I never liked plastic toy cars as a kid, I always preferred to get me a nice Corgi, Dinky or even a Matchbox, these were quality made toys, and it was not easy to convince me as a kid that the plastic ones were just as good and less than half the price. I have been a huge fan of old Detroit steel all my life. Besides their good looks, and simplicity, I really enjoy driving them, working on them, the old car smell, yes they are not as smooth, as quiet, or comfortable, they don't handle like the new cars do, slower acceleration, I have no radio, no power windows, locks etc. I prefer to listen to the engine run over the radio anyway. They burn more gas and so on and so on.... For some reason I enjoy and prefer to drive my old 66 Chevy pickup truck, and I will keep driving it as long as it runs. My beautiful wife wanted me to buy a newer ride, so I went out and brought home a 72 C/K 10 which I thought was quiet a bit newer than my 66, but did not make my beautiful one very happy because she thought I was going to bring home a new car! So I told her, (Honey my taste in cars has not changed since I was a kid I never cared for plastic toy cars)!!

I agree with your thoughts 100%. My new pickup is a 1972 Ford 1/2 ton.
Love it dearly and so do my Labs.

Got rid of my '76 GMC 3/4 ton step side and picked up a '92 C10 and have been regretting it ever since. Just should have rebuilt it again.

DW

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"NUTS"

I get a new plastic car every 22 months because I'm a female senior citizen who regularly drives solo between SC and NY, but I'd love to have this for a Sunday-Go-To-Church car.



A 1965 Buick Riviera Gran Sport.

I had a 1964 Buick Riviera that was my daily driver for years, I wish I still had it!!
But I did replace it with this 1958 Coupe Deville, and then I found a 73 Riviera with 43k original miles, which is still in restoration mode. I completely stripped the paint and tore this car apart, and painted and put it back together. I am not bragging, but it looks better than it did when it came out of the line!!

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The last Riviera I had was a 1997. It was one of the smoothest least troublesome cars I've ever owned. It's a car I wish I would have kept as well.
I read somewhere that Buick owners tend to be the most satisfied of American automobiles owners as perhaps this is one of the reasons.
Jim

Had a 71 Cutlass Supreme I drove as a senior in High School in 1972. Got rid of it in 2002, still looked good, put a new 350 in it about 1992, ran OK. Too much trouble to keep it running right. Bought a 2005 GT Mustang that would run circles around the Cutlass for my 50th birthday. It has 102,000 miles on it now and will still smoke the tires all the while getting almost double MPGs. Ford fixed the only major problem I've had with it be cause of a recall. I'll take it and it's real cold a/c over the Olds.

The Olds did look damn good though, especially the day the new owner drove it off.

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LIVE FROM THE DAWGHOUSE

I even like the color
Like it even more with a rag top!

Guns and Cars will never be as well made as they were
in the 60's-70's.
I wouldn't buy a new revolver if i had to. I would go back
to bow and arrow. Cheap Junk made by workers who are
just wanting to get off the clock and go home.
There is no more pride in workmanship and quality these days.


Chuck

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They hold no Quarter

My baby brother bought that same car, in the same color. I thought it was beautiful, inside and out, and it rode like it was effortlessly flying on a cloud.

I see the point made over and over here. A fine old vintage car is a trip back in time to potentially happier days. Those pictured are fantastic. But I gotta play devil's advocate here.

I have driven a lot of old cars. None of them could by any stretch of the imagination be called a classic if you consider condition and appearance. My very first car was a 1936 Ford Coupe This was in 1961. The starter was a peddal on the floor to the left of the clutch. During the time I had this car I got to be personal friends with several tow truck drivers. I spent the first 25 years of my driving life behind the wheel of beat up old heaps. First new car was a 1981 Chevy Pick Up.

Based solely upon my experience I must say I like drivin' NEW vehicles a LOT more than old ones.

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Real men love cats!

