Daily Driver Vintage?

[Philberty2g]

Hi. We are the 4th owners of a 1955 Oldsmobile 98 Holiday Coupe!! We are also new to the “vintage owner” category.  In the month we have owned the vehicle, we have had use of it for 3 days.  We replaced the fuel pump first thing, it had a minor leak...which turned into a major one once in our driveway.  Next, we replaced the power steering pump, also due to a leak. Thinking that all that was behind us, we took the car out on 3 longer trips- not more than 10 miles each. We started hearing a loud creaking noise...pulled up the hood and anti-freeze was spraying all over the place. Waiting on a new water pump as we speak.   My question is, because I’ve heard mixed reviews, can a vintage car be driven daily?! Or, maybe, SHOULD is the better term?! 

[keiser31]

NICE CAR! Nothing wrong with driving the old cars daily as long as you do preventative maintenance. I was driving my 1931 Dodge coupe EVERYWHERE until my brakes needed attention. I have the new master cylinder and soon will have the wheel cylinders and will be using it as a daily driver again soon. Keep 'em moving as they will deteriorate faster from sitting.

 

Edited May 24, 2018 by keiser31 (see edit history)

[Philberty2g]

Nice car! Thanks for sharing! 

[TexRiv_63]

That is a gorgeous car and can easily be used as a daily driver if that is what you want to do. Regular use is actually the best thing for a car, the problems you have had so far may indicate the previous owner(s) did not exercise the car. Unfortunately the problems you have had are also part of the deal with any older car also and you need to accept that. If you have not already done so I would recommend a full detailed inspection of all mechanical systems, brakes, suspension, tires, etc. be done right away and any marginal issues fixed before they become additional problems. Once that is done just drive and enjoy it!

[GARY F]

While doing the water pump why not change all the hoses under the hood. You say you just bought it you do not know what the previous owner did not do or did.Very nice 55

[Philberty2g]

Yes, I ordered all hoses as well.  Thanks! Just itching to get to a cars and coffee sometime soon! ?

[Spinneyhill]

If you want to drive it daily, remember it is getting on a bit and has had who knows what lack of maintenance. You should do a full service and preventative maintenance round on it. The usual things include changing fluids (including coolant, meaning replacing the anti-freeze anti-corrosion additive). Look for everywhere that lubrication is required and do so. Look through the manual while you are on this.

 

Personally, I would be very suspicious. It has aftermarket wheels (did you put them on?) and looks low, esp. at the front.

[GARY F]

My always number one item is all new complete brake parts including lines. You only get one chance to stop.

[Philberty2g]

Spinneyhill, it was lowered and rims by previous owner.  We like the lower stance. Plan to replace all fluids and inspect brakes- might switch out drums.  I agree, only one chance to stop.  ?

[Guest]

My Grandfather bought a Series 6-30B Pontiac new in 1930.  I took my drivers test in it in 1958 with 99,000 miles on the speedo and it was my daily driver until 3 years ago.  It now has 500,000 miles on it.  My only tow home was when my pressure plate fell apart the day after I was using the car to pull stumps.  I have been in all the states west of the Mississippi,  and everywhere in Canada west of Port Arthur and have driven it year round in all types of weather.  Of course my advantage was it was a one owner car and I had been familiar with it from 1947.

Your Oldsmobile should be able to do this and more.  Happy Motoring.

[Bloo]

If you take the time and sort the car out, you can drive it anywhere you want. You are on the right track. Do the obvious stuff (hoses, brakes, etc.), and take it on longer and longer jaunts and fix things as you find them. After a while, it will get to the point you can trust it for really long trips.

[maok]

If this couple can go around the world in a 1915 Ford Model T I can't see why your wonderful '55 Olds can't be driven every day.

 

[Spinneyhill]

The couple in the Model T have been through NZ too.

[avgwarhawk]

If you repair or replace parts that require attention and get it in good order....you can drive the car daily and anywhere!   I drive my Buicks anywhere and any amount of miles I desire without hesitation.  Both very dependable.     

