The car club guys meet for brunch on Fridays. Today was the first time I had been there in a while. It has rained like hell all night and day. I drove my daily driver. My 1926 Model T Ford. It is a very nice, finished car. The heater works great. From the outrage you would have thought I had committed the ultimate sin. All good natured, of course, but they meant it! My answer was, "I am 70 years old. How long does the damn thing have to last?" I built everything on this car including the frame. I had the body sandblasted. I sprayed epoxy primer on it. 4 coats of good enamel paint, top to bottom. Then had the fenders and running boards rhino-lined. I have done as much as possible to rust proof it. I am going to drive it. I built it to be my DD. I can fix anything on it. It cost way less to put on the road than a new pickup that I can't fix a damn thing on. My son doesn't really care for it. He wants my roadster. He'll just sell it and I really don't care about "the next guy". I'm going to get the goody out of this car. Not "the next guy". The only reason I don't drive the car is if the dropped front axle is pushing snow, which doesn't happen very often around here. I have no interest in driving anything newer. I've had it with computer controlled crap. Unless it gets wrecked or something, I'll bet this car will out live me by a mile. Yeah, I have a lot of blood, sweat, and tears in this car, but it is just a car. It never was an investment! I know I am in a very small group on here. Very few of you guys actually DD your cars. I just wonder what you are saving them for. I can see a few reasons to want to save your car for sons or daughters. But I think you are missing out on a whole lot if you are saving them to sell after you're gone. OK. Rant over. I just thought about this all the way home from the restaurant in the rain. How many of you guys actually DD your cars or trucks?
I'm building a 36 pickup for my daily driver.... The 33 pickup I have is hard to get in and out of ... I have a bad hip.... It's not fun flopping around on the ground....lol. I had a 1948 pickup that I drove for 18 years before my 33... My daughter even drove it to high School for 3 year's.. I believe in driving them....rain or shine
It's simply a matter of economics for me I can't afford to daily drive an average of 80 miles a day 6 days a week on something that gets 9 mpg.........so no, I do not.
move to the S.F. Bay Area, you will be buying a newer car after the first week unless you only go out Sunday mornings real early.
I'm with you, drive what you build. My Fairlane will never see snow but any other day it's going to be driven.
I drive my vehicles when I feel like it! Motorcycle, between 70 and 90 degrees, sun shine! The 65s 35 to 80 degrees not raining. Early Bronco, any time, Daily driver all the other and any times. If you critique me on these things I answer with my middle finger! They are mine I will drive them when I want to drive them! Just me! Bones
Yes, I drive mine virtually every day. Except snow. In my avatar, I drove from where we live to Southern California and spent a month there. That's a long way from where I live. This particular car has no Side Glass, no heat, no defrost, no air conditioning, and no windshield wipers. Still it was a fantastic trip and still drive it today.
I don’t DD my truck. It’s over 50 miles to work in traffic. But, I think you’ve got the right ideas for all the right reasons. Drive it! Sent from my iPad using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Sissy I lived at 880/Decoto...across the Dumbarton to 101, up a few miles to near Oracle. I drove 55-60. I figured I owned the front of the truck, ass-wipes behind me owned the rear. Oh, '59 Chevy PU, never saw a reason to get in a hurry. This was up through about '03/'04 before I sold it.
I hope you make it. When I was younger I always used to say I wanted to be shot dead by a jealous husband at 95.
jaw22w.....My hat's off to you! I don't have the pleasure of a daily driver as cool as your T, probably never will, and applaud you for using it. Maybe you need different friends that don't give you grief over enjoying your car? Lynn
I daily drove my 48 and the 51 Merc I had for years. My wife drove the Merc to work every day and used it as the family car for a couple of years. As long as she remembered to put gas in it it was one of the most reliable rigs she had to drive over the years. One of my best buds who passed away a few months ago quit driving his car on a regular basis (he never drove it as a daily) because he didn't want to get it wet by washing it as he got caught up in that can't get it wet because it might rust nonsense that went around about 20 years ago. I've got an acquaintance who seldom drives his early 50's pretty much stock ride because he says it is too rare and valuable to drive regularly. The man has a 70,000 dollar 4 wheel drive crew cab with every bell and whistle special edition truck as his daily that I have seen so covered with mud and road grime I couldn't tell what color it is but that 20K car is too valuable to drive. I can see not driving the cars when there is road salt on the roads in winter or not taking off in the middle of a hail storm or not taking off over the pass in the middle of the winter in a snow storm or maybe not driving it to some areas of some cities because there is no secure spot to park. That is a hell of a lot different than driving down to breakfast in a bit of rain though.
