A Beginners Guide To Choosing A Classic Car Or Truck For Use As A Daily Driver - Tips To Get Started
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- čas přidán 23. 10. 2023
- Runaway technology and deliberate planned obsolescence have unfortunately rendered the modern automobile a disposable appliance, and because of this many people are starting to look at cars from previous eras for use as survivable daily drivers.
Here's a quick overview of things that people who are considering making the move into vintage transportation, should take into when choosing the most practical vehicle to suit their needs.
#vehicles #classiccar #vintage
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I feel automotive technology reached its peak in the late 90s early 2000s right before everything went can bus.
Bingo PAL, 💯🤙🏻😎
Have a91 K1500, roll up windows
5 speed manual, 4.3 v6, smokes a
bit at start, inexpensive parts, floor
shift 4x4 lever. Love it😀
exactly, too many "modules"
The body control module will eventually fail and when it does the car won't run. Simple circuts like start hvac and power windows dont exist. Everything relays info to the bcm and it controls them. Our 07 impala had a bcm failure from a dead battery and nothing in the car worked. We had to have one programed to it's specific VIN to get it running.
2.2L Chevy from that era. Idk what they made those things out of but damn.
@@WhiteTrashMotorsports Alot of that earlier GM stuff, you can wing a used computer in and it works after a 30 minute key relearn. You may get a code for a mismatched vin. New parts are sold w/o software on them.
Been driving a 73 F100 daily for 8 years now. I've learned to rebuild and work on every piece of it on forums and youtube videos using only simple tools.
I’ve got a 69 f250 I bought for 800 bucks. That thing will last me 50 more years
I'm the 3rd generation to drive my 76 F250, with my oldest boy destined to be the 4th 😎
That's 47 years of use so far if you're counting. Sure, it didn't get driven every single day of those 47 years. Grandpa was a farmer and that was his truck. Loading manure on Saturday and church on Sunday. Uncle daily drove for 20ish years at a rock quarry hauling at least 1000lbs of tools in the back the whole time. My old man had it for a while too before I got it. He either cut and hauled wood with it or had an Alaskan camper on the back.
I know, its a lot, just saying. Good buzz 🍻 🤷♂️
@@joshuaatkins5197 that’s awesome
Just like the Mustangs, the F series are a great candidate for daily driver use because of the availability of parts. I’ll be putting a 73 F100 back on the road soon.
Ford had a good solid workhorse V8. Up until ecoboost
In my opinion, 90s cars had the holy Trinity of reliability, fuel efficiency, and fairly easy and cheap to fix.
Came here to say that! I love 90s cars
Yep. Longest lasting cars of any era.
97 Honda Civic HX . Parts are cheap and easy to fix.
but they were all ugly. I had a 70 El Camino then and it was 25 years old which seemed like it was from another time. Today a 25 year old car doesn't even seem that different, just old.
Early 90’s two wheel drive Toyotas. Fast enough and good enough breaking for today’s driving. A little expensive though.
"It's hard to love something that is disposable" very true. You own a newer vehicle, something gets damaged it ages and gets a little beat up and its going to cost a bunch of money to get it fixed up. Versus having an older vehicle where parts are cheap and its easy to fix them up and make them nice again. You bond with an enjoyable project vehicle. You and the vehicle build each other.
You and the vehicle build each other
I like that!
Last few weeks I've gone through and done all the little sh itboxy wear items on the 20 year old 7.3 I bought, I don't think I've spent more than $200 in parts to get the stereotypical floppy 90s-00s Ford shift lever tight again, all the power accessories working just like new. Also threw in an Android head unit so I can have Torque gauges and a backup camera. I could probably turn around and flip it for a few more grand than I paid for it in this market, but at this point it's become _my_ truck and I'm getting to know it.
I was just telling my son that I want my 1968 Dodge Dart with a 170 slant six 4 door with bench seat & hand crank windows as my daily driver
I’ve wanted an old 4 door hot rod for a while now. I wouldn’t want my kids climbing over to get in the back. And all of my friends that might ride back there are too old to be squeezing through behind the front seats.
I tell my dad and want to help him get his 65 Galaxie with 289 going for daily use. These cars can be made to do everything newer cars do, while staying simple enough to service and repair yourself.
nice choice for a daily driver, those slant six engines are bulletproof and simple to work on if you need to
60-61 Valiant with the slant 6, really cool bodystyle, just keep it out of road salt
I'm 23 and daily drive a 1966 c30 panel truck. I didn't intend to but after getting it on the road and driving it alot I was like "I don't need a modern car, and I don't like the payments" so i sold it and have been driving the panel truck since.
👑
Nice dude! I’m with you. Mine is a 1969 f250. Restored. No payments. Sweet freedom
That’s awesome! What part of the country are you in?
I have cars from a 1940 Chevy to a 2020 Trax and every decade in between. The most reliable is my 83 Chevy van. 305 V8 and TH700 trans. I have driven it cross country, hauled parts, slept in it, and it doesn't care if I leave it parked behind the garage for a couple months. It just works. When it comes to parts availability, you just can't beat a small block Chevy.
@BlooMule yeah, I have an elcamino with a 305, edelbrock carburetor and manifold.
I added an air fuel gauge to help me get the carb tuned right.
That 305 actually has a fair amount of zip.
One suggestion: while parts for these are cheap and not hard to find, they often need to be ordered. So all the regular parts (brakes, belts, plugs, hoses) that I replace, I keep the old one if it has any life left in it to use as a stop gap until I can get a new one. Some of the roadside repairable ones I keep in the trunk.
83 F150 I6 and 66 Galaxie 289 three on the tree
I go the next step, having 2 or 3 of those regular service parts new on the shelf. I'm trying hard not to turn my place into a regular parts shop though. You never know when something will be suddenly obsoleted, like ignition parts for my Aussie Valiants just have.
@@TAVOAu Good point. And I do have some new old Replacement stock parts for things like points, condensers, mechanical voltage regulator and whatever else I think could be the next discontinued part.
@@TAVOAuwow, what are you going to do?
@@yeboscrebo4451 get creative and adapt available parts.
That 80s F150 has got to be great. With the I6 you can practically do a rebuild without ever pulling the engine. Just take the hood off and sit on the wheel wells.
My 85 Oldsmobile cutlass has a 1970 rocket 350 in it. The computer went in the scrap pile a long time ago. Simple, dependable, and fun.
Had a buddy that put a 455 in a 1985 or so g body possibly a grand prix. It was long ago
And it got 8mpg
@@keithbellair9508Street and strip who cares about gas mileage car probably ran 12s easy
I agree with the cut off date as newer cars just have way too many systems and interconnected systems that would be near impossible for the average Joe to repair.
Every car I've owned with electric windows at least one failed. Never with a manual.
Oh and failed tire pressure sensors. Every car, again.
We have regulated ourselves into stupidity.
Edit: comment made before 8:48, amazing timing, yeah on my main comment on this video I brought up the aftermarket aspect of the 2.2/2.5 because of this; long after the manufacturers abandon parts supply, there's backup. You won't find shit for a 1995 Taurus, '98 S-10 (except the 4.3 engine, sharing much with the 350) or any Hyundai pre-2005.
Ha!
@@Vicus_of_Utrecht every manual window pickup i have encountered has striped gears lol
@@Vicus_of_Utrecht you can get literally anything for the s10s... there are MILLIONS of them
I'm a 30+ year tech, with 15 years of drivability / electronics being 50% of that, and it is getting out of control for us, too.
@@Vicus_of_Utrecht takes about 20 minutes to take a door panel off and replace a window motor or switch, not worth the inconvenience of not being able to roll your pass. window down while driving. TPMS I can agree with.
I am currently trying to make a 1973 Oldsmobile Omega 4dr Olds 350 a daily driver in Long Beach California. I almost went down the road of LS swap, but instead I am just freshening up the motor by replacing freeze plugs, timing chain, and gaskets since it was leaking oil for what looked like decades.
Its ugly as hell too. Brown, 4 door, dented up. So i am sure it'll never get stolen in the city. Perfect for a classic daily.
@@LuisCalderon-bw2xh While in college 3 weeks before finals, my Toyota 4wd truck w/ 22R blew a headgasket (Block had a nit-line casting flaw from the factory). $575 bought a 1975 Plymouth Gran Fury which I only needed to work for a month. Replacing the valve cover gaskets and alternator (soaked with oil from the valve covers) for dirt cheap got me a totally trouble free car that drove like a dream for about a year before I sold it. It was great having a car nobody wanted to steal. Yet another case of "never should have sold it". More about this great car another day.
Smart💯🤙🏻😎
@@petepeterson5337 Those Grand Furys are awesome cars. Still one of the few mopars that arent extremely expensive to get. Hopefully you can get another one day! I just got out of college last year and plan to make the Omega a daily for many years to come.
Body parts availability is great too since it shares its platform with the Nova. The only thing is the olds 350 that is in it is a little difficult to find parts for. My guess is not too many people rocking the olds engines anymore since the sbc is just a cheaper option.
I'd love to see a video series on classic daily driver care and maintenance -- habits, budgeting, research, parts, maintenance schedules, paint care, vinyl care, top care, useful products, driving habits, winterizing, working with mechanics and specialists, and so on. Daily-driver classics do require special care, extra research and even a little budgeting for the projects for each season and each year. However, once you set this stuff up, frankly it's very rewarding. I love my "me time" with my young timer. And I get the strange feeling he loves me back....
Love the idea to good one 🎉
I second that idea
Hear hear
I’d love to see that
Oh, I would love a video like that, too. Getting a classic car was a new thing for me, but something I'd always wanted. All my previous cars had been current year ones and I just happened to be in a unique spot for me where my car got totaled in an accident, but I'd already paid it off entirely and early so the money I received from it was enough to pay for a car in full and without the need for a loan, so I jumped at the chance to get a classic. I'd learned the hard way how expensively these new cars break. Within months of getting one, the windows went bad because of something in the wiring and I was turned away from a dealership when I went to get it fixed because they "don't have the tools to work on that Make" (they were under the same parent company as that Make and actually required to be able to work on all vehicles from Makes under that company, so some people who worked for their parent company were very unhappy to find out about this). I couldn't go into the shop for a repair without walking away with a thousand dollar bill to pay. And when my car totaled, it was because the door got hit and the tire messed up, no airbags deployed, and the maintenance cost to fix it was going to cost more than half of what was spent on the car itself so I had gotten pretty fed up with modern car care.
I went into classics knowing that this would be a thing for me needing to really learn about maintenance and some of at least the basic mechanic work that could be done at home, how to do the regular upkeep on it you don't bother with on a new one, etc. And it made me excited, honestly, to be able to build up that knowledge. I've been enjoying the UTG videos and finding them informative, and would love to see more videos on the topic. It was questionably exciting the idea of having a car that I could call up my dad to help me work on rather than needing to go to a mechanic.
@sammorgan7508 I feel the same exact way as you and agree with everything you said. Considering going the old school daily driver route as well. My pops has a monte SS he doesn't drive. Just sits in garage. Low miles on a rebuilt engine and well maintained. I'm gonna by from him and work with him and his mechanic collectively. It'll be memories I'll get to cherish for the rest of my life. Good luck to you and your classic daily
One idea which you missed, is to have a "parts car" that matches your daily driver. If you can find a popular older car, you can often find others just like it that might not run, but they will have a lot of good original parts which you can use for your daily driver.
Another important point is to look for a car that has a good "cult following". If there are parts catalogs for a particular vintage car, then you have found a good one. VW Beetles are excellent, fuel efficient cars, and are very easy to work on. They also have LOTS of aftermarket parts available. They aren't great on the highway, but they can get you where you are going. Older Jeep CJ's are also another great example.
Very good video, and an important topic for us as Americans.
Not practical for many people since you need room to store it. Many cities prohibit unregistered/uninsured cars.
I have a '99 Pontiac Grand Am with 270k miles on it. At one time the wrecking yards were full of these cars as there were millions produced. Sure, it's an inexpensive car that had many small things break. But, it was easy to find used parts. Then, all of a sudden, they disappeared from the salvage yards. Since then I've considered picking one up for a parts car.
