Restored Older Car for DD?

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Phishin

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I'm about to give up my newly acquired 2010 Accord to the wife. So, I'm left with the beater truck and the Altima. Both of which are "in town vehicles"...ok to drive to work and to the store, but they are not really highway material.

So, I've been looking around to find a "new" car/truck for myself. I've always been attracted to the older stuff....yeah, older than 1990. The cars I'm looking at have almost all been "restored"....meaning new paint and rebuilt/new engines, a lot of them have new interiors. Are these vehicles a total [censored] shoot in regards to using them as daily drivers? Should these cars be "weekend/ice cream" cars instead?

What I'm looking at are cars like a 1960's Volvo P1800, any Honda pre-1982, possibly a 1960's Volkswagon Bettle.

I also stumble upon really low mileage, untouched cars from the same era. Some of these cars are 20-35 years old and have less than 40k miles on them.

What do you guys think about spending $10-$16k for a restored import to be used as a DD? What about spending $6-8k for a super low mileage untouched model?

Last, I should stay away from luxury BMW and Benz cars....like an early 90's BMW 850 and the Mercedes S600...both of which sold for over $100k new, are V12's!!, and can be found with 50k miles on the odometer (very common) for $18k. I'd love this luxury and this performance....but I can't afford $10k car repair bills either. Stay away from these V12's? Or any luxury German car?

Thanks for your input fellas!!
 
One of my college friends had a '72 VW Beetle, and he always seemed to be talking about problems with the gasoline fueled heater. He was pleased on the days that it worked, which wasn't very often. Since Indiana gets cold, I would stay away from an air-cooled VW for that reason alone.

Late '70's to early '80's Mercedes 300D's with the 5-cylinder diesel have a dedicated cadre of owners that will do anything to keep their cars on the road. Those Mercs have a reputation for long lives.

Volvo P1800's are good looking cars and have a reputation for durability. I think the current record holder for miles on a passenger car in the Guinness Book of World Records is a P1800. Good luck in finding one, though.
 
i would say this will be an acquired taste. there is less to break down on them, but you'd want to avoid anything elite due to parts availability, especially if it's a DD.

You can keep a VW running indefinitely. let's just get that out of the way. But, for DD use, would you want to? Every try to get a stock beetle up to 60 mph? then compete on the freeway?

If it were going to be a DD, I'd have to suggest something with huge parts base--- domestics--- RWD, V8, swapping in modern transmission/engine/management. You could do very well in that regard, and turn a lot of heads.

25 year old swedish car... 30 year old german... YOU will be the mechanic, and YOU will be waiting for parts to arrive at your door.

There may also be safety factors to consider. Benz's were pretty solid, but a '78 honda? No. Beetle even worse. At least a full-size domestic would put some steel around you.... though things like crumple zones, collapsing engine crsdles, body kinetics, etc., not so much. But I'd feel a heck of a lot better in an impala wagon than a beetle.

BMW-- Benz--- if it were me, coming into the 90's would alleviate my worries about safety a good bit. You'd have to absolutely make sure you were committed to a bimmer before going that route. I know little of Benz's, but recall lots of electrical issues with M class during that era.

It does sound fun-- romantic-- may not be practical unless you are careful. A 1975 GM truck can run forever with easy parts available....
 
Initially I'd say get something you could drop a small block chevy into, maybe with an electronically controlled lockup transmission, fuel injection etc to get better reliability and MPG.

But there's nothing, stylistically, that screams at me that it should be done. Probably because it's still common to see an unrestored 1980s caprice, cutlass etc clattering around. And then one would want to restore the window weather stripping, suspension bushings, all that small yet expensive rubber stuff that noone actually fixes.

Since you want a highway vehicle random clunks and wind whistling you'd find *not acceptable*, and they didn't really triple-seal doors back in the day.

My 83 Merc 240d was a bunch of fun but it was loud at 65 MPH and also at about its terminal velocity. I was too cheap to fix its AC, cruise control, or weather stripping, and the radio antenna feed must have been pinched as it only got a few stations. All little aggravations, and all stuff that a restored car, not a survivor, would have fixed.
 
Originally Posted By: meep
A 1975 GM truck can run forever with easy parts available....


Yeah, I've been thinking about this as well. I love my 1990 K1500....and I laughed the first time I went to purchase new brakes for it. Rotors, pads, calipers, etc....were so cheap. New radiator and distributor....nothing compared to prices I've paid for OEM Nissan stuff.
 
Old cars are fun to drive as long as your handy and willing to invest the time into them to keep them up.

An older W140 is a nice car but you really have to know what your doing to buy one. Having said that a well sorted W140 will give you a better ride and drive than any luxury sedan you can buy today for under $70k. The M120 V12 is a fantastic engine and not terrible to look after, but if you want something simpler get one of the V8's. If you want much simpler I'd look for a W126 or a W124.

500E's are an amazing buy right now and will go up in value of maintained.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Mercedes-...749&vxp=mtr

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Mercedes-...2c5&vxp=mtr
Can't go wrong with an M119 V8, really fantastic car. Totally capable of effortlessly cruising at 120+ all day.
 
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I DD'D my 73 internationl from 95 till 02. Takes a special type of person to DD one of those. Have to know what parts interchange with other cars as most parts places don't show much in their computer system .
 
Lots of mid-80's to mid-90's GM cars around at very attractive prices. The ones with the 3.8 v-6 have proven to be very durable. My neighbor recently paid $3500 for a 1985 Cutlass with 25k original miles. Looks very nice!
 
