Come to Central/Southern Florida.
We don't seem to have an issue with cold seats:lol:

I used to when I had the vette, and Camaro, and would again if I had a "normal" job.
Doesn't fit in well with what I do and where the job takes me:(

That's why I have a old Landcruiser, an econo-box Scion, and eventually will pick up an F2or 350 diesel crewcab, and eventually, will start another project car.
Everything has it's purpose:thumbsup:

1. No kids, young and single.

2. Most of my miles come from driving to automotive events, ill drive 350 miles to GG pleasanton, race all day saturday, then drive 350 miles back. I live close enough to work that my choke is still on when I get there, my car rarely warms up.

No kids, no long commute, and I moved to FL because I wanted to drive the cars year round. I drive them whenever it's not raining, then i take the truck. I go anywhere I need to and just park carefully.

My thinking is that the value of the car starts dropping as soon as it's "finished" when the paint, upgrades etc. are considered. Those really cool sticky tires start to dry out and offer less performance after a couple years, by six years they're junk and shouldn't be used on a highway. The trendy wheels are "played out" after a while. The hoses, belts, oil, antifreeze, brake fluid, and other consumables all have a usable lifespan whether the car sits or moves.

The other thing is the "window of opportunity" you get to drive the car. Many things affect our lives we have no (or little) control over. If something occured forcing you to sell the car or take it off the road for an extended period of time wouldn't you wish you drove it more when you had the opportunity? How many cool cars have we seen for sale due to divorce, pregnancy, college tuition, home purchase, lost employment, deployment etc? Bet they wished they drove them more while they had the chance.

Then there's the "window of drivability" caused by upgrades, engine swaps, suspension upgrades and so on that take away how much you can drive it. So I say if it's ready to go, use it as much as you're comfortable with. Almost anything can be fixed (and upgraded) if something happens.

1) 2 and a 3rd on the way. the car is being built so that they can come along, im just not sure how much im going to be willing to put them in it. these cars are no where near as safe as something new. many will argue, but it is a fact. the odds are very slim that youre going to wreck hard, and even slimmer that there will be serious issues, but i wouldnt be able to live with myself if something happened.

im actually having an ongoing arguement with the wife over her next vehicle. i want something with room behind the 3rd row seat and shes too scared to drive a suburban. but, ive seen too much carnage when there wasnt enough room.

2) the plan is a weekend cruiser. taking the family to the beach and such. probably less than 2k a year.

Choke? What's a choke? :)

My choke is in the same place as my heater core. Gone. In PA, that makes for some nippy driving on Sept/Oct nights!

Words of wisdom...

Funny that you named the next 2 engine mods im doing. Not like my heater works anyways.

It's why I drive mine to the grocery store.... and when they get a bit beat... they get torn down and re-done. IT'S A HOBBY... look forward to the refresh and re-dos. As John rightly points out... they need constant upgrades anyway.

I never said SMART investment..........:lol:

I drove my 68 as it is right now for over a year while waiting on my 87 to get out of paint jail. It never let me down once. Of course, I only have about a 3 mile commute and I have a good place to park where no one could knock any dings into it.

I've been contemplating putting a classic driver together. Funny enough mileage was one of the things I think I can get. LS power, efi, tweeking and there you go decent mileage. Anyway back on point. What options are there for insurance with this as the goal? Both classic companies I have dealt with specifically state that the car can NOT be a daily driver. Regular insurance would give you book value for what ever the vehicle is. Almost certainly this would not be enough to cover even a low buck redo to make it a driver. Anyone have any input? Hopefully this isn't a jack as I think this goes directly to the OP's point. Thanks. :thumbsup:

Chad -- Just talk to your "regular" insurance company and ask that about an "agreed value" policy. Almost anything can be insured if the two parties can agree... then it's just whether or not you want to write the check. :unibrow:

I am blessed to be able to have a short drive [3 miles] and a safe place to park when I get there. I am further blessed that we are constantly working with a lot of different musclecars to develop suspension components so I get the chance to drive everything from a 66 Chevelle, to a 70 GSX, to a 07 Z06 Vette.
No, it doesn't suck.

My favorite? If I had to get rid of them all...I would likely keep my 70 GSX. 560hp, 6 speed, stereo, A/C, drives very much like my Z06 with slightly less cornering potential and slightly less gas mileage.