[Matt Harwood]

Old cars were used as daily drivers when they were not old cars, no reason they can't be used today. The reason your modern "daily driver" is reliable is because you use it every day. Expecting a car that gets driven once a month to be reliable is foolish. Therefore, the best thing you can do to make a car reliable is to drive it.

 

My father drove a 1941 Buick Super business coupe every single day, including all winter, from 1976 to 1980  when it was unceremoniously destroyed by a drunk driver.

 

My wife drives a 1966 Mustang every day in the summer, although it has been recently supplanted by a 1956 Chrysler wagon which she just drove to Toronto and back to deliver our kids to the grandparents' house.

 

I drove a 1941 Cadillac 60S last summer every day and this summer I am planning to drive my 1941 Buick Limited every day, once I get the exhaust sorted out. I feel no worries about driving old cars that have been sorted and vetted. I drive an old car to and from almost every day, as a matter of fact. Only one has left me stranded, and that's because the fuel gauge wasn't working.

 

It sounds like you're gradually working through the car and the only way it will get better is by driving. It's hard to pre-emptively fix things that might go wrong, so just go drive. When something breaks, fix it, then drive some more. As you do that process, the time you spend driving will get longer and the number of repairs it needs will get smaller. I think that's a great-looking car as it sits and the hardware underneath is incredibly robust. Don't let anyone tell you nonsense like "it needs a 350 Chevy to be reliable" or "You need to be able to buy parts at any store so you aren't stranded." That's nonsense. Drive the car, sort it as you go, maintain it properly, and you'll have a car that's as trustworthy as anything made in 2018.

 

Most of all, have fun!

[John_S_in_Penna]

22 hours ago, Philberty2g said:

--might switch out drums.  I agree, only one chance to stop.  ?

 

Phil, if you mean "switching out" the brake drums for

disk brakes, that's one thing you do NOT need to do.

 

Your car isn't a 95-year-old antique with 2-wheel mechanical brakes.

Your car was designed for the super-highway age.

I doubt that any 1950's car reviews indicated that

Oldsmobile's brakes were ineffective or dangerous.

 

Just get all the originally designed systems in working order.

And once you get things "sorted," as they say, meaning that

all the needs are taken care of, you'll have plenty of enjoyment

with your car!

 

[theastronaut]

 

15 minutes ago, John_S_in_Penna said:

 

Phil, if you mean "switching out" the brake drums for

disk brakes, that's one thing you do NOT need to do.

 

Your car isn't a 95-year-old antique with 2-wheel mechanical brakes.

Your car was designed for the super-highway age.

I doubt that any 1950's car reviews indicated that

Oldsmobile's brakes were ineffective or dangerous.

 

Just get all the originally designed systems in working order.

And once you get things "sorted," as they say, meaning that

all the needs are taken care of, you'll have plenty of enjoyment

with your car!

 

 

I disagree.  The "1950's super-highway age" was filled with cars that only had bias ply tires and drum brakes.  The tires had such little grip that the brakes were never worked very hard; the tire would lock up and skid before the brakes were at or near their full potential.  When everyone on the road has the same bias ply tires and drim brakes, no one is at a disadvantage.  The 50's car reviews didn't know the brakes were that bad because that's all they had.   

 

Now everyone had radials and discs... an old car with drums usually won't stop as good even if they have the added grip of modern tires... the drums were adequate only because the tires were so poor back then compared to radials.   With radial tires you have more grip, and you always want brakes strong enough to be able to take full advantage of the amount of grip the tires have.   My '64 VW Bug has excellent drums from the factory and now has radials... as long as they're well maintained it will stop as good as a modern car with four wheel discs (both measured with an accelerometer) from in-town speeds; but only once from about 65 mph.  From 70-75 they fade before you get stopped all the way.  My dad had a '57 VW Bug that had been upgraded to the later/improved 58-64 brakes but it had bias ply tires... it wouldn't stop very well; the tires would easily lock up and skid.  Discs don't fade as readily and they have more stopping power to match the grip of radial tires.  

