Anybody switch over from new car and regret it?

[69GWC]

I bought my 69 a few months back and once i get all the bugs worked out I will be looking at driving it a few days every week to work and then using it for everything else and letting my 06 set more., i just sold my 05 and dont miss it.
I would make it nothing but my DD but I dont want to put 25/30,000 miles a year on it.
I have grown to hate all the computer's in these trucks and all the crazy problems that will come with them at some point.
Posted via Mobile Device

[72 K20]

I have grown to hate all the computer's in these trucks and all the crazy problems that will come with them at some point.

This is the reason my 07 2500HD is for sale and I have a '72 K20 and 2 '72 C20s'.

The computer thing has ticked me off for the last time,,,,, I'll drive my old trucks !!


P.T.O.S. ( preserving the old stuff )

[c10srule]

love driving my old truck, ive made four trips from mo to nh in it without any problems, i can put a motor in it for the price of some of these sensors new cars have, and the engine light will definately never come on, got a 94 ciera 30mpg and ice cold ac if i want to degrade myself and drive somethimg newer, it was only $950

[69GWC]

Yeah a new motor is only a few payments on a new truck...lol or just by 2 old trucks and if one breaks down drive the other one...
Posted via Mobile Device

[dan42]

I don't really have a dd - a few of us guys on the site have vehicles supplied to use by our employers. I have had a new Chevy pickup evey 2-3 years for the last 25 years and I have to say I appreciate not having to fix it or pay for gas. Just the same, if I had a small commute, I would use my '67 as a daily driver. Right now, I just enjoy the hell out of driving it on the weekends and after work.

[Waterboy303]

I'm about to make the Change here real soon! Currently own an 06 Dodge Cummins 2500, I love the damn Truck but dont love the payment! I will be driving a 72 Cheyenne SWB 4x4, it will be a daily driver and project. Can't wait!
Posted via Mobile Device

[67ChevyRedneck]

I do too many really long trips (NY and back at least once a year) and a lot of 300-400 mile trips every year to keep an oldie as a DD. What I did was buy the nicest/newest vehicle I could afford (pay off quickly) that I knew would last. I bought my 00 Z71 with about 65K on it in early 2005 for 16K. I put 6K down and paid the rest off in about a year and a half. It has over 140K on it and has been a great truck. I LOVE my classics, LOVE 'em, but I would not want to drive them everyday in every situation. My 65 mustang does not get driven in rain. It's way too nice. My 67 gets driven in rain quite a bit, but it's a little scary at times, her ass end gets real happy with any kind of water on the road. The wipers suck if it rains too hard, it takes too long for the defrost to work in the winter, etc... too much hassle to deal with every day. Also, even with the power disc brakes, "new cars" still stop way faster than my old beast can. Even with paying extra attention, I've had quite a few close calls with idiots pulling out in front of me and cars stopping short, riding the ass of the car in front of them, etc.

[rogergodding]

At one point I drove my 71 70 miles round trip to work and home, gas was a little cheaper in 98.... Now my commute is only 9 miles and the difference in driving it as opposed to the econobox that we have is night and day...... for one reason only. All of the jerks driving jags and beemers don't even think about cutting me off in the truck.....

[PanelDeland]

Since you live in Az I would vote a decent gas mizer with AC and the truck for cruisin'and winter stuff.I have a 2000 and my 68 and drive the 2000 for the AC.Most of the time I can drive the 68.Milage is a little less with the 68 but the cool factor is worth it.I figure I'm green in the 68.It's been on the road for 40 years without being melted doen into a prius,that would probably have hurt the enviroment as much as the extra gas.I take a trip to Tx every other year and just rent a car for that.It's way cheaper than making payments for 23 months and I usually get a mid size.It costs about the same for that Tx trip whether I fly or drive so I do whichever seems right at the time( a good roadtrip sometimes helps me to clear my mind).

[sharpmark]

in answer to "sillyoldman" --if you are talking about the car in the background at the swapmeet-short answer is i don't know.possibly malibu?? definately american import.

[Daner]

The way my Dad says to do it is like this. Buy used between 50 and 80,000 miles. Run it into the ground or until something catastrophic happens that rules out a reasonable repair. Buy used again. Repeat.

I'm in college atm with 400 miles between me and home. I take my 01 chevy silverado to school. It's getting up there in miles so during the summer I plan on using my 67 exclusively to save my commuter the miles.

I would definitely think twice about using it though if I didn't live in the boonies. For the first month I had it running last year I was driving without brakes lol. hooray for yield signs and stick shifts.

[Sillyoldman]

Originally Posted by sharpmark

in answer to "sillyoldman" --if you are talking about the car in the background at the swapmeet-short answer is i don't know.possibly malibu?? definately american import.

It looks like a 66-67. It caught my eye as it looks a lot like my Buick but the sail fin emblem is not in the right spot.

[Eddie H.]