My new to me Mercedes GLK is technically a far better car than my old 97 Tahoe. It is quieter, faster, rides smoother, more fuel efficient, has more toys, has about 5 years of warranty left on it. My Tahoe reliability has been questionable the last couple years but I keep fixing it. The latest fix was a new fuel pump.

However, I will never get rid of it. It is clean, with very little rust. It starts instantly every time. A couple winters ago when it hit -20 for several days and a lot of new cars were stranding people, my Tahoe fired right up. I bought it new, have driven it all over, taken care of it and fixed everything that has broken, I know it, and its mine. It has been semi retired, and will spend its winters in a garage on a battery tender away from the salty roads.

Years from now, when people are relegated to driving little sissy 4-bangers or worse, I'll still have my truck with its 350 V8.

Granted it isn't as old or simple as the 60's and 70's cars mentioned, but I guess my Tahoe is my 'classic' car.

Oh, the same goes for my 98 Corvette, which was my Dad's car. With only 19000 miles on it, I expect to keep it going for a long time.

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Common sense isn't so common.

I'm to the point where I'd rather go down south and buy a thirty year old truck for thirty K rather than a new truck for thirty K atleast I can work on the thirty yo truck and it will be a REAL truck

I'll take an old car over a new one every time. The newest car I own is an '03 Grand Marquis, the oldest is a '31 Model A Tudor. My '31 Ford, which is an unrestored original, is as basic as it gets, doesn't even have turn signals. I love driving it, that 40hp engine moves it along at 45mph without any trouble.

My menagerie also includes a '67 Rambler American, '83 & '85 LTD's, an '86 Olds Cutlass, and a '84 F150 among others. The F150 is just going back in service with a new 351 High Output motor. All it needs now is a working instrument cluster. Even with all those cars, and their care, I have spent way less money than most new cars would cost. The insurance is way lower also.

Most people drive because they have to, so new cars are probably best for them. I drive because I like to drive. My idea of relaxing is getting in one of my vehicles and going for a drive. Old cars are more fun to drive, and they stand out. There is already too much silver/gray sameness in this world, I don't care to be a part of it. I persist in carrying my revolvers for the same reason. In a world of plastic cars and plastic guns my '31 A and .357 stand out.

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Wheel guns are real guns.

I'll take new most of the time. Cheaper to fix (usually), better gas mileage...I don't know why I have to pay more money to move me A to B, better resale and usually better looking (unless restored)

My last car was an 01 Toyota coupe that went over 300k miles with nothing but a change of water pump, plugs, radiator, front and rear shocks/springs. Everything else was original... including starter, rotors, gaskets, engine and transmission. That's what I want. Don't care what year it so long as it's practically maintenance free

I will say this....looks wise I like older cars. Financially i like new ones

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk

New cars are great if you want comfort, handling, performance, gas mileage, electric windows, quiet interior, nice sound system, on board computers and cup holders.

Old cars are great if you want something with soul.

Some people just don't get it.

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Dum vivo cano

My answer? Both. There are dozens upon dozens of old cars I love and would love to have. For a daily driver/commuter, I'll take something newer. That is, if I could afford anything.

I love the look and style of the old cars. But you can't beat the new engines and transmissions.

My dream project is to get a '71 El Camino and install a new fuel injected engine with electronic ignition.

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Freedom isn't free.

When my parents started dating, around 1947, my Dad was driving his '34 Ford. Mom used to laugh about how she thought he was chewing gum to cover his smoker's breath...but it was really so he had a plug ready for when the radiator would spring a leak!

The simplicity of old cars sounds great until you're stopped on the side of the interstate filing and then trying to gap the points well enough just to get you home.

My "fun" car is a 1970 MGB. I drive it regularly-to the point where I drive it to work a couple of days a week assuming the weather is decent and regularly take longer drives in it.

The ignition was a thorn in my side for quite a while. After the above mentioned incident on I-71(I stopped about 5 times, and the car was really protesting by the time I limped home) I ordered a Pertronix branded distributor with a Pertronix electronic ignition module already installed in it. The distributor wasn't great in quality but worked, so I sent the original off to the expert to be rebuilt. It came back with points and I'm giving them another fair shot, although I have both the Pertronix distributor and a set of points in the trunk(boot?).