 

A couple years ago I had a '66 C10 with a disc conversion up front and everything else in the brake system was stock.  Dad had a completely stock '66 C10 with drums at the same time.  Both had identical brand radial tires, and both had the brake systems completely rebuilt at the same time.  My truck with discs up front was MUCH more capable of stopping at all speeds; dads truck was borderline worrysome at 45 mph and interstate trips were sketchy.  I just took ownership of my Granddad's '64 C10 and as much as I want to keep it just as he had it, it will be getting the front drums upgraded to discs for safety. 

[Grimy]

Astronaut, you REALLY wouldn't like riding in my 1918 Pierce and 1922 Paige with 2-wheel mechanical brakes.  But I don't try to drive as if I were in modern iron, either....  In anything pre-4-wheel-disc, a driver is wise to drive very defensively and allow extra room.  Yes, other drivers seem to think that even my 90+ year old cars have as effective brakes as their modern ones....

[Bloo]

A 66 c10 is perhaps a worst possible case example..... I have one, I know.....

 

The best plan is to make the stock stuff work as well as it can, and drive the car! Find out what the REAL limitations of the car are and if necessary for daily use, make changes. At least one forum member put a disc conversion on a mid 50s GM car, and then took them back off when they didn't perform as expected. YMMV.

[MCHinson]

I don't drive my 1937 Buick Century on a daily basis, but I do drive it about every chance I get, which is quite often. I will simply chime in that I recently was going to tow that car from Wilmington, NC to Auburn, Indiana to drive it on a tour and go to an AACA Meet. I started out with it on a trailer behind a 2014 Ford F250 Super Duty Dually Diesel truck. The 2014 Ford brake booster died 2 hours into the trip. I unloaded the 1937 Buick and then drove it 702 miles to my destination, with an overnight stop in Charleston WV. I then drove the Buick on the tour for more than 200 miles. The Buick never gave me any trouble. It was a lot more reliable than the 4 year old truck.

[Philberty2g]

On 5/25/2018 at 4:48 PM, Grimy said:

Astronaut, you REALLY wouldn't like riding in my 1918 Pierce and 1922 Paige with 2-wheel mechanical brakes.  But I don't try to drive as if I were in modern iron, either....  In anything pre-4-wheel-disc, a driver is wise to drive very defensively and allow extra room.  Yes, other drivers seem to think that even my 90+ year old cars have as effective brakes as their modern ones....

I would like to add here that I live in a hard Winter state. Cold, ice, snow....all a good possibility.  I can appreciate both points, just not too confident in the drums in weather...even rain.  I’m gonna run it every day I can.  I plan to start it and let it run on days my weather isn’t so great.  But, both valid arguments that I can appreciate as far as changing out the brakes. 

[Philberty2g]

So, another question, rebuild the original carburetor or go with something else? Everything I replaced so far, I’ve done original.  The carb is foreign to me, but my Winters allow for some tinkering.  It is fine now, the car hesitates a bit starting cold.  Sometimes a bit of a hesitation from 1-2 gear.  So, not an issue right away.  Thoughts? 

[carbking]

My shop truck has 4 wheel drum brakes, and I am quite happy with them. I do have radial tires. A properly maintained set of drum brakes will function well except:

 

(1) If you have to cross a low-water bridge

(2) You pull a 40 foot camping trailer in the mountains (OK, a 28 foot camping trailer in the mountains).

 

And yes, the 4 wheel drum brakes will lock up all four wheels if you have a large enough foot!  (or stomach behind the foot  )!

 

And I DO pull a 16' trailer with two John Deere lawn & garden tractors behind the truck.

 

And yes, I will certainly agree that discs are better than drums; however, I don't plan on making six consecutive 70 -> 0 stops. In that situation, the drums would fade.

