Anybody switch over from new car and regret it?

[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

[magwakeenercew2jh]

I retired in 2008.

During all our married and child-rearing lives (the last 40 years) we usually had two decent cars...sometimes new or newer, sometimes not..while I played
with or built countless motorcycles. In the earlier years, she always had the "good one". And I usually had one that was pretty reliable, but not a long-hauler
(just a commuter, upscale beater, etc.).

Now, I'm trying to get the 3-year build truck to the point of reliability so that I can dump the Altima Hybrid, have the boss (wife) keep
the small SUV, and I'll start thinking more about where I drive.... and why.

Cruising in the truck, and combining cruising with doing a few chores at the same time...maybe the longest being a 70 mi round trip....
and having a vehicle I built myself...with no computer, 915 gigabite battery, etc. That's the goal. I can be "green" (read, $5.00 gas)
in a vehicle that gets a third the gas mileage by just thinking about what I'm doing.

And, if I need to go on a road trip sans the "little woman", Hertz or Enterprise is my new pal.

[Hubscrub]

I've never had a new one most i've ever payed for a vehicle is 7,000 (97 pickup) i drive most of the time. Going on a long trip i usually rent a car save wear on mine. It irks me when people say i don't drive this old stuff because of it's not safe etc. they drove them everyday years ago and got everywhere they needed to go without technology. It boils down to most of us has became pies with all them modern comforts etc. i was talking today with a lady at work to the fact that most of the simple things in life have been forgotten, and people are getting more anti social because they are usually glue to the hip to there phones etc.

[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.

[LilD]

My 95 GMC died on me and I dont carry a computer in my back pocket so I had to have it towed and shelled out $500 to fix some sensor. My 70 died on me and it took me 5 minutes to find the problem and fix it roadside. Newer cars can be just as unreliable than older ones and cost more to fix. I bought a 63 Valiant to drive to save a little gas.

[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.

[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.

[67ChevyRedneck]

Not garbage... fact:

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

[ChevLoRay]

Just as gasoline prices were beginning their climb in '73, I had a '71 VW Super Beetle, with some EMPI stuff on it. I had gotten married and bought a house. The first baby was on the way and those payments of $73.87/mo were weighing heavily on my mind.

So, I took it back to the dealership, sold it to them and bought a '56 Chevy 210 4-dr wagon, with a 265/3 on the tree, for cash. It was a good car, and gas was still under a buck a gallon. In fact, I don't think it hit 60 cents/gallon.

While these trucks are old school in design and maintenance, we all know that the newer (OBDII) vehicles offer easier diagnostics, and better fuel economy. However, I just want to grin when I recall the sound of that V-8 blowing thru the Flowmasters. The wifes' Lexus just doesn't do that for me in the same way.

[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

[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.

[Billett]

I agree, I find that crash video a bit hard to believe. I was in an old Gremlin my girlfriend had when she accidentally "bumped" into one of those yellow cement posts at the bank. There was a chunk of concrete that fell out onto the ground, but her bumper just had some paint on it. Those cars were not built to crumple like that one did. Call me a skeptic, but I'm just not buying it.

EDIT: I'll leave what I said up, because I do still find it a bit hard to believe, but thinking about it a bit more, these newer cars are much more reinforced in more safety specific places. Please don't think I was doubting the superior safety features of newer cars, I just can't seem to wrap my brain around that video when all of the first hand experience I've seen with older vs newer cars is the opposite. I'm thinking it might be higher speed? Those two hit head on pretty fast so I could see the old sheet metal crumpling without the reinforcement the new ones have. City traffic though I feel much safer in a steel brick up high haha

[vectorit]

Every time I talk to my Dad about upgrading the brakes, or something else in the Suburban he always laughs. "Those brakes and axles treated me just fine, and I raised a family in that Suburban for 20 some odd years".

Now if you ask my Mother...

[Eddie H.]

As far as fuel mileage, I have found that there's not much diference between the new ones and the old ones.

My old 69 GMC long bed with a 406 small block and a 400 trans gets around 11-12 mpg, sometimes 14 if I baby it on the highway.

My daily driver ( company furnished truck) is a 2012 silverado 2500, with a 6.0 liter, six speed automatic overdrive and the latest electronics drive by wire technology that cuts out 4 cylinders while cruising. It averages 11-12 mpg, with 14 if I baby it.

Granted, it is heavier, being a 3/4 ton, but it has 40 less cubic inches to feed, electronic fuel injection and overdrive.

[69GWC]

And which one is faster do you think.? I know my 69 would walk off from my 06 if I could shift that sm465 fast enough.. lol

To me you would think these new truck would do alot better then they do with all this new technology they have now.
Posted via Mobile Device