I installed a new production SU-branded electronic fuel pump a while back to replace an aftermarket pump. The electronic pump works the same as the original, but uses a hall effect sensor as a trigger rather than the points(actually the Pertronix ignition works much the same way). It saves the occasional whack with a hammer, but if it decided to go I'd be stuck-I have the generic branded pump in the trunk just in case that happens.

My carburetors aren't the problem that many people associate with English cars. The SU design is simple to understand and work on, even though I keep a small hammer in the car to occasionally shut a stuck float valve. There is the fact that my choke cable doesn't lock as it should(on my "to do" list to fix) and on a moderately cool morning I need to keep it choked until the engine warms up enough to idle on its own. Then, there's 10 min-1 hour window(depending on ambient temperature) where the carbs heat soak after the car is turned off and restarting takes some careful manipulation of the throttle. Fortunately, at least, the carbs only really need seasonal adjustment.

Creeping along in traffic is always a fun experience. The temperature gauge starts to creep up(how long has it been since you've seen that happen on a modern car) due to the mechanical fan not moving much air at idle speeds and there being no ram air from the car moving. Also, once again the carbs heat soak and the idle drops. That's not to mention that there's no expansion tank for the cooling system, so antifreeze leaks out the overflow. I've put a catch can on it, and on a warm day can lose several ounces out the radiator cap.

Did I mention how absolutely uncomfortable it can be on hot or cold days? With the top up on a hot day, I can get a decent breeze with the rear window open when the car is moving, but forget it if you're stopped. The heater valve(i.e. the one that controls coolant flowing into the heater core) really only seems to be "on" and "off" without an in-between even though the valve does have intermediate positions. There's also a second knob that's supposed to control the flow of hot air between the "demister"(windshield vents) and the footwells, but I can't tell if it actually changes anything. The heater blower is one speed.

British cars are famous for their electrical woes, but really most of the issues are present in any old car-specifically corroded connections and bad grounds. Fortunately, the wiring diagrams are easy to follow and most problems can be diagnosed with test light and/or voltmeter. Even so, the British had a bad habit of not using relays-the only one present in my car is on the starter. Everything else is switched directly at the control switch, which not only brings in a lot of unecessary resistance but also is hard on the switches. When I get some time, I'm going to relay the headlights and the horns-the two highest current drawing parts on the car. This should make the lights brighter, the horn louder(something that's to your benefit in a small car), and save the switches. A previous owner of my car bypassed the dash light rheostat and replaced it with a simple on-off switch. Even with full power, the gauges are barely readable, so I can't fathom the need for a rheostat.

Plus, let's not forget that you do legitimately have to do a "tune up" periodically. On the MG, it means setting the valve lash, checking/replacing the cap, rotor, and wires, gapping or replacing the points and condenser, pulling the spark plugs and either cleaning and regapping or just replacing(make sure the gap is correct!), checking and/or replacing the plug wires, setting the timing(how many of you have a timing light?), and finally setting your idle speed and mixture on the carbs. Fortunately, at least, unlike my new car I can have a plug out in 30 seconds rather than it taking me a half a day just TO get to the plugs.

Then there's the convertible top. Mine does keep water out completely to its credit(it is new) but I think it's easier to solve a Rubik's cube than correctly fold it to when you want to take it down. When I want to put it up, I often have to put the top up, get as many of the clips and snaps as I can fastened, and leave the car in the sun for a few hours before I can actually get it completely in place.

Did I mention the seat belts? My car does fortunately have 3 point belts(I would rather wear no belt than a two point belt) but they lack an inertia real. The end snaps onto a post on the rear deck of the car(there are plastic retainers on the metal post that were missing when I bought the car, and they were $20 each...). This means that to be completely safe, each occupant needs to individually adjust the belt manually. Since I'm generally the only one driving, this isn't a big deal for me but it can be for the passenger. I often just leave the belt very loose on the passenger side so most everyone can fit and latch it and it provides some degree of protection for them. When I fasten the driver's belt, though, I'm not going anywhere.