Having said that, in the winter I drive my 97 Tahoe. 2 door, 2wd, dropped 12" with a 4 link and 18" wheels. It does nothing wrong either, but its not very fast:)

Greg,

I don't think that's true. Most "regular" insurance companies simply do not and will not write an "agreed value" policy - period. I wish it were different but would be totally surprised to find otherwise. An "agreed value" policy is a "product" which not only the individual insurance sales guy/girl needs to be interested in doing, but the entire company AND their underwriters must be OK with. I have seen "regular" insurance companies that will certainly write a "stated value" policy with language that makes it seem to be agree value - but it is clearly not even close. Remember that the other "party" (ie, the insurance company) is not "one person" or even "ten people". There are tons of pieces that have to be in place. Bottom line, if they don't offer it as a real product, chances are they can not and will not do this. As a matter of fact, most of the "classic" companies are prevented by law in some states from being the "primary insurance carrier" of an individual partially for some of these very same reasons. You have to have separate coverage with a daily drive in order to qualify for classic "agreed value" with your collector. State law.

I would be very interested in hearing any experience to the contrary myself - not for the pontiac but for a different vehicle. This doesn't mean you can't use your classic as a DD, but it does impact cost.

Good info..... I've never tried to talk my regular insurance company into covering my hot rods... but ASSumed they would IF I was willing to pay the premium. SO here's the $64 question then -- maybe you know -- would the classic insurance companies cover your DD at agreed value... without the usual milage stipulations and the "going to and from" restrictions. I've never asked them for that kind of coverage - and wonder if they even offer it if asked to.

Biggest problem I see with using a $$ hot rod as a daily driver is the insurance coverage issues. Wouldn't want your hot rod "totaled" for what might be a simple fender bender!

Greg, here's what I know. Please don't consider it all gospel but I'm pretty confident of the main items. Coincidentally, it seems like I'm always messing with insurance because of one change or another. Just switched insurance on the Pontiac, and I've been trying to decide what to do for a '72 Vette that is my sons (who will turn 21 in November).

At least here in PA, the typical classic companies are prohibied from offering "primary" insurance. I just went with Hagerty, and they need to see proof of primary insurance on a different vehicle - in your name. You must be a named insured on the policy and not just listed on the policy. So, Hagerty for example can not provide primary insurance if that DD is your only vehicle. That's the first part. In our case, we need to transfer the title of my sons DD (a Chevy Cobalt) into his name. Then we need to get him a separate main insurance policy. Then, there are a couply classic insurance companies that will write him a reasonable agreed value policy.

If you have another vehicle, then you could in theory satisfy the primary insurance requirement - even if you rarely drive that other vehicle. However then you've got the second part to deal with, which is that I have yet to see a classic agreed value policy that allows for daily driving. All of them have language restricting that kind of use to my knowledge. And I can understand why. Their rates are based on risk factors assuming that the car is driven in a certain way and cared for in a certain way. I guess it's possible that they could offer an "unlimited policy" but I really don't know.

For me, there are plenty of other reasons to not use my projects as a dd. One is safety. Let's be honest - these cars are FAR less safe than new cars, and by new I mean cars built within the past 25 years. Crumple zones, offset and collapsing steering columns, front and side impact air bags, stronger support seats, far better seat belt retraction and locking systems, rollover protection - could keep going for a long time with all the advantages. We'd all like to think we're good drivers all the time, but I know I'm WAY more careful behind the wheel of the Pontiac - primarily because I know it's riskier. Sure, we all rode in these things when we were kids. No seat belts, air bags, etc. We also watched family members smoke a pack of cigs a day, do no exercise, etc. Nothing against anyone wanting to use their project as a DD - go for it. But there are IMHO way more reasons than insurance to not do it which is why I was curious as to how many people have kids or long work commutes.

yep, there are the people who park next right next to you even if there are spaces all around

But yes I would drive mine daily, and I am planning on doing so when I finish

I did for 3 years, the cost of gas was outrageous.

We only have about 7 months of weather good enough to use a classic as a DD. Did that with a '70 455 Buick GS convertible with no issues.

IMO a well designed PT car should be able to without breaking a sweat... if the owner wanted to use it that way.

I love it, I never thought i would see a 69 camaro with a christmas tree on top.

I would love to have an old classic as a daily driver, but I'd build it with that in mind. It also wouldn't have a mega dollar value so I could insure it with regular insurance and not worry about losing a fortune if it was totaled or stolen.

That's a beautiful 69 Greg. I guess it isn't there currently?

My current project is going to be built to be driven - The paint has some blemishes, and i won't be fixing them... I won't cut corners but there is some detail work that I won't do. I'll drive the thing everywhere I can - and i expect I'll be able to afford it, given that with an LS1 it should get 25 mpg.

As for the danger? I ride a motorcycle 99% of the time I spend on the road.

http://i338.photobucket.com/albums/n...1/IMG_0498.jpg

I drove this around a lot this summer, rain or shine. I'm going to to keep it so a redo is going to happen, different color,wheels, refresh the nailhead...also a interior is in order

Tracy,

Lots of style obviously. :thumbsup:

What else do you like about it?

Daily Driver absolutely!!
 