Back in the day (1983-1990) I was able to own a lot of different cars. I traded a lot. The cars/trucks were anything from a 1970 and older. The oldest was a 1948 Chevrolet Stylemaster. I also owned a slew of older trucks (1st series '55 Chevrolet all the way up to 1970 Chevrolet). They were my daily drivers. They got the job done. Back then, I could still get parts over the counter if I knew where to go. Didn't have internet to shop for parts like we do now.

Being married and being a father of two, I wouldn't own one for a DD just for pure safety reasons. My dad used to say "They don't make them like that anymore". In many regards, I can say "Thank God!". Perhaps the 80's and 90's were an exception, but today's cars offer a lot in terms of durablity, reliablility and last but not least, safety.
 
I know you said no lux. BMW but I'd submit that pretty much any E30 that's in service now has had it's issues worked out and they're not nearly as complicated as the 850 you mentioned. I rode in an E30 on the track earlier this year which was a 'budget' project for it's owner. With sticky tires, race brakes, and a tune-up he's been able to beat the snot out of this car for a couple years now with 150k on the odometer. It was smooth and tight, quite impressive.
 
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Originally Posted By: Maximus1966
Lots of mid-80's to mid-90's GM cars around at very attractive prices. The ones with the 3.8 v-6 have proven to be very durable. My neighbor recently paid $3500 for a 1985 Cutlass with 25k original miles. Looks very nice!


Yeah, and all of them are ugly as snot too. I want an older car, because I want style. For me, every single American car made in the 80's to current production has no style. They are all so vanilla and just blah...

I love the P1800. The lines are sexy.

Originally Posted By: surfstar
Safety concerns would keep me wanting a newer vehicle if it is to be used daily.


Safety is of zero concern for me when buying a car. I don't care about air bags, crumple zones, etc. It doesn't matter what car I'm in, the next big crash is gonna kill me. So, why bother.
 
I drove my '73 and '66 daily up until about 2009 when I picked up the first Cherokee.

I wouldn't have any hesitation driving an old/restored car if I knew exactly what had been done to it. But I guess I've just watched the "free the stuck engine, fix the carb, shoot paint, and get it out of here, its costing me money" mentality on Discovery Channel way too often lately.

As for what kind of old car... depends on where you are. In North America, you'll never beat an old Ford, Dodge, or Chevy pickup for reliability and ease of parts availability. 2-door midsize cars from the 60s-70s are a close second because so much stuff is available due to their popularity as muscle cars. 4-doors are in some ways harder- not much in the way of reproduction of 4-door specific parts. Where they cross-reference to a popular coupe- no problem.

An old VW is easy anywhere, but frankly I think they're seriously lacking in the crash safety department. Especially the vans. American cars/trucks from the 60s aren't great either, but at least you do have some mass around you. Mass doesn't equal engineered safety, but its better than neither!
 
I DD MB diesels on and off, adn DD my 91 BMW quite often. No worries. Get a safe one and dont be concerned.

I had to go cross country to get mine, but there are always cherries available. Be ready to replace rubber parts and suspension components, but otherwise, no big deal.

Go for it! I do it and there is nothing to it!
 
I for one am against air bags. I took a 2002 Camry airbags to the right arm a few years ago...it forced my right fist into my collar bone with enough force to permanently stretch the tendons of my wrist. I'm a big guy, a smaller person would have likely been killed when the steering column hit them in the chest only to then have the airbags.deploy, break the seat mounts and toss 330lbs of man into the rear seat.

As for crumple zones they work well. But if I car designed to crumple hits one that isn't, it kind of negates that effect.

I prefer to sit up high with a full frame under me.


I vote BMW 2002 or a restored old truck.

My dream car that I'm saving money for? A 62 impala powered by a VW tdi motor. Old school beauty and 35-45 MPG.
 
I'd highly recommend a BMW e30 or e36, or an MB W123.
These are durable and reliable cars and parts are readily available at reasonable prices.
I've put ~40K on my old BMW over the past four summers and have acquired a lasting respect for the quality BMW put in these cars.
I've also had good experiences with MB 123s.
The diesels last a long time, the old four speed automatic is bulletproof and these are also very well built cars that should protect their passengers well in an accident.
The 123 also has amazing ride and handling.
They soak up really large bumps with aplomb and while they aren't sports sedans, they will make a very gentle transition to oversteer to help the driver through a corner taken a little too fast. This trasition happens seamlessly, with no need for the driver to make any wild corrections. The driver just naturally and easily backs out a bit of positive lock.
For active safety, no Japanese or American car of the late 'seventies or early 'eighties is on a par with a BMW or a Mercedes.
 
In California the message from the government is to own a car older than 1974. There are cars of that vintage that are easy to maintain and have parts available and there are cars that become a large greasy smear on your driveway and swallow money like a starving alligator. A perfect example of the former is a neighbor that has a 65 Chevy pickup, 6-cylinder, standard transmission and it looks like it's going to last forever. He bought it new and has never looked back. He paid cash and has no plans on buying a replacement. A few years ago he had it re-upholstered, a first class paint job and overhauled the running gear. It looks, smells and runs like a new 1965 truck. The only modification he's done is to install an overdrive and a fancy electronic ignition and matching coil along with an electric radiator fan and a home grown sealed cooling system with a filter and toilet paper oil and fuel filters. He told me that he sees no reason to trade up to a newer model and you know, I agree. And older DD is a good idea if you put some thought into the choice you make or re-create that first car you owned and wished you had never sold.
 
That's what I do with my Lincoln. One drawback is the lack of shoulder belts for the rear passengers. Once my kids outgrow their harness type seats I'll have to retrofit shoulder belts or pick up a newer old DD.
I've been looking at either a '96-'99 Tahoe or '97-'01 Explorer 5.0.
Those Mercedes are sexy, though. Just when I had extinguished my lust for a European sedan...
smile.gif
 
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