Do you Drive your "old" car to work or in traffic?

[Guest BJM]

I was pontificating, err daydreaming on the way in that IF I ever get an old car restored - that is, typically considered pre power accessories, so let's say pre 1949 all the way back to the twenties - would I drive it into work a couple times a year.

I was specifically thinking of a car I don't even own (yet) a 1925 Peerless Touring. Pretend it were restored, or you own a similar 1920ish to 1949 car without automatic transmission, with marginal compared to modern brakes, marginal acceleration, etc.

Would you give yourself an extra 30 minutes or so, fire it up at 6am and drive a combined highway/city route of 30 miles one way to work in suburbia? Or would you avoid it like the plague because of modern yuppie drivers and such?

I was thinking how cool it would be to go to work on a nice day but then it dawned on me. The car could die enroute and someone could smash into me because of inadequate lighting. I could go to turn and pop the clutch, it dies and people are honking at me and expressing their displeasure. I mean, this is the modern, stress is more world we aspire to. If people are inconvenienced enroute to the Starbucks, heaven forbid!

So I woke up. Anybody try this in real life?

[charlier]

Where I live the commute to work can be a combination of a nascar race, drag race and demolition derby.

"Old Cars" do not do well in most of those types of competitions, especially if one cares about the car.

Even if the roads were not like this I still would not drive one of my old cars to work.

The parking lot at the office is not the best place to park (dents, dings, flying stones from landscaper mowers).

Even if the lot was safe, I would still would not drive my old cars to work because it would violate

the terms of my Classic Car Insurance policy.

Traffic where I live has gotten to the point where I usually take my older vehicles out for a drive

EARLY on a Sunday morning. That is usually just after sunrise and before too many idiot drivers are on the road.

One thing I have noticed during my Sunday morning drives is that I am not alone. It seems as time goes on

there are more and more Classic and Antique vehicles on the roads at this time. I guess I am not the only

person who wants to enjoy their vehicle in a less stress filled driving environment.

[R W Burgess]

Thankfully Jake, I live in the country and during nice weather drive at least one of cars two or three times a month, which is allowed by Virginia law to keep the batteries up, and so forth.

BUT, my cars are all modern which means they'll keep up with traffic. If, in fact I had a "running" <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" /> early car, I'd still be able to take one of the many back roads here in Virginia. just ask former AACA President, Doug Drake, about our backroads. He stated back during the first Sentimental Tour that he had never seen so many backroads while touring here. He in fact was afraid he wouldn't see a gas station again, in time to refill <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />....well you get the idea. It's great living in God's Country!! <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

Wayne

[oldcarfudd]

I'm blessed with no longer having to work. But in bygone years I would occasionally drive a 1910 EMF, a 1916 Briscoe, a 1927 REO or a 1948 MG-TC to work on a nice day, just to show it off (both to other drivers and to co-workers). I would scout out back roads, never use Interstates, and generally stay off main roads except for short stretches where there was nothing else (and where I could get on and off at a traffic light). A critical factor is parking; are you in a protected company lot (OK) or a public lot (no damn way)? As for the driving, if you get off main roads you won't find many impatient idiots; they're all in traffic jams on the main route, talking on their cell phones or leaning on their horns. Don't underestimate the extra time you'll need, and be sure to allow plenty of time to be home safe before dark. Gil Fitzhugh, Morristown, NJ (formerly Minneapolis and Houston)

[Packard enthus.]

I am one of the few lucky ones. I do drive my old car at regular intervals here in sparcely populated northern Arizona. Here, the two-lane state highways and rural roads look SOMETHING like the America of my child-hood. But, being from Los Angeles, I know that is not the typical situation most collector car operators face these days.

Most people live closer to or in major cities and/or have to use Interstates. Driving conditions in that enviornment have changed dramatically in the last forty years or so.

When I was a kid in the 1950's, and we were just getting the Classic Car Club Of America started, the big "super luxury" cars of the late twenties and nine-teen thirties we called "classics", did fine on the roads of that era. The Interstate did not exist, and road speeds on the few freeways in the Los Angeles area were in the 60-70 mph range, but only in the far left lanes. Even the few people left still driving the "ordinary" cars of the 1930's were able to drive around without disturbing the traffic flow too much, provided they stayed in the right hand lanes.

Modern technology has made it possible for even the "cheapo" cars of today, to operate comfortably at MUGH higher speeds than the ordinary person felt comfortable driving when I was a kid.

