Daily classic?
Discussion
I'm fed up with so called "cheap" runabouts. I'm running a nasty nissan almera and it's costing me more than i want it to in repairs just to get to work or down to the boat. It feels like i'm shelling out all this money for something i hate. So, i understand i'm not going to escape the bills beast but it would be nice if i was driving something that made the bills worth it. So, does anybody have any recomendations for a classic car that you can pick up for less than £3k. That'll get me to work (2miles away) all week for less than £15 fuel, cheap parts and fun to work on. I looked into midgets which i probably could live with but are quite common, i did run a Wolseley 1500 for a while which was pretty fun but i don't want another, the more unusual the better! Many thanks, Ian
We run a Morris Minor traveller as an everyday car, my wife takes it 1 mile to work everyday, on the weekend its my little van for taking all the boat stuff about, its our dump trailer, took us to the Loire Valley last year too.
Its dead simple, there is nothing to go wrong, tax free, less than £90 to insure, on a run does 40 mpg, parts are comedy cheap, get a pre 1960 one and there is no MOT.
Travellers are useful, £3k should get a scruffy one or a nice saloon.
Its dead simple, there is nothing to go wrong, tax free, less than £90 to insure, on a run does 40 mpg, parts are comedy cheap, get a pre 1960 one and there is no MOT.
Travellers are useful, £3k should get a scruffy one or a nice saloon.
There are lots of classic cars that fit the bill. I run a Volvo 1800es. OK, you wouldn't get a worthwhile one for much less than £10K but it is a great car to drive, to be seen in and to use.
The joy of an older quality car is nothing goes wrong, they just keep going.
Depreciation is zero, service items are cheap and all of them easy to find.
Yes, get yourself a classic, you will not regret it.
The joy of an older quality car is nothing goes wrong, they just keep going.
Depreciation is zero, service items are cheap and all of them easy to find.
Yes, get yourself a classic, you will not regret it.
Roverload said:
That'll get me to work (2miles away)
see my profile, been using classics as everyday cars for 20 plus years (including two Spridgets - almost the worse thing you could to a classic, or just about any car for that matter is drive it just two milesget an old shape Micra, it'll be more reliable for what you want and cost you a lot less in fuel than a classic
nta16 said:
ee my profile, been using classics as everyday cars for 20 plus years (including two Spridgets - almost the worse thing you could to a classic, or just about any car for that matter is drive it just two miles
get an old shape Micra, it'll be more reliable for what you want and cost you a lot less in fuel than a classic
You're quite right but I've found another way.get an old shape Micra, it'll be more reliable for what you want and cost you a lot less in fuel than a classic
My commute is 3 miles. That is exactly 30 miles per working week.
I actually average somewhere between 250-300 miles a week just because I love driving the car
I just dont get it when people say that a 2 mile journey is no good for a car, my wifes 93 model Merc SL did 2 miles a day for 3 years and never missed a beat, once a week it went to Sainsbury that was 5 miles, and twice a year went on holiday, no apparent issues with the short journey.
Our Morris does 1 mile in the morning and 1 mile at night, on the weekend it does 1.5 miles to the boat and 1.5 miles back with no apparent issue. Once a week it goes to sainsbury. No bother.
Our Morris does 1 mile in the morning and 1 mile at night, on the weekend it does 1.5 miles to the boat and 1.5 miles back with no apparent issue. Once a week it goes to sainsbury. No bother.
Huntsman said:
I just dont get it when people say that a 2 mile journey is no good for a car, my wifes 93 model Merc SL did 2 miles a day for 3 years and never missed a beat, once a week it went to Sainsbury that was 5 miles, and twice a year went on holiday, no apparent issues with the short journey.
not if you don't keep the carHuntsman said:
Our Morris does 1 mile in the morning and 1 mile at night, on the weekend it does 1.5 miles to the boat and 1.5 miles back with no apparent issue. Once a week it goes to sainsbury. No bother.
just because it can do it doesn't mean it's good for it and if that's all you do with it and you don't actually want to drive it in a really spirited way it will be OK, again in the shorter term, but you then have to start with the car in reasonable or pretty good condition to start with, if you start with a car with a few issues (perhaps from previous owners who used it very little) and you want to actually drive it in a spirited way it might not be at it's best or the next owner has to potter along at stereotype classic car pacemost classic cars keep going even in very poor condition and that's the standard a lot of people think is the norm for classics
if you or the OP want to travel 1 or 2 miles each journey that's fine it's your car but it's not good for it, I'm with benjj I'd stretch it out and enjoy the ride more
I had a Minor for a week, it was in very nice condition and usually went out for 5 mile village runs, I took it on a 40 round trip and after 15 miles I had to stop as something (can't remember what now) started binding, heating up, I let it cool right down then went the 5 miles more to my mate's where we could look at, we had a look but decided not to touch anything more as it wasn't my car and headed home, sure enough about 15 miles and I had to stop again - the car was reasonable (brakes would never have done for me though) for the 5 mile village run but no more than that
nta16 said:
ust because it can do it doesn't mean it's good for it and if that's all you do with it and you don't actually want to drive it in a really spirited way it will be OK, again in the shorter term, but you then have to start with the car in reasonable or pretty good condition to start with, if you start with a car with a few issues (perhaps from previous owners who used it very little) and you want to actually drive it in a spirited way it might not be at it's best or the next owner has to potter along at stereotype classic car pace
most classic cars keep going even in very poor condition and that's the standard a lot of people think is the norm for classics
if you or the OP want to travel 1 or 2 miles each journey that's fine it's your car but it's not good for it, I'm with benjj I'd stretch it out and enjoy the ride more
I had a Minor for a week, it was in very nice condition and usually went out for 5 mile village runs, I took it on a 40 round trip and after 15 miles I had to stop as something (can't remember what now) started binding, heating up, I let it cool right down then went the 5 miles more to my mate's where we could look at, we had a look but decided not to touch anything more as it wasn't my car and headed home, sure enough about 15 miles and I had to stop again - the car was reasonable (brakes would never have done for me though) for the 5 mile village run but no more than that
Specifically what harm does it do?most classic cars keep going even in very poor condition and that's the standard a lot of people think is the norm for classics
if you or the OP want to travel 1 or 2 miles each journey that's fine it's your car but it's not good for it, I'm with benjj I'd stretch it out and enjoy the ride more
I had a Minor for a week, it was in very nice condition and usually went out for 5 mile village runs, I took it on a 40 round trip and after 15 miles I had to stop as something (can't remember what now) started binding, heating up, I let it cool right down then went the 5 miles more to my mate's where we could look at, we had a look but decided not to touch anything more as it wasn't my car and headed home, sure enough about 15 miles and I had to stop again - the car was reasonable (brakes would never have done for me though) for the 5 mile village run but no more than that
Lots of old cars sit in garages for weeks on end with little use and many I'm sure barely get any maintenance at all, but equally, many of the ones that are used everyday are very well maintained and capable, our Traveller is a good example, 2 miles everyday, then with a ten minuite check of levels and quick pump of the grease gun set off to 700 miles in the Loire with no bother at all.
