Daily Drivers

I was wondering how many folks use their vans or pickups as daily drivers. I know we all did in the late 60s and early 70s but do you all still trust them to start and run and go to work every day?

Just curious
Jim in MO

Actually Jim, if I lived in California, if the price of gas wasn't so high, traffic weren't so bad, and I didn't need A/C, I'd commute with my A. Right now seems like there's always the chance of rain. I drive mine 33 miles home on the weekends whenever possible.

My 2003 Chevy Express van can start to hick-up at idle whenever it get a little moist out. Mechanics claim they 'fixed it' for a few hundred $, but a day or two latter I'm double peddling again . I've also spent over 7 Gs keeping my 1997 Chrysler Cirrus on the road the last couple of years. In other words, new and newer stuff may not be so dependable either.

If do your preventive maintenance often, use good quality replacement parts and don't cut corners when making repairs and upgrades, your van should be fine as a daily driver.

Eventually, once the brakes are finished, it will be my daily driver. I'm sure once it sits through daily traffic, and some Texas heat, I will be doing a few more expensive repairs. Just keeping my fingers crossed that they all don’t come at once.

I have three of these little gems (two trucks & one van) and I use them most of the time. The majority of my commuting is done via bicycle. I've found after I restored my econoline, I drove it less than the dodge van which is still in need of a lot of love. If I have to go long distances, I take my 86 honda with 380,000 + miles on it as it's a five speed so better for freeway travel. But I've never had any problems I couldn't tackle in one of my classic vans.

My 67 chevy was my only ride from about 1984 through 1998 when it got ill (all things rubber and plastic desintigrated in the fuel tank). Up till then it was very reliable and I loved driving it , but it's not so good on mpg. Have slowly been bringing it back to life, and have been putting the M1D type disc brakes on the front and spraying an epoxy coating on in and out. I have another car now that is fine, so the Chevy will be my beach cruser and a commuter only a few days each week when I get it back on the road.

i drive my 66 daily and screw fuel economy with a econoline over 100kilometers a day with a 302 just to stop every couple of days and fill up. up north in canada it will be parked nice and safe ready to be driven at the first chinook we get if fuel doesn't drop soon may have to get rid of some toys naah

My daily driver is a '94 Dodge conversion van, but for many years I drove an early Dodge everyday. Never had a problem.

Although I trust the Dodge early to start & run every day, I don't use it as a daily driver due to the price of gas, and because it has historical plates. In my state, you must have an excuse to drive it related to the vehicle (going to a car show, going to the shop,etc)

According to a state highway patrol guy I talked to it is perfectly
legal to, say, go to the local wally world and get groceries, as long as you have a vehicle related purchase also, like a new air filter,etc

about the last place id leave my early unatended! i see buggies sailing through the parking lot looking for a victim- or that *sshole with the rotted out ford granada with the 10 foot doors that has to park 10 inches away from your rig and leave its mark.

I agree about peoples inability to park and/or get in and out of their cars. It is just a general careless attitude and is not even new. However I was thinking more of the older technology being reliable without changing everything.

I am not sure I feel totally comfortable using my 69 mustang as a daily but if I had left it completely stock I assume it would do what it was designed to do in 1969.

In general I was thinking out loud about the 1965-1969 vehicles being reliable for 3 seasons. Clearly in mid missouri the winter can be unpredictable in terms of ice, snow and road conditions. With proper maintenance and so forth would they do what they were designed to do 40 years later.

I would rather spend 6-8K on cool style and fun than 30-35K and 5 years of payments. Both need the same routine maintenance I think.

Jim

Speaking of parking lots, several years ago I had just purchased a used $12,500 cargo van. Stopped at "Walmart" for jumper cables, spare fluids, etc. on a very windy day. Jumped back in the truck to see a runaway shopping cart hauling ass looking to T-bone a minivan. Just before I was about to see the collision, my new (to me) van was rocked. I looked thru the side door windows to see another Walmart shopping cart mocking me. Oh the irony...

Back to the thread - I've found the upside to having my earlies is you can usually fix the stuff yourself (insuring it was done properly) and diagnosing problems are pretty straight forward. None of this "If we follow the 'logic tree' form the codes that have come up..." BS from MR Ubermechanic.

i drove a 62 buick skylark-daily driver in newengland it saw it all, slip slide n away was my favroite song in the winter. finally retired her in 02 just because finding replacement parts when you need them now is tough! and the only time things broke was when its -30 snow and wind. the last thing i want to do is crawl under the car to yank the starter out to rebuild it.

I bought my first early Econoline in 1972 and have owned at least one ever since. They have all been my daily drivers. The most recent were a 1962 pickup that I owned for 5 years and 50,000 miles. I towed a 65 Econoline from RI to Florida with it and took it to all of the Carlisle events. I replaced it with a 65 Econoline pickup that I still own. I've had it 6 years and over 45,000 miles. I used it to tow my 63 Deluxe Club wagon from Florida to RI, Carlisle trips and weekly trips from RI to Bar Harbor Maine. My current daily driver is a 63 8 door Econoline. I have had it about two years and a little over 15,000 miles. I have taken it to Carlisle and Maine regularly. So far the only major problem I had was a spun rod bearing on my 65 pickup in Portland Maine. I was able to drive it back 160 miles to RI at 30 mph. The engine was a 71 302 that had never been rebuilt with over 150,000 miles on it.

I drive my 86 dodge conversion everyday... gets decent gas mileage with the 318 and a 2bbl... Ice cold A/C to boot... I just put a flow-master on it yesterday now it sounds like a monster but not to bad on the wallet.. My 72 drives like a dream but the gas on that guy kills me so she is parked for now only to be let out for an occasional trip to the store..