In the Los Angeles freeways now (when the traffic is NOT bogged down to brutal "slow and go" !) , road speeds of 75 mph or higher are common. And that's in the RIGHT hand lane ! My '38 Packard V-12 is one of the fastest, if not THE fastest car of its year. But even with its superb handling, steering, and brakes, and its ability to hold extreme speeds, I have to admit I no longer feel comfortable in modern city driving, at least not in what Los Angeles has become ! I shudder to think what Los Angeles traffic would be like, for a guy in a bone stock ordinary pre-war car.

When we left Los Angeles to move to our ranch in northern arizona in 1998, I was still driving the Packard around OCCASIONALY. But the stress and strain of trying to keep up with modern traffic, even in a collector car that could do it, was no longer as pleasant as it was in the Los Angeles of my child-hood.

Recently, coming south in the RIGHT hand lane of the 405 / San Diego Freeway towards the 101, I was doing 70, and was PASSED by everything from a garbage truck, a bus, along with everything else! When I got off and headed east on Sherman Way, yes, I could keep up with the sudden stops and rapid accelleration of people doing up 50 mph (or more!) on city streets, but that, too, was not pleasant.

Times have changed. The old cars we love..havnt !

Bottom line - yes..if you have strong nerves, it is POSSIBLE to drive a collector car in modern traffic. But it is no longer fun. Yes, I was the guy who, at car shows, would mutter " trailer em.? hell..if you cant DRIVE em..junk em"....But that was then.

I have a car event to attend in Los Angeles the week after next. I am sorry to admit, yes..the Packard is going...but it will be in a trailer !

[michel88]

I am a Real Estate agent and don't go into work before about 10:00 AM. Sometimes I will drive an old car in because the traffic is light and I can go to the office using back country roads. My '63 Riviera can keep up with modern day traffic and I sometimes use it to go on appointments even in traffic. My '40 Buick and my '51 Ford woodie are geared to low for the beltway and I don't enjoy driving them in traffic. Everyone who gets behind you thinks "Thats an old car it must be going slow". They have to pass you no matter if you are going the speed limit or higher. My favorite drive with the '40 and '51 is country roads at sunrise so you can enjoy the ride without being tailgated.

[novaman]

I have an advantage of working in a shop, okay race shop but we still work on cars. So I drive my '63 Chevy II occasionally. I took it Mon. and Tues. this week just to make sure everything is fine before heading to New Bern. The car hasn't had but about 200 miles on it in the last three or four years due to misc. problems. The main one was a braking problem that turn out to be a suspension problem. It would change caster when you applied the brakes due to worn bushings.

[Guest BJM]

Thanks to all. My 3 cars, none of them restored - but all 3 would be considered modern era cars and I would have no problem taking them to work. I drove a 63 Grand Prix as a daily driver, ditto a 64 Buicl Electra convertible BUT what about those cars that are pre power accessories? My 49 Roadmaster has Dynaflow automatic and a 320 CI 8 cylinder so i am sure it can handle modern issues.

I commute 30 miles one way and I can take some back roads. Even now, with a 2004 Bonneville, I may still take the back roads for a break and I work at a major multinational corporation with 4500 employees and secure private parking. I park way out so no one would hit me and yes part of the appeal is having coworkers go "Look at that cool old car".

I'm sure 99 per cent of my leisure driving would be in the country but it would be a nice change of pace to take a truly old car to work. Also, I thought most old car insurance policies allowed 2000 miles per year driving. I don't think taking the old car to work twice yearly should invalidate the policy if you are under your mileage.

[Guest Moepar]

We walk to work (shop next to house). Otherwise, our only choices are: old iron (an '88 Jeep Grand Waggy) and even older iron (ranges from '61-'72). I take my '71 300 out for 'excersize' as often as I can. I'll ocassionally drive the '61 but I won't drive it at night - I leave that to the hubby.

[Guest AntarcticDave]

I don't drive my old car to work because of insurance issues, and in the summer my convertible modern car is more fun for a commute (2004 Thunderbird). My 47 Cadillac keeps up just fine in traffic though, and stops well. I wouldn't worry about driving in traffic if need be. I plan on taking her on 2 cross-state trips with the Cadillac LaSalle Club this summer. I've been telling the office we need to have a car show here, in which case it'd be an official function, and insurance would be ok with bringing the 47.