nta16 said:
Huntsman said:
I just dont get it when people say that a 2 mile journey is no good for a car, my wifes 93 model Merc SL did 2 miles a day for 3 years and never missed a beat, once a week it went to Sainsbury that was 5 miles, and twice a year went on holiday, no apparent issues with the short journey.
not if you don't keep the carHuntsman said:
Our Morris does 1 mile in the morning and 1 mile at night, on the weekend it does 1.5 miles to the boat and 1.5 miles back with no apparent issue. Once a week it goes to sainsbury. No bother.
just because it can do it doesn't mean it's good for it and if that's all you do with it and you don't actually want to drive it in a really spirited way it will be OK, again in the shorter term, but you then have to start with the car in reasonable or pretty good condition to start with, if you start with a car with a few issues (perhaps from previous owners who used it very little) and you want to actually drive it in a spirited way it might not be at it's best or the next owner has to potter along at stereotype classic car pacemost classic cars keep going even in very poor condition and that's the standard a lot of people think is the norm for classics
if you or the OP want to travel 1 or 2 miles each journey that's fine it's your car but it's not good for it, I'm with benjj I'd stretch it out and enjoy the ride more
I had a Minor for a week, it was in very nice condition and usually went out for 5 mile village runs, I took it on a 40 round trip and after 15 miles I had to stop as something (can't remember what now) started binding, heating up, I let it cool right down then went the 5 miles more to my mate's where we could look at, we had a look but decided not to touch anything more as it wasn't my car and headed home, sure enough about 15 miles and I had to stop again - the car was reasonable (brakes would never have done for me though) for the 5 mile village run but no more than that
It did 500 miles in the first week.
Still not missing a beat.
Short distances shouldn't hurt a engine too much as long as you change the oil often, My wife's old Golf 1.8 only done 3 miles a day for 2 years, the only trouble i did have was that the oil emulsified as the engine never got warm enough and made the rocker cover gummy, She's now living the dream in a 1985 Suzuki Alto with a buzzy 796cc engine, Whizz!
As for car choices, well there's plenty, you can't go wrong with a old Ford as parts are easily avaliable, cheap and easy to repair, the only down side is that the are quite expensive to buy now.
How about a Austin A60 Cambridge? I'd love one as a daily.
As for car choices, well there's plenty, you can't go wrong with a old Ford as parts are easily avaliable, cheap and easy to repair, the only down side is that the are quite expensive to buy now.
How about a Austin A60 Cambridge? I'd love one as a daily.
Huntsman said:
Specifically what harm does it do?
premature and accelerated wear on engine and components that will probably be passed on to future owners, on the reverse side some components wont be used fully so wont be at their best if required to do soas mentioned more frequent changes of oil and filter are required and as mentioned the oil emulsifying as the engine doesn't get warm enough is not fully allowed for in the design of the oils
the tyres could remain on the car for far too many years as the tread still has well beyond the legal tread depth but they could be well passed their best but this might be less noticeable on regular very short journeys
I'm no good at technical details but I'm sure any motor engineer will explain
Huntsman said:
Lots of old cars sit in garages for weeks on end with little use and many I'm sure barely get any maintenance at all
yes and they tend to be the ones running at well below the model's normal performanceHuntsman said:
but equally, many of the ones that are used everyday are very well maintained and capable
yes I know I've run various classics as dallies for 20+ yearsHuntsman said:
our Traveller is a good example, 2 miles everyday, then with a ten minuite check of levels and quick pump of the grease gun set off to 700 miles in the Loire with no bother at all.
and there could be classics and old cars that don't even need or get the check and greasing and your may well have made the 700 miles without either but I bet the car drove better after the 700 miles than beforethese old cars can keep running with zero or minimal attention and that's part of the problem because they keep running doesn't mean they are running well or near their full potential in the same way that a car with a fresh MoT has meet a minimum standard to certain tests not that it's well
now and again I like to drive my classics with some spirit and I want to know they are fully capable of doing this and that requires regular full and proper servicing, maintenance and repairs and frequent driving of reasonable distances
what you do and want out of your car is your concern and choice and good luck to you, you do the checks so I'm sure you'll continue to have no real problems
Gassing Station | Classic Cars and Yesterday's Heroes | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff