Winter Driver

I'm new here. I've been reading little bits here and there of people driving their old cars as Daily Drivers. Do any of you drive yours in......the Winter? I have an old truck, 1955 Chevy 2nd Series 3/4 ton, that I've had for years and years. We gave it a semi-restoration in 1989 and it's quite rusty again. Do to a vehicle shuffle around my house I may need to drive it this Winter. Just across town mostly. No highway driving. Would this be wrong? The cab floor is already a piece of 'Swiss Cheese'.............so.......

 

Replace the cab floors, undercoat and drive it a few more years.

 

Yeah, I'm thinking I might be fine. I hate to do it, but I might not have a choice. I did put a lot of money into the brakes so I'd better not just let it sit around.

 

Just a few pics. Hope this is the right place for them.

 

they built them to drive all the time in 1955, yeah, i would drive

 

I'm building a 62' C10 to drive year round and northern IN ain't no paridise in the winter. It's better than letting it rot in the driveway.
You'll take better care of it if you have to drive it everyday.

 

I drove all my high school rides, including a MINT '54 Pontiac, year round in Northeast Ohio where they salt every day all winter long. Had them oil-sprayed every fall and hoped for the best.
Then I got older and started buying winter cars (beaters for a few hundred bucks) and discovered that they are really fun to drive, too, just in a totally different way. (Ever power slide into a curb going 40, bounce up on the sidewalk, bounce back onto the icy road, and laugh the whole time? I have! At night, of course, when there were no witnesses...I mean pedestrians...around.)
I actually miss a couple of the winter beaters as much as the nice cars I was protecting.

 

I have toyed with the idea of building a 'glass 2-door sedan with a removable weight box in the rear for a winter car. How cool would it be to see a fenderless '33 Ford going down the road throwing roaster tails of salt and snow? Running a 'glass car would take the guilt out of rusting away a real one and you could then drive a hot rod all year long in the snowbelt.

Josh Quick
Quick Speed Shop

 

Um, you could move to Arizona or something.

 

Thanks for the encouraging words. I feel better about it now. When dad & I restored this truck in 1989 it was my only driver so it got driven in the snow. I guess I'd better enjoy it now while gas prices are 'low' and they still let you drive something like this! They may call me crazy, but I'll be having fun!

 

Go to the grocery store and get the empty banana boxes(the waxed ones) they make excellent replacement panels for rotted out floors, stops your feet from getting wet. JK (although it has actually been done)
No replace or patch the floors oil spray it and drive it if you really have to. I'd be more worried about some shit for brains that can't drive smashin' into it than the rust.

 

I also sought out and drove winter beaters for years...but wanted a winter hotrod. Found this 46 chevy pickup mounted on an 70s chevy 4X4 chassis with a 350/350 combo. It was a blast to bomb around in on snowy days. Did magnificent brodys with all 4 wheels churning...sold it to help finance my 34 five window project.

 

Just make sure to have a good heater! I drove my 37 Ford Ute through winter, but not on days with snowing conditions. Too much risk and really need 4x4 on those days so I drove my Expedition. Had to brush snow or ice off of it, start out in low teens or single digits. The old cars are much more fun and you really get to know the vehicle when you drive it everyday.

 

I really should work on the heater. It is stuck on 'Cold'. I guess that would be one benefit of driving it all year round; those things would not stick or go down hill. I'm not too worried about heat as I would only be driving across town and back. That would be about a 3 mile round trip. I guess the biggest concern would be if the engine would warm up enough. Primarily I would be driving it across town to a Youth Center I work at part time. I would be using it to haul a snow blower and maybe haul garbage. Glamorous, ain't it?!
Just quietly doing what it was meant to do for 56 years now......

 

When I lived in Montana i drove a 55 1/2 ton all the time. Drove it back and forth to Mo. several times also. They were good back in the day and still good today.

 

This is exactly what I want to do.

Though I was thinking a 49 on an 4x4 s-10 chassis

 

When we first restored this, and I was only 19, I drove it to college from Knoxville, IA to Joplin,MO. A 365 mile one way trip. It did just fine. Got a little warm when I was doing 65 with it, but once I got to KC and backed off to 55 it was much better. The only issue I had was one flat tire when I got on campus and a little later I had to have a U-Joint replaced. Going down and coming back I averaged 12.5mpg. Not bad for a 3/4 ton truck. It has a 235 with 4spd. That was pretty brave of me back then! Look ma, no cell phone!