How many people drive their classics as every day car?

[sjefke]

I have only driven classics for daily use until recently when I succumbed to the seduction of airconditioning (I am getting old I guess...).

My first car ever (in 1981) was a 1973 VW bug. Second car was the 1963 MGB that I still own (bought in 1985). Third car that I bought I also still own namely my 1973 MGBGT V8 (bought in 1987). That was all in Europe where I drove either of these depending on the weather and season (VW in winter, MGs in non-salt times).

When I came to the US, my first car was a 1970 Cadillac Eldorado Convertible (8.2 liter V8 - front wheel drive!!). Sold that after 6 months with a $25 loss when the transmission housing started shearing off the engine (what do you expect from a $450 car...). Then bought a 1973 MGB which I drove daily in Houston. Shipped that to Holland and sold it (good profit - doubled my money). Bought a 1980 MGB Limited Edition and drove that daily too. I drove that when I moved from Houston to Atlanta. Also bought a 1969 MGCGT, shipped it to Holland, restored it, shipped it back to US, drove it daily in Atlanta, but gave/sold it to my father because that car was too hot for Atlanta.

I bought a 1970 Mercedes 250C finally to have a real bench and drove that daily. Got rid of the MGB Limited Edition (they rolled the emission requirements back in Atlanta and I would have had to retrofit too much stuff) without loosing money. Then I brought my trusty 1963 MGB over to the States. Brought the MGBGT V8 also over when the 25 year statues of limitation on EPA and emissions test had finally passed. Sold my 1970 250C and bought my four speed 1970 280SE 3.5 coupe and drove that daily when I needed the four seats or big trunk. Sold that a couple of months ago because we had too many big cars around the house (I can park 2 MGs lengthwise or 1 other car). Now I drive the MGBGT V8 mostly for the 5 mile commute, but the roadster comes out for the nice weather. But I have been cheating the last few months by taking our Acura MDX. It has airconditioning...

Driving a classic for daily use is fun, but I have to say that once in a while, a modern car like my wife's Audi has its perks. Especially in pouring rain, snow, sleet when those old 1970s blowers, heaters and wipers have trouble keeping up.

On average I drive about 4000 miles a year among all of my cars.

Bert

[lee polowczuk]

i drive my 1989 300ce every day. In January it qualifies for "antique" tags

[gear-head]

Originally Posted by 250Cmoneypit

....Called a yelp recommended ( )...he said if I keep driving it that much it wont last past a year and that parts are non-existent. Literally asked me 'why did you buy it?' Hopefully I can get a second opinion...

fwiw, my opinion and about $2.50 might get you a cup of joe these days, anywhoo, I've always loved this kind of "knee-jerk" response on this topic. I've been hearing the exact same advice/opinions for at least 30 years. And that's when the cars I was into weren't hardly 5 or 6 years old at that time!! So here it is, my view: Try to imagine that today's date is (insert year of manufacture of your car here) and ponder that if it were so, no one, but no one would have any problem with the level of engineering or the design of this car. The point, it wouldn't have been a concern in anyone's mind, that the car is perfectly reliable and will last a long time, go along ways with no worries. So why is it a question today? A question about it's reliability or what ever? It is all really a matter of maintenance. If it has been maintained properly, it will still be just as reliable as then and will go for a very long time/distance still. Maintence is key, that's all there is to it. Oh, that's right, parts availability. Duh, gee freeakin' whiz, as far as I've been able to tell, pretty much anything you'd need for typical maintenance is still available and anything else out of the ordinary that might need to be replaced or rebuilt because something was left ignored and unserviced for far too long, can still be found. Ooh, what's that? Oooh, it's gonna cost a fortune!! Weeell maybe, ok, let's just say probably. IF you're gonna always pay someone to do every little freakin' thing to put it back proper! The thing is, these older ones are, for the most part so easy and simple to work on. Get a shop manual, join a club, use this and other websites, make some friends and connections. With a few common basic tools, for the most part, (not sayin' everything)you can keep that ol' "classic" quiet servicable at a pretty reasonable cost. While you're saving a pile of money, you'll probably get a lot of satisfaction and pride from doin' it yourself too. An additional side benefit I discovered years ago, was a higher level of confidence, both self confidence, (I could deal with anything that might come up) and the confidence in knowing the reliability level of my car, I knew without any doubt the state of affairs of everything in my car. Also I didn't need to wonder and worry how good a job did that repair shop actually do?
Most automobiles built from the mid 1960's on, especially Mercedes have pretty well developed/engineered features that will make durable and reliable transportation even today. The only real issues in today's world is the unleaded fuel and admittedly fuel economy. Many cars had at least as an option, disc brakes on the front, power steering, power assist brakes, air condtioning, some had, at least as an option, electronic ignition and if you wished, it was easy to turn to the aftermarket industry to add a breakerless ignition system to most any car by then, etc, etc, etc. A lot of newer cars can and do get far better fuel economy than most of the cars from past decades. I do not want to hear all the lectures on all this stuff, please! Older car engines can be modified to run and survive on unleaded fuels just fine. You can run it on unleaded fuel for quiet sometime too before it begins to take a toll. All that aside, the main sticking points for most people are really all psychological fundimentally. Yeah, sure now I'm gonna hear all about 5mph bumpers, seatbelt systems, airbags, yadda yadda yadda. Don't want to get into all that debate either. Not the point I'm trying to make. As far as reliability, durability, etc. it's all about one's mind set. Get the thing in proper working order, maintain it. You're good to go for a whole lotta miles. Really. And most parts are still readily available.