 

As to the carburetor, there is no carburetor made that will perform as well out of the box as the original if properly rebuilt. How is your fuel system engineering capability? Anything other than original WILL require modification, some a LOT of modification.

 

Jon.

Edited July 1, 2018 by carbking (see edit history)

[D Yaros]

I will join the chorus of "Yes, it can/should be driven" regularly.  As stated, it was intended to be a daily driver when produced and there is no reason it cannot be such today; provided you can afford the gas!

 

 

[Lahti35]

• I drove a stock '61 Ford falcon for years, year round in all weather conditions up until recently... most reliable car I ever owned, would go through 12" of snow when my neighbors were stuck waiting for the plow.   

[Dynaflash8]

I recommend one additional item.  Add an electric fuel pump in the line on a toggle switch.  Mechanical fuel pumps hate ethanol.  In addition, alcohol boils at a lower temperature than water.  Some old cars take on a new problem with ethanol whereby the vapor lock at high outside temperatures. 

[John_S_in_Penna]

On 7/1/2018 at 4:12 PM, Philberty2g said:

So, another question, rebuild the original carburetor or go with something else? 

 

Unless a car's original systems were problematic

when they were new, there's no need to change them.

(And those cases are few and far between.  Oldsmobiles

had fine reputations in that era.)

Phil, I recommend keeping and rebuilding the original carburetor.

 

Any changes made that differ from the original

will make you car a bit harder to sell when that time comes,

whether that's 5 years from now or 50.

Lots of changes = Lots of questions = Buyer resistance.

 

I hope you've had a chance to enjoy your car so far this summer!

[theastronaut]

On 7/6/2018 at 11:09 AM, Dynaflash8 said:

I recommend one additional item.  Add an electric fuel pump in the line on a toggle switch.  Mechanical fuel pumps hate ethanol.  In addition, alcohol boils at a lower temperature than water.  Some old cars take on a new problem with ethanol whereby the vapor lock at high outside temperatures. 

 

I have a couple of carbureted cars with mechanical fuel pumps and the owners manual for both state that 10% ethanol won't hurt anything and won't void the warranty.  

 

Letting ethanol fuel sit and absorb water is where 95% of the problems come from; water is the problem, not ethanol.  That's why you see more problems in small engines that sit a lot vs cars that are driven regularly.  In Brazil they use 18-25% ethanol in gas. 

[MCHinson]

50 minutes ago, theastronaut said:

 

I have a couple of carbureted cars with mechanical fuel pumps and the owners manual for both state that 10% ethanol won't hurt anything and won't void the warranty.  

 

Letting ethanol fuel sit and absorb water is where 95% of the problems come from; water is the problem, not ethanol.  That's why you see more problems in small engines that sit a lot vs cars that are driven regularly.  In Brazil they use 18-25% ethanol in gas. 

 

The ethanol fuels of today are more volatile than the ethanol containing fuels of years ago. Most cars will do OK with modern 10% ethanol fuel as long as you drive it enough to keep the ethanol from sitting. If you let it sit in the fuel system for a long time, problems will tend to occur in the fuel system. I have used ethanol fuels on tours without much problem, but I avoid ethanol fuels when posible. The modern ethanol containing fuels do have a tendency to have vapor lock issues worse than non-ethanol fuels in personal experience with a 1937 Buick 320 engine. The fuel lines are close enough to the exhaust manifold that the fuel lines soak up enough heat for the modern ethanol containing fuels to exhibit vapor lock. An electric  pump can keep the fuel pressurized enough to keep the fuel in its liquid state and flowing when it can otherwise exhibit fuel starvation due to the mechanical fuel pump's inability to pull vapor through the line when the fuel reaches a temperature at which it becomes a vapor rather than a liquid. 

[Bloo]

There have always been cars that were prone to vapor lock, and there are probably more now due to the volatile compounds blended in the gas.

 

It is interesting that no one seemed to be complaining about the gas in the 1980s regarding vapor lock. The cars that always had trouble just still did.