I am an old guy. I would like to add my two cents. A manual transmission is a good choice in an old car, that is if you know how to drive one. Most of the cars suggested for daily drivers are great most of the year but difficult to deal with in snow. Back in the day, we used "snow tires" with very aggressive treads. I don't think they even make those anymore. We also had tire-chains which are a nightmare but do work. Back then, especially in the 1960's most base models did not have posi-traction rear ends. These are rear wheel drive and there is no "traction control" so you have to actually drive them not just point them. They tend to be rather heavy and there are no anti-lock brakes, no air-bags, they probably have lap belts but not shoulder belts or head rests. The headlights are mostly sealed beam. However, a lot of this stuff can be upgraded by someone with good mechanic skills. There are aftermarket "pointless distributors" that are probably a good idea for daily drivers. These cars require tune-ups. Not all cars from the 1960's have self-adjusting brakes so those need to be periodically adjusted. They don't have any anti-theft devices or alarms in fact many don't even have locking hoods. Again, these can be addressed by someone with good mechanic's skills. You need to know how to change a tire and how to properly jack them up. When they say you have to chock the wheels, they ain't kidding. UT speaks of mechanical issues and that is all important but also driving skills are different as well especially in inclement weather.
Right on dude lm 58 but hadn not thought of this . To drive an older car you need another set of driving skills 🎉🎉
@@johnkelly8525you actually have to pay attention to the road and the car you also have to listen to the car, wheel bearing squeal, clunking u joints, even a sudden change in tire noise can be a signal of something about to come untogether
@@John-cp6ucYep
Y0u also have to keep your distance because everyone else can stop a lot sooner than you.
@@Flussig1 Why is that ?
I've been driving my 59 as a daily for the last 6 years, granted don't use it in the winter much but still use it when I go out. The flathead in my car was the same engine from 39-60 only difference is 50s prior they used babbit bearings. Unless its -40 or hell froze over it could sit in a snow bank and always starts.
I'm getting a chuckle out of your "handle" LOL It was one of my Dad's favorite descriptions of, well, you know, numnuts LOL He and his buds used to greet each other with all kinds of nick names that were hilarious. RIP Pops...
Miatas have huge aftermarket support. 1973-1979 Ford pickups have good aftermarket support too.
Tony, I'm still driving my 1969 Ford truck I bought new 54 years ago. Just keep workin on it.
actual chad
I daily drive a 1967 Firebird and 1967 Porsche 911...
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
god bless u crazy bastard
That’s Bitchin💯🤙🏻😎
A V8 Firebird I imagine, not with the OHC six ?
I daily drove my Scat pack everyday and still do. Yes she has hungry and her tires cost a small fortune but nothing beats the deafening V8...... every day.... 😂
Hey Tony! I saw your video and couldn't help but want to tell you about my first "real" car project. I got tired of looking at all of the new marshmallow-mobiles. Seriously - all of these new crossovers look like someone took a perfectly good sedan and put it through a hydroforming machine! So, I decided to build my own dream car. I wanted the easiest to repair, most reliable car I could design, so I took a little piece from here and there to do it with.
I bought a rust free 1974 Galaxie 500 (The base trim of the LTD) and it had free delivery to my driveway. It has the 9" rear, front disc brakes, and a good interior. It came with an unfinished 350 smallblock. I took that out, sold the motor and tranny for $400, and bought an inline 6 Ford 300 with a 3.03 toploader - the best engine with the strongest transmission - out of a 1968 F100 for $200, running. I put the 300 into the Galaxie, and added a floor shift for the 3 speed. I stripped and painted it with Rustoleum safety blue on the body and satin black on the roof.
All in, I'm at around $950 into this car. I expect to spend about $1,400 total. $1,400 can't even buy a used Camry unless it already has 250,000 miles and a rust hole I could drop my wallet through. But $1,400 buys me a like-new condition sedan with one of the best engines ever made. Do you want to know the best part though?
It takes 20 minutes to pull the transmission. 35 to pull the engine. I can rebuild the whole rear end in 2 hours. I can do a full engine rebuild in a weekend. Do you want to know how long it took me to pull the engine in my old 2000 Toyota Rav4?
12 hours. Nuff said.
Good on ya well done
Good job!! I really enjoyed reading your story. Hope the car does you well !!
@@ironcladranchandforge7292 Thanks!
@@johnkelly8525 thank you!
A 350 smallblock?
I daily a 65 Belvedere with a slant 6. It’s so dependable and easy to maintain.
You ve got the idea 🎉
I am right there with you with my 1963 Savoy sedan.
Easy is key and reliable. Seems there's a couple trolls in the comment section that think these cars are real hard to drive and are maintenance monsters smh
My dad daily drove our family's 1989 Mercury Colony Park wagon back and forth to work 40 miles there and back for 20 years with almost no issues. That car would've been cash for clunkered by almost anyone else, but it was dead reliable when the Family used it, and when it got shifted to being a commuter. I am currently working on getting it back on the road, cause the fuel pump is on the outs, but that car will probably run reliably for another 20 years if taken care of
Keep it going
Hope you're not in the salt belt all wagons from the 50s-80s rotted out from road salt. I want a 1960s Ford or Chevy wagon those are the coolest imo
I just got a 1975 Lincoln Town Coupe and have been driving it every day (with good weather). I'm going to paint it in the next summer or 2. Its not going to be a beater or a show queen but I bought it to drive it and enjoy it.
Even Traffic is better, in a Classic Car...
Daily Driver 68 Dart Grandma special..
Cheers from Orange County California 🇺🇸
@∅
I just drove a 1991 VW Beetle 42 KM. The Beetle is not a good daily, in my opinion. I have get my Dart back on the road, also Grandma special 4 door.
@@mexicanspec Hope it's going well down there brother.. good to hear from you...
I finally found a Beetle that wasn't in horrible condition and the client is more than happy, so yeah, things are good. We will talk more on Sunday.@@AtZero138
I've been daily driving a 1992 F-150 since summer of 2020 and I can't overstate how happy I am with it. It's the easiest vehicle I've ever worked on, parts availability is through the roof given that it was the best selling truck in America through its entire run. The 302W engine is solid but if you really want an indestructible motor that will outlive you with proper care, get one with a 300 inline six. I love this truck so much that if anything happened to it I would turn around and buy another one just like it immediately.
The big three don't want to hear that! They'd beg you to buy a SUV 🤮
I daily drove a 76 Camaro for a couple years, a 63 F-100 for a couple years, and a 66 Thunderbird for about 6 years. Here is what I’d recommend.(Other then the obvious, looking for a good engine, etc.)
