Customs Team Softy, or do I want to drive an old car?

This spring I had a new, VERY expensive, aluminum driveshaft made for the '52 DeSoto wagon. The "old" one (only three years old) was smaller diameter steel, to accommodate the original Hemi swap to a later, larger one with more power. When I picked it up at the driveline shop, the guy who built it told me, "This is about 2" longer than I'd liked to have made a one piece driveshaft, but I think it'll be OK."
It wasn't. Vibrated terribly at speeds over 65. Which, as we mainly tow our '47 Spartan trailer with the car, we hadn't driven it any faster than that in the three previous summers. The new one is (I think) 4" diameter heavy wall aluminum, and we put it to the test yesterday, belting down I-94 100 miles to visit our son and his family who are camping this weekend.
The car performed flawlessly, speeds 75 to 80, just keeping up with traffic. No vibration, no problems. It knocked down a solid 22 mpg at speed too, so that is good.
That said, I have to say that it made me feel a bit like an old man. We've got two late model drivers, a 2014 300C and a 2019 RAM Classic, that are both as quiet as a tomb at near triple digit speeds. Not so the wagon, the wind of it's going increases exponentially at speeds over 70, to the point that it's sort of uncomfortable.
In order to hear the bluetooth stereo I had it cranked up so loud we couldn't have a conversation over it and the wind noise.
I don't know if this is because we've gotten used to driving nice, comfortable cars, in our old age, and I'm less tolerant of NVH, or if I'm just being too critical of the ergonomics of driving 70+ year old cars.
In our youth we had a variety of (sometimes) sketchy old cars, I never thought twice about how noisy the cabin was, tolerated uncomfortable driving positions, and didn't mind rattles and vibration unless they seemed terminal. We would set off across the continent with no cell phones (hadn't been invented yet), a roll of duct tape and some zip ties thrown in a tool roll and head out into the sunset without a worry.
I thought about all this driving the car home from the hardware store just now at a comfortable, quiet 55 mph, and it occurred to me that this thing wasn't built to be driven on the interstates at 80.
Hell, they hadn't been built yet.
This was built to be driven comfortably at a more sedate, leisurely pace. The front seat, comfy leather over thick cotton padding, foam, burlap and coil springs needs it's own shocks, and keeps bounding and rebounding LONG after the (rather taut) suspension soaks up a dampens bumps and construction zone uneven pavement. If we hadn't had seat belts, we'd have been pitched into the headliner several times.
I'm going to stop trying to compare the ride and handling against our other cars, and just have to accept this as it is. It's an anachronism, just like me, a child of it's time. We will take an occasional jaunt down the freeway at speed, and tolerate the cars inherent flaws, but will try to keep most of our miles at a slower, more comfortable, less hectic pace on two lanes and plan our trips to those standards.
Welcome to Team Softy.

 

I will follow along behind you, my truck also has terrible wind noise the faster you go. Since I added A/C, keeping the windows up helps a bunch. Before A/C, windows down, windshield cracked open, cowl vent open, about 100 miles felt like a 500 !

 

I love the wind noises, rattles and old car smells.
Cruising at 80?
Who cares. The right lane is ok with me.

 

What did you end up with for front brakes?

 

How old are your door seals?

 

Noise and a rough ride is part of the experience. It’s worth it to me.

 

Team Softy? Yep, I'm a member. Not proud of it, but there it is.... Now, I drive my old stuff a LOT, but it's at lower than freeway speeds on back roads where it's .....softer.

 

I had a Crosley when I was a kid, field car. Pretty smooth roads and I never went much more than 40, didn't want to break things. Fast forward 45 years and got a Crosley and put it on the street. Me and the dog saw alot more at 35mph cruising around, errands were fun instead of a chore .

 

I gave up on my 57 suburban several years ago, for this reason. Yeah, I'm getting old and soft too.

although I have a trip planned for August in a really crappy (ot) car, and another longer trip in October in the 62 Corvette.

But we now have a few modern cars with actual working weather strip and HVAC and you can hear the stereo in them at 80 mph.

 

I still love the rattles, wind noise, and smell of oil when I drive my old junk. To me, it is a big piece of what draws me to them. My 56 will drive down the highway 75-80 no problem with the original drivetrain and drum brakes. I recently borrowed a friend’s 55 Nomad and it drove like a new car with ac, cruise, OD, etc. To me, it ruined the reason for driving an old car. Anyway, I know we are all different, but I like my old cars to be old. But, I also have gotten spoiled with some later model stuff with AC, etc. They are just two different things in my book. But, I also have to admit that I do most of my old car driving alone anymore. My wife rarely rides in the old cars with me.

