Cafferty File: Tell Jack how you really feel Blog Archive - More ::
Every single American know and agree with me that once it crosses 50K mile mark any American car is a piece of junk can die any moment. Paul S. Columbia, SC
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Hi from England! I love the look of the old 60s-70s muscle cars, but they're quite impractical for UK roads so I have to make do with looking around them at car shows!
My favourites are the really well-known models from the late sixties through early seventies, such as the Mustang, Camaro and Dodge Charger.
My question is, how common is it to see these cars being used as daily drives (as opposed to show cars) in your average US town or city? Are they expensive or relatively cheap to buy and maintain? How common are they, and what sort of person drives them- Mr and Mrs Average, or multi-millionaires who spend loads restoring old rust buckets and only drive them once a year?
Can these cars still hold their own in a modern environment or are they viewed as curiosities and museum pieces?
Thanks for any insight.
Hello,
The cars are owned mostly by people with passion over money.
It's not for the rich $$$, it's for common people who have this
passion which creates this bond. At most car shows you usuallly
see average people sitting proudly next to their investments which,
for the most part, they have maintained and refurbished themselves.
The cars are mostly driven on nice days, good weather and no, or
little rain to maintain their looks and value. Although it is not unfamiliar to see a bunch of these cars coming home from a car show
in an unexpected rain. Generally, you won't see them on the road
during the winter because the salted roads destroy old, unprotected
vehicles. Not much undercoating was done back in the day, if any.
I would like you to see some photos of my last auto show a few weeks ago. I will email them to you if you are interested, just ask.
One other thing. If you happen to watch any of the auto auctions on
How Americans Can Buy American::
But the facts are in, and their arguments no longer hold water. I'd be willing to bet that these American car bashers haven't test-driven an American car in
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television, this is a separate class of enthusiasts. You really won't see
them drive these cars much, as they sit in garages and increase value
for trade purposes ( mostly ) only. They generally don't work on their
cars but show them off. Yes, these people have money, but you'll never see them at the local shows where the true passion is.
Well, that's my view ....
Happy Motoring....
They are not as common as they where say 10 years ago to see on the road. It used to be the average people that drove old cars. Most not fully restored due to cost and the owner often worked on it himself. As a mechanic I used to work on these cars for the average joe regularly but now it's typically people with money. It changed when people with money decided they wanted old cars, values shot through the roof when the money came. Most of these money people have multiple old cars and aren't interested in driving them daily either so they just sit in the garage while they drive their modern car. So I don't see a shortage of old cars, they are still around. Just don't see the road anymore because they are sitting in garages. Currently with the failed economy average people are not repairing or maintaining their cars unless they have no choice. However classic car repair and construction hasn't slowed, apperantly these people have enough money to continue.
Print Page - What would you do about the American car industry?::
Why should any American bail out of their car industry follow a . it as a second order problem to the question of ownership - seems to me precisely where
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How Government Regulation Forces Americans Into Their Cars: A Case ::
"How Government Regulation Forces Americans Into Their Cars: A Case Study" Widener Law Journal 16.Symposium (2007): 839-852.
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Many old cars can maintain their own today, most 70's cars do fine in stock form. It's important to improve the brakes on some. Some have modern engines, air conditioning, power brakes and steering and such improvements to make them convenient and comfortable.
If you want one it's cheaper to buy one that is all ready restored. These money people are spending on high dollar parts to build these cars and often can't sell for what they spent when they get bored with them. Slowly the average guys are selling to the money people and the money people buy these cars on the spot whenever they find them for an average guy price. I expect the prices to keep climbing. Anyway, this is what I see as a mechanic.
in my town you dont ever see one unless there is a car show around in the summer time my pap has a 71 Plymouth cuda and a 67 shelby mustang GT 500 he bought them awhile back for 6,000 and has restored little by little they almost never see outside world he drives them about 5 times in the 3month summer we have if i had the cuda i would drive it everyday in the summer
Its more hobby. You don't see them being used as daily drivers very often.
It is fairly popular in the better off suburbs. In my town, they shut down the main street on Friday nights for an informal car show, with a DJ playing 60's tunes. A large proportion of the vehicles on display fall into the 60's-70's muscle car category.
I live in Michigan where many a car were made and the 69 camaro is my personal favorite. These cars were made before strict environment standards so they will give off more emissions and don't get the greatest miles per gallon. Since I live in Michigan though, I only see these cars when weather is nice. So I guess I do see them quite often in the summer. They do get a lot of looks, and many average people own them, because they bought them years ago. Some are still relatively inexpensive. Not many millionaires where I live.
you see them once in awhile where i live. i think places like california you see more of them on the road. where i live we have car shows and you see several of them at those places.
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