Crazy to Actually "Drive" them?

[Guest Roadrunner]

Am I the only one who feels that these or any other Antique or older car should be driven...daily. I'm starting full restoration on a 40 Plymouth for the regular use of my girlfriend. I have always ran older vehicles. I daily use a 75 Ford 3/4 Ton PU. She has an 80 Chev 3/4 ton as well. We plan to actually use our antiques, Her 40 Ply and My 55 Caddy. Doas anybody else get good use out of their antuques or just let them sit. I understand some cars are too valuable to risk loosing them in a wreck, but if a new car back in 1940 was for everyday use. To me it still is. Any other opinions?

[Guest rockabillybassman]

Yep! Drive 'em!

[De Soto Frank]

I drive mine as much as weather/insurance/schedule allows...

If I had a "perfect" AACA Senior Trophy-winner, I would probably be much more conservative about driving something like that on a frequent basis...

I think you have to base your decisions on things like: parts avail., general reliability, comfort ( I don't particularly want to take a 400-mile trip in my buggy-sprung '54 Chevy 3/4-ton!), fuel economy, etc.

Yes, our cars were "built to be driven", but by the same token, it is possible to "use them up" too... an acquaintance from Long Island had a big '32 Nash survivor that was his daily driver for a number of years, but he literally wore the car out...

Personally, I don't think I would want a car that was "so nice I'm afraid to drive it"... that wouldn't be much fun.

Generally speaking, I jump in my old iron and drive it whenever/whereever I feel like it... '41 De Soto, '60 Chrysler Windsor, '64 Valiant ragtop...

If it involves long-distance or high-speed interstate travel, I usually leave the De Soto at home, as it is beginning to feel its age/mileage.

I don't come from a "new car family", so I've always driven old iron... I recently upgraded my pick-up from a '72 Chevy C-10 to an '89 Chevy C-2500 Scotsdale... but the '89 is a true gas-hog; I only drive it when I have to haul something.

You also have to consider the general traffic conditions where you'll be driving... I wouldn't want to fight city/Beltway traffic in a pre-1950's car - too many crazies in hurry ! I generally look for the "alternate routes" for my vintage driving !

Happy Motoring!

De Soto Frank

[blueskies]

Driven, even in the dirt! How do you think that 10 gallon bucket's worth of Undercoatney got there in the first place? LOL

A little dirt never hurt.

I drive my car every day if possible, in all kinds of weather but snow. And sometimes in the snow...

The car is hibernating for winter, now that the state of Idaho has decided to mandate salt on the highways . I use the car for a daily 40-60 mile round trip to work, and for occasional road trips to car shows. It drives and handles just about as well as any other car in just about any conditions. Planning on the 3,200 mile round trip to Tulsa in June, if the planets align...

Lots more on the road pics here.

No reason to let the car sit and langquish, its much more fun to get behind the wheel! I also believe that the more you drive them, the more reliable they are to drive.

Pete

[Olddaddy]

My 50 Suburban is apart for restoration, but I drove it daily for about three years. I commuted 60 miles a day for a year in it. It's updated a bit, but I still feel the best ones are the ones that are driven. No offense to the show cars and high end models for Sunday only. I just prefer a driver quality old car.

[T.Tom Meshingear]

This was my everyday ride when I got out of the Army in 1971.

It's a 1930 Dodge DD6 and 2 years/33,000 miles later I retired it from active duty, a concession to the new wife and baby on the way.

I did have to rebuild the engine and had to fix a lot of flats on the side of the road (tubes pinched by the split rims). It only had to be towed once when the original coil finally gave up. The coil and ignition switch were a single unit mounted to the instrument cluster so there was no easy roadside fix.

It was a verrrry Dependable Dodge.

Even without air conditioning it wasn't an uncomfortable car in the summer and New Orleans doesn't have pleasant summers.

Since all the glass was vertical there was very little solar heating unlike newer cars and with the windshield and cowl vents open I could always make my own breeze.

Tom

[Guest Roadrunner]

Nice Rides! I opened this thread thinking I was nuts for believing that one can drive these fairly regularly. I'mimpressed with the pics that were posted as an answer. Can't wait to get the set we have rollin.

Steve

[Dwight Pectol]

I drive my car every day rain or shine, I have owned it for 4 years now and put 23,000 miles on it, and love every mile of it.. .

I think the more we drive our old cars the better..

Merry Christmas to everyone..... Dwight

[Woody Branham]

I have a 1950 DeSoto Custom that I drive whenever time and weather permit.I have had the car for three years.Engine was froze when I got it. Once I got her going, It was like she told me what she needed next. The more I drove her the more things I found that needed attention. I would fix one problem and then find another. Four or five miles at a time was all I would do as I found and fixed various problems. Happy to say my last drive two months ago was 50 Miles and obtained a hiway speed of 60 mph. For me, that was a Milestone. Why have them if you can't enjoy them??? Regards, Woody

[oldmopar]

Seems to me the more you drive them the better they run.