 

I have a question. Why is it that my 56 when it had 3” exhaust and Flowmasters that dumped at the rear axel and could not hear one another’s yell. Yet, still could hear emergency vehicles sirens blaring.

Quit is nice, but crapping yourself when coming face to face with emergency vehicles numerous times isn’t a luxury I enjoy so much.

 

I guess there is such a thing as progress.

 

They're new.

 

They're 11" with GM metric rotors. Exploder rear disks. I had a struggle getting them balanced to work properly, turned out a master cylinder with too large bore and distribution blocks that were either faulty or not needed. It'll slide the car out from under the paint now.

 

you got that beauty and yer still bitchin...?

 

I’m somewhere in the middle I guess.
I too am spoiled sometimes on a long trip with my A/C and comfortable modern rides. I found I just have to stop every hour and a half or so to stretch out. I can go a little farther in a new vehicle with cruise control cause I can stretch my legs and move them around.
I live in a rural area, and do 99% of my old car driving on state and back roads. Speed limit is usually 55. Local sheriffs give you another 10, so regardless of what I’m driving I’m at 65 mph most of the time. My ‘62’s “sweet spot” seems to be 60-65, so this works out well.
Yesterday I had to run to a town about 50 miles from here. Weather was beautiful, so I took the ‘62. About a 20 mile stretch of that trip was a 4 lane divided state highway where everyone was doing 70-80. I sat in the right lane at 75 and the old Mercury kept up fine and ran cool, but you felt like you were doing 75! A little above the sweet spot for that set up.
One thing my ‘62 has that new cars don’t-wing windows! Man who needs A/C! I wish they still made these!
As far as hearing the radio? Eh, all 3 of my “old” cars have non functioning radios. It takes away from my Zen of driving an old car anyway. Maybe someday, but not promising I’ll ever turn it on.
Oh, took that bad boy out again today. About 220 miles the last two days. I almost have that little 260 V8 broken in!

 

I prefer loud, rowdy bare bones old cars & hot rods with minimal excess still. When I drive my wifes 64 Elco, factory power steering/brakes, AC & tilt column. New motor & trans. Even has a hidden stereo.
Sound deadener matt, full proper interior & fairly nice paint. It doesnt excite me the way my old junk does. I guess im a wierdo in that regard. I always joke w my buddies on road trips "I'll see you nerds in the slow lane".
I say this in jest with no disrespect to Brian or anyone else that chooses the latter. I respect your builds & your style..
As long as you are keeping them on the road & enjoying this thing we do, we're all family.

 

I feel like a lot of us have done this enough that wanting a comfortable and quiet old car is perfectly reasonable. I want a cool old car for a daily…but I’ve done that the old fashioned way plenty in the past. My current old car daily driver project is going to be as full of creature comfort as my late model truck was. I have a few other cars around if I crave that caveman feeling.

 

It's a non-judgemental, objective observation.

 

Life is better at a slightly slower pace. I seldom use the Interstate to get places, the pace is too fast, the roads are too crowded, and the landscape has been stripped of its uniqueness. Driving them just sucks the fun out of traveling. If you need to get someplace in a hurry for some reason, the Interstates might be OK, but we are retired, being in a hurry doesn't happen often.

When I built my truck, I provided provisions to add AC, but at this point it doesn't function. The cowl vent open and the windows down is how I prefer to travel. I believe the wind noise is reduced when the cowl vent is open, the air move through the vent, down to the floors, and out of the cab through the open windows, but either way, wind noise is expected. If I want to reduce the wind noise, I roll up the windows. Its a lot more quite with the windows closed, but then often the heater is on, so we get the fan blower motor noise.

Old rides are more fun. Our newest ride is an 04, so its 20 years old already. It is an appliance transportation piece.

 

^^^ I agree getting there and back is usually 1/2 of a vacation so I like to take the back roads and avoid the interstates.
Life at 40 mph is surreal,
and
driving my model A is a full time experience

 

My 48 Chevy pickup at 55 is fine. At 70 the wind noise is bad. This the 1st truck that I've done in several years that still has drip rails. It has sound mat, insulation and good door seals, not the oem kind. For me, going to a show is at least 200 miles one way. Wearing ear plugs has been my answer. I have a friend who has a 53 chevy and he tells the same story. Depending on where you live and your usage, you may need a different hot rod. Brian, I agree with what you said. I don't know what I'm going to do about it. ????

 

Has nothing to do with the hot rod, but my wife has been known to call me Mr. Softy some nights.