[stock_steve]

Here in Mid-May, I've just surpassed 2,000 miles since repairs from my last rear-ender (Sept '06) suffered in my '68 Bug, and this year am really trying to utilize it as much as possible, absolutely including daily commuting-battles with the big trucks on ugly, congested I-95 here in southern Connecticut (attachment). The keys for me are 1) The car is VERY imperfect, so not nearly the anguish of driving it amidst the typical cell-phone-talking/SUV-driving boobs around here, and 2) to drive as defensively and "within our capabilities" (both mine and the car's) as possible. The payoff is some *old car fun* each and every day. I vote yes.

P.S.: I'm getting 26-27 mpgs with the old '68 also--not fantastic, I know, but better than my modern "cold weather driver."

[caf]

I agree that the most fun is to drive early Sunday morning before anyone is awake. The Calif Highway Patrol takes a dim view of my 03 Olds anytime so I have to trailer it most anywhere, I feel a lot safer with even a later car when I have it in the trailer, out of sight, safe, and it doesn't get dirty or hit with mud or gavel. Traffic here is just too heavy and rather fast at 75 to 85 MPH so I get passed by everything. At least with a trailer,they seem to see you better and give you a little leeway because of your size if nothing else!

[Guest BJM]

When you said 03 Olds I assumed..... 2003! Yikes 1903 Oldsmobile. Yea, I think I would drive that only in a low speed park. Happy touring.

[John_S_in_Penna]

Here in Pennsylvania, unless you live in an urban area, it's easy to find pleasant back roads at any time of day, and a car as old as a '25 should do well. I wouldn't drive it in congested traffic--being from a small town, I don't even like driving my regular car in congested traffic <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" />! Certainly the organized old-car tours in various parts of the country have antique cars out on the smaller roads.

When I lived in Northwest Penna., where it was even more rural, I could take a back road (paved) to work and, in 15 miles, see maybe 2 other cars going the other way. I avoid dirt roads with the antique cars because of stones, dust, or the possibility of freshly-spread oil, though those are exactly the kinds of roads your car would have experienced in its day. And yes, I've driven my old cars to work or church a few times over the years just to share the old cars with my friends and co-workers.

[bhclark]

I drive my '65 wildcat as much as possible during the summer just to be able to drive around with the top down!

I also take the '59 Invicta out regularly and enjoy driving it to work.

My wife takes the '66 Galaxie to the grocery store and to shuttle the kids around!

I buy them to drive them and enjoy everything except for the gas station visits!!!!

[ex98thdrill]

Working overnights, I don't. I don't want to be out on the road with a 6 volt electrical system after dark. Being that I have to be to work at 11, I might stand a pretty good chance of getting hit just not being seen, let alone the drunks on the road.

If I'm working overtime where I'm not driving in the dark in either direction, or for the vehicles with 12 volt systems, yes I do drive them in good weather on occassion. Generally my transportation is a Ford Escort, but if it's warm and dry it's my Harley, and if it's a bad snowstorm, I take the 4x4.

[Packard enthus.]

interesting post - I did not know that one shouldn't operate a car with a 6 volt electrical system at night..

[ex98thdrill]

I'm not saying that you can't, I'm just saying that I won't. A car with a top speed of 45-50 mph, on a dark road, with lights that are 6 volt (not as bright as 12 volt lights), you can't be seen as far away as a car with 12 volt lights.

With people running at average of 65-70 mph that can't see you as well, and at those speeds they have a lesser ability to be able to stop to avoid hitting you. As a general rule of thumb, the later it gets at night, the percentage of drivers driving under the influence of alcohol and/or fatigue increases.

[6219_Rules]

I drive my old car, or my ex's old car rather than my son's new truck... because I like them. The '67 Mustang with its Jasper rebuilt 289 V-8 puts out about 230 HP. The 1956 Cadillac is big, comfortable and a joy to drive. At least it is a 12 volt system, fully 'modern' and powerful. I miss the 1947 6269 but, it was 6 volt and that was a real weakness.

You might as well drive your cars and enjoy them. Gas will cost what it will cost. When they ration it, if that comes to pass, worry about it then. I do not envy you who live on the East Coast, especially the I-95 corridor.

[Guest BJM]

Rationing, that would teach those evil oil companies. I never thought of that. Someone should threaten to ration the oil and wathc the price drop. I'm a died in the wool conservative Republicanand I am fed up. I'm voting Democrat next election. Here we are over $3.00 a gallon and you can hear the crickets at the white house when the subject of gas costs comes up.

[6219_Rules]

Hey Jakes... I just suggested something on another site that just came to me.

Outlaw driving. Take all personal vehicles out of the hands of ordinary people, and eliminate the fuel usage, and stupid driver syndrome.

Then put the savings into a serious public transportation system.