To my car's credit, it doesn't leak oil.

I love working on the car and as I said, I do drive it a lot. Even so, I'm glad that I have a modern car where I can just get in it, turn the key, and drive.

BTW, I'm spending next weekend at a friend's house and we are going to pull the engine and transmission then replace my transmission. I have bad 3rd and 4th gear synchros that cause a terrible grind. Additionally, the speedometer doesn't work on my car-this is due to a nylon work gear on the transmission output shaft that just decided to disintegrate some time before I bought the car. Why there's a plastic gear in a place that requires a full transmission tear down to access, I will never know. In any case, a good $50 used transmission that was pulled for an overdrive upgrade should solve all my woes although the whole thing is costing me about $400 in "might as wells."(seals, gaskets, and wear parts that are inaccessible with engine in, motor and transmission mounts, and of course a new clutch/pressure plate/throwout bearing).

I guess to sum up my post, older cars do have a charm of their own(I'm NOT giving up my MG any time soon, and will probably be starting an MGA project in the next few months). They are simple to understand and work on, although admittedly the second part is often only true if you give the bolts a dose of penetrating oil a couple of times a day every few days before you start a project. Even then, I've had to cut and replace bolts to get them out. It's nice that problems often CAN be diagnosed with simple tools and many common things can be easily remedied with equally simple tools(i.e. a few basic hand tools and maybe some sandpaper). Parts are often inexpensive, but unless it's something super common good luck walking into Autozone to get it.

When I came home from Army I had a company job that required
a lot of driving. Company had holdings all over. The longest I
keep a car was 10 months. They would look like new and have
outrageous mileage on them. Mileage I was paid would more
than make a car payment, so I bought a new one every 10 months. I would like to have those cars lined up to sell now, I
always bought muscle cars. My 1st new car was a Nova SS
$2200 out the door at the time. My only regret is that I never
bought a Vette, never wanted one at the time. I did have to buy
a few extra ones to replace ones I wrapped around stationary
objects.

I've had some great old cars: 1963 Pontiac Grand Prix with the 421 High Performance engine, 1964 Chevrolet Impala SS Convertible with the 409, and a 1966 GTO. While I'd love to have any of them back today, I wouldn't want any of them as daily drivers.

People say "they just don't build them like they used to", and they are right, but not in the way they think. Cars today are built far better and vastly safer. Comparing a vehicle that has four wheel antilocking disk brakes, airbags, seat/shoulder belts, padded interior surfaces, built in crumple zones, and gets twice to three times the fuel mileage to 1960 through 1990 technology really isn't fair for the older vehicle as they just can't compete. Today's cars are expected to get a couple hundred thousand miles on them. Cars of old rarely lived that long.

Yes, old cars are great, but they have their place and that place isn't as daily drivers. Of course you can do as you please, it is America after all, but do knowing that if you get in an accident, that old car may well kill you or maim you for life.

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So many S&W's, so few funds!!

I agree that there was a certain cachet with the old cars, but Tom S sums it up perfectly. There are trade offs to get that style, and newer cars can do anything that the older ones could and with considerably more efficiency.

This YouTube video shows an offset crash test between a 1959 Chevrolet Bel Air versus a 2009 Chevrolet Malibu. It wasn't what I expected.

Cars are tools. I don't miss distributor caps, points, carbs etc etc. I'll take a new vehicle everyday of the week and twice on Sunday.

If you want something with soul and warmth, get a woman, cars are poor substitutes.

I've owned over 100 cars and trucks in my life, mostly high performance cars. I am looking over to the garage right now at 3 2016s and a 1999. 2016s Jeep Rubicon Hard Rock Edition, 2016 GT Mustang, 2016 Explorer twin turbo Sport. My 99 Ranger is almost 18 years old with 124,000+ miles, I will never sell it. The others come and go. Opinions are just that, nothing more, but with over 100 in my past, the most beautiful car I ever saw is a 1963 Buick Riviera. I never had one.