1- Upgrade the battery, alternator, electrics, wiring, etc. The T-bird especially benefitted from this. No headlight dimming, it had power windows and power seats, the old battery would die if you went on a short drive because the alternator couldn’t charge it quick enough. Changing out the starter, plugs, engine electrics, etc. was a big QOL improvement.
2- Upgrade the brakes and suspension. You don’t have to do all brand new kits from the ground up, just use more modern materials that last and give better performance.
3- Remove all the interior and soundproof it as much as you can. Having an interior that keeps car and road noises at a minimum makes driving so much better.
4- Look into parts cross-compatibility. For the Thunderbird especially, there were so many aftermarket mustang parts that would fit, which made it much easier and cheaper to maintain.
5- Resign yourself to never complaining about gas prices. It’s expensive getting 10-15 miles per gallon. You have to fill up way more than you’re maybe used to. It sucks. But the upside is that whenever you stop for gas you always have people that want to talk about your car, chatting about it, complimenting it, you make a ton of new friends if you’re inclined to. Just know ahead of time that the extra money you’re spending on gas is a sort of tax for being able to drive a car that you love so much, and try to be content with that.
That's not completely true sorry bro, I had a 66 Tahoe Turquoise and white (rare colour combo) Towne Landau and no you don't strip the interior imo, my 66 was quiet as a mouse. That under coating wasn't just rust proof it was sound deadener. 64-66 Thunderbirds weigh almost 4500 pds, they weren't built for gas mileage and shouldn't expect it. You could change the 3:00-1 or the Equa Loc 3:23-1 to a 2:79-1, save you a little bit but not a lot. The disc brakes were bulletproof I myself never had a problem with the 4 piston. I loved the steering I wouldn't "upgrade" to R&P crap I hate modern steering wrestling the steering wheel. Before Rack n pinion steering was pinky finger steering. A vintage TBird shouldn't be a daily driver if you're worried about fuel mileage. I'd get a 65-66 Galaxie with a 289 or a 65 Chevy with a 283, well tuned you'd get close to 17 in the city with a 2:79-1 gear just make sure it's rust proofed! I want an old wagon like a 65 Chevy Impala wagon or Country Sedan with a 289. I currently drive a 07 Impala and waiting for the shop to rebuild the transmission it's got 214k miles on it it's shot. This 3.5 gets about 17 in the city, far cry from what was advertised at about 23 in the city lol. So a classic would be about the same as my 2007 except not 1000s in repairs. I've almost rebuilt the entire front end and rack and pinion twice! 💰💰💰💰💰
I live in the north in which salt is used on the roads and calcium chloride is used on the dirt roads for dust. Rust takes out our cars. I recently purchased a 2009 truck from a friend. I repaired everything to get it to driver status and documented it. 2 pages of work done with most due to rust. Fuel pump sending unit was leaking gas from rust, power steering cooler rotted, bedside with fist sized holes.
I have been a mechanic for almost 30 years. Most refined and reliable stuff was 1996-mid 2000's that I have worked on. Carb cars were pretty much done when I started out. I would go with Ls GM powered truck/suv, Crown Vic/Grand mar.
Just buy something from somewhere else.. don't buy rusty shit just because it's around the corner from home..
@@SLOCLMBRI've been learning this the hard way with my '69 C10.Got roped into it for sentimental reasons, only to discover its first few years were in Alaskan winters.
@@chazzcoolidge2654 it hurts less before you get money and heart in em 💔
I enjoy doing pretty much all the mechanic work I have the facilities for but if I lived in the northeast I'd just take it to someone else and let them deal with the chunk of rust that contains ever-decaying pieces of car. Doesn't look like any fun when everything is fused with everything else and an oxyacetylene torch is always on standby.
I drive a '97 Ram with a carb'd 5.2L Magnum. Trimmed the wire harness down to just the feeds for my gauges and o2 sensors so it makes it easy to tune using the data feed from the computer. They dont make anything but chinese crank sensors for them dodge's of this year equipped with a 5 speed which does not use the same sensor as the automatic and they are made for a 5 volt feed even though its an 8 volt feed so they burn out in a day or two. Forced me to have to carb the truck to keep it.
i have a 68, 69 and 73 plymouths with slants that get 20 mpg. all mostly stock too with original paint and patina.
Loving the 1995 Lincoln Town Car I bought two months ago.
Panther platform. V8. Feels like what a car should be.
Rather have a 60 Lincoln that's my favourite!
The early to mid-60’s can still be iffy. If we are talking “stock, and keep stock” then I would say 67-72. You have to get new enough for:
1) Duel pot mater cylinder.
2) Collapsible steering column (both major safety improvements)
3) Driveshafts with u-joints up front (no trunnions or torque tubes)
I agree
I daily a 1989 2.3 Mustang. It has 315k original miles. As long as you don't overheat it and crack the head it doesn't have enough power to kill itself. With the 5 speed it gets 25mpg combined city/highway.
Nice! I daily a 86 gt and I get like 15mpg max. I'm pretty heavy footed lol
I have an 85 gt with a 5 speed. 149k miles. Blast to drive, but gets 14mpg. Needs some elbow grease but it's way easier to work on than anything modern.
I had an 85.5 SVO. It was cheap and easy to work on for a fuel injected car. I got 19mpg. Had it not rusted out from under me and all the plastic interior not crumbled away, I would have kept it. It was mechanically very sound and had decent power.
2.3 ford Ranger many yrs 140 miles daily.
Well over 400000. Bought new 94.
My lord! With all of us driving classics, this country may start looking like Havana, Cuba.
😂 Most of us here believe we’re headed that way anyway.
I almost daily drive a 1996 corvette and been learning how to work in it for the last 2 years. Learned a lot but the one thing to consider is that sooner or later you run into something you cant fix yourself and when that happens not so easy to find a mechanic with the knowledge to work on them or the will. Many mechanics today dont even know what to do with a carburetor or obd1.
I found that 90’s era Honda 4cyl cars seem to be very reliable and long lasting if you maintain them properly and use proper fluids, i daily drive a 99 Acura 2.3CL with almost 215k on it, bought it for 1500$, sure it has some rust issues but it’s been a very reliable car for what I paid for it
Same for 00s Hondas, it wasn't until they started piling on GreenShit that they became less bulletproof. Still pretty reliable now compared to a lot of brands, but not like the 90s-00s. I daily a gen 2 and still see tons of gen 1 and 2 CR-Vs on the road, they're mom mobiles so they don't get run into the ground by ricer kids at the rate the same era Civics and Accords have.
