what do you need in your daily driver?

Well I drive my henry j every where and the things that I installed since I changed to a fuel imjected ford motor was electric wipers I would go with wiper delay next time. A good heater with the blower motor out under the hood,it makes to much noise when its inside the car(got an aftermarket heater) soundeadner for those long drives to texas from new york good window seals and cruise control. 34 hours in a car kills your leg pushing on that gas pedal. Other than that a good radio and a hot chick to rub agh your neck while your driving would be nice.

 

all i need is for it to start, and to have wipers that work. luckily my daily car, a 68 newport is pretty modern by a lot of standards. it drives pretty well, and always seems to get me there just fine. my wife's daily is a 72 volvo P1800ES wagon. it's a beautiful little car-perfect for a girl car. the beauty part about it is that it is fuel injected, has disc brakes, etc. so i don't even have to worry about it. all she does is turn the key and drive it like a modern car, but she still gets to cruise around in a real nice "old" car.

 

Right on the nose! From there you tailor in anything else you like or don't like.
Each car is different even for the same person, but unreliable sucks ass.

 

As long as it runs, drives and stops dependably, keeps up with traffic in the right hand lane, I'm good to go

 

Um............................... me!
Because without me in it my daily driver is kinda useless.

Doc.

 

My bone stock 63 Nova is my daily, and left the factory with everything I need for a driver. Good heat, wipers, and a bench seat that is probably more comfortable than my couch. However, I drove it from Portland to Bakersfield for the Hot Rod reunion last October, and I can't wait to add that Borg Warner overdrive behind the 3 speed. It'll make extended highway cruising a little better. Even without it still pulled down mileage in the mid 20's.

 

And it has to stay dry inside, I hate a wet butt.

 

My wife told me "If you want Me and the kids to sit on your vinel seats in summer you had better put A/C in it!" I tried but accidentaly bought a twin carb set up instead.

 

almost nothin on my old ute works but its only a short drive to work an it gets me there and back (most of the time). guess if the drive was a bit longer i mite put in a radio but then again im prob too lazy even for that

 

mmmm wheels.. engine...... What? OH! Must be fun to drive, manual, not huge, those parking spaces can be a pain in downtown! easy to maintain, and easy on my wallet.

 

Start every time, standard tranny, heater, haul a heavy load.

 

Agreed! Tools just in case.

 

I can't believe nobody mentioned lights. In my daily it's important for me to have good lighting, both high and low beams. I have a 30-40 minute ride to work, and this time of year it's dark for my ride home. I like to see where I'm going.

Other than that, I still prefer a V8, manual, Overdrive if possible, good seats, good heat. A radio I can plug an Ipod in is nice if you want to get fancy.

 

Thanks let's keep this rolling down the highway....

 

If it starts, drives, and stops. I'll drive it daily.

 

Good brakes, good tires, good wipers, heat, full exhaust, solids, 4.10s and an overdrive.

 

What hitchhiker says is true, been there, done that, probably why I'm half deaf now...

 

defroster/heater, dependable, o/d or freeway friendly gears, working wipers. so far the '64 panel has it all......and soon the '54 panel will too.

 

XM radio, heated seats,voice activated navigation, heated seats, blue tooth, moonroof remote start and moon tank (something has to be old school)

 

That cracks me up!

 

XM radio and heated seats. Nothing better for a sore back than heated seats, even in the desert!

 

I drive my old truck everyday, everywhere, hundreds of miles per week. Mostly highway trips, but some farting around town. Other folks on the highway probably do a double take when they see my old truck passing by at 75-80mph. It's all I've got, so it's got to be reliable. The engine is a stock SBC backed by an auto. The 2jet keeps things simple, and upgraded ignition system gives a little more fire and keeps from having to constantly adjust points. It's dialed in and runs smooth as glass.

Living in a generally hotter/more humid than average climate, the cooling system is important. Gauges are equally important. There is no AC, but I plan to install a system maybe this summer. The heater is the factory unit and works well. The defroster is a lifesaver on those cold rainy days.

The interior is minimal. Nothing fancy, but have plans to make it all nicer in the future. A simple Sony CD player and speaker combo bought on clearance keeps some tunes going, though most of my driving time is spent listening to the exhaust notes.

I have a very bright dome light, as well as one of those little clip-on LED lights for your hat that I have clipped on the visor just incase I need to peek under the hood or need to help someone else out.

