Ideas for classics that accommodate young drivers

[Joe in Canada]

If you were on the Glidden tour last year you may remember Gordon Boyd on tour with his granddaughter Victoria. Gord was very sick but he took his 1930  Cadillac out of the restoration shop for the tour and drove it without the interior. He had it taken back to the shop after his return to have the restoration completed. Gord was having a tough time this spring but had already made arrangements to have a car transported to Pa. to participate in the Vintage tour. He had the same fellow transport to the Glidden and then back again.  He was not going to register  until a later date and see how he felt. Gord passed away past Sunday morning and his service is tomorrow. Victoria went with her grandfather on all the tours he participated in over the years. So for her love of the old cars Gord left Victoria the 1930 Cadillac with instructions for the shop to complete the restoration for her. It will be nice to see a 19 year old girl wheeling Gords vintage car around on tour this summer.

[padgett]

What I have in the 70 is a factory 8 track with a cassette adapter and a handsfree with mike in the adapter. Then a magnetic cell phone holder in the glove box crack. Sounds better than sat radio and whole thing can be removed in a minute.

 

Guess today it would be a restomod but back in the day it was just the way I like it.

Edited May 27, 2017 by padgett (see edit history)

[auburnseeker]

Here is a great buy for someone looking to get in the hobby,  especially if they aren't real mechanically inclined judging by the amount of work done to what looks like a nice survivor type car. 

It's a 1963 Buick Electra 225  4 door hardtop.  for $5995 and drive it home.  Allegedly original paint and interior.  In Cortland NY

 

 

 

[Walt G]

Auburnseeker got it right "I agree with buy the best car you can afford, but some people are tight and will not spend a dime more, not realizing they are actually being foolish to not stretch their budget a tad.  I think I have with almost every vehicle, piece of equipment and even house we bought.  That little extra gets a whole lot more."

I have done the same. People questioned me after buying a car (old or used modern) 'If it runs great why are you spending  money on it  , just use it". Well I don't like having anything quit on me , and if you spend the $ up front on good reliable repairs/service you will never have a question in your mind that something not checked over is going to stop working. Even when everything has been checked over things do break .

[auburnseeker]

Here is something a bit older for a change in turn key shape.

A 1948 Pontiac for asking $6,000 in Little falls NY.  Looks to have very nice chrome.  That paint almost looks like it could be original if you looks at the rear shot.  It kind of has that glow that old paint gets to it. 

 

 

 https://utica.craigslist.org/cto/6153327397.html

 

 

 

[Guest Turismo]

7 hours ago, auburnseeker said:

Here is something a bit older for a change in turn key shape.

A 1948 Pontiac for asking $6,000 in Little falls NY.  Looks to have very nice chrome.  That paint almost looks like it could be original if you looks at the rear shot.  It kind of has that glow that old paint gets to it. 

 

 

 https://utica.craigslist.org/cto/6153327397.html

 

 

 

A fine-looking car for weekend cruising, maybe not frequent driving. Good find though. 

[Plyroadking]

My two cents, 40-55 plymouth or dodge, I bought my 40 when I was 18, 80k miles and 13 years later and it's still my most reliable and fuel efficient vehicle. The engines are basically interchangeable those years, transmissions will bolt right in, mechanical parts are readily available, and they're just well built cars. I found an overdrive transmission and engine out of a 55 plymouth, a front disc brake kit, and a 3.73 ratio hog head out of a 56 dodge, I run 75 mph comfortably and average 20mpg. 

[Guest Turismo]

1 hour ago, Plyroadking said:

My two cents, 40-55 plymouth or dodge, I bought my 40 when I was 18, 80k miles and 13 years later and it's still my most reliable and fuel efficient vehicle. The engines are basically interchangeable those years, transmissions will bolt right in, mechanical parts are readily available, and they're just well built cars. I found an overdrive transmission and engine out of a 55 plymouth, a front disc brake kit, and a 3.73 ratio hog head out of a 56 dodge, I run 75 mph comfortably and average 20mpg. 

I assume that you use your quite often. Do you ever miss the modern advantages of cars? Do people give you flak for it? If you're not particularly wealthy, is gas a pitfall? 

[auburnseeker]

One of the newer features that are kind of nice are intermittent wipers.  Then again most of the old cars with vacuum wipers have that.  You just step on the gas to slow them up or make them stop and let right off quick to speed them up.  See no need for all the  newfangled  inventions.  

That big knob on the top center of the dash was also alot easier to figure out than the newer 2 armed controls,  that do everything.  It takes me a couple of minutes every time I drive my Wife's newer Toyota to figure out which is the wipers and lights and how to make all of them start and stop.   Going down the road,  I'm flashing people, and squirting the windshield left and right when all I wanted to do was wipe the mist off the windshield. 

[Plyroadking]

13 hours ago, Turismo said:

I assume that you use your quite often. Do you ever miss the modern advantages of cars? Do people give you flak for it? If you're not particularly wealthy, is gas a pitfall? 

 

I drove it to college just about every day, when I moved to Iowa though it stays in the garage during the salted season. It sits a lot more now that I've got another driver car running, but anytime I go out of town I'll drive it.

 

I really miss cup holders, and the advancements of defrosters.

 

Almost everyone thinks it's cool that I'm driving an old car, most don't realize that it's driven daily. I was surprised at the number of older people that would come up to admire and talk about the car. A lot of them say I should "fix" it up. I've tried to be reasonable on spending, the interior is worn, the chrome is dull and scratched, and it has some dents and scratches. But I've had a lot more fun with that car then the fully restored ones.

 

I'm not wealthy and I'm stoked on 20mpg, it's almost 3 times as efficient as some of my other vehicles. 

 

My current philosophy is to buy a bunch of solid "driver" quality cars, get them running, drive/enjoy them, and collect parts for their restoration in 10 to 40 years.

Edited May 31, 2017 by Plyroadking (see edit history)