Very true! Picking a simple car that has a good overall reputation for quality and reliability with good parts availability makes a lot of sense here. Most 80's-00's Hondas and Toyotas are great choices for a reliable classic. I have a 1997 Civic with 355K miles and it still drives great with minimal repairs along the way. Still has the original engine, transmission, starter, alternator, power steering pump, AC system, struts, CV axles, etc and it shows no signs of stopping.
those Honda accords will do 300K or more! 90s, 2000s
'78-'87 GM G bodies are hard to beat for reliability and economy !!
I love the 67-72 chevy truck era. Simple to work on, modern enough to be a good driver. I just put together a 68 shortbed c10 with parts i had laying around, and i couldn't be happier! Cab from a 71 c20 68 shortbed c10 frame, nose and doors from another 68! Low compression 454 with a 700r4. Run cheap pump gas and lock up the converter on the highway!
me and you would get along great! One of our favorite running gears is a big block and overdrive manual or automatic and some long legged highway ring and pinion gears! We put together the 71 C10 on my channel and it was the first one with a mildly built 350 with a saginaw 4 speed and a set of 2.76 gears I loved everything about that blue truck and still miss it! it was a daily driver and highway running machine! the next one was my brothers 1985 K10 it was factory granny gear with a 305, we swapped in a stock 454 out of a late 80s motor home then changed both front and rear gears to 2.76 and if you kept an egg under your foot it would touch 15mpg on the highway with the well tuned quadrajet! That truck was super fun with big block torque and them long gears in the sm465 you could launch in granny gear great because it had 33 inch tires and that big block loved lugging it down the highway!
I’ve got a 91 Mustang LX 5.0 5spd. I don’t daily it regularly but I’ve had stretches over the last 5 years where I’ve had to for 1-2 weeks at a time and it does great. It’s one cars in my fleet that I can always count on. Now I will say my 2002 Camry LE 2.4 I consider to be on the very edge of that spectrum. Tons of available cheap parts. Even easier to work than my 91 Mustang. 4 doors with plenty of room. Good gas mileage
Yeah I’ve got a 2001 Camry in additional to my classics as well. The Camry is super simple although I’ve never had really do anything to it besides replace the timing belt. Some of the electronics are starting to go though - my clock doesn’t work anymore.
@@yeboscrebo4451 Almost 300K miles on my 2001 Toyota Camry LE with the 4 cyl engine. Only had to replace the driver side door handle and driver side window regulator. Everything else is original besides regular scheduled maintenance items. Still on the original rear brake shoes.
These Camrys are by no means collectible. But ask anyone that is/has been looking for a older one that is clean and in good shape. They are in high demand. At some point parts will not be as easy to get. Maybe another 10 years from now? Not sure the availability on parts for a late 80’s-early 90’s Camry? Maybe someone knows the answer. It’s advantage is for many years it was the best selling or near the top in overall sales in America. Add that to being a good/reliable car and you’ve got enough cars on the road for it to be worthwhile to make parts for it. I do agree with another post when they said anything that is pre CAN BUS. Looks like 2008 all cars had to be CAN BUS. But I don’t know how popular it was on cars pre 2008. Heck maybe even my 02 Camry is CAN BUS?
My particular Camry has rear drums, 4spd auto. No driver’s assistance features (lane detection, etc etc), no ABS. Heck it doesn’t even have a seatbelt warning chime, just a light that will flash. Sounds stupid but it’s nice to drive a car that is not making a annoying noise every time your seatbelt is not on. Anyhow I’m rambling lol
2002 Camry. Solid
Had an 84 Mustang LX H.O. 5.0/4 barrel/5 speed for almost 20 years, bought it when it was about 2 years old . Was my daily for the first 10 years, and then a second car for the summer for the next 10. Sold it when good ol' Ontario, Canada salt finally worked it's way into the roof around the crappy sunroof seals and drainage system and it rotted from the inside out. Could have fixed it, but at the time, 4 eyes were just crappy used cars, the cost of repairing it would have equaled buying a newer Fox Mustang in good shape, and it was getting tired as it had 240 thousand KM's on it. It was a great car though, easy to work on and maintain, easily kept up with traffic and would still do it today and got 30 MPG highway as long as you didn't give it much pressure on the loud pedal. In hindsight, should have fixed it and kept it, would have made for a great 3 season daily.
I have mentioned this before. Here in New Zealand I have a 1968 Ford Falcon. With wider rims, steel belted radials and a modern wheel alignment with positive castor make this vehicle a real pleasure to drive. 👍
I daily an 87 S10 and have 3 80s GM Gbody cars... its always been my thing.... Youre Right.. Its not for everyone... but for the Tinkerers like us, Yes... The ABSOLUTE biggest reason I do it (other than I enjoy the 80s Shitbox) is because I can FIX my vehicles myself with simple tools and I never experience any Serious Down TIme unless Im doing a V8 Swap or something....
*NOTE* My State DOES NOT have Emissions Tyranny so Im not limited on Pre 81 cars and trucks... this is a Big Issue with many folks who wanna get into the old car game. I can put whatever the heck motor I want in anything I want.... Pure Freedom
Thank you Uncle Tony for passing this knowledge on to future generations!
I have a 1971 VW Bug. Love it. Very popular car. All parts and after market parts redialing available.
I very much enjoy your videos, Uncle Tony. ("Falcons are great cars": 17:00). In 2011, I bought and rebuilt (some myself, some by mechanics) a 1963 Ford Falcon with a 260 V-8 and a two-speed automatic and kept everything stock. Parts are easily available. I drove that car to work every day (21-mile round trip) for about eight years. It starts instantly, runs smooth, cool, and quiet, and is super fun to drive. The Ford engineers did a fantastic job with that car. I love it. I am retired now and busy with other things, and I miss getting to drive daily trips in my little Falcon. My favorite part of work was the drive to and from work. I avoid taking the Falcon on Interstates because everyone drives 90 mph. My Falcon is happy at 65 mph.
