[android 211]

I drove my 69 GTO convertible anywhere until the most recent engine problem. I have to reassemble the engine and it will be back on the road. The ac works but if its not too hot I just leave the top up and the windows down in the hot sun.
One problem is all the people who beep at me; I think I've committed a traffic violation but they just want me to know they like my car. My car is a Frankenstein car; it was recreated from a stripped body shell.

[Gastiresandoil]

MY 87 grand prix was my daily until the tranny went out. Just haven't had time to pull out the 200-4r yet and rebuild it.

[Jack Gifford]

It isn't a Pontiac.. but it is powered by a Tri-Power '58. Not quite "daily" but I do drive it a lot in the summer. The most-recent outing with the lakester put 1,800 miles on the GMC.

[geeteeohguy]

I daily drove my '65 and '67 GTO's for 30+ years. Since retiring last year, pretty much only on the weekends or errands. Taking the '67 on a 1000 mile trip next month.
No biggie. The '67 is the newest car I've ever owned, out of many. My newest vehicle is an '05 Toyota Turndra, but I've never owned a car without wing vents or with disc brakes. Been driving since 1976.
For the past 7 years, been driving my '61 Corvette a lot because it is 'new to me' after all these years of GTO-only driving.

[Formulajones]

Originally Posted by pont3

If you do daily drive your old Pontiac, why do you do so? And if you don't, why not?

I'll start by stating my own reasons which has mixed feelings. First, I simply just love driving car because, mechanically, it is capable of safe operation in today's traffic conditions.

Secondly, I don't want to daily drive the car because of the quality of replacement parts. I do most of the repairs myself, and have been doing so since the mid eighties. These days I can't seem to get a water pump not to seep along the gasket surfaces. Perhaps it's the aftermarket timing cover that also contributes to an annoying oil leak.

Thirdly, my car gets about ten miles to the gallon and I can't drive it much with gas at four plus dollars a gallon. My car/cars are not show cars and I am not concerned about the future value of them so I drive them often.

I drive my 70 Formula daily. Sometimes shared with my wife who likes to drive it to work on occasion. Her primary driver is a 69 Z/28. Both cars are used as transportation, errands, Home Depot, out to dinner, the grocery store every week etc....

Reason?? We just don't care much for new cars and that's pretty much the gist of things. We got tired of the extra expenses of car payments, high insurance, high registration, high maintenance, and really don't need all the creature comforts. Was my wife's idea about 15 years ago to get rid of the new stuff even though I'd been driving old cars all my life. Now you can't get her out of them.

Gas mileage? My Formula gets 17 mpg highway and about 13-14 around town, with it's 400 turbo and 3.31 gears. Cruises at 70 comfortable. Been this way for the last 25 years and I have no complaints. It's at least as good on gas as most of your large SUV's with EFI and overdrive that everyone drives around and in some cases even better. I'm okay with it, but I know an overdrive would pick those numbers up quite a bit. Maybe some day.

The Z with the Muncie and 3.55's would get 17 highway and 13-14 around town, identical to the Firebird. But as we found we were using the Z more often for family trips and longer road trips because it's simply more comfortable for everyone, I decided to toss a TKO overdrive in it. Now it gets over 21 mpg highway and if I can tickle the overdrive around town it'll pickup to 15 mpg on a tank. So it's actually very economical in my mind.

We'll never own a new car again, have no interest in anything the OEM's are pumping out these days anyway.

[einstein]

Every one of these posts should have had photos!

[Formulajones]

Give me a few minutes

[i82much]

i daydream about daily driving my gto and have numerous ridiculous posts on here about snow tires and mud flaps for my gto on here. but the reality is, i am going to hunt gnarly forest roads every year and drive in the snow frequently, so i need a newer daily regardless.

i even have an old 72 k10 to satisfy my old junk desires in the winter, but i would not take it hunting or put the kids in it if there was snow or ice. i like having antilock, stability control, side impact airbags, etc. for driving the kids, especially in the winter.

[Formulajones]

Here was my daily for a few years

72 K5. I did an LS 6.0 swap in it, it was great in the snow and I hauled the family around in it everywhere. We even went off road frequently all around the mountains here.

One picture of all of us at the Grand Canyon. The 5 of us just piled in and went on a road trip.

Also got a hankering on occasion to take it to the dragstrip and have some fun. Ran 14.30's at 94 mph and embarrassed quite a few cars. It also knocked down 20 mpg highway.

https://youtu.be/msgSc3S-yHA

[Formulajones]

This is my daily now

https://youtu.be/er1z7PpqsnY

[Formulajones]

Here is my wife's driver, we take the Z on family road trips, this time cruising 66. We usually do about 300 miles in a day and hang with the group. Some do more, we make a weekend out of it. The car sees about 150 miles every week anyway so not a big deal to me. Dad is following in his GTO.

https://youtu.be/fpuGGnJFs4Q

My son and I with dad in tow cruising into Goodguys. This ends up being close to 250 miles for the day by the time we do the Pavs cruise in the evening and get back home, and another 200 if we do the cruise/tour of the local shops on Thursday.

