine this topic with "how to attract younger people..."

 

MC, my 1995 PA Ultra is getting close!

[LAS VEGAS DAVE]

Matt and Frank, there are things that makes me think a car is an antique or an OLD car or a modern car more than the year it was made. I think my 38 Buick is just an OLD car I don't even think it is an antique even though its 79 years old. Here is the criteria  I use in my mind to make the distinctions. I think antique cars have steam engines or very early gas engines. They have acetylene lamps not lights. They usually crank by hand to start. Most have bodies more like a horse pulled wagon then an enclosed car. They have wooden wheels and solid rubber tires. They have giant steering wheels because they are not easy to steer. They have mechanical brakes of various designs. They can not be driven in todays traffic other than parades etc. There are of course exceptions but in my mind those are antique cars. Old cars come next, usually from the early thirties on up to the mid fifties. OLD cars have mechanical brake but most have hydraulic drum brakes, Old cars do not have power steering or power brakes. Old cars have six volt electric systems. Old cars have bulbs in the headlights and headlight lenses. Old cars have mohair or similar upulstry Old cars have vent widows and all windows roll up and down with a crank. Old cars have vacuum operated window wipers, Old cars have tube radios. Old cars have a coil and points to fire the spark plugs. Old cars have 15 or 16 inch wheels and biased tires. Old cars have manual transmissions. Old cars have flathead or overhead valve engines with low compression and carburetors and don't make very much horsepower. Old cars were considered fast if they could go 60 mph or more on a highway all day. Old cars can only be driven in todays traffic by skilled drivers. Modern cars from the mid fifties and up have power brakes and even disc brakes. Modern cars have V8 motors or high horsepower motors of 200 HP or more. Modern cars have no tubes in the radio. Modern cars can have air conditioning. Modern cars have power steering, brakes, windows, wipers, etc. Modern cars stop good and have power to go with todays traffic. Modern cars usually have automatic transmissions. modern cars are easy to drive and don't require skilled drivers. Modern cars have many plastic parts. Modern cars have some type of vinyl upulstry, Modern cars might have some computer controlled motor functions. Modern cars have 12 volt systems and sealed beam headlights. Modern cars have thin sheet metal bodies. Modern cars have seatbelt that came standard.  In my mind its not the year of manufacture so much as the technical advances that most cars started to get from the mid to late fifties onward. AACA is an organization and it has rules and regulations but there definitions are different from mine and theirs is what most in this hobby go by, not mine.

Edited May 7, 2017 by LAS VEGAS DAVE (see edit history)

[Ben Bruce aka First Born]

1 hour ago, 414TATA said:

 

 

Sorry guys I just can't help myself.  I love pictures.  Wish more would post.

 

Wayne Burch

1941 Buick Super

 

 Man, don't apologize! Beautiful

 

  Ben

[Grimy]

In January 2016 I was finally able to buy THE 1918 Pierce that I've lusted after since 1998.  From late January to mid-November 2016. I put 1,800 delightful miles on it.  This year, I've added 520, including 375 on a Nickel Era Touring Registry 5-day tour with 40 cars in the Calif Mother Lode late last month.  It does get interesting with a 2-wheel brake car in the mountains and during the one day of rain....but that's why I like pre-war cars -- to continue practicing skills no longer necessary with today's Personal Individual Transportation Appliances (PITA), AKA automobiles.

[LAS VEGAS DAVE]

2 hours ago, 414TATA said:

Year round I'm out on  average about once a week.  In summer like you  Las Vegas Dave I take the car out more often but pretty much get back to the "barn" by noon as the Central valley of California is a hot place.

I am thinking I'll start taking evening rides after the sun goes down this summer.  The clime here is very much like Las Vegas but not as dry. Lots of 100+ degree  days dropping into the low 70s at night makes for balmy  after dark drives.

 

Sorry guys I just can't help myself.  I love pictures.  Wish more would post.

 

Wayne Burch

1941 Buick Super

 

Nice car Wayne, sound like you and i have the same climate and driving habits.

[cxgvd]

My wife and I live in a small village in farming country so we can often drive our 1913 Buick.  Our neighbours own a cottage in a lake resort village less than ten miles from our house so we travel there as well.  Other than that it is HCCA tours as Mark above reported, the Old Car Festival in Dearborn, and this summer we are driving the AACA Vintage Tour in Pa.