I'm building my 64 Skylark ragtop with all the bells and whistles to make it a comfortable daily driver; cruise, ac, abs, shoulder belts, LS1 for economy, alarm and so on. I'm fortunate that I live in a rural area and work in a respectable small town. I do have places to park the car away from others. I will draw the line only at not driving it on the winter salt roads.

I've had plenty of hobby rods and classics that were only weekend or show drivers. I want to enjoy it more. That is the whole idea behind this build, a daily driver.

As far as it being a poor investment - I disagree. Buy a new car for $30,000 and have it's value drop $10,000 the minute you drive it off the lot. 5 years and 100,000 miles later you have something that is worth very little and will only continue to depreciate.

Now take that $30,000 and invest it into a classic daily driver and as long as you take care of it, it should always retain 2/3 of it's value. Unlike the brand new car, your classic can be reborn and bring it's full value back.

I have kids, four of them. This car will be as safe - if not safer than any new car.

Enjoy your rides!!! Life is short!!!:yes:

now thats a BOLD statement... the reality of it is that sure you can make it safer with adding better seatbelts but how do you intend to adapt air bags such as say side impact ones? we are talking almost 50 years of advancements in automotive safety so i dont see how you could a 64 syklark safer than a new car...

dont get me wrong im all for driving the hell out of an old car over all the new appliances, that statement just jumped out at me. :P

I agree as far as the airbags are concerned, I guess what I was getting at are the much larger crumple zones and full frame of the car - a larger cabin with less possible incursion?

I voted yes but in reality it would depend on the circumstances. Daily to and from work or local errands (10 mile radius) sure as long as its not raining. Heading into the city for a night on the town?? no way. Traffic gets too crazy in the metroplex and I wouldnt chance the car to unknown parking lots and other areas. I really need to look into agreed value insurance. You think your Camaros Skylarks, Nomads, Vettes... are undervalued by insurance companies. You should here what they think of a Maverick. :wow:

I like alot of the big cars, So I decided to do something different, I've had Chevelles, Tri 5, and street rods. I was looking for a 61 Impala flat roof when Kenny Davis saw this and told me about it, I thought it fit my needs for a cruiser..5 passengers, two coolers, chairs and a pop up can fit in the trunk. I think I'm going to keep this one for awhile, so a new color, wheels, and interior will more than likely happen. It will be a good car to load up and go to Goodguys show in. I'm even thinking of putting a FAST system on the nailhead.

Go watch the video where they run a new Malibu into a '59 Impala (maybe it's a BelAir).

That being said, I think an old car can be made quite safe, minus airbags. Side impact and roll over protection can be fabricated and installed, along with good three-point seat belts, a collapsible steering column, etc. It wouldn't be too difficult, especially if you are building a sedan, to surround the passenger compartment with high quality steel protection cage, all hidden, to keep intrusion to a minimum.

Of course the best defense is a good offense, and toward that end better brakes, better handling, etc will go a long way.

Shiny Side Up!
Bill

I used my 65 fastback as a DD for around a year and a half. The paint really started to show the miles but it did not bother me because I was enjoying it everyday.

The only downside was when I was in a hurry someone would always want to stop to tell me about there mustang back when.

The difference is testing. Until you test the components, you really have no idea what will happen in the event of a wreck.

IMO, Many things in life are hazardous to you health. You can take chances and sometimes you get away with it, sometimes you don't. If you can't deal with worst case scenario, don't go down that road.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ "IT" always only happens to somebody else....


Right up until it happens to "you".


That said -- we all take risks and frankly we never really think about the "what ifs"... If we did - we'd never get out of bed.

That is exactly what I was thinking the second after I got hit in my Camaro. I couldn't believe it. I was thinking what are the odds that I get his in this thing, and not the daily driver.

We all have to choose which "what ifs" we're going to live with, and which ones we won't live with. I'm just happy I chose four wheeled stuff over the two wheeled variety, or I wouldn't be here. The safety scale has many shades of gray, and pro-touring cars are forty year old cars, not exactly the safest thing out there. As Gregg B (Gandalf) on here once joked to me, "if I have to worry about needing a collapseable steering column, maybe it's best the car and I go together."

Matt

Matt

67 Chevelle convertible
 

I drive a 67 Chevelle convertible everyday to work. Getting my year old out of his car seat requires rolling down the window, but it's worth it. I bought the car in Colorado drove it to Indiana and now I live in Washington State. It's done it all trouble free.

im gonna daily drive mine, with an LS1 pffffff no brainer, plus I can rev up those kids with the imports buuuuhhhahahahahahahaha

:beavis:

I would use mine as a daily driver if we didn't have 8 months of snow a year. :willy:

I would not drive a classic daily in Detroit! When I drive my car I act like I'm on a motorcycle.



Stielow

Yes, but is it because you are afraid you'll get hurt, or because you don't want it to be hit? With the way you build your cars with safety in mind, I'll bet it's the latter and not the former!

Shiny Side Up!
Bill