Thank you. I admit I'm retired so I don't have a daily commute, but this car would easily do it. The best gas mileage I can get out of it is about 15-16 MPG though. It's like pushing a 4 x 8 sheet of plywood down the highway.
Nuthin’ makes your ass pucker than doing 70+ on the Altamont in my coupe and you can see a pothole ahead......grab ahold
I drive mine to work most days above freezing (no heater) which is almost every day here in Bama. Get about 10 mpg. Gas is cheaper than a payment. Haul parts, lumber, camp in it. We ain’t skeered of traffic, rain or mud. Old vehicles will not last forever. Might as well enjoy em. Tell those friends of yours to grow a pair.
Jaw22w, I agree with you but I do not do it enough; need to though. All my cars are to be driven and I don't care if they get dirty or wet. I just need to grab them rather then the newer stuff. Good resolution to have for this new year. I am some years behind you but I do share the view that when I am gone I do not care what happens to the cars; they just have to last that long. Nice looking "T" by the way.
up until 2000 I worked in Oakland by the Coliseum. my newest car in that 10 years was a 1973 Datsun. drove my 62 Caddy regularly, and for about 3-4 years drove my 61 Dodge Dart every day after the Datsun died. had a few other oldies I drove in that time as well. Fremont to Oakland. traffic was much, much less back in those days than it is now. not to mention crime. I wouldn't drive an old car anywhere near Oakland these days let alone leave it in a parking lot for 8 hours. I have driven my 61 Dodge to work in Hayward when my daily was broke. no passenger mirror, one light bulb on each side for tail lights. 3 speed non synchro and I see a wreck or the remains of a wreck EVERY DAY. 5 days a week. there is no cool factor for me driving my old cars to work.
I would like to. Just seems like it will never happen in getting it to be that dependable in all weather
I’m glad you posted this. I got the same good fun crap from my buddies two Friday’s ago. It went like this...What’s that?...What’s What... That!...It’s my 57 Pontiac, Why?... I hope you like rust...I can’t believe you drove it...your crazy...make sure you wash the underneath when you get home...and right aways too! It kept going. I left. They were all shaking there heads while I was driving out. Good fun Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
I should be driving mine more. It is reliable and a hoot to drive. I drive mostly on the country roads here in Bama, and since I retired, usually up to a small town (Snead Al) for a burger or Mexican food. Great little drive in the country that I make at least once a day. My problem is just my damn legs have let me down. As much as I hate to think about it, backing the car out of the shop, getting out and going back into the shop to lock everything up and then walking out to the car is a real pain when you cannot hardly walk any more. I need a door opener for those damn stupid roll up doors in the shop. Have never found one that works on them.
I've always driven my cars, they were daily drivers when they were new, what's the difference? Cars are for driving, pictures are for looking at. Put all the miles you can on that baby! If mine was done right now it would be carrying my ass to work and hauling groceries. Soon...
IT's A Go-er ,Not A Show-ah ! Im with you 100% Jaw22w. My Dad says "Your gonna be dead for millions an millions of years ,Your gonna be alive for a blink of an eye " , SO LIVE IT UP !
I have many ol cars and drive them all. For 52 years I have not owned a modern car, all hotrods and antiques, except for the 66 Chrysler convertible that has been in the family 48 years. I rarely drive it. Too new.
When I lived in SoCal in the '70's I daily drove my '57 Nomad 42 miles to downtown LA and back for work then I traded it for a '55 Chev HT and did the same I then built a '55 Chev convert and did the same all the while my '66 Fairlane which I had bought new sat at the curb after putting 110k on it. Transition now to NB Canada......well, I park my OT van as soon as the snow is done and I switch between my '28 Tudor and my '29 Coupe. The winters months are spent with maintenance/improvements/repairs on them.
I always joked with people when I was in high school and college then into the '90s that I "wouldn't drive anything newer than a '66." Back when I had a hand-me-down '66 Newport more-door in the '70s I always lusted for a '66 Chrysler ragtop. If I still have my '55 Ford in a few years maybe I'll DD it, but only after it gets disc brakes and power steering.
I daily drove my 51 Chevy for about 4 years. Put about 60k on it. The only reason I’m not daily driving it now is I sold it to fund my 39 sedan. Got a few more things to do to the 39 now that it’s on the road and it will be my daily, until I get my 54 F100 together. I loved the looks I would get driving my 51 to work in Feb in the snow. I would put a coat of wax on the polished mags before bad weather so the road salt wouldn’t etch the wheels up too bad!!
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