Owning only classic cars, another ancillary to Quennie's thread Options

[jonwatts]

The budget thread got me thinking, would (or do) any of you own only classic cars as an alternative to having a mix of new and old? I'm not talking about just you, but would you let your wife and kids run errands or commute 30 minutes to work daily in a 30+ year old car if it was restored or a well maintained survivor?

Would the maintenance be cheaper than car / lease payments? (I think yes)

Can they be as reliable as today's cars? (I think yes again)

Can they be as safe? (twice the metal but half the safety features, tough call)

Can they meet your needs? (grocery hauler, team bus, tow vehicle)

I (and my wife) could definitely see losing the volvo for something with a lot of style and cheaper to boot. But I think if it left her stranded more than 3-4 times a year it would be a deal breaker. She's a teacher so showing up to work a few hours late doesn't cut it.

For example purposes only:
(IMG:http://i19.ebayimg.com/03/i/01/92/aa/7d_1_b.JPG)

[Carl]

Jon,
I've got a couple of thoughts on this subject:

I wouldn't ask my wife to drive anything in which I didn't have a great deal of confidence. The message is, How much do I care? My wife is not mechanical and has little tolerance for machines that leave her stranded by the side of the road, regardless of how cute they are. If I want to continue to have 30 year-old iron as a hobby, I better not risk having her walk home because the points (or some other antiquated component) failed.

As a father with young kids (I was one once), I want them traveling in a car with ABS, good seatbelts, airbags, crumple zones and other safety equipment. Vote again for the modern car.

As a father with young drivers (BTDT), I voted with my dollars for reliability and safety. That's why my kids drove boring Japanese cars with ABS, air bags, crumple zones, good handling, brakes, belts and reliability. When my daughter went to college and she walked out to her car at night, I wanted that thing to START. Every time. That's why she drove a Toyota. It never failed her.

When safety, reliability and time are not the central issues (when's the last time a 50+ year old guy got molested?) then a car that was designed and built in an era with 10,000 mile tune-ups and 100,000 mile lifespans is OK. That's when the 914 comes out.

Times have changed. Cars are a lot more complex but they are far, far more reliable. Get a good, recent used car for a daily driver. Use the 914 for those days that your marriage isn't going to be on the line if the car craps out and you're late for the show.

The voice of experience. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/cool_shades.gif)