Kindred spirits (post #4).

I don't remember the precise year it happened but when they came out with fuel injection and electronic ignition they made my car ownership a much happier proposition. I remember that if buy a new car with a carburetor, spark plugs, points, and condensor you Might get a year out of them and after you change them for the first time you would typically get 8 to 9 months before you do it again. I have kept vehicles I bought brand new for as long as 12 years and I haven't bought a spark plug or points or condenser or had to over haul a carburetor since 1981.

I'm not mechanically inclined. But I once changed out the water pump on a '48 Chevy. I opened the hood and got in and sat on the wheel well and hung my feet down between the wheel well and the engine block. There was enough room there for a large dog to go through without touching anything on either side. 4 bolts to take the old one out and the same 4 bolts to put it back. Even I could handle that.

If you open the hood on a fairly new car these days and throw a dime in the engine compartment you'll never see it again. When I got my new 2001 Ford Ranger (small 4-cylinder engine) I got it home and opened the hood to have a look around. The first thing I noticed was that there was no air filter. Actually there was but I didn't recognize it for looking right straight at it.

When we got Miss Pam's 2004 Lexus SC-430 (Little sports car with retractable hard top) I looked under the hood to see if it was a V-8 or what. I couldn't tell.

The charm and warm nostalgic feeling inspired by the '57 chevy, The '56 Ford Crown Victoria, the '62&3 Corvette, etc come from lookin' at 'em. Driving them don't really blow my dress up these days.

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Real men love cats!

My first car, in 1963, was 34 years older than I was at the time. It had a crank, as did the next two cars I owned in my youth. I loved them all dearly.

Here's #1

1929 Chrysler 75 Sedan. It's with it's 3rd owner since me and was restored to the condition you see by the 2nd owner after me. My last new car was purchased in 1989. I said I would never buy new again and haven't to date.

I just purchased my current ride a few months ago, a 2010 Chrysler 300C Hemi V8 at about 35% the cost of a new one. It replaced a 2005 Chrysler 300 Limited V6.



LTC

Amen! 20 years back I restored a 1965 Corvette Coupe. 327 cu inch/365 hp small block, four speed, etc. Spent a lot of time and money on the suspension, brakes, wheels and tires. Upgraded to michelins, better disc brake pads, gas shocks, new springs, etc.

It was FAR inferior in braking, handling and ride to the Caprice cop car I had at the time. I could have probably beaten the Vettte on a track with the Caprice.

Loved the looks and the SOUND, that was about it.

Had a 1969 396 Chevelle when I was a kid. My first new car.

In 2012 I had a new 4 cyl, VW GTI. The GTI could beat the Chevelle in the 1/4 mile, top speed, out handle it, rode better, had FAR better braking performance....and got 30+ MPG. A lot of years difference between the two...Yes.

But todays cars are far better than the stuff I grew up with.

I bought my first and only new vehicle when I was 18 years old, it was a 96 Dodge Ram 1500 4x4 that I sat down and ordered, took three months to get there but I figured since I was paying for it I was going to get what I wanted and everything I didn't need. I saved $3,000 by not getting power windows or doors, a bit of extra trim, a sliding rear window and I got nicer steel rims instead of aluminum ones. I drove that truck for seven years, wish I held onto it. Everything I got that was newer gave me trouble.
After I got hurt in 2010 I haven't been able to afford much since I have been on a fixed income and that includes vehicles. I had a 01 Cherokee at the time, but the north east winters had taken a toll on it, the rocker panels were a memory and the floors had some holes in them. At the time it had about 200,000 miles on it. I had a few issues early on it with it but drove it for seven years. Had a 2002 Merc Grand Marquis that I got in 2013 with 148,000 on it. I sold it last summer with 198,000 on it and I was having issues with it. Then I had my 92 Suburban which I had put some money into but had it where I wanted when a woman hit my son and I head on last October. No airbags, nothing other than seatbelts and we walked away without a scratch, the Suburban and her car were totaled. She ended up in the ER.
Now I have two trucks, my 93 GMC 1500 that hopefully will last me awhile and my 74 Ford F-100. The F-100 is more comfortable, rides nicer and they're both 2wd. Sure the GMC is better on gas, I get about 15mpg with it. I doubt I will ever be able to afford a newer vehicle, so for me, the older stuff is what I have to own. I imagine as long as I can I will keep replacing stuff on my two trucks but the wife needs a car someday, can't imagine when I'll afford it, but here's hoping.

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Vaya con Dios

Was a Dodge Swinger/Plymouth Duster slant six fan...at 61 years old now, I don't think I could bend over long enough to replace points and condensers without visiting chiropractor afterwards... My wife's 2003 Altima 2.5S will outhandle anything Chrysler made in the early 1970's, gets better mileage, and no 8-track player...

People are largely ignorant of the forces involved in a crash. They look at a brand new Subaru that was in a 25MPH crash and compare it to a 1959 whatever from a 25MPH crash. They think, "Man these new cars are useless. That car is totaled. The old one just needs to be buffed out and it's good."

What they're missing is how the crash affects the driver. Further, they don't know what to look at. In the video, you can clearly see that there was plenty of damage done to both cars. The difference is that the driver's compartment in the 2009 was completely intact.

They don't say, but I'll bet a month of lunches one driver was dead and the other walked away.

EDIT:
None of that changes my opinion; the old cars look better and modern running gear is far superior.

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Freedom isn't free.

I just last week registered my newest car ever. It is a 99 Jaguar XJR, the supercharged sedan. Cost me a whopping 500.00 US dollars. Jaguar , in their wisdom ran 2 heater hoses under the supercharger... One was leaking and the owner was not inclined to fix it. So 60 bucks in parts, and a days labor later, I have a "new" car. It replaces my 93 Jag that had a timing chain guide break (unusual to say the least!) at 175K or so. Meanwhile the winter beater Volvo 940 Turbo was pressed into service...Love the Volvo wagons. Both of these cars are fairly easy to fix, most parts are cheap enough...And for the money, who cares?
I had an 87 Audi Turbo Quattro wagon,that I retired a couple years ago.I could not get parts anymore (mostly electrical stuff) Probably the best, most thought out car I have owned. Small engine, but with a turbo, so not slow. 24 MPG commuting, 33 MPG on the highway with the rotten ethanol gas Used to break 35 on real gas.And this was a big car, by Euro standards anyway. The all wheel drive was just awesome. The car drove exactly the same no matter what the weather.It had lockable center and rear differentials, and a switch to cancel the ABS in slippery conditions. I about passed a tear when that one went away. I have also had over 100 cars,from MGs to muscle cars, to wagons and pick ups. Been driving cheap Jags since I was in my 20s...Still miss my MGBGT though... Working on restoring a 67 corvair for something different.

Back in 1975 the first auto body shop I ever worked at as a helper, I saw my boss take the posts off of the 1963 Corvettes back glass to make them look like a newer model for his clients. I will bet the owners started kicking themselves shortly after!!

You are correct. Newer cars are designed with crumple zones, which perform two tasks. The obvious one is to absorb impact, but the second and equally important one is to pause the sudden deceleration slightly. Obviously we are talking 100th's of a second, but it was determined that a lot of people suffered life threatening internal injuries or death when their bodies went from 40 mph to 0mph almost instantly. Literally, their organs where smashed against their ribs and/or steering wheel. The same hold true for air bags, whose real purpose is to slow your deceleration down, with a secondary effect adding cushioning, although anyone who's experienced an airbag inflation will question it's cushioning effect.

Other designs help force the engine and trans to go under the car rather than into the passenger compartment. There is a whole science involved behind making cars crash worthy.

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So many S&W's, so few funds!!