 

Last fall I bought a '39 Century which is for longer drives and pre war tours.  Been so cold and wet this spring around here nothing is moving yet.  Regards, Gary

[Mark Shaw]

I completely agree with Las Vegas Dave.  His descriptions of antique, old, and modern cars is spot on.  The definitions that others put on collector cars is often misleading; including those found in the rules and regulations of car clubs.

 

Additionally, the labels that some use to describe collector cars are often wrong and sometimes insulting.  The term "Trailer Queen" is often used incorrectly to describe a true antique car.  Frankly, I would like to see if those who use such labels would drive a true antique on modern highways to an event 200 miles away.  The age of the vehicle dictates the need to trailer it to club sanctioned tours where the club & tour leaders provide back road routes and trouble trucks & trailers for safety.  To do otherwise would needlessly put the vehicle, it's occupants, and other drivers at risk.

Edited May 7, 2017 by Mark Shaw (see edit history)

[LAS VEGAS DAVE]

My hat is off to all you guys with the true antique CARS. It takes much more dedication to restore, maintain, and drive a real antique car made in 1908 or 1918 or 1925 then it does for us with old cars. Owners of old cars such as my 38 have it made compared to you guys. We can even still get many parts at AutoZone. The true antique car drivers have to learn many things before they can even start the car. I am also in the Antique Motorcycle Club of America and we have the same set up as the AACA. There are lots of old motorcycles but the true antique motorcycles have gas headlights and leather belts to drive the rear wheels. They are harder to maintain and many parts have to be made not bought. They must be trailered to the meets and then ridden on a pre determined route. The old motorcycles like the old cars are just as much fun as the true antiques but they are what they are. Motorcycles from the fifties and sixties and seventies are not in my mind antique motorcycles.  I have a 1970 Triumph TR6 motorcycle that is an antique motorcycle in the AMCA but to me its damn near a modern bike.

 

[Frank DuVal]

Spot on? Sealed beams became mandated about 1940, According to him, that makes them modern drivers. Like Wayne's great looking 41 above!

 

OK, so let's use 15 or 16 inch wheels. Hmm, my cars from the 80s and 90s fit that description.

 

Bias belted tires? They were standard equipment into the late 70s. Along with other safety features, like turn signals, I LOVE radials. Only a trailer queen should be running bias plies if radials are available in the size for your car. Even my Graham has them. So much better ride. I don't care about points deductions for shows. Driving is fun. At least Dave and I agree on that!

 

Tube radios, last seen in 1962 from OEM. 

 

Seat belts standard equipment in 1948. OK, only on 50 or so cars, all Tuckers....

 

I just checked online at Autozone and I see they do carry both ignition modules for a 1938 Buick Century! Ha! No points, etc, though. What parts have you found there? Wiper blades? Of course not. Battery? Yes! 

 

So you all want to return the AACA to allowing only pre 1948 cars in the club?

[LAS VEGAS DAVE]

Frank, I am not suggesting the AACA do anything. If they want to call a 1989 car an antique automobile thats fine with me. They also should decide the criteria for who gets in their club and how much it costs to get in the club, not me. If you have cars from the eighties and nineties and you think they are antique cars and you would like to be in a club, then today is your lucky day, the AACA will welcome you. Here in Las Vegas if you drive to the mall the parking lot has many  antique cars in their eighties and nineties that the owners are not aware of but who also might want to join the club. I just was giving my personal opinion and personally I get a laugh out of late model cars in an Antique Automobile Club. In the AutoZone near my house I bought a valve cover gasket, tail light bulbs, a battery, a coil, and a fan belt, spark plugs, none of which I could get for a true antique car. Pretty much everything is available for eighties and nineties cars at AutoZone because AutoZone doesn't realize they are antique cars yet.

 

[cxgvd]

People ask me about parts availability for a hundred year old car often and they do not exist.  Anything you need must be made.  On the other hand the car has been refinished in modern single stage paint, I use 30W detergent oil, unleaded gas and anything else modern I can make use of.

 

I agree with the descriptions of car ages but might consider the British have the terms Vintage, Edwardian and Veteran for early cars, then certain cars were Milestone and the some big luxury cars are Classics.

 

Personally I like my '13 Buick.  It is quiet and comfortable cruising 30 miles an hour and when I eventually arrive I am noticed.  It also means I have a large pick up truck and larger trailer.  My answer for the original posted question would be driving, no destination...

 

Best  regards, Gary

 

[Frank DuVal]

I'm still amazed you found those parts at your Auto Zone. The online shopping does not show any of those parts available for a 1938 Buick. I have never seen any 6 volt parts in the Auto Zones around here. 6 volt bulbs, had to order from online bulb suppliers, or pick up at Hershey. On a sad note, the typical dash lamp, #55, has been discontinued by the major miniature lamp manufacturers. They are still coming out of China in off brands.

 

I suspect you just have a great local parts store that happens to also be a franchise of the Auto Zone brand. Were the parts on the shelf, or did they have to order them for you?

 

Or the west has way different parts availability than here in the east. I had trouble last weekend getting the electric radiator fan motor for a 94 Chevrolet Caprice. Only one store in town had one on the shelf. None at Advance, Autozone, or the one remaining locally owned independent. A NAPA franchise had one, even though it took 20 minutes to search the shelves for what the computer said they had!

 

 

 

 

 

[LAS VEGAS DAVE]

Frank, 6 volt bulbs are with the other bulbs. I showed them the old fan belt and they let me go in the back and find one that matched it. The valve cover gasket was the same as lateBuicks but my wife says we got it and the battery at NAPA. The #55 bulbs are also still available but I just switched to a #55 Halogen replacement dash light bulbs available on line so that I can see the gauges. NAPA has a large warehouse here in Las Vegas and if the warehouse doesn't have what you need they will order it from the Los Angeles warehouse and it arrives the following morning. AutoZones have lots of stuff but they usually only have salespeople that know how find things by year,make, and model of the car. If you have an old car and you know that the part was used up to some later year car you can trick them into finding it for you. Napa counterman are usually way more knowledgeable. Part of the fun for me in having the old car is finding what I want for it. So far thats been pretty easy. I have extra 38 carbs, one extra radio, extra wheel cylinders, extra working clock, I just grab stuff when I can. If I had a true antique it would be much harder. 

[oldcarfudd]

I like pre-war cars, but the war at issue is WWI.  I have a '14 Ford, a '12 Buick Model 35 touring, an '11 Stanley 10-horsepower toy tonneau, and an '07 Cadillac single-cylinder Model K.  I drive them every chance I get - for lunch, to recycling, for a haircut, to yoga, - - - .  And, of course, on HCCA weekend and week-long tours.  Trailer queens?  Hell, yes - I trailer to distant tours.  I'm going to the New London - New Brighton tour in Minnesota in September with with the Cadillac or the Stanley, and I'm sure not going to drive it there from New Jersey!

 

A year ago, on New Year's Day, the roads were clear of salt, the temperature was 28F, and there was a Cars and Coffee.  I drove the Stanley.  I wasn't sure which was going to freeze first, me or the water in the tank.

 

Just to keep this on topic, here's a picture of me, my grandson, and my son with the Buick on last year's Hershey show field, in less benign (but warmer!) weather.  Over the following two days, I drove the Buick on the Hershey Hangover, the routes for which I had written.

 

 

 

 

[ply33]

6 hours ago, LAS VEGAS DAVE said:

Frank, 6 volt bulbs are with the other bulbs. I showed them the old fan belt and they let me go in the back and find one that matched it. The valve cover gasket was the same as lateBuicks but my wife says we got it and the battery at NAPA. The #55 bulbs are also still available but I just switched to a #55 Halogen replacement dash light bulbs available on line so that I can see the gauges. NAPA has a large warehouse here in Las Vegas and if the warehouse doesn't have what you need they will order it from the Los Angeles warehouse and it arrives the following morning. AutoZones have lots of stuff but they usually only have salespeople that know how find things by year,make, and model of the car. If you have an old car and you know that the part was used up to some later year car you can trick them into finding it for you. Napa counterman are usually way more knowledgeable. Part of the fun for me in having the old car is finding what I want for it. So far thats been pretty easy. I have extra 38 carbs, one extra radio, extra wheel cylinders, extra working clock, I just grab stuff when I can. If I had a true antique it would be much harder. 

 

There are also an amazing number of parts I can get over the counter at my local auto supply for my '33 Plymouth. My experience at my local store is similar to Las Vegas Dave's. I generally call the store in the morning with the list of parts I want and by afternoon they've take delivery from the local warehouse and I can pick them up.

