I was on my way home today, sitting in my GS350 in traffic. This one is all original, still has the AM radio in it (doesn't work) so I had plenty of time to reflect on different ideas... Anyway, I got to thinking: how does every feel we should use our remaining classics? By this I mean take this theoretical situation: You have a decent driver on your hands, but nothing too rare(be it a Riv, Skylark, Apollo, Electra, Centurion, whatever; I had a 1970 skylark in mind when I was considering the question) and it is fairly solid (but some rust, as most do): a good reliable driving car. Here is the question: 1) Do you think these cars should be saved, IE everyone should put them in a garage or put a car cover on them and keep them as toys. 2) People should drive them as often as possible and enjoy them as they were originally meant to be used, regaurdless of the risks 3) a decent car should either be preserved, or be parted to save those more worthy 4) something completely different. Just curious to hear some different ideas on the subject. :TU:
Here is how I've always felt about my 71 Riv This car was meant to be driven, and due to somebody somewhere along the line the car is still around today. For me that means drive it as much as I want in the summer months. If I've already commited to taking it out (ie special event) I will do so no matter the weather. A parts car is just that. I would NEVER part out a car that is complete and in the shape you describe. That said, I try to keep my Riv use under 2000 miles a year. Where I am in Southern Ontario, you make a case for good weather 6 months a year (May-Oct.) that gives me 10 miles a day. Sky's Blue, Water's Wet, Car's Drive Trevor
I think that you are correct in driving your car. I have driven my 87 GN about 5000 miles over the last ten years, so it is not a daily driver, but not a museum piece, either. My wife's daily driver is a 2002 Z06 in Electron Blue, and we have rolled up nearly 23000 miles on it in the last 2.5 years. Our Vette club is divided on this same issue. On one hand, we have plenty of show and shine freaks that panic at the first rain drop. These people know that my wife and I are nuts for driving our Z everyday. They get beside themselves when we race this car. My wife can take care of herself, as she has pushed this car to 12.7 et's at 115mph without mods. I contend that without ever showing these special cars by driving them, no one will really care about them at all. As enthusiasts, we all have those special memories where a car made a strong impression upon us. If everyone locks these cars up, never to see the light of day, then who will ever experience them and appreciate them or aspire to own them. I think that we have a near obligation to get our cars out with reasonable frequency. We do more more for a given mark of auto by exposing the public to them than by locking them away. Look around. On any day, young people are out and about. I still remember some of those experiences of seeing something cool rolling down the street or track when I was a kid. We all might be into something bland or dull if it weren't for those chance encounters with some special ride in days gone by. Thanks, Rudy E
I guess I'm in the "driver" group also. The way I figure it, i'll restore the car in the future but until then I'm going to keep it broken in. I put 8600 miles on my '70 GS350 last year, drove it almost every day regardless of weather. As bad as I feel doing it, it also feels cool that the car is driving the same streets every day that it did 30 years ago and still being used as it was intended. :TU:
If I lived in the southern states, I would also drive my car every day, or at least most days. I wish I did have a "beater" Buick, so to speak, that I wouldn't mind driving in any weather, except winter. There's a decent 72 4dr Skylark that I see everyday, parked outside a business on my way to work, rain/sun/snow/sleet, doesn't matter. I need to stop by and talk to the owner sometime, let him know I would be interested if he ever decided to sell it. Oh, and it's not just parked, it's driven to work every day, I see it on the road too. I personally would not part out a running Buick that was safe to drive, or was restorable. I think it's kind of sad that some make a living at doing that, but we all gotta do something to make our way in life.
I take this thread pretty personal under my current situation.... 6 months ago I would have voted a very strong #2 from your list. But things have changed for me ..... Our 71 is a very dependable, pretty presentable, basic Skylark. Nothing special about it, and apparently worthless as a running, driving car. Personal situation prohibits us from keeping the car Financial situation prohibits us from giving it away I've tried to sell it for months... and at a loss yet to boot. I bought it right here on this board for $3,500. I didn't even barter with the seller. He wanted $3,500 and thats what we paid. I've dumped plenty of money in it since then too. The only PM's/emails/messages I ever recieve are people who are interested in parts "if I ever decide to part it out". Not one person has even looked at the car, much less driven it, since I put it up for sale. Yet everytime I turn around, someone is telling me "it's a steal", and "it's too nice to part out" and "I can't believe no-one has bought that yet". (Not just here, but friends and family too) What is a guy to do? It's gotta go. We can't afford to give it away. We live paycheck to paycheck just like 90% of America. It seems the only way to remove it from our property is one piece at a time. One more Buick heading for the afterlife. Maybe our 71 is a bad example and doesn't "fit the mold" of the type of cars you're refering to. But it sure seems to fit your description to me. o No:
Rick, I certainly sympathize with you. It's probably just a little too easy for those of us without such a car, to say what we "would" do with it if we had one.
