A good Question (IMO) - Lateral-g Forums

**Ummgawa** · #1 01-26-2005, 04:00 PM

Lets say that you live in a great place where the weather is great 9-10 months out of the year, your Pro Tour Thang is completely done (If that is really possible).How much will you drive your car?? Everyday?

And

How nice is too nice to drive everyday? I guess my reason for asking is that as I go further into my project, I find myself wanting every nut and bolt to be absolutely perfect (adding way to much time). I'm a drive it untill it's dead and ressurect her again driver. I love to drive mine, Like to get rubber In all 4 gears (6 gears I mean). What do you think?

Y-TRY · #2 01-26-2005, 04:46 PM

I was thinking the same thing. But I was just making excuses for not going all-out with the build-up, realizing that I built the car specifically to beat it up. I don't have the money to disassmble the car every 1000 miles to keep it looking brand new. And as much as I drive it, and HOW I drive it, will definately put wear on it. You can't go street-fighting without getting some bruises. I wear my rock-chips and road grime like badges of honor.

BC69 · #3 01-26-2005, 05:09 PM

Id say built it how you want, and drive it how you want. I dont think it can be "too nice to drive". Take care of it, dont drive out of control, know the cars limits and yours, respect it, and enjoy it. Alot of the affects from driving can be washed off in an afternoon.
But who am I to talk, I got 75 miles on mine, and been bad weather since...

Tim

Musclerodz · #4 01-26-2005, 05:38 PM

Pro-Touring cars were meant to be driven. Mine like yours will look like new all over top and bottom. It is the only way I will have it. I go to the extremes even when doing maintenance. I can't bring myself to bolt on something that hasn't been cleaned, painted, or replaced. I won't abuse my Camaro by leaving it unattended in a Wal-Mart parking lot, but it will be driven many miles. Once I get over the first couple of paint chips and scuffs, look out!

Mike

**Ummgawa** · #5 01-26-2005, 06:34 PM

I have owned a lot of old cool muscle cars. I always tell myself "I'll just have the radiator rodded out, alternator rebuilt, power wash and do a good, cleansing brake job (an old habit). Next thing you know, I have the engine out power washing the whole underneath of the dang thing,"I'll just do a minor Valve job" and wind up going through the entire engine (Old man told me one time, "Sonny[he said sonny] if the motors out of the car, replace the Oil pump!!"), new clutch/pressure plate(its out after all) and of course a new aluminized exaust at least. And then it winds up so much nicer (I have a sickness for engine compartments looking good and all of the inside and outside lights working perfectly) that I get pissed if it gets dirty. I even like it when the window mechanisms don't work properly. I love a smooth rolling up and down window (Anybody?)and have spent days cleaning and fixing the things. I'm sure that a company makes a pill for this, Heck, If Phizer invented a pill to make a 75 year old Scwinn have a working kickstand, they surely can help me. Not with the Kickstand mind you, but the car thing.

Should I go on or can I get a witness here?

zbugger · #6 01-26-2005, 07:47 PM

Ouch.... I'm almost the same way. I really get carried away when it comes to my car. I try to fix something, but I always seem to wind up cleaning the entire area around it.... And then some. But that's not gonna stop me from beating the hell out of the car while I'm driving it. Road grime and chips are a sign that the car is being driven, and that's something that I look for on every car I see at a show. It impresses me more than a spotless underside. Detailed is fine for show cars, but clean is good enough for me.

Rick Dorion · #7 01-27-2005, 06:07 AM

I'm striving for perfection with every task, usually fall short but drive every day I can. I want to enjoy the car to the max. I wind up being my most critical observer on mine but the fun is priceless.

**Ummgawa** · #8 01-27-2005, 06:24 AM

I hate to use a "Antiques roadshow" term here, but, If I buy a car with a good "20/20" paint job (20 MPH and 20 feet away it looks good) with a nice Patina that can be waxed out to some degree, I am much happier driving the slop out of it than one with a super nice paint job. AFTER I have done all of the necessary mechanical stuff I'm prone to do. I see that my costs to complete my PT Maro is going to be close to a riteous down payment on a beach house we have been looking at on the gulf that just came up for sale by owner.

The Beach. The Wife. Need I say More? I'm still finishing the car.

Payton King · #9 01-27-2005, 07:08 AM

I feel your pain. My car needed a valve job and a front end rebuild 3 years ago...what did it get? A big block with a pro-charger, well not really, I traded it for an LS1/T56 and a 12 bolt. Well not really, I sold the LS1 to my friend and bought another LS1 short block. Got head and cam package,etc. I was going to smooth the fire wall, that did not happen either. It got media blasted and every piece of sheet metal was replace with NOS stuff. I am on my 3rd set of rims and tires. So if you have been keeping up, my car has been down 3 years. It has had 3 new motors, 2 transmissions a complete body make-over, 3 sets of tires and rims, 2 rear ends and I am on my second subframe. Need I go on!

My opinion on making it too nice to drive. No such thing. If figure if I am going to paint the bottom of the car a semi-black it will just as much work to paint it yellow like the rest of the car. Everything will be done to the best of my ability and if something starts looking too ugly...it should not be that much work to touch it up. I do not want to have a 1:1 scale die cast model in my garage. That just is not me.

**Ummgawa** · #10 01-27-2005, 02:04 PM

Scott?
Jody?
Bill?

What is your view?