[Tomguy]

Originally Posted by 250Cmoneypit

I just got my '72 250C this weekend and I daily it back and forth between Oceanside CA and San Diego..about 35-40 miles one way, plus basic errands and stuff. Called a yelp recommended mercedes mechanic to see how much giving it a once-over for maintenance would be and he said if I keep driving it that much it wont last past a year and that parts are non-existent. Literally asked me 'why did you buy it?' Hopefully I can get a second opinion...

Make sure you leave an accurate Yelp review so other people know the truth. Maybe this mechanic just wants to fleece modern MB owners and has no interest on working on an older one he can't charge $1000 for a brake job or single suspension corner.

I drove my 4.5 daily when I was in college. And I put about 20k on it in the last two years which is a lot for a college kid... including a few trips from Scranton to Atlantic City, averaging 90-something MPH (based on turnpike timestamps and mileage). MPG was terrible. Ride was incredible. It ate highway miles like they were nothing. I did all the work on it myself - in the parking garage for the UofS... including a cam swap, injector replacement, subframe bushings, starter, etc. Gas was like $1.20/gal for 93 octane, so the MPG wasn't such a big deal to me. It was already a rustbucket, so it didn't matter that I drove it in the winter through the salt (including a fairly big snowstorm on one of those AC trips). It was a fun car and the envy of my econo-box-driving friends!

[Dave7]

I drive my '70 220D every day. My wife has another vehicle that I occasionally use but the Mercedes is my main driver. I even did a dump run in it yesterday. We'll see how it handles winter however with the diesel engine.

the trunk has lots of room - I got three toilets in there!

[rs899]

Not sure if my '91 Jetta diesel qualifies as a "classic" ( though I see CL ads for 90s cars described as such by youngsters, no doubt) and it couldn't handle 3 crappers, but its my daily to the salt mines.

SWMBO drives her own '85 380SL to get groceries and dump the y2kid off. She's getting an '89 535i as a backup.

[Raptelan]

I drive 100-150 miles every weekday in my 1979 450SEL. When I bought it I drove it home from nearly 3,000 miles away. Last week before heading out of town I hit a truck and the hitch punched through my grill, broke the AC fan and condensor, and bent and sprung a leak in the radiator. Fortunately zero other damage. No problem, swapped in a spare radiator and proceeded to drive a few hundred miles away for a weekend event. I'll be happy to get a diesel back on the road to save fuel costs though.

[daw_two]

I drive my 1987 300SDL almost daily. As a matter of fact, almost since March, 2007, I've driven one of my older diesels as my daily driver except when I briefly didn't own one.

[MAKDUFF3]

I worked at a shop for years where we had a 71 220D as a loaner/ shop car. It was totaled twice, and we repaired it. Then when I left I traded my wife's broken down Nissan for it. I loved that car, I used to drive it everyday and leave the keys in it, as few know how to start it with as I removed the "pull it start" tag from under the start pull. It lasted another five years, until while i was out of the country it blew a oil cooler line on the Freeway and locked up....sad day for me. Now i have just bought a 75 300D just because my primary ride is a 2008 GMC 3500 dually and it gets poor mileage around town, plus the W114/115 body is so classy in my opinion.and I love it. I will drive it everyday and park it nearly anywhere.

[KAdams4458]

I have two daily drivers...

I operate my '77 300D as a daily driver, even though I should really park it for a while and get it painted. It's disturbingly reliable for something with light years on it, but the paint makes it look like it belongs in Beirut.

Second up is my '00 Chrysler Sebring convertible. If it's convertible weather, you better believe I'll drive it over the Merc. It's really a comfortable highway cruiser, and with the 3.8 litre engine I stuffed in there when the original 2.5 bit the dust, it's much quicker than the 300D is. It definitely lacks the command of the road that the Mercedes has, however.

Oddly enough, I prefer the Mercedes in the rain. Sure, the wipers aren't as effective, but the Merc just feels better planted on wet roads.

[whunter]

Originally Posted by roddiesel

Hi, just wondering how many people drive their classics as everyday car, and how many miles average do you drive? Do you worry where do you park?

Daily drivers..........

Wife:
1978 280SE

Daughter:
1976 300D

Mine:
1982 300D
1980 240D

.

[jalopy_sec]

I've always had an 'older' mercedes as a daily. I currently do about 5,000ks a year in my 450SLC, and have had W123s and W126's as previous daily drivers.

Even when I lived in Michigan, I had a rusty 126 as my winter beater. Can't beat a RWD V8 in the snow

[Marrs]

Originally Posted by MAKDUFF3

I worked at a shop for years where we had a 71 220D as a loaner/ shop car. It was totaled twice, and we repaired it.

My present loaner from my shop is a 300D and this is it's present mileage. Still going strong and seems like virtually everything works, including the vacuum locks and windows.

[Graham]

Our "classics" are a 72 350SL and an 85 300D. Our other car at present is a 98 E320. GLK250 is coming.

But even my wife's first choice when she goes out, is the 300D. It is mine too except in summer when the SL is great. Our E320 runs well and is great on long trips. But somehow neither of us chooses it first. the GLK will get parked a good part of time. It will become our LD car when we head South for winter.

We have too many cars, but hard to know what to do about it!

[uberwasser]

My '79 is my daily driver. I often car pool to work to save money, but do drive about 12 miles round trip to the place I meet my carpool.

However, when I don't car pool, I drive it the full 120 mile round trip to work and it seems to really enjoy the trips.

Mileage is about 160k currently.