Add walking and bike paths to roads.

Only vehicles allowed will be trucks, police, and military.

That would solve it alrighty. <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Keep voting Republican. It does not matter which party you vote for or in... they are both so much alike it really does not matter. Aside from a few loud super liberals or super conservatives, the parties are pretty much the same. They all take money from big industry through lobbyists. If the Big Money (Fed and Banks) can finance them, then who do you <span style="font-style: italic">really</span> think they work for during their tenure?

Cynical? Yes. Also, realistic.

[Bhigdog]

Yup, blame it all on George. The price of gas is determined by one thing only, and that is supply and demand on a global scale. No different than anything else. If there were thousands of Dusenbergs or Hemi Cudas floating around the market place you could barely give them away. You want the price of gas to drop? Stop wasting it. Ride bikes, heat with wood or coal, drive 4 cylinder POS's, use flouresant light bulbs, recycle everything, grow a garden, keep a cow, don't use fertilizer on your oversize lawns, don't water it, don't air condition, wear only natural fabrics (but don't use electricity to iron them), stop using plastic for everything, etc, etc, etc ad nauseum. Oh yeah, get the rest of the world to do the same <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />....Bob.

[Loyd Smith]

According to everything that I can find out, the oil companies are operating at within one percentage point of the same profit margin that they did in 1938. The only factors that have changed since then are demand, decreased refining capacity and the rate at which various governments around the world tax product. If one takes actual production costs into consideration, the cost of a gallon of gasoline at the pump in the United States should be approximately $1.87 today. This is in keeping with the average inflation rate since 1938. One might be led to suspect that the difference betwixt $1.87 per gallon and the actual price that we pay at the pump may be due to the many extra layers of, ?government,? that we?ve burdened ourselves with since 1938. No matter which political party one votes for it is necessary for us to realise that, in a strictly economical sense, governments do not produce anything. When a society reaches a point at which it is paying more people for not producing anything than it is paying for the production of tangible goods, historically speaking, things go RAPIDLY downhill. The really scary part of this scenario is that it appears to be happening in most of the developed nations of the world. That $1.87 per gallon pump price should be constant, within reasonable parameters, all over the world. Some of our European neighbours are paying upwards of $7.00 per gallon presently.

[Packard enthus.]

I agree with most of what you said in your "post", especially if you are referring to cars that, as you say, have "tops speeds around 45-50 mph".

As you may have noted in my earlier "post" above, I think the area we most agree on is the change in DRIVER's habits. You may not be aware of the fact that not all old cars with 6 volt electrical systems are like the cars you describe. Many of us have no use for slow cars of ANY era - we like em big and fast. By the mid 1920's the biggest and most powerful of the luxury cars could go well over 80 mph, and had brakes and lighting systems to match. You apparently know more about the ordinary old cars that "Joe Six Pack" would drive - I have to defer to your greater knowledge on what it is like to drive them.

If you have, or know someone who has a car whose headlights werent maintained properly, I understand - that would be scary! I agree..they shouldn't be on the road at night.

I suggest in the interest of public safety you tell them to restore them properly. Specifically, I have seen at old car shows a lot of "trailer queens" whose reflectors were made shiny by chroming them. End result, since chrome plating is a miserable light reflector, no wonder they dont produce decent lighting.

Suggest you have people with bad headlights look thru any of the automotive publications, where you can find restorers who know to use the correct re silvering and/or re-aluminizing process, which will return them to the lighting power they had when new. (as to TAIL lights..I'd have to agree with you - in my own tail lights I have put in more powerful bulbs than "stock"..and added a little reflector made and formed out of ordinary house-hold alum. foil. That sure brightens them up ! But, I might add, most people dont get that good a look at my tail lights on our 26 Rolls Phantom or '38 Packard V-12 anyway...! (again, they can do a bit more than 45-50 mph...!)

Bottom line - times and driving habits HAVE changed, and I have no answer for that - that is why, as I noted above, I have started trailing my cars to shows in the big cities, and/or where there will be a lot of Interstate driving when the "ladies who do lunch" are out there with their cell phones on...!

[ex98thdrill]

Another trick that we've learned was to buy those small packages of reflective tape (like what you see on the side of semi trailers), stick them on magnets, and slap them on the back of a vehicle if we end up on dark roads. We keep them in the vehicle (except the woodie), so it serves as a safety item, and we take them back off once we get parked.