Those 260s are sweet motors. I’ve considered reinstalling the original 260 back into my wagon instead of the 302. More so an originality thing
Had a 62 falcon wagon, basically an Econoline van with a lot of windows,loved that three on the tree
i daily drive my 62 falcon, except i switched my drivetrain to a fuel injected Jeep 4.0 six inline off of a 1991 jeep cherokee, with an overdrive transmission. My falcon loves being around 70 mph on the highway. Everything else is stock too by the way, so if anything breaks down on it, i can easily repair it.
I have always driven older vehicles. One thing that is very important to me is power windows. I always lock my vehicle when I get out of it. And if I am alone and I have the passenger window down it is a real pain to get over there and roll up that passenger window every time I get out. And then to roll it back down again when I come back. So power windows are good.
Yes sir, spot on
thanx for steering folks in the right direction,i use a 1960 f100 everyday as my work truck and it gets the job done but highway speeds are a bit limited haha but it always runs even with huge loads of lumber
I have a ‘72 f350 flatbed with 4.56 gears in back that I put a gear vendors overdrive on. It made a huge difference! It can fly down the highway like a modern car now
i will look into the gear vendors i am sure it will help i am running 4.11 gears with a three speed non syncro it has some limitations
@@yeboscrebo4451
That's the only thing with old trucks is gears without AOD, you got to take out the 4:11 or more and put 3:50 in it unless you're carrying then do it your way
@@m42037 i agree you kinda gotta make a choice if not running AOD and ford transmissions from the 60s have a pretty high first gear so if you live the mountains the choice for gears is gonna be on the lower side
I made the switch about a month ago, sold my more modern car and bought a 1965 4 door mercury comet with a 289 v8 and c4 automatic transmission. I like the simplicity of the car and the fact that it's also a classic.
Spot on guy🎉
They make nice street and strip cars too very light and not a cookie cutter Fox body
I imagine the last year of a car model prior to smog control would be desirable.
They are often easy to remove at least it is on my 95 f150.
My current lineup:
2004 2wd Tahoe
1999 4wd suburban
1983 c20
1977 g20 van
1977 corvette
1972 nova
1970 coupe deville
That 2004 is the absolute high point of GM.
NICE
I drive a 2007 silverado classic w/t with a 4.3 V6. I feel it fits the category well....2wd, 8ft bed, 4.3 ...easy to work on and parts are everywhere.
Could see myself in a 75 Nova with a 250 straight 6. 🙂
I have a short bed '02 GMC Sierra driver with the 5.3. 256k miles! I will probably never sell it even though I get offers.
75 Nova is a great car.
I do drive a classic vehicle. However, I bought it new in 1996. It was always the plan to put historic vehicle plates on it. Only I have ever serviced, repaired, upgraded, modifed, her. The RMS Stargazer is my love, my life, my dream come true. She has been with me through three jobs, two homes, a girlfriend, nine friends, a horrible catastrophe where she was the only one that stayed with me, I lost absolutely everything, except my dear Stargazer and her contents. She will always be with me until the end. She is my only friend.
I’ve got a 75’ Nova with a sbc v8. It really could be a daily driver but I have a Tacoma that gets good gas mileage and I don’t care what happens to it. I have a 60 mile round trip to work so I drive the Nova once a week and on weekends. I would drive it anywhere though. Thanks Tony for your advice.
Oh yeah mechanical parts are available new or used.
My first car was a 77 nova wth the L6 and a th350 I loved that car and would have another one if I didnt have my 70 chevelle.
Now wait a minute...I LOVE pop tarts so my toaster is pretty important to me plus, it's a classic!!
Technology has reached toasters to ,keep that classic
Golden advice! This is an important theme that I love, also covered by UCG in the past; we are not talking about a museum piece, we are talking about an affordable older car that is actually affordable to buy and repair.
I can hardly wait to find something older where it is not so valuable that it would be irresponsible to take it places where any little incident would be devastating.
Just look for small auctions near you. Easy to find nice running classic vehicles under 10k at these small auctions. Especially now, people are dumping extra cars that they dont need to pay other bills
Me over here dailying a 92 accord wagon since 09. Made in Maryville Ohio, American craftsmanship, japanese engineering. Absolutely bulletproof.
There is no craftsmanship in cars.. they are just assembled parts.. japanese engineering just means cooying what the Germans already did 10 years ago
@@keithbellair9508 neato. I'll take your word for it.
Some fantastic advice here, every word of it. Being a boomer, I love my '70 Valiants, and working on and keeping them going, is no different from when they were just a used car in the 80s, apart from a few parts getting harder to find. I can deal with my 2000 Neon, it's really 1994 tech, not so bad. I also have a 2008 European built Ford Transit, for which I live in fear every time anything needs fixing on it.
One of your best fact-advice videos yet Tony.
I wish all my classics were my dailys! I just need something I can get dirty and wet without going nuts lol. And I love my olds too much to leave in the LIRR train station!
Get you a Toyota , Honda Nissan or Hyundai. Those are reliable and disposable cars as well. You don't have to worry about getting dings, dents, and scratches.
@@Slacksfifth I would go for a 2012 or older Hyundai. Last year before the dreaded GDI took over
This is why I'm going to use my '65 Sport Fury for my daily driver now that I'm retired.
I’m busy fixing up my dads old 82 Corolla for a daily. I grew up working on it, always wanted to modify it but since watching UTG I have decided to keep it simple using points and carbs.
Excellent cars,economical and,reliable a decent set of speakers and stereo is the only mod needed..🇬🇧
16:36 Love your videos Uncle Tony, but a note on the Corvair. I had a '64 Corvair until last month. EVERY part for the the Corvair (bumper to bumper) is readily available from Clark's Corvair in New Jersey (and other shops). The car is cheap relative to other classics (thank you Ralph Nader). And the parts are relatively cheap as well. Many items (i.e. the voltage regulator) are standard GM as well. Keep it up UT. P.S. They also get GREAT gas mileage relative to other 60s era cars (mine got 25 mpg).
UTG for the win!!
All the likes and subs!!!
Best automotive guy on CZcams!!!
Been Daily driving a 64 elco for 8+ years. Rarely let's me down, but when it does, it's an easy fix.
Your opening is so true. Very well said!
I love daily driving my 1989 Volvo 240. Not a fast car, just a reliable everyday family car almost unchanged since its design from the 70’s. I put a manual in it so it’s fun to drive and the only thing that bugs me is the sound system. Other than that I barely notice the car was old enough to drive the same year I was born.