 

I was working in a Texaco gas station in the mid 80s, and at that time I read an oil industry publication that stated that modern fuels were blended with some combination of Methanol, and or Ethanol and or MTBE at close or equal to 10%. The exact brew varied by brand and season. These were used to boost octane in the absence of Tetraethyl lead.  It said you could expect the whole 10% in Super Unleaded, and a little less in Regular Unleaded.

 

MTBE (now banned in some states) and Methanol both boil at lower temperatures than ethanol. We should be having an easier time now.

 

In a case of vapor lock, it pays to look very closely at the check valve function in the fuel pump, and also to make absolutely sure the fuel line has no pinholes, cracks or leaking rubber hoses. Plug the end of the tank pickup and test the whole line with a mityvac. If that doesn't fix it, then look at fuel line location and/or adding an electric pump.

 

The simplest and most reliable fuel supply system ever devised for a carbureted car is a mechanical fuel pump, and a tank pickup with a sock on it. Use it if you can.

 

If it just won't work, using a pull-through pump, on a switch, mounted at the back of the car, as recommended by many on this forum, is IMHO about the best band aid that exists.

 

(Ethanol should still be avoided if possible. It corrodes fuel system parts, and old car enthusiasts would be better off without it.)
 

 

 

Edited July 8, 2018 by Bloo (see edit history)

[Dynaflash8]

9 hours ago, theastronaut said:

 

I have a couple of carbureted cars with mechanical fuel pumps and the owners manual for both state that 10% ethanol won't hurt anything and won't void the warranty.  

 

Letting ethanol fuel sit and absorb water is where 95% of the problems come from; water is the problem, not ethanol.  That's why you see more problems in small engines that sit a lot vs cars that are driven regularly.  In Brazil they use 18-25% ethanol in gas. 

I totally disagree.  It depends on the age and type of the car.  I had a 1971 Buick that never had a problem with ethanol except that it would, yes, get water in the fuel and occasionally skip a beat from it.  However, my straight 8 Buicks will not run on it.  The fuel line runs between the thermostat housing and the cylinder head.  In fact, there is a metal bracket bolted to the head that holds the metal fuel line in place.  The cars can be driving okay and you stop for gas.  They will start right up and run about 100 feet or less and run out of gas because they are vapor locked at the thermostat housing area.  This happens on Florida hot days  Or, on a 90 degree day you can be driving down the road a 50 mph and all of the sudden simply run out of gas.  Water passes through the engine restarts itself, air doesn't.    Any fool knows alcohol boils at a lower temperature than water (except the government engineers, who don't care).  I've wrapped the lines in insulation and I think that has helped, but not cured problem.  The '39s do not ever experience the problem on real gas.  I've had the one since 1963 and it never ever once did this or had this problem on real gas.  Condensation from sitting is also a problem with ethanol, but not the main problelm, which is heat.

[chistech]

I always seem to have a conflict of thoughts when I hear the mechanical/juice brake, disk/drum arguments and reasonings. I grew up right in the transition time of drum to disk. The reasoning given was for brake fade, not stopping power. I have drum brake vehicles, disc/drum vehicles, and all disc vehicles. First, on mechanical brakes, I’m still waiting to replace my first blown brake line(yes, sarcasm) and I can stop my 31’ Chevy with its drum brakes virtually on a dime, well, a slightly long dime but still very quickly. My restored 83’ diesel blazer, drum rear, disk front ( transition vehicle and front only as the front has more work load and prone to fade more than the rear in traffic when carrying a load) will literally throw you through the windshield with just a little extra push of the pedal, locking up all four wheels easily and they are oversized BF Goodrich AT radials. My personal all disc vehicles are my 08’ GMC diesel cc dually and my 14’ accord. My accord stops very well and it’s my work vehicle seeing many high speed miles here in New England where tons of traffic, poor drivers, and emergency stops are a everyday occurrence. My 08’ GMC is by far my worst stopping vehicle! It has huge rotors and calipers on it yet it will coast through some stops when loaded that if it wasn’t for my class A driving experience, would have resulted in a few accidents. So GM got rid of the old rear drum, front disc, great stopping setup for this new and improved, brake critic recommended, all disc system that stops like crap! Why does it stop like crap? For the same reason most brake fading occurs........  People just can’t drive so now GM adds “antilock” into the mix because people constantly use their brakes more than they should and all of a sudden a new reliability problem arises, warped rotors. Now people can’t understand this new problem they never had riding the brake pedal in their drum brake equipped car. So the manufacturers have to help us drive, so along comes antilock that takes all the braking “feel” out of the pedal and proceeds to make all the new drivers incapable of driving anything that isn’t completely computer assisted. Out driving on the highway with a 40’s up car just requires real driving and diligence that people used to have before the computer age. As a class A driver with my endorsements, this is the ONLY way I drive, no matter if it’s my Accord or my 31’ Chevy. I seriously doubt anybody with a well adjusted brake system in our older cars would ever experience brake fade under normal driving conditions. Now an older Ferrari or Lamborghini designed to go fast and driven hard around corners warrants that big disc system that was installed on it. They are prone to brake fade, an old Oldsmobile, not so much.

[chistech]

Forgot to mention, put new belts on the car and keep new spares under the seat. It’s getting hard to even find the correct size V belt these days. Pull the radiator and have it flushed, change out the thermostat along with all the hoses as earlier recommended. Don’t forget the heater hoses. I’ve seen a blown one ruin many a cruise day for lots of people. They get old and hard with age and sometimes just disintegrate at the wrong time. Absolutely make sure all gauges work as too many drive around assuming they have fuel, oil pressure, or are running cool. 

    Then after you do all this realize that any of the new components you’ve installed can fail at anytime. Of course not just on your old car but you modern car too. It’s the way it goes. I recently installed a new fuel tank on my 83’ Blazer because the tank seam leaked and purposely installed a new sending unit though the old original was working fine. My logic was I’m in here, might as well go with all new. Sure enough, two months later that new fuel sender just quit! Stuff like this is what really aggravates me!

[fraso]

I drive my own car (a 65 Barracuda) as much as I can while the weather is good - no snow) and 4000-5000 miles per year isn't unusual.

 

If you have more than one car, I would keep your 1955 Oldsmobile as a FAIR WEATHER daily driver.  As others have stated, the more you drive it, the more reliable it will become as old failure-prone parts are replaced.  There is no need to expose your car to the hazards of adverse weather conditions.

 

Presumably, your engine is mostly stock with the original carburetor.  If you're having carburetor problems, you're better off rebuilding your own carburetor than getting a remanufactured one from the parts store.  There is no guarantee that the reman was done right or that the carb is properly calibrated for your car.  If you can find vintage speed parts for it, then this might be a good opportunity to switch to a different carburetor.

 

If you have a cold hesitation, it would be good to check the condition of the manifold heat control system (heat riser) and you might need to free or lubricate the valve. If you a have vee-engine, the cross-over passage might be plugged with carbon.  I would also check the operation of the choke mechanism.  I do not recommend disabling this system even in hot climates.

 

Vapor lock can be problem for carburetor cars and an electric fuel pump can often help.  See Vapor Lock for more information.

 

Neglected engines can also have a large amount of rust & scale inside the block. I would do an acid flush (citric or oxalic) and refill with a 50/50 solution of antifreeze.  See Cooling System.

 

If you're still using a non-detergent engine oil, switch to a Heavy Duty Engine Oil.  See the Corvair Oil Guide and Engine Wear.

[Philberty2g]

On 7/1/2018 at 5:00 PM, D Yaros said:

I will join the chorus of "Yes, it can/should be driven" regularly.  As stated, it was intended to be a daily driver when produced and there is no reason it cannot be such today; provided you can afford the gas!

 

 

I would say it gets better MPG than my Tahoe. ?