[Guest BJM]

Bob and others,

I understand supply and demand and I know China for one is using a lot more fossil fuel energy then just a few years ago BUT I also believe recent news accounts of record profits from the major oil companies in the uber-billions of dollars. So I do not believe the government is doing enough to moderate this issue. All Congress would have to do is have a committe hearing to investigate the possibility of price gouging and fixing by big Oil and you would watch the cost of gas go down 20 cents a gallon overnight. With more to follow. And my problem with the Republican president is NO COMMENT. No empathy. I know governmental leaders shouldn't mess with free market enterprise but we expect them to bullhorn empathy for us at every opportunity. Bush's non comments speak way more then eny comments he could make...

[57_chieftain]

Look, in 1950, a gallon of regular gasoline sold for about 30 cents; today, it's $3.00. Are today's gasoline prices high compared to 1950? Before answering that question, we have to take into account inflation that has occurred since 1950. Factoring in inflation, what cost 30 cents in 1950 costs $2.80 in 2007. In real terms, that means gasoline prices today are only slightly higher, about 8 percent, than they were in 1950. Up until the recent spike, gasoline prices have been considerably lower than 1950 prices.And the supply problem is partly of our own doing. Large quantities of oil lie below the 20 million acre Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). The amount of land proposed for oil drilling is less than 2,000 acres, less than one-half of one percent of ANWR. The U.S. Geological Survey estimates there are about 10 billion barrels of recoverable oil in ANWR. But environmentalists' hold on Congress has prevented us from drilling for it. They've also had success in restricting drilling in the Gulf of Mexico and off the shore of California. Another part of our energy problem has to do with refining capacity. Again, because of environmentalists' successful efforts, it's been 30 years since we've built a new oil refinery. I don?t want to sound like a tin-foil hat wearer, but I wouldn?t be surprised if the OPEC leaders make "charitable" contributions to environmental groups to assist their efforts to reduce U.S. output. Whew! How?s that for a conspiracy theory? <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" />

[Guest Hal Davis (MODEL A HAL)]

Let's see the stats for the last 3 years. It would be a lot more like 100% increase. Katrina showed the oil companies what they could get away with and get away with it they do. <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" />

[DaveBerg]

I live in the country about 40 miles north of Pittsburgh and very much enjoy driving the cars on our country roads and hills. I will from time to time take one of the cars into the city (Pittsburgh) to visit my mother or Karen's Dad. I wouldnt use them for work and will plan the drive so as to avoid rush hour traffic in the city but otherwise dont have a problem doing it. People enjoy seeing the cars, especially on the road, and often when they see that you really can drive these cars they take a little more interest in our hobby. The oldest one we have driven into the city is our 1925 Cadillac and it behaved pretty well. I would think nothing of driving our 32 Chevy or 40 Cadillac into the city and into traffic and have done so many times. Try it, you'll like it. Once while driving a right hand drive Bentley on the highway going out of Pittsburgh I was stuck in traffic. Next to me a fellow was in a mdern car and put down his window and with a distinct British accent said "I aint seen one of them for quite awhile" before he could finish his sentence traffic began to move a bit and then stop. While he was staring at the car he plowed into the car in front of him. Thankfully the damages were very minimal. It wasnt funny at the time but it was by the time I got home! <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />

[6219_Rules]

Tomorrow I pick up my '56 from the Caddy Shack (TJ's restoration shop for 50s and 60s Cadillacs in Longmont, CO). He found a good rim for my right rear which had been bent, and serviced the drive shaft replacing the U joint up front. The rear will be replaced soon, when it comes in. Bearings front and rear looked good. So tomorrow I will drive my baby home the 50 miles from the shop to her garage here in South Denver. I cannot wait. <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

I have a serious question on the inflation equation: if gas cost .30 a gal in 1950, and that equates to $2.89 in 2007, then what did the .30 equate to in 1907? Is this a stable curve? Or is there fluctuation, and how do you track it from year to year in order to get a solid, accurate accounting?

If what was said is true, then I will not flinch when paying $3.50 per gal. for supreme the next time. I will know it is basically the same as back in the day.

[Dave@Moon]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> And the supply problem is partly of our own doing. Large quantities of oil lie below the 20 million acre Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). The amount of land proposed for oil drilling is less than 2,000 acres, less than one-half of one percent of ANWR. The U.S. Geological Survey estimates there are about 10 billion barrels of recoverable oil in ANWR. But environmentalists' hold on Congress has prevented us from drilling for it. They've also had success in restricting drilling in the Gulf of Mexico and off the shore of California. Another part of our energy problem has to do with refining capacity. Again, because of environmentalists' successful efforts, it's been 30 years since we've built a new oil refinery. </div></div>

Why does this story persist? I know it makes for comfort among the bleeding hearts on the more paranoid of our media outlets, but it's baloney. The numbers they use, repeated here, sound impressive until they're actually compared to what is needed. <span style="text-decoration: underline">No</span> informed analysis of oil reserves and/or refining capacity supports any of these statements in any sense.

