Who here daily drives their square body? (long(

[79 silverado]

I daily drive a square and have done so off and on for years... If it tells you anything, I stopped daily driving my Mercedes CLK coupe to drive my c10 instead, but that's more of a mood and a preference thing, don't read that into comfort or handling

Here's what you need to ask yourself in my opinion:

#1 - How much do you drive? I bet the square with a 454 non O/D is going to get half the gas mileage of the 2008 on a good day. Maybe even less. Realistically figure gas around $4/gallon in the very near future, it creeps up every year and if the global economy picks up, esp the chinese slump, they will find an excuse to pop it higher to the $4-5/gallon range.

#2 - Where you live get an insurance quote before assuming it'll be cheap. Part of what they look at it rate of injury and property damage when a truck is in an accident on most general car insurances, so an old square can be expensive if you cannot qualify for collectors insurance (another daily vehicle, stored in garage, etc) It is less if you are garaging in a rural area, but do your homework.

#3 - Expect repairs. The payment will be gone per month, but plan to set aside maybe $75/mo to your repair account so you can pay to fix as things break which they will on an old truck. Some months you won't use it, but that makes up for the months when its a $350/400 bill.

#4 - Think of your travel habits and where you need to park. A big truck like that isn't city friendly and can be hard to park, more so when idiots in their prius who never drove a big vehicle pull in stupid near you and make it hard to leave not realizing you do not have a cab forward wheels to the corners design...

#5 - Finally comfort. The square is a truck is a truck is a truck. Will it bother you to feel bumps in the road and potholes? Does wheelhop bug you? Are you willing to relearn rain driving a bit if you aren't used to driving a square on the highway? A LWB with a heavy 454 up front will be very very light in the rear, somewhat prone to breaking the rear tires loose in heavy rain depending what part of TX you are in... or snow for that matter. There is no traction control or the like in the truck which you may have gotten used to. Also, if you do live in an area that gets cold do you mind sitting for a few minutes on a cold morning for the truck to warm up before driving? Unlike FI that carb is going to need a few minutes to get going on a cold morning...

[79 silverado]

Finally, and I forgot the most important now that I see you are in or around Houston, braking performance will go WAAAAY downhill in the square. I drove in Houston once when I traveled there during my New Orleans days... people stop short or cut across the lanes on the highway trying to make a quick exit you may likely hit them - these big old trucks do not stop on a dime and unless you go to extreme expense they will not stop like the new truck you are used to... Keep that in mind.

[Number21]

Originally Posted by 79 silverado

Finally, and I forgot the most important now that I see you are in or around Houston, braking performance will go WAAAAY downhill in the square. I drove in Houston once when I traveled there during my New Orleans days... people stop short or cut across the lanes on the highway trying to make a quick exit you may likely hit them - these big old trucks do not stop on a dime and unless you go to extreme expense they will not stop like the new truck you are used to... Keep that in mind.

Could swap in a hydroboost brake setup if that's an issue, my old C30 with hydroboost had fantastic brakes.

[79 silverado]

My 79 was originally a diesel and has factory hydroboost brakes that work perfectly...

When a 2007 civic cuts you off and stops short, a 4800# 1970s C10 with 40 year old technology small front disks and antiquated rear drums will drive right into it no matter how hard you press the pedal.... Newer trucks have engine management that retards power output and all kind of crazy brake assist technology to speed up application of slower force based on speed or pedal travel and pressure to amplify braking force... I love the old trucks, dont get me wrong, but they are apples and oranges to what someone driving a new rig is used to

[Number21]

Originally Posted by 79 silverado

My 79 was originally a diesel and has factory hydroboost brakes that work perfectly...

When a 2007 civic cuts you off and stops short, a 4800# 1970s C10 with 40 year old technology small front disks and antiquated rear drums will drive right into it no matter how hard you press the pedal.... Newer trucks have engine management that retards power output and all kind of crazy brake assist technology to speed up application of slower force based on speed or pedal travel and pressure to amplify braking force... I love the old trucks, dont get me wrong, but they are apples and oranges to what someone driving a new rig is used to

Certainly the brakes aren't as good as a new truck, but after you get used to it you should be fine. Don't expect to drive it like a corvette. It's just as dangerous if you're used to driving something old and you get in a new car, I drove my dad's 2001 Dodge the other day and I kept squeeling to a stop, being used to my old brakes. (2001 is new to me!)

As for maintainence, I'm probably going to regret saying this, but I haven't had to fix anything on my truck all summer. All I've done is add power steering fluid because of a leak in the last 4-5 months.

[Keith Seymore]

Yep - driven daily for 26 years (it's got a birthday in a couple days); 199,000 miles.

Still going strong.

K

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by Keith Seymore

Yep - driven daily for 26 years (it's got a birthday in a couple days); 199,000 miles.

Still going strong.

K

My pickup is the most comfortable/pleasant vehicle I own.

The brake "feel" - decel and travel - is just right. Keep in mind it's a vacuum power assisted disc/drum setup, just like a more modern vehicle.

The "on center" feel going straight down the road (and steering in general) is just right.

The acceleration and shifting is smooth (fuel injected); it is smooth and vibration free at speed - as fast as I want to go.

The seating position and support fits me perfectly.

and it gets 20 - 22 mpg depending on what I'm doing.

The only time I don't drive it is when I am being provided a company car to evaluate, which has been the case through this summer.

K

[Firebirdjones]

Originally Posted by 79 silverado

Finally, and I forgot the most important now that I see you are in or around Houston, braking performance will go WAAAAY downhill in the square. I drove in Houston once when I traveled there during my New Orleans days... people stop short or cut across the lanes on the highway trying to make a quick exit you may likely hit them - these big old trucks do not stop on a dime and unless you go to extreme expense they will not stop like the new truck you are used to... Keep that in mind.

My 79 1 ton stops on a dime, and will lock the tires with minimal pressure. Extremely touchy hydroboost and massive 1 ton truck brakes. I don't drive it much but when I do, usually the first time I use the brakes I forget how well they work, usually throw myself and any passengers towards the windshield For a 5500 lbs. truck, it stops better than most of the lighter cars I have here.

Now you want to talk about cars hard to stop,,,,my 56 nomad with manual 4 wheel drum brakes can be a handfull. That's a car that you need to increase your following distance with.

[Firebirdjones]

I daily drive my 72 4x4 blazer, and have for years. I've driven nothing but 40+ year old classics all my life (back then they weren't that old though )

I've never really had any interest in a new car per say. Even my wife drives the old stuff, but her daily commuter is a 2000 SS camaro. When I get in that thing it feels like a brand new car after driving the classics all the time, and it's going on 13 years old

When it comes to long road trips, vacations and the like, we load up the family in the 72 and go without even thinking about it. My parents came out from back East to visit. Since the 72 is my daily transportation and holds everyone comfortably, naturally we used it for the entire 2 weeks and drove all over Arizona from as far North as the Grand Canyon and South as far as Tombstone and everywhere in between. 2500 miles in 2 weeks My parents loved it.

My 79 pickup could be used daily, and I have at times for spirts of a few weeks at a time, but it's primarily a tow and haul vehicle, and used for backup when I'm repairing either my wifes car and she needs to use the blazer, or I'm working on the blazer and I need something else. Otherwise the pickup sits in the garage.

I don't care for car payments, and quite frankly, don't care for all the doo dads and gadgets that are on new cars nowadays. Too many electronics.
A couple of cars I have still have their manual drum brakes all around, and it simply doesn't phase me.

I really don't need much from a car. It starts and runs, turns and stops, and I'm happy. I don't really need power ammenities.