We had our 71 GS for 16 years and loved every minute of it. My job has me on the road over 150 nights a year. When most of you guys are home working on something I'm in some god forsaken hotel watching Netflix. As our 71 got older it required more time and I just didn't have any to spare. We sold our GS 7 years ago and bought a 02 Corvette coupe. A year ago we sold the coupe and bought an 06 convertible. I miss the Buick often, as well as this forum, but both Corvettes have been allot of fun.
the fun of owning something as old a a buick, is fun, like the power and just the shear sound and looks, but alot of modern cars are doing the same things,
I was looking at a Hellcat or Demon or whatever they call it at the local Mopar dealer. I liked everything about it except the color (off- white) and the pricetag. I couldn't think of any reason that this car should have a sticker of $92,000. I have never used the name Dodge and the number $92,000 in the same sentence until now. With the possible exception of some high-end antique iron (think Duesenberg or Stutz Bearcat) or possibly a real Dan Gurney Ford GT, I can't think of many American cars that I would pay the better part of a hundred grand for. I know that people do, but I can think of better uses of that kinda dough.
And just announced, Mopar is giving a $10 per horsepower cashback on Challengers, Chargers and Durangos. That’s almost 8k off a Redeye. A 797hp car ON SALE. And Buick has chicks with cakes. Patrick https://www.hotrod.com/articles/dod...power-dollars-rewards-enthusiasts-want-power/
In 30 years when those that are still around look back, there's going to be one American brand looked at with most reverence from the car guys of today.......
So I finally read through all of this post, and I'm one who still very much enjoys driving my old cars. My Electra goes everywhere, and it regularly makes about 2000 miles a year on long trips. I trust it implicitly. Yes, everything mechanically has been overhauled or rebuilt, it's in a sense a "new" 1966 Buick. It still has the original driveline, nothing altered, in fact, I still run points. The parts I've shoved in are modern, hopefully the metallurgy is better, and even though it's probably foolish, I'm hoping this car will last another 50 years. It went 40 years on it's original driveline, so why not? Yes, they need parts more frequently than modern cars do, they aren't as reliable. But a modern car, even a "muscle" car, is a cookie cutter thing that takes no effort to drive; there's no skill involved, in fact, they can be deceiving especially in the hands of someone who doesn't have any experience driving high horsepower cars with lousy suspensions and worse brakes. We all grew up with those and survived the stupidity that youth and a few bucks can provide. A lot of younger people haven't and it's evident when you see the wrecks. The funny thing is how younger people are also scared to drive the old iron; I've offered, a few have taken me up, only to stop and get out and say no way. They then marvel at how I can make that Electra go places they wouldn't dream of. But, to them, modern is the only way to go. If that's your thing, more power to you; enjoy the ride. As for me, I'll continue to drive an old car until they take my license away or they ban them.
Oh, I'm not trading in my last millennium rides anytime soon, but if you think the new muscle cars have crappy suspension and weak brakes, you haven't ridden in anything from 2010 on. A GT350 or ZL1 will thrash most European cars on a road course.
I actually went the other way. In 2004 I bough a brand spanking new GM (Holden) HSV Grange. While not muscle, it was the most powerful V8 they sold (307Kw at the time, LS1) in a basically luxury sedan. I loved that car. Did over 200,000 miles in it. Seriously nice car. But for all the newness, it still didn't get me as excited as older cars. So I sold it and bought the 61 Buick and it's been my daily driver since 2012. I love driving it, looking at it and cruising in it. Would never go back to new. The Grange was 5.7M long. The Buick is 5.8M long. Here's come pics of the grange
Sorry for the misunderstanding, new muscle cars don't have crappy suspensions and lousy brakes, but the now vintage ones that I grew up with did. I agree, any good modern Camaro or Vette will thrash anything out of Europe and be more reliable doing it. I don't fit well in any of them, so quite honestly, I can't comment on the drive, a block in any of them and I was starting to cramp in places... Which is why I like my Electra and rue the day that Buick stopped building performance sedans.
I love both. I love the skinny steering wheel, squeaks and rattles, no interlocks or buzzers or dings almost as much as the mechanical power. The new stuff is amazing and so cool and bold, but has so many buttons, safety interlocks and bingers. I don’t need a seatbelt in my driveway! Yes I’d like to roll sliwly with the door open! Chill... Patrick
If I could get my hands on a Hellcat/Demon/whatever I most certainly would. Reliable power and modern comfort conveniences would be great as a nice weather sorta kinda daily driver. But it would be in addition to my old stuff as I just don't think it would scratch the itch a classic car does for me.
I can't say I have ditched, but more of an addition. Our family has a 2016 ZO6/07 vette convertible. If I feel like I need to autocross or have a radical drive, we take the vette out. Otherwise one day my 71 Skylark restomod will be on the street and that's what I will take to car events. Nothing worse than pulling into a car event and most cars are current off the showroom floor. We are morphing our Skylark into a GSX tribute. I had hoped to have it on the road last year, but the body is still off and continue making changes each step of the way. God willing, and a good supply of Ibuprofen, I will finally be behind the wheel around Feb next year.