I haven't had a car payment in many years. I normally just buy a decent $3000 to $4000 vehicle that requires a minimum amount of work, fix it up a little, drive it a few years, sell it when I find something better, and do the same thing again.

[domeier]

I bought my truck in 2001 and have used it as my dd for about the past 5 years. The wife gets on me every once in a while about the horrible gas mileage and the "what's broken now?" factor, but she calms down when I remind her that we haven't made a car payment or paid for full coverage insurance on it... um, ever.

I don't think I've put more than $700 in it for repairs since purchase:

wiper motor
ignition switch
trans/transfer case adapter seal
driver side window regulator
u-joints
tie rods
temp control levers
tires, brakes

It's been extremely cheap to keep, but I guess you need to think about how many miles you drive per year. With California gas rapidly approaching $90/gallon, I do okay since I only drive about 2000 miles/year. If I had a long commute, the cost of gas would exceed a car payment pretty quick.

[sharpmark]

Originally Posted by domeier

It's been extremely cheap to keep, but I guess you need to think about how many miles you drive per year. With California gas rapidly approaching $90/gallon, I do okay since I only drive about 2000 miles/year. If I had a long commute, the cost of gas would exceed a car payment pretty quick.

blimey -- your petrol is expensive!!

[1972BackInBlackC10]

i think alot of this "safety" garbage has been implanted in our heads over the years by the manufactuers, air bags, abs brakes, vehicles that fold like accordians to absorb impact etc dont get me wrong im sure they make things "safer" but i vividly remember laying in the back window of my parents car on more than one occasion when i was a kid

people used these trucks for everything back in the day and now all of a sudden by todays standards they arent "safe" they have been using disc and drum combos these trucks have! for how many years, if you have a good working brake system on your 67-72 i feel it will stop just as good as a 2000, lap belts seem to be an issue too all i can say there is shoulder belts from newer trucks work well and effectively in these trucks as well

fuel mileage? if you have an engine pushing 300 and something horse you lost the right to complain about gas mileage the minute you put the engine in your truck lol, we are talking about reliable dd's here you can build a respectable motor combined with a proper gear ratio and get just as good gas mileage or close, want something a lil better but not too fancy add a tbi set, want air bags tape a veach ball to your steering wheel lol cooooome on

i guess what im trying to say is a well maintained truck is just as good, capable, reliable as a newer truck i just hate seeing all the negative comments about these old trucks not being safe, reliable, fuel effecient etc getting you truck up to standards is going to cost money yes no doubt about it but it aint going to cost you 30-40 thousand dollars

pheeew ok im done my rant and i apologize in advance im not trying to offend anyone with my statement just my views on these good old trucks

[PAWS 72]

Originally Posted by 1972BackInBlackC10

i think alot of this "safety" garbage has been implanted in our heads over the years by the manufactuers, air bags, abs brakes, vehicles that fold like accordians to absorb impact etc dont get me wrong im sure they make things "safer" but i vividly remember laying in the back window of my parents car on more than one occasion when i was a kid

people used these trucks for everything back in the day and now all of a sudden by todays standards they arent "safe" they have been using disc and drum combos these trucks have! for how many years, if you have a good working brake system on your 67-72 i feel it will stop just as good as a 2000, lap belts seem to be an issue too all i can say there is shoulder belts from newer trucks work well and effectively in these trucks as well

fuel mileage? if you have an engine pushing 300 and something horse you lost the right to complain about gas mileage the minute you put the engine in your truck lol, we are talking about reliable dd's here you can build a respectable motor combined with a proper gear ratio and get just as good gas mileage or close, want something a lil better but not too fancy add a tbi set, want air bags tape a veach ball to your steering wheel lol cooooome on

i guess what im trying to say is a well maintained truck is just as good, capable, reliable as a newer truck i just hate seeing all the negative comments about these old trucks not being safe, reliable, fuel effecient etc getting you truck up to standards is going to cost money yes no doubt about it but it aint going to cost you 30-40 thousand dollars

pheeew ok im done my rant and i apologize in advance im not trying to offend anyone with my statement just my views on these good old trucks

Well said. I'm with you on this.

[Hubscrub]

Originally Posted by 1972BackInBlackC10

i think alot of this "safety" garbage has been implanted in our heads over the years by the manufactuers, air bags, abs brakes, vehicles that fold like accordians to absorb impact etc dont get me wrong im sure they make things "safer" but i vividly remember laying in the back window of my parents car on more than one occasion when i was a kid

people used these trucks for everything back in the day and now all of a sudden by todays standards they arent "safe" they have been using disc and drum combos these trucks have! for how many years, if you have a good working brake system on your 67-72 i feel it will stop just as good as a 2000, lap belts seem to be an issue too all i can say there is shoulder belts from newer trucks work well and effectively in these trucks as well

fuel mileage? if you have an engine pushing 300 and something horse you lost the right to complain about gas mileage the minute you put the engine in your truck lol, we are talking about reliable dd's here you can build a respectable motor combined with a proper gear ratio and get just as good gas mileage or close, want something a lil better but not too fancy add a tbi set, want air bags tape a veach ball to your steering wheel lol cooooome on

i guess what im trying to say is a well maintained truck is just as good, capable, reliable as a newer truck i just hate seeing all the negative comments about these old trucks not being safe, reliable, fuel effecient etc getting you truck up to standards is going to cost money yes no doubt about it but it aint going to cost you 30-40 thousand dollars

pheeew ok im done my rant and i apologize in advance im not trying to offend anyone with my statement just my views on these good old trucks

Originally Posted by PAWS 72

Well said. I'm with you on this.