 

I wear ear plugs sometimes.

built a car for a customer. Got paid whatever it took to put weather strip in it. Pre war car. Only had windlace. What you find is inconsistent door jambs.
A 1/4 inch thick weather strip might fit the back of the door jamb but not the front. We took different thickness weather strips and cut small pieces and figured out what sizes were needed. Plus there’s different styles and densities. 3-4 different weatherstrips fit the door jamb.
Time consuming and takes a good bit of experimenting with different things. Can get expensive.
I’d recommend doing this during the building stage. I prefer to do bodywork with weatherstripping installed. It’s all part of the process

One reason why I love beaters. You’re supposed to yell at the passenger
That’s part of the fun

a new ride can have double or triple seals for a door. Sound deadening sprayed in the posts and rockers. Cabin vents to allow doors to shut easier. …..

I dint want my 51 to feel like I’m driving a 2024.

 

Most of the folks I hear about desiring a hotrod of sorts are greatly surprised after they drive one, or just an old car. You have TO DRIVE IT, control it, anticipate traffic. That's why they call it driving.
I've improved my ride for ease of driving to the best I can. It's still not a retro ride and nevt going to be as long as I have it. With an AOD transmission and the proper rearend it actually does well on the hiway and doesn't sound like it's gonna blow. But I much prefer getting off that hiway and looking over the landscape. Turns out, it's not that much slower and you'll probably use much less gas. You get to stop places and gawk around. A bunch less traffic.

 

I have multiple cars as do many others and they all serve different purposes. My daily (2021 vette convertible) is my long distance and bad weather car. My >than 50 year owned 57 T’bird is my youth and my wife’s favorite ride. My 30 Ford Coupe with blown Yblock is hot raw and nasty = my ride alone car. All different rides, not interchangeable and all have a role in my driving experience. Sometimes comfort wins, sometimes not.

 

I don't live in a snow area (yet), so I can't say anything about salty roads or am I the type to go to high end events or multi state trips (yet). 99% of the time my girl is with me when I'm driving/cruising and by far the panel is the worst for noise, I though about someday getting the side glass and vent windows to seal better (or at all), but I haven't thought about how poor sound quality inside vs a new car. It would make me blow dayglo colored chunks of tweed to have to drive a new car only.

The stink and the fight is what it's all about. It might all change as I get older....way older, but I can't see it yet.

I do have a couple of softy cars if my back hurts.......which means the old cars have an Automatic.

 

what I meant by that statement was that most likely your wagon is one of the better old car builds and it's most likely a lot nicer ride than most old cars/trucks that most HAMBers own/drive.
...my drivers usually have no sound deadener, carpet, new weatherstrip, etc....and I'm just fine with that....that's one nice wagon!

 

62 Chevy 2 Nova custom station wagon
Hello,

All of these years, my wife has had a inkling of driving around in an old convertible. Starting in 1950 with her mom’s first 47 Buick convertible in Pacoima in So Cal as a little girl. Back then folks wore bandanas over their hair structure and it was not the long hair flowing back as we see tv shows and movies, today. but, it was a convertible.

As a young married couple, we did cruise around the local dealerships looking at the newest models in the fall of every year. We were actually in the market for a replacement of her first car, a 62 Corvair she bought with her own earned money as a teenager. It was a good running car, until three distinct problems popped up and after getting towed twice, it was time to say goodbye.

We looked at several used cars, but the new models in the showrooms always looked better when we went in to check them out. Our viewing dealers moved from USA makes to foreign car models as the USA models were going haywire and not to our liking. We did test drive a Mercury XR 7 4 speed version and at a different dealer, a convertible model. The foreign car dealers had better designed cars for us.

Jnaki

So, over the years, she got over driving around in a convertible. Even with long hair flowing, the swirling winds would still play havoc with her hair. Me? I would be in the passenger seat feeling fine in the open to the wind convertible.

As we got through the young toddler stage, we thought about a hot rod sedan. We liked our 327 powered 40 Ford Sedan Delivery, but it was not for three people to use as much as we did.

So, for the last 20 years, we have had a station wagon or two. Easy starting, reliable, comfortable and with all of the new technology, a safe and sound proposition for our granddaughter.

The thoughts of a 4 door 40 Ford sedan was on our shopping list. A SBC powered with A/C popped up in our neighborhood and we rushed over to see it. But, the cost was so good, it sold within a day of advertising.

Note: Now, my wife is a staunch supporter of a smaller station wagon that has room in the back for all of our garden plants, supplies and even some larger trees when planting season comes around. We have an abundance of great garden landscape nurseries around our coastal area and we usually fill up the back of the wagons for our supplies.

So, if a hot rod were to take over one of our daily drivers, it would be replaced with a smaller station wagon as pictured above.
OR...
or this cool Grey Mist color, of course, with a slight rake… plus SBC V8 sounds... YRMV

 

Creature comforts?

I don't even have a radio.....



....but than again why would I want one?

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