 

But, as Las Vegas Dave notes, you need to know a modern part number. I've built up a pretty big cross reference over the decades and when the web came along started putting it up on my "vanity website". In recent years I converted it to an online SQL database and I've also opened up the coverage to most pre-WW2 Plymouths. I've nothing to sell but putting out cross reference information makes some people think I am a vendor. I do appreciate the occasional email I get from someone who was able to find a part for their car based on my website. Recently I was contacted by someone participating in the AACA tour in Sonora, California who developed ignition problems and was able to use my website's database to inform the local mechanic they found about the modern cross reference numbers for their car.

 

 

Edited May 8, 2017 by ply33 (see edit history)

[Brian_Heil]

Three times a week on average in the Summer months.

 

We have a place on a lake about 10 miles from the house.  Nice non-busy country drive to get there.  If the weather is nice, my Buick is my car of choice to head out there.  We often take our friends out there for a late day run around the lakes.  This is where those halogens come in handy for the 10 mile ride home at dusk.

 

So Saturday and Sunday out to the lake and then at least one trip during the week for something important like ice cream or dog food!

 

I have other classic cars but like someone said above, it's musical cars to get them out so the Buick most often gets last-in-first-out positioning.

Edited May 8, 2017 by Brian_Heil (see edit history)

[Larry Schramm]

Joyce and I drive the '15 truck almost every chance we get during the summer.  We take it Krogering, to Church, Costco, fill it with gas at Sams Club,to dinner, the local Dairy Queen, visiting friends, the hardware store, and just out for drives on summer Sunday afternoons.  We also take it on tours.

 

Ya think that I am going to drive it to a national meet hundreds of miles away?  Are you kidding.  It only goes about 25-30 miles/hour.  The back roads in Michigan have a speed limit of 55 mph or maybe 65 mph.  It would take a long time not to mention the other issues that you would encounter.

 

As Mark Shaw eloquently stated,   "The age of the vehicle dictates the need to trailer it to club sanctioned tours where the club & tour leaders provide back road routes and trouble trucks & trailers for safety.  To do otherwise would needlessly put the vehicle, it's occupants, and other drivers at risk. "

Edited May 8, 2017 by Larry Schramm (see edit history)

[Mark Shaw]

Brian,

    I expect you do buy a lot of dog food!  I'll bet your dog enjoys the ride too....

[LAS VEGAS DAVE]

I just found another excuse to drive the Buick. I fly radio controlled airplanes. I don't see as well as I used to so I like flying the six foot or more wing span airplanes because they are easy to see but I have to carry them in our truck. I also have some planes with a just under five foot wing spans. Tonight out of curiosity I tried to put one of those in the Buick. It fits like a glove and its still big enough for me to see. The transmitter and the batteries etc fit fine in the trunk along with a couple of folding chairs. The field where I fly is about ten or twelve miles from the house and in the early morning about 5:30 or 6am when the sun is just coming up its great to go there. The Buick makes the trip to and from the field as much fun as flying the plane. 

[Brian_Heil]

12 hours ago, Mark Shaw said:

Brian,

    I expect you do buy a lot of dog food!  I'll bet your dog enjoys the ride too....

 

We do and he does.

 

He's smart, he never barks except if you drive thru the Dairy Queen and not get him a cone.  The kids in the window feed him the mini ones and all know his name.  He gets a strip of bacon from the diner drive thru too.  He's all about it.  Pull up to the bank window for a milk bone and he's not all that excited.

[BuickBob49]

I try for a drive my 39 Roadmaster or my 49 Super once a week year-round. It depends on which car I have at the house.  (I store one off-site.)

Here's a photo of the 39 Roadmaster after a drive around town late in the afternoon this past New Year's Eve day.  The temp was 35 degrees.  (Notice the exhaust vapor swirling around the tailpipe.) The heaters and wipers work great in both cars. 

[BuickBob49]

I swapped the cars this weekend and drove the 49 Super yesterday and today. The weather included sun, heavy rain showers, thunder & lightning, and BB-size hail. No problems for me with this unrestored car that I've owned for nearly forty years!

 

Sunny and 76 degrees is our forecast for next Saturday.  I am taking our BCA chapter out on a tour that morning.  I hope that the prospect for nice weather will encourage other local chapter members to get their cars out and join us.