Thanks David A point I forgot to mention.... Forgetting about the 71 for a minute.... I'll never be a #1 (preserving a car in the garage forever) They were meant to be driven, and I don't think I'd want a car that I couldn't drive "guilt free" every time I felt like it. Even every race car I've ever had, had a second set of rear rims with street tires, and a set of mufflers to throw on it for "quick" trips to the the grocery store. :Brow: :laugh:
These cars were built by a man and they can be rebuilt. If it was a 1-of-1 concourse, trailer it. If it is 1-of-1000, drive the wheels off of it. My Centurion isn't a high dollar car now but it only had 64,000 original miles 10 months ago and now has 76,000 on it. If there are guys like Boyd rebuilding rods from scratch, you can do the same to a production built car too. Remember it's not the resale value but the coolness value of driving one of these machines as a mode of transportation. So keep them rolling and MT will keep making the tires!!!:3gears:
Well I just had to use my LeSabre today in the snow as my winter beater / daily driver popped a core plug last night. I don;t like to drive my "classics" in snow / ice but I will and I'll jet wash it tonight when I get home to get the salt off it. If you drive your classics, the bits wear out so you buy new. it keeps the parts in the stores and the people who make them making them. If everybody stored their old Buick and didn;t drive it next time you wanted parts they'd be unavailble. Like the man said, its cool to drive a car like this! So drive 'em. I try and drive mine like it was meant to be driven (not pampered but not abused). It was designed to be daily driven, and it gets weekly driven. if you don't drive them regularly brakes sieze up, torque converters leak, oil drains away from the bores and bearings and they rust up inside. Unless you have a 1 of 1 or a super-rare low miles survivor car thats even got the original wiper blades and battery in it then drive it! A true survivor car can never be replicated so I'd not want to drive that kind of car so much, but then I'd probably not buy one like that in the forst place. I want to be able to paint it, drive it, etc.
I agree with driving the car everyday. I hate seeing trailered cars at car shows that have all the power in the world and knowing that that car will never see fourth gear. I drive my '68 everyday to school, friends' houses, small road trips... The car just roll it's first 86000 last Saturday and I have put about 3500 miles on it in the last year and a half. As far as the weather conditions go, when the snow starts flying in early December, I usually start grabbing rides with friends to school and I cut back on my extracuricular driving, but I still take it out in the snow if I have to. And besides, I wouldn't be caught dead driving anything else. :bglasses: I vote #3. Jacob
Unless it's uber-rare, I say drive it. I don't drive the Skylark in crappy weather, or very much, but I still take it out for a good romp. Our cars were built to be driven, and enjoyed. Not meant to sit in some garage, or be carried on a trailer. If that were the case, they would have made them out of plastic and fiberglass.
I have a 90 Lincoln Mark 7 with the special edition package. Now from what Im told from my Lincoln club there were only about 3000 ever made in Black. I drive the pants off it. For work I drive anywere in the north east. It has 160,000 miles on it and I plan to keep driving it every day. I no its not an old car buy any means but sameday it will be. My 65 Riv has 55,000 miles on it and I only drive it on the weekends but will not think twice about taking it on a 2 or 3 hour drive.My point is , as long as the car is safe to drive--- Drive it!!!
Every car is different. Every owner is different. Do what you want with your car. Don't criticize whats other do with theirs. later Tim
Someday, I want, and hopefully will, have a 66 Wildcat, mabey a convertable... and I plan on it being my daily driver (except in the winter of course!!).
I will NEVER own a car that I can't drive. If I ever feel that way about any of my cars.... It' gone....Period. there is no point in saving something you are not going to use. what do you think you are going to do? take it with you? I didn't think so. Run em hard... put em away DRY.
These cars are made to be driven, but I'm sure the engineers never thought, or made these cars to be around 30+ years later. As long as a car is respected, it'll last a long time.
Rick, I'm with ya here, no one wants my 68 Skylark either and this car is loaded, I've been asking $4400 or best, it didn't meet a $3500 reserve on ebay, the high bidder(3400ish) came down to look at it and said it was way too rusty...it's not rusty, it's lived in the south it's whole life, he was driving a 68 NewYorker. I like your 71 but can't do anything to help you since I'm in the same boat as you. Keep the faith brother! P.S. I drive mine all the friggin time