[james curl]

My everyday drivers are a 55 chev pick up and my 48 Plymouth 4 door, so any place that I want to go I have to go in one or the other. I have several friends that live 15 to 30 miles away that I visit weekly. I have a friend in Manville, La. and we are in the planning stages of that long anticipated trip to Bonnieville this summer in the 48 Plymouth. ( I am 70 and he is 64) He will meet me in central Texas and we will leave from here. May try take my neighbor, young fellow who used to work for Aprilla, who goes to Bonnieville every year to pit for a group of his motorcycle friends, he usually flies to Salt Lake City and someone picks him up. If we pull this off it will be about a 1430 miles each way. At our age we cannot wait to long for our adventure.

[Allan Faust]

Once I'm finished building mine, it ain't gonna be no trailer queen.... I didn't buy it for the value, I bought it for the rebuild and the drive.....

Allan

[JohnS48plm]

Drove my p-15 coupe out Chistmas shopping thursday. It was 50 degrees which is unusual this time of year in Michigan. It started raining midway through my shopping but the vacuum wipers worked just fine and a little water won't hurt the car. They didn't put them in the garage every time it rained when they were new.

[blueskies]

we are in the planning stages of that long anticipated trip to Bonnieville this summer in the 48 Plymouth. ( I am 70 and he is 64) If we pull this off it will be about a 1430 miles each way. At our age we cannot wait to long for our adventure.

Now this is what I love to read about. Men with a mission. Vision. Courage. Cahones. Adventure of a lifetime. EPIC.

I look forward to meeting you on the salt. I'll be there again with my '50.

Pete

[fredsv8shop]

This year we did more than 9000 miles with the old girl.

[Don Coatney]

This picture was taken from a motel room in Northern Ohio about 600 miles from home last summer.

I next stopped in Northern Indiana and gave the grandkids a ride.

I returned home eith no problems. A few weeks later I drove my car on a two week job related trip to Georgia. The highlight of that trip was a visit to the Tim Adams stable about 100 miles from the Florida State line where I met with a few other forum participants.

Just about got busted for having way too much fun.

[Tony Cipponeri]

We have taken our 50 plymouth to Laughlin Nevada, (300miles) Fresno Ca, (250 Miles) San Diego Ca ( 150 miles) Various other places, but our best one was The 2004 Hot Rod Magazine Power, from Arlington Texas, to Green Bay Wisconson, we did that in our 64 El Camino (6000) miles) I don't think I would have a car I couldn't drive. Tony C

[bob westphal]

Back in my youth(50s/60s) my daily drivers were older cars. Mainly P-15s. I drove my P-15 club coupe across the nation 5 times in the mid 60s. For the last 8 years I have been restoring old cars for other people. They all want them to drive when the feather tickles them. One client has 15 cars varying from a '35 Plymouth to a '84 Buick. He gave me his gas card and gets after me if he doesn't get charges on his monthly gas card statement. Plus I drive my P-15 coupe when I'm not driving one of his cars. Cars were designed to be driven!!!!!!!!

[Shifticus]

It's my firm belief that a car should be driven and enjoyed unless it is extremely rare, worth a ton of money, or other related circumstances. That is exactly why I would prefer never to own such a car.

I like to take the '53 out multiple times per week; sometimes I take it to hockey practice in the morning, but what's really nice is just local cruising with my girlfriend who really loves it. It's nice to have a modern car to fall back on, however, if it's necessary to deal with the wet, heavy traffic, getting somewhere in a rush, or long trips.

[mikemaker]

I have put a bit over 100,000 on the beater since 1988. I say Drive 'em.

[Guest Roadrunner]

Does that "beater" tow that Rv too?

[David Maxwell]

...on my P15 in the first six months. Love to drive it every chance I get! This pic was taken along an original stretch of Highway 101 poured in real concrete sometime in the 1920's. This exact spot can be seen in The Postman Always Knocks Twice starring Jack Nicholsan and Jessica Lange. Other parts were shot in the old Rio Grande Gas Station which I used to play in as a kid. It hasn't been used for anything but hollywood movies and hobo lodging for the past 40+ years.

[Rodney Bullock]

I like driving the old cars however I need some motivation. My motivation comes in the form of music, if I hear some 40's music Billie Holiday or Louis Jordan I will drive my 40 or 41 cars if I spend the week listening to some Chuck Berry or Little Richard it's the 50's cars for me! I drive my 1953 chvy most of the time because I am usually taking some part some where or working on club memebers cars and they like to see you drive up in a old car because it gives them confidence in driving there car. The truck with it's 4 speed keeps up with and passes the mordern cars around here, you need that with these little plastic rockets out here now. If I were in a small town I would drive my cars everyday because of the local stops here and there it makes it more fun to see people that appriciate these old cars.

[Rodney Bullock]

The Plymouth is the most fun as people look in and there is no back seat, buzzy coupe. Me and my dear wife love to ride in that no kids, no riders, no body! just us two!

[Rodney Bullock]

The T-Bird for those of you that have never seen it is another story. Folks will not leave us alone. We use it on long trips so they see us on the highway like in this photo I love sonic , I could go on however just a taste, We do drive our cars.