Daily driver status-sellout or necessary?

That's a rough figure based on a $110 fillup lasting under a week normally. Then there's a couple 50 mile round trips each week for lunch with friends in the next valley, occasional swap meets, and I buy cars. To do that here, in SoCal, it's EASY to make several 100 mile round trips to look at a car each month. Like I stated earlier, worse case it'll be a "push, and I don't have to kill the GP in the hot Cal sun. Also I have a car with AC for the very hot summers that won't get finiky or overheat in the horrible SoCal traffic. Like I also stated earlier-I'm neither happy or proud of this move. I'm 53, and have had north of 450 older cars. MOST as drivers. I'm sick about it. I still bust out the Vette or the 38 for the day here and there. They're drivers. The 64 Vette's been to Bako several times, as well as my AWB 51, and my 38's just back from Santa Maria(leaking out of every orifice). When I go to something like that, it won't be in the Toyota. To me, THAT'S sellin out

 

groucho!! i new driving that gp around was going to get you sooner or later!! i guess in going to have to look for you in a toyota as you drive by now! i will be in my vw squareback thats my daily now!

 

I drive almost 60 miles a day.. Im driving the wifes 06 G/P and were getting almost 28 mpg.. On the nice days ill ride the electra glide that gets 40mpg. I cant even see my self driving the roadster for one thing grundy insurance says no. It doesn get 28mpg although its good but ive never checked it but i can tell by watching the gauge.. My 05 colorado sits in the driveway cause we dont need 2 vehicles to get to work right now but some days we do even though we work at the same place.. Ill drive the truck when needed and if i drive 64mph i can get 23mpg out of that.. Im paying on the G/P and the colorado so what ? I like nice things and work to have them.. A 1932 roadster to me is not an every day driver and your car prolly really isnt either.. its the toy you always wanted... Just drive the new car and have fun.. I hope when im retired i can get around as much as you do. The way were going the government will have me working till im 90..
Dave

 

As to my remarks about taxes on fuel in other countries: Just a few days ago I read an article by a respected news syndicate that stated taxes on fuel in Germany, France and several othe Euro countries is approx. 50% of the pump price, and in UK it is approx. 70%!
So nothing you have to say about your prices being more than ours has anything at all pertinent to this thread and you need to throw those bums out next election.
Anybody got a link to fuel prices around the world with taxes percentage also displayed?
Dave

 

In addition, I'll guess those countries don't have the cummuting we have here. Forget what the prices are over there. What's the average mileage driven by an average person over there?

 

and...

lately I've been watching craigslist & local ads for a 350-450cc 70's Jap bike.

I'm thinking a little under-500cc cafe racer style deal would get around pretty cheap, have a little style, and require a fairly small initial investment.

Something like the ones here:

http://images.google.com/imgres?img...ges?q=honda+cb350+cafe+racer&gbv=2&hl=en&sa=G

 

I sure am saving on fuel by fucking around on this computer. tehe

 

Sometimes life demands we make other choices, just the way it is.

I was driving my 79 4WD F250 when I was in grad school, and it was a great truck, but I just couldn't deal with it. Too big, too hard to park at school, too loud, too slow, too many miles to drive to school, no free time to spend working on an old truck to keep it up to daily highway abuse, etc.

I kept it, but I also got a 90 honda CRX HF. 45 or so miles to the gallon, CD player, and went 85 MPH to keep up with highway traffic. Drove it to 175,000 miles. Never needed a damn thing outside of regular maintenance. When I got out of grad school, I sold it.

The way I see it -- I love old cars. But, if life dictates, and sometimes it does, do what you gotta do.

Pete

 

I don't think leasin' is as bad as it used to be. Once we get the mortgage paid off on my wife's Explorer, we really won't have much to show for it then, either.

Makes me really dig my paid-for 89 Chevy pickup that gets "high-teens" mpg on regular unleaded... and I know how to fix the SBC when it breaks. (although it would have been nice if they would have gone all-SAE or all-metric on the fasteners.. but that's a rant for another day.)

 

dont be so sure of yourself.

 

My new daily is a real rocket. I have a new HHR Turbo "SS". The little monster gets 24 mpg overall, goes like a bat outta hell and you can pile a whole mornings' swap-meet treasures inside. If I HAVE TO commute and don't want to beat up my hot rod, at least I can have fun doing it.

 

I've got a 97 Olds Aurora as a daily- 4.0L northstar and every option under the sun 'cept a sunroof. Will get 22-24MPG for commuting, damn near 30MPG on open highway at70 with the AC blowin', seats the whole family, and looks good besides. What's better - I bought it off a friend's dad who drove it pretty tame for a "mere" $4K...that was $2700 off full retail. ATM, it's colluding with the Biscayne to ensure I have one project car around at all times, but overall, a great car.

 

gotta agree with RYAN on this one

Im out man, done, fin-ito, my leased 2500 diesel dodge sits dormant...found a birds nest on my shock tower the other day.

Im looking for a MINI BIKE -al la dumb and dumber

you can get 70 miles per gallons on those hogs

anyone got a RUPP

 

Ford Festiva.

Shitbox.

35 MPG.

 

Vespas can see 140 MPG...just so long as you don't need to get on the freeway.

 

Did you find a wagon?

Malcolm

 

my daily? my wifes 64 comet v8. my wifes daily? her 06 pt. I think her pt gets like 26-30 mpg's. I drive approx 50 miles per day 5 a week, and I dont care how much I put into the comet's tank cause it looks good. I'll do the same with my 59 caddy when I get it done. It's the price of life. Sucks balls, but that's the way I see it. Life's too short to waste it complaining about getting funked by the political ashwipes. We're the little people and were going to get screwed anyway, but unless we band together, no change can come.
Politics and environmentalism are going to take away our cars, our guns, and our fun if we dont do something. my .02 sorry about the political ranting. I tend to do that sometimes when I get mad.

-GothY-

 

Well, I see all of this as a great time to begin hoarding big blocks.

I am gonna start driving the "mean bean" -1973 G.M.C. pickup daily.

The big block in the cutlass is a thirsty sumbitch. (6 miles per anything. idling, 75 m.p.h.= 6 miles to the gallon. period.) But it seems sooo much faster when I get out of the shop truck and into it for a couple days.

 

Would seem to me it would be cheaper to go with a paid for older small car that gets 25-30 MPG - they do exist. You wouldn't spend much more than the lease buy in, save the payments, and it's liable to be worth about the same in three years. Plus cut the fuel bill in half.

 

Hey guys! One guy already said it and and heres and addition cool can still be had with milage!! GET YOURSELF A BIKE !! almost all Harleys come with 6 speeds now and you are lookin at a tiny tank and great milage and its summer time !! And if you dont like the HD get yourself a Triumph or what the hell ever I ride my Chief when I cant swing petrol for the truck or Galaxie. Another idea is a mini truck now dont laugh they can be cool and modifying them is just as fun and an s dime with bags and cool paint will get you 25-27 mpg! just tossin it out there

 

Man I thought you were kidding this morning. To the avaerage person they would probably not end up saving much, but they would have the peice of mind with the warranty. This will be a big savings for you if you do it right by writing it all off on your taxes as a business expense. So when is it getting chopped, channelled, decked and primered ?

 

We've got 2 children (and another on the way), so motorcycles are out. My '94 escort wagon gets 30+mpg and has roughly 260K miles on the original engine. It's ugly, but it gets the job done.

 

Hey John, remember Fran, Bottle Bobs wife. She once loaned me her 68' Dart with auto and air until I got a new car. Ever since then, I'm spoiled. Auto, air, electric windows and reliability. I went Toyota after that..........

 

well I can look at this in 2 ways.1st I got a daily driver commuter car 5 years ago when I was going to college and it sucked cuz I did not like the look of the car and felt it wasn't cool, but I save a grip on gas and time fixing an older car which I would not have time for(inters, test, mid terms , etc..) 2nd I still got the car 4cyl,get good gas milage since I work 50 miles from work and gas 4 bucks plus, so i set aside pride to keep cash in my poket. I talked to my old (90 year old buddy hot rodder dry lakes guy) and he was like look back in the day you drove what was available and dependable/comfortable, so nuttin wrong with dependibility. I agree but would love to have a care free opld car that got 34 miles to the gallon. Luckly I don't have kids yet but puttin' food on the table would be my priority over lookin cool. but I totally understand you Groucho!!! P.s. I'd love a bike but commuting through LA suck.stupid road raged drivers...don't wanna get killed in a 50 mile commute.

 

I don't see what the big deal is, its not like you traded all your vintage tin for an off-shore commuter. Write off the lease on your business, save some pennies on fuel and if you want to take the GP out and drive it around go ahead. The guys you should feel sorry for are the ones that have to sell their old car so they can pay the mortgage and keep a roof over their families head.

 

when i still had the 49' truck and my 95' grand prix's trasmission blew, i said screw it and i drove the truck most of the winter and as a daily to school. then when gas price's started rising i had to get a gas saver, i bought my 84' Monte carlo, gets about 20+ city and a Shit-of-a-lot Highway because it drops to just a tick above the 500 idel RPM. and at the same time, its a awsome car that looks mean and has a lot of non-bullshit to it. you can save gas and still have fun.

 

I drive 50 miles each way to work. In 2005 I bought an "almost new" 2005 Scion tC for $10K (yeah it had a few warts) that gets just about 30 mpg. I got almost 80K on the clock right now. Figuring I doubled my mpg, at today's gas prices I have just about paid for that car already. Now I get to enjoy my "classics" on the weekends and don't have to worry about all the wear and tear they would be getting as a daily driver.

 

Don't forget PORN man!!! (Although that's been globalized as well )

 

I considered that. But, I insisted on a bumper to bumper warantee from cradle to grave on this pooch. I've had her in my family now for almost 20 hours and no regrets yet