The immutable facts about this have been posted (with unassailable citations) at least a dozen times on various parts of this forum by myself and many others. Look them up.

[FomocoService]

I drive a few of my cars in traffic all the time. In fact I use a '56 Ford Sedan and a Model A Pickup as my daily drivers

I live in a medium sized city and don't have much of a problem tho I don't take the Model A's on the interstate.

[Dave@Moon]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> Look, in 1950, a gallon of regular gasoline sold for about 30 cents; today, it's $3.00. Are today's gasoline prices high compared to 1950? Before answering that question, we have to take into account inflation that has occurred since 1950. Factoring in inflation, what cost 30 cents in 1950 costs $2.80 in 2007. In real terms, that means gasoline prices today are only slightly higher, about 8 percent, than they were in 1950. </div></div>

I believe, as this graph from the conservative CATO Institute shows, that gas was actually much less than $3.00 cents/gal. on average in 1950. This graph shows adjusted gas prices (in 1991 dollars for some reason) for the period 1949 to 2003. It reads to be about $1.55/gal in 1991 dollars, which (using The Inflation Calculator) corresponds to 28 cents per gallon in 1950. In today's dollars that's $2.31/gal.

Please note that the all time low for gas prices occurred in 1999, the height of the SUV boom. Then the "real price" was about $1.10/gal (1991 dollars), the equivalent to $1.36/gal. in 1999 or a $1.64/gal. today. Also note that today's average price of $3.07 would read as $2.06 on the CATO graph, nearly as high as the all-time high of 1981.

A similar graph for average price in Illinois can be found on page 5 of Primer on Illinios Gas Prices. It goes back to 1920, and reads in 2004 dollars. In 1920 gas costs about the same as today, adjusted for inflation (26 cents/gal in 1920 again using The Inflation Calculator).

[6219_Rules]

Well that does explain it, alright.

$4.50 would have filled my tank in the '56 back in the 50s. So I will just pretend that this worthless currency the almighty Fed is flooding us with is really just like it was in 1950.

I will drive my car with pride knowing it was a part of one of the greatest car companies on the Earth ... back in the day.

I hope no one will think less of me for doing so. I just cannot afford a crappy 1980s car that gets better gas mileage. If I could, I would get an early 60s VW bug. 32 mpg is good enough for me.

I wish it were different, but I cannot even afford a junker, Dave... but I am in good company with all the others who are now under the radar. I am just not silent. <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

[Clipper47]

Randall, Just keep driving the old cars like I do. While the Hummer, Excursion and Escalade crowd keeping driving their gas guzzling non desript junk I'll drive my Packard with pride as you should with your Cadillac.

[novaman]

This past weekend was the first time I got to drive my '63 Chevy II using a full tank on the open road. Got 23.25 MPG going to the national meet in New Bern.

[6219_Rules]

Thank you, Clipper47! I picked my baby up from the shop yesterday. They replaced a front U joint, a bent wheel and did an oil change. I drove her all the way back home, 80 some miles (I took the scenic route) and enjoyed every second, even the silly traffic through Denver. She has never run so smoothly, and had such get up and go before! (I guess an new U joint that does not vibrate, and a <span style="font-style: italic">round</span> wheel on the power side makes a big difference) <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" />

Isn't it funny? I get more thumbs up from older people and Hummer drivers! They apparently like what they see. And I get 10 mpg better! LOL Since this is my daily driver (the pickup is my helper's), the only other car I can drive is my ex's '67 Mustang with the Jasper 289 rebuild. hehe It gets about the same mpg as the Caddy but oh my, what a drive <span style="font-style: italic">that</span> is!

I hope your Clipper keeps on running smoothly, and keeps the jelly bean cars to the rear. <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

[6219_Rules]

That is great, Novaman! Since getting involved with Cadillacs, I have found I like all sorts of cars.

Especially, get this, Chevys! I love the Nova, Nova II, Corvair and the big sedans like the Impala and Bel air. Great cars, inexpensive and well built. You come to appreciate the cars of the 60s and realize just how good they were. Glad I lived in that time.

Hope you enjoy your car each and every time you take her out. <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />