Classics as a daily

[pottery beige]

Originally Posted by Mongoose

But really it all comes down to how close you can get it to a modern car in terms of creature comforts. My buick had everything on it and it was a pleasure to drive regulary, if you can get an early X series ute close to something like an XG/H in terms of useability, then ide say go old school. Nothing else like it

i borrow the bro inlaws XG to get around in now and then.. fuel injected duel fuel turnkey niceness.. air and steer.. great to plod around in and very liveable...
certainly you could get an old XA to do the same....

[flappist]

Originally Posted by xy500

Haha! i'd put money on the fact my xy falcon would out-handle a 1600 odd kilo au xr8. Mind you its not exactly factory spec...
Definitely give it a try in a mates car if you can, its definitely not for you if your as soft as some of the members here...
Things like manual steering are easy to get used to, if you can afford to put air con in the ute then I'd say it could be an awesome daily.
Everybody's wives and girlfriends used to handle driving old cars just fine, if you're a bloke and healthy there is an issue if you cant use a manual steering box! I've driven the xy almost everyday since i bought it 4 years ago, reliability is even less of an issue than high k late models! Maintenance costs aren't as bad as some people make out, and barring the lack of air con on a hot day it's always a pleasure to drive.

Really?

Please explain the result from the race between a Phase 3 GTHO and a bottom of the range FG XT 6 cylinder auto on Top Gear.......

[BTTB]

I think if you have plenty of cash to throw into an XA-XC ute then Restomodding can be very rewarding

Cars can be soundproofed better and most of the mechanical parts (engine trans brakes etc...)
can be upgraded in some shape or form....

The one thing you will never be able to upgrade is the safety componant of your vehicle.
i.e high speed crash etc...


I'd love to have a classic as a daily... but my budget doesn't allow for the necessary
upgrades to make my chosen ride reliable enough to become a daily driver !

So I stay in my Boring BA wagon...

[big_landau]

go the classic.

[spebgtsprint]

My next door neighbour who has his own painting business specialises in older house restorations. His work car of choice for many years was a HK Holden Premier towing a trailer. He would always have a story to tell of someone coming up to him and saying what a sweet and different work car he was using. It actually picked him up extra business as he got talking to interested people. So not only do I personally think that you should invest in a classic as a daily worker, it could actually lead to you picking up extra work aswell! (It also might have helped that my next door neighbour looks like Brad Pitt a fair bit)

[xy500]

Originally Posted by flappist

Really?

Please explain the result from the race between a Phase 3 GTHO and a bottom of the range FG XT 6 cylinder auto on Top Gear.......

hey flapper, the answer is simple, my car weighs a lot less than a phase 3 gtho. As well as having stiffer springs, wider tyres etc. etc.
Still having a poke at older cars are we?

[pottery beige]

Originally Posted by xy500

hey flapper, the answer is simple, my car weighs a lot less than a phase 3 gtho. As well as having stiffer springs, wider tyres etc. etc.
Still having a poke at older cars are we?

just had a weekend of caning my bog stock BA GT through the hills of Adelaide...
Seriously an old bomb wouldnt have seen which way it went...

[jlef5]

I have a car similar to what you are talking about EH holden with 1990 engine, running gear and brakes, uses about 10ltrs/hundred on high ways, haul ****, stops when you want it to, corners great, easy to park even with no power steering. I love driving it, I would drive it everyday to and from work if it wasn't for insurance. Thats about 50km a day round trip to a locked carpark though. I don't think I could do what you are asking as i would be too worried about damage to it.

[tara13]

Go for it.... I used to have a senator and a xc sedan and on long trips I found the xc to be more comfortable and you actually feel like your driving a car!!!!

[bigsta]

Originally Posted by jlef5

I have a car similar to what you are talking about EH holden with 1990 engine, running gear and brakes, uses about 10ltrs/hundred on high ways, haul ****, stops when you want it to, corners great, easy to park even with no power steering. I love driving it, I would drive it everyday to and from work if it wasn't for insurance. Thats about 50km a day round trip to a locked carpark though. I don't think I could do what you are asking as i would be too worried about damage to it.

I take it your using a commy 3800

that buick motor is awesome!!

[bigsta]

Originally Posted by xy500

Haha!
Everybody's wives and girlfriends used to handle driving old cars just fine, if you're a bloke and healthy there is an issue if you cant use a manual steering box! .

Yeah stock but once you dump it and put some fat tyres on it the power steering is essential.

I remember my first build and it was suggested to me i said na of course not but when it comes to parking.......

[TC200six]

With classics, always keep extra awareness while driving. I write this because tonight I saw a tragic scene on the road. It was an XL Falcon wagon T-boned by a Landcruser! I don't know who was in the wrong but the police were there and I think someone might have been hospitalised. It was a tragic reminder that whenever you drive a classic (pre-1970s), that you really try to keep safe so you don't destroy another piece of automotive history.

[xy500]

Originally Posted by bigsta

Yeah stock but once you dump it and put some fat tyres on it the power steering is essential.

I remember my first build and it was suggested to me i said na of course not but when it comes to parking.......

if its not a big cast v8 upfront, even with fats car parks aren't a big deal.

[Snelens]

Loving the comments fella's.
I had to park in a side street in Prahran the other day & it was painful in my FG, 36 point turn to jump in a car park before some sales chick in a golf got there 1st...That little bit of "everyday" stuff made me think.
I would definitely be resto-modding with all options as I like the idea of turning a bad car to great and with our dollar (importing bit's...), full tax deduct-ability, the costs of modding & keeping is probably better long term than the loss from depreciation and then the pleasure of ownership means it isnt bad.
Damage from day to day stuff doesnt worry me as thats with every car. I mainly supervise so the getting in & out part is also not bad as it wont be like hauling around 20 reels of cable, conduit, etc etc.

Its getting more interesting & I will just have to work out what I can get for my dollars.

[SLO AU XR8]

If I can con my parents into giving it to me, I'll be getting our Mk1 Escort to a roadworthy standard and dailying it! No A/C, No heater, manual steering O YEA!

[DRM ON]

im building my xy panelvan for a daily, it will have all the mod cons because im putting a late model windsor into it so it sort of defeats the purpose of owning an old car (will have aircon, power steer, cruise, the lot haha) but i just cant wait to drive the old girl daily

at the end of the day i could probably sell it and buy a late model navara or xr8 ute (trust me the thought has crossed my mind since this few month build has taken almost 12 months) but at the end of the day the way I see it is anyone with a bank account could go and buy one of them, only so many people can drive an xy panelvan these days

[Cabbage]

If you did get an old xa-xc ute for a work vehicle the up side is you could write of a fair bit of the up keep and improvements on your tax. Might make the cost of restoring an older car more reasonable.

[cheap]

I used to drive me XW GT as a daily but not no longer. A worked 351 and heavy clutch are not a good combination for traffic. High running costs, risk of damage and theft was always in the back of my mind too.

[Trevor 57]

Originally Posted by aussie muscle

you want a modern car for the weekly hack and get something special for the weekend. even more reason to look forward to saturday.

That is why we bought our XP Coupe, and we don't mind driving it on dirt roads or in the rain.

Hell, I even drive it to work some days just for the fun of it, I might even do it tomorrow -