Crazy to say, given all the cars I've driven (eg '69 Mach I 390 C6 in HS), I really loved my 2002 Chevy Malibu. Still miss that car. Hell, hard to forget when I lost her from a hit-n-run drunk piece of shit that accordioned me.
Those old "brick" Volvos are nearly indestructible. My neighbor had two of them back in the 90s. One of them had well over 200k on it and ran like new. That was the first car I had ever seen with so many miles! I was pretty shocked seeing that
I hope you changed the rear end as well. Automatics generally come with talker gearing, which is too talk for a standard transmission.
Those old 240s are what happens if a tank makes a baby with a brick shit house. Near impossible to kill and can take some abuse.
@@michaelbenardo5695 lol I did not change the rear and first gear is a little short now. The manuals for these cars came with a 3.31 rear gear and the automatics a 3.73. So there is a difference but it’s not too bad. The car only has about 110ish horsepower so the added torque and revs isn’t unwelcome.
Would definitely be interested in hearing some ideas on setting up an old car for daily driving, I have daily driven everything from a 1948 desoto, my first car, to a 1965 Mercury comet, 1971 Lincoln continental, 70s AMC hornets and gremlins, right now have a 1964 Dodge Dart that I'm setting up. Getting a 60 or 70 year old car ready for daily use is something that I think a lot of people could use some enrichment on!
Another treasure trove of good advice through real world experience. Thanks Uncle Tony!
Excellent advice. Thanks Uncle Tony!
My brotha from anotha motha. 😁 We think along the same lines.
My wife daily drives an ‘86 Grand Marquis. Nice, torquey 302 that probably redlines at 4K or lower, driveline is as reliable as a stone ax, has all the modern features, super comfortable to drive, stops on a dime no matter the pad / shoe quality, cheap to repair, & isn’t bad on gas, thanks to the 4th gear OD.
The problem lies in sourcing parts for certain systems. For example, I just had to fix the driver’s side wiper that was running over the A-pillar and getting stuck on the driver side window. The plastic pivot had split after almost 38 years / 303k miles. Had to disassemble, cut the washer off the bottom of the wiper arm drive & pull it out of the plastic mount. Then had to JB Weld the cracks, and fill in the hole with JB Weld, re-drill it to size, & weld the washer back on without melting the plastic down. This coupled with a NOS wiper arm assembly fixed the problem. The wiper arms can be found, but the transmission assembly is NLA, & very difficult to source. The car was considered a “grandpa“ car back in the day, so there isn’t much aftermarket support for certain systems that aren’t shared across models.
There were so many good cars to choose from back in the 60's and early 70's. My first car was a '62 Olds 88. What a nice car down the highway it was. I would like a new one today, and what would I change? Maybe the change the drum brakes to disc, and maybe something with the suspension, but why change anything else, except maybe some engine mods. I would even keep the old generator as long as I could still get brushes.
There were so many good ones. I liked my '66 Dodge Monaco. There were so many good cars.
Still driving the 75 C-20 custom deluxe camper special Dad bought new in November of 74 and drove to highschool sat in gas lines, seen most of the USA pulling my '89 Terry 29 R. Last year I was out and about and had all these classic rides come up on me in traffic, and there was a group of them in the shopping center parking lot so I pulled in to look at the cars, I parked a little ways out and got my old paralyzed butt out of my truck and grabbed my Walker out of the bed to take a closer look at them, with people telling me nice square body, seems it was a local car club out for a cruise, and they thought I was part of the club since I was Driving a straight clean I had just hit the spray booth and gave her a bath and cleaned the rims as I do every month, classic Chevy square body. I never thought of her like that a classic, then I thought about it, yeah she's going on 50 next year she's titled as a 75 but the blue sticker in the door says production date 11/74, she has always been Baby as in come on Baby start, come on Baby get me home, she's Family. I know every nut and bolt screw wire squeak rattle, and of course dad did order her with the double rust option, and the hood bend option. Square body owners will get that, and she's still has a shine to her factory paint, Baby a classic? Who knew.
The transmission on those was pretty bad. I would swap in something better. No need to go to disks, just don't tailgate.
Tony talked about putting disc brakes on old cars a while back. Don't do it. The car was designed as a system -- including the brakes -- and drums are just fine. They're different than we're used to now after decades of 4 wheel disc brakes, but I've grown to prefer them.
The 60's and early 70's had some of the most beautiful cars imo
A plethora of information
Thanks amigo!
Thank you for sharing your knowledge❣️
I daily a 1997 Ford Explorer V8, and have been for the last 20 years. I've been driving it since I was 15, so I had it all the way through high school and college. Now I'm married with 2 kids and it's not only a great family car, but it's a utility vehicle with plenty of power to tow anything I need to, and can pretty much overtake anything on the interstate. It's been very low maintenance, and when things do break, parts are plentiful and cheap.
Those are great vehicles.
97 explorer definitely not a head turner but they provide lots of good parts to modernize classics. The rear ends out of those are sought after.
I hated that truck. I took the heads off the engine because they use gt40 or gt40p.
Just a real pain to work on.
@tristanlong7 I'm not sure about what kinda job it is removing the heads. I've not had to do that yet as my engine still runs like a top, and there is no need for an overhaul or for anything to come apart yet. So far, basically, everything I've had to do to the car has been relatively painless. Aside from regular maintenance, I replaced the A/C compressor in 2012, and the alternator went out in 2020. The V6 Explorers were total junk and had lots of problems as they aged. The 5.0 V8 version was by far the better option in terms of power and reliability. That engine, along with the 4R70W transmission, were used on several other Ford products, so the parts are all still available and reasonably priced.
Lord what a tightwad
Here in Oz I have a 2006 Holden gen 4 V8 ute. Old enough to be interesting (and desirable). New enough to be reliable. It's a keeper and so nice on a long run.
Yeah mate same here but mine is 02 5.7 love had it 6 years.good mileage tons of power a keeper
@@johnkelly8525 👍
right on Dude! Great info and recommendations. tks for the great content.
You put a hell of a lot of thought into this Tony, good job.
Thanks Uncle Tony! This video more or less confirmed that I made a wise decision picking up a running (if a bit rough around the edges) '66 Belvedere w/225 slant.
I always thought that a Volaré or Aspen wagon would be the perfect daily. Roomy, comfortable, Old Skool Mopar mechanicals, styling that stands out from today's automotive crowd. If you could find one with minimal rust, it should serve you well for decades.
Unbelievably fast rusters
@@gordtulk ..First model year the front fenders they fixed the issue..as they are the exact same car the Diplomat,Gran Fury and Fifth Avenue are and those do not rust unless neglected for decades!
I have a 78 Volare as my daily driver, every system is so simple.
The only disadvantage is the only 3 speeds manual transmission.
That is the perfect first car for a boy or a girl. If they can manage to drive that with no accidents, the small cars of today will be a cinch.
It is easily changed out for a 4 speed.@@alexcastillo8983
Going to rewatch. Spot on advise.
All very good points Tony!
Currently daily driving a 1975 Dart Sport. No A/C, but gets me around just fine. Previous owner installed a cam that’s to big for this little 318 with stock converter (makes 6” of vacuum in gear, 11” in neutral/park). I’m pulling it and installing the smallest Lunati vooodoo available to make it more streetable and fuel efficient.
Loved hearing your thoughts ! For unleaded gas, a head from about '72 forward is a good idea if you don't want to install hardened seats
Oh, interesting tidbit, thanks!
They say it only reduces the life by some percent like 10%
Ram D50 from 1981 to 1986, some I've had from new.
I bought a new duster in '71. If I used unleaded I voided my warranty@@ronmexico5908
Most of the cars still on the road from that time have already been rebuilt at least one and had the hardened seats installed. Most, not all.
From the Philippines here. I was a newly licensed physician in the year 2000. My late father introduced me to classic volkswagens. My first car was a 1974 vw superbeetle. I drove it daily for 13 years. It got destroyed by the storm surge of super typhoon haiyan when it flooded Tacloban City in Leyte Island . Then I bought a brand new 2015 vw tiguan TDI crossover. I sold the tiguan after 6 years because it was an expensive and complicated car to maintain. Now I'm driving a restored 1971 vw superbeetle. I had it airconditoned. It's a relaible daily driver. Now I have peace of mind and no expensive monthly bank payments. I also have a first generation 2004 VW Touareg for long drives but for daily driving nothing beats the beetle in simplicity and ease of maintenance.
Fun, thought provoking video. Cheers.
I keep coming back to a 1970-'73 Duster with a 225 slant 6 or a 318 backed by a 727 (I had a '71 with a 225 back in college). Something like the '79 Accord LX I also used to have in my mid '20s would be cool too.
Great points. I'm seriously considering an old car as a daily. Something like a Dart or Nova or Chevelle (68-72) would be great. Tons of parts support. Upgrades like better shocks and bigger sway bars to help handling. Stainless brake and fuel lines to help fight corrosion etc. Carpets and upholstery kits for when you wear those out too. Even a later (78-87) G-body GM (Regal, Grand Prix, Cutlass) would be a good choice. Be careful with vehicles that have an ECM or PCM as you start to see capacitors failing these days.
excellent suggestions!
Thank you for making this video
Excellent video UT!!! You are the sage of vintage car advice. Keep being you!! 👍💪😎
Started daily driving my slant 6 68 fury 1 two door sedan this summer. Paid $300 for it. Installed new gas tank, front end kit, carpet, valve cover gasket, electronic ignition, fuel pump, and transmission seals. I love it. Gets 22 mpg and it gets a lot of attention
I use classics as my daily drivers, a '74 F250 and a '77 Mustang. The issues I run into is the poor quality of fuel causing vapor lock, and poor-quality reproduction parts. Overwise the overriding positive is being able to fix things myself, and I have no problem finding them in the grocery store parking lot!
I’m doing a complete frame off restoration on a 76 F250 highboy now. I can’t wait to get it on the road.
Get an inline fuel filter with the third connector and send a line back to the tank., make sure the third line is on the top so the vapor gets "burped"back to the tank. Works for me. Make sure you put it right before the carb. Oh yes, the vapor line is the one with the small hole.
@@briana3467 Thanks, I'll check it out.
@@lunaticfringe8066 if you can't find a way to connect the return line, I got a large syringe from the farm store and screwed the end off,wiggled it in the line,clamped it and stuck it through the rubber fill tube.,secured with a zip strip and it has never leaked.
for a while I daily drove a 1988 Dakota. Same one I took to the UTG headquarters meet-up. Spat bearings into the oil so I put him to rest. Now I'm taking the time to make it a bulletproof and solid daily driver. OEM++
Now this is a great video
Thank you
Fantastic advice as always! So much so infact, that it's applicable anywhere in the world!
Excellent content U. T.
I daily a 67 Bel Air most of the year but i have a 94 Dodge half ton for the salt season and it's hard to beat the 90s for the perfect blend of more modern convenience and technology with older rugged simplicity.
I would also add to have a fleet. We have 3 late 90's (gen 2) S10 Blazer/jimmies on the road, a first gen S10 pickup on the road, and another first gen S10 pickup waiting to go in the barn this winter. Parts are plentiful and inexpensive, the rigs are easy to work on, and since they are all old chevies I never have to put my wrenches up.
Interesting , Thank You . A good place to start
Just great, thanks!
I found out that any base model thats similar to the 1986 chevy Caprice has INSANE amount of aftermarket, theres so many electionic and mechanical support for it, everything even down to plastic retainers for interior panels and the amount of customization they have is like the LS engine, theres even simple easy wire in sunroofs you can add. Anyone making a jump for the 1986 G/B body gm models is in for an easy road. Theres also bypasses and control eliminators for it too.
I've been daily driving a 85 corvette for the past few years. Works great for me, wouldn't be so great if I had kids.
Does alright on gas, and easier to find parts for than the 07 cobalt or the 02 golf gti I had.
Another awesome video from the Mopar master.🙂
Love your channel great wisdom here sir
2000 Celica GTS has been fun... 33 smiles per gallon. Wife's 2000 crv has been a great car, with good mileage and still requires valve adjustment lol!
You can't go wrong with a 6 cans, can be the slant6, the Ford 300, the Chevy 250, all of them are great, they got the job done for decades, and will still work for decades, connect that to a 4 or 5 manual and you can keep modern highway speed no problem.
I think for a classic that your going to use with any level or frequency, a 5 speed manual or a modern aftermarket automatic transmission meant for classics, are a must
Well done uncle Tony
This is sound advice! Especially about choosing base models and keeping them stock.