X2 I know newer is safer but I'm not going to not let my child ride with me in my old cars thats just crazy. You stand a chance of getting hurt everyday every second what are we going to do bubble wrap the whole world? Just drive defensively and watch for idiots. I got rear ended by a newer model truck in my 86 monte carlo SS by a 16 year old that dropped his cell phone. His front end was laying in pieces my car was hardly hurt it all depends on the situation. As for gas mileage last time i checked the lot new trucks haven't improved over what i get in my old stuff by much and 40g buy alot of gas.

[davepl]

Originally Posted by 1972BackInBlackC10

i think alot of this "safety" garbage has been implanted in our heads over the years by the manufactuers, air bags, abs brakes, vehicles that fold like accordians to absorb impact etc dont get me wrong im sure they make things "safer" but i vividly remember laying in the back window of my parents car on more than one occasion when i was a kid

There are two aspects to this: accident avoidance and accident survival. Not having had an accident of any kind (my fault or otherwise) in 25+ years, you'd think I wouldn't care about the former. But there have been 2-3 times over those 25 years when a modern car's performance have saved me. Deer jump in front, people change lanes randomly, and my '70 GMC couldn't have saved me.

The other is survivability. Watch this video where they crash a little new Malibu into a great big '58 Bel Air (and don't whine about them wrecking a '58 unless you're really going to go out and restore a brown four-door):

Crash test: 1959 Chevy Bel Air - YouTube

You tell me which one you want your kids in. The Malibu you walk away from, the Bel Air they'll be hosing you off the dash board.

Beyond contrarianism and nostalgia (which I have plenty of) there is NO reason I can think of to want to drive an old car. I used to drive them because I had to, and now I want to drive them because I used to have to, but there's no rational reason.

[Hubscrub]

^again it still depends on the situation i was involved in the fire dept few years back. Point is I've pulled passed away people out of many new ones also and seen them go in front of me it can happen anywhere. I remember a wreck where a small modern car vs. a mid 70's suburban wow guess who won, suburban maybe needed just a bumper if that, the other totaled easy and depending on what happen the opposite could happen. If you don't want you kids or yourself in an "unsafe" car then why are you restoring an old truck? I'm talking to the wife about getting a old station wagon (the cool ones) and fixing for a family hauler. We are taking down our own hobby talking like this about it. I'm sure the beating a dead horse comment is coming. Please don't take what i say personal i'm just trying to explain a point.

[domeier]

Originally Posted by sharpmark

blimey -- your petrol is expensive!!

Yes, Cali has crazy expensive gas, but the naked hippies have forced us to burn a special blend that shoots double rainbows and kittens out the exhaust pipe...

[doubleb's69]

I hate the fact that car manufacturers got rid of a 2 foot cable to the throttle body and went to drive by wire. I don't want a car that has to send a signal from my foot to the throttle body just to make it move. The cable tells it right now. It just one more thing to go wrong.

[67ChevyRedneck]

Not garbage... fact:

1959 Chevrolet Bel Air vs. 2009 Chevrolet Malibu...

[lowrollin70gmc]

Newer cars are safer, but old stuff is more fun! I alternate daily driving my 68 K20 and my 63 Chevy II. Both have been very reliable and I do travel a decent distance to work as well as 400-500 mile road trips to visit family; to include a 1300 mile week in the 63. I do keep basic hand tools and a multimeter in each vehicle as well as roadside assistance. Even so, only the 63 has been towed about 5 miles home with a fried coil.

As for fuel mileage, I get 18 in town with the 63 and 19 with the Burb (diesel is higher per gallon here, so it about evens out cost wise). Compare that to my Dad's new F150 that is lucky to get 15 in town and 19 on the highway. Doesn't seem too bad comparably, huh?

Full disclosure: I did pick up an 88 K2500 as a spare winter vehicle as the 63 will be torn down for paint and when it's -15 I don't feel like waiting for my 'Burb's interior to heat up.

Edit: 5 years ago I sold my two year old car and switched to only old stuff and couldn't be happier.

[69GWC]

Easy to diagnosis? Boy I have to disagree with that statement.. lol. Guess maybe if you have your own tech 2 on you but those are not to cheap to buy either and those parts are really costly.

My 06 Z71 gets 14mpg average, my 69 seems to be getting 12mpg so not a big difference really.
Posted via Mobile Device