Radial tires are a must for this truck. I put the new BFG Bias ply tires from my other car on the truck for about an hour. Just enough time to know that it was a waste of time. My truck has modern front clip with power steering & discs, and the radials make it feel like I'm driving a modern car, but with the bias ply tires I was all over the road, surfing every bit of road crown.

Ride height is important. My truck is low, but not stupid low. Some say it sits just right, but it will be coming down in the next couple of weeks another 2" up front and another 5" in the rear to level it out. Right now I'm just high enough to clear a parking lot curb without a front bumper.

Out back the bed is important. It holds my tool bag filled with general hand tools, misc tape, wire, fuses, bulbs, hoses, belts, a few spark plugs & wires, etc. I also store extra oil, atf, coolant, h2o, brake fluid in the bed, as well as a spare tire, jack, and 4-way lug wrench. A soft vinyl cover that snaps in keeps my stuff dry and out of sight. I plan to make a hinged hard tonneau cover wrapped in custom upholstery.

A hidden reciver hitch behind the hinged license plate just incase I need to tow anything. A BIG gas tank holds plenty of go-go juice and I can put a few hundred miles on one tank. I only have one wiper currently because I'm missing a part for the passenger side to work. It's only a 1-speed unit too, and with an 11" blade it's not that great on the curved glass, but it helps. Rain-X works good, but as much as I drive, it's more of a hassle to constantly clean the big guts off and rub down the Rain-X than it is to just drive and deal with it. I keep my glass very clean at all times, usually wiping down all glass every couple of days or so, it's just a habit.

Sunvisors in my truck are not very important, but I've used them a few times. A GPS mounted low on the dash keeps me informed of my location & speed (since the speedo is way off). It's mounted low enough for others not to notice the "new stuff" inside the "old truck". I wash my truck about once a month. I drive it way too much to be washing it every week or so. But when I do wash it, I'm thorough. A quick trip to the local heated car wash to get rid of the bug guts, animal parts, road grime and an under carriage bath, then back to my place for a thorough cleaning.

I honestly feel that my truck is just as reliable as a new car off the lot. I get the same mpg as any new truck with a V8. I drive it just like I'd drive anything else, with no care or concern about any road/weather/traffic conditions. I just jump in and go.

I've got friends that only drive their old cars on good days or only for a car show or special occasion. They tend to gripe when we try to cruise in a caravan and I just split from the pack and haul ass, while they stay back going 60mph on the interstate. I just can't drive that slow.

 

I live in a fairly urban area, 9 mile commute, if an OD was out, and I couldn't have the best of both worlds, I'd keep the 4.10s and put up with the 3500 rpm@55mph. Just not willing to give up my bang, slam.

 

it is more of what i don't need. computers and sencers plastic emissions test every year.

my 70 chevy c10 has none of that. it does have a 250 inline 6 4 sp. heater radio and trailer hitch. it is also paid for.

 

Assuming all the obvious driving bits are in order... I've noticed after 20 years of only driving old cars, that everything about the doors is very important; opening, closing, latching, sealing, and windows that run up and down easily and don't rattle. Anything out of order in this area drives me nuts.

 

Motor, gear box, all my wiring redone, power window kits, full interior, radiator, brake lines sorted, new carby and a paint job. my daily hasnt been my daily for 12 months now i just want my damn car back on the road!

 

All I need is something that will start once a week in sub freezing weather.

 

I remember my first '69 Camaro... It had a 250 6 banger and a manual 3-speed. That car had a factory installed engine block warmer in one of the core holes instead of a freeze plug.. I used to plug that baby in on those cold ass winter nights before going to bed.. In the morning, I'd unplug it and fire the motor up... Warm and toastie!! Wish I had those for my newer pony ride... One on each side of the V-8 block would be plenty..

 

gas

 

Heat/defrost, good weatherstripping, accurate fuel gauge and aftermarket oil.temp/voltmeter showing real numbers. Gotta have electric wipers and washers. If no washers, a mustard squeeze bottle full of washer fluid works but makes your left hand cold!
Hasta have deep treaded snow tires as I live in the snow belt. Here's my last on-topic daily driver. It had everything I listed except a working fuel gauge but it did have a working gennie speedo/odometer...was good for 149 miles on a tank.