Always a good time no matter where you're going when you drive a classic...

https://youtu.be/fVVN4w8Fpgg

[kingbuzzo]

gosh you better hang on to that one...she gets it...lol

Originally Posted by Formulajones

I drive my 70 Formula daily. Sometimes shared with my wife who likes to drive it to work on occasion. Her primary driver is a 69 Z/28. Both cars are used as transportation, errands, Home Depot, out to dinner, the grocery store every week etc....

Reason?? We just don't care much for new cars and that's pretty much the gist of things. We got tired of the extra expenses of car payments, high insurance, high registration, high maintenance, and really don't need all the creature comforts. Was my wife's idea about 15 years ago to get rid of the new stuff even though I'd been driving old cars all my life. Now you can't get her out of them.

Gas mileage? My Formula gets 17 mpg highway and about 13-14 around town, with it's 400 turbo and 3.31 gears. Cruises at 70 comfortable. Been this way for the last 25 years and I have no complaints. It's at least as good on gas as most of your large SUV's with EFI and overdrive that everyone drives around and in some cases even better. I'm okay with it, but I know an overdrive would pick those numbers up quite a bit. Maybe some day.

The Z with the Muncie and 3.55's would get 17 highway and 13-14 around town, identical to the Firebird. But as we found we were using the Z more often for family trips and longer road trips because it's simply more comfortable for everyone, I decided to toss a TKO overdrive in it. Now it gets over 21 mpg highway and if I can tickle the overdrive around town it'll pickup to 15 mpg on a tank. So it's actually very economical in my mind.

We'll never own a new car again, have no interest in anything the OEM's are pumping out these days anyway.

[will slow gto]

I bet that K-5 Blazer gets the most looks!

[nUcLeArEnVoY]

I do have a beater car that I use for commuting, but if the weather is nice and I'm off from work, I'll take out the '79. Only time it has left me stranded was a ball joint failure, but nothing ever mechanical or overheating. Usually take it out 1-3 times a week.

[turbo69bird]

I drove 69 firebird convertibles daily for many years. Just the last couple I haven’t driven them daily In fact I used to keep all my tools in the trunk and drive it to job sites.
Today especially with the cost of new cars so high. It’s actually cheaper today ti drive an old firebird even if you had to redo the body every 10 years . In my high tax
State driving an old firebird is much less in taxes as well on a 350 2bbl car . I’ve even driven my current convertible on 5 hour trips several times never really had any issues . Car runs like a top and gets 21 MPG. Turn signals are intermittent at best and the gas gauge doesn’t work but she always gets me home.
The 21 MPG is with and all
Original 350 never been cracked open and a 4 bbl edelbrock.

[geeteeohguy]

Originally Posted by einstein

Every one of these posts should have had photos!

Blue Charcoal '65....owned and driven since 1982, never out of service or off the road, never restored, Flambeau Burgundy '67, owned and driven 130,000+ miles since 1983, never restored, never out of service. Neither car saw a garage until 1993.

[kingbuzzo]

updated with pics...as req

Originally Posted by kingbuzzo

that sucks Charlie...sweet bird 72

In the 2000s (is that a thing) I drove the 74 t/a to work all summer/spring/fall and then my winter beater if it rained/snowed (81 AMC bEagle 4x4). Did that for YEARS.

Then I moved out of the city and only drove her on fridays - never did spring for an OD.

Recently sold her and got a different '74 with a much hotter cam/455. Luckily I work from home these days...lol

[Goatracer1]

I thought I had a lot of money in my car until I thought about what I had paid for my wife's minivan. It is actually way cheaper to drive an old car and way more fun. I do drive it in the winter but not on snowy roads. Like I said originally why spend all that money and do all that work to let the next owner have all the fun.

[1980 TA]

My wife and I drive the old ones most every day. She has a 04 Mercury Grand Marquis she drives to work as its a 100 miles round trip. Given that the MGM is based on the fleet chassis of the crown vic, it soaks up miles easily and is super easy to maintain. She's coming up on 300K miles and we are on the third set of shocks and second set of springs. Everything was updated to police car specs when I had to replace parts and it rides on 19 inch Mustang Wheels. Real nice cruiser that is decent on gas but not so nice that the 100 miles a day wear bothers us. I've finally gotten her in the habit of driving the Firehawk to town for errands or fun instead of her commuter. She will now drive the 71 Lemans we picked up for errands and stuff as well.

I have to drive my 18 Chevy to work every day to carry all of my tools and supplies as a contractor. As soon as I get home, it gets parked and I do all of my running in one of the three older cars, the firehawk, the Lemans or my TA. My wife won't drive the TA as it is a stick.

As for gas, the Firehawk gets the best of any vehicle we own. The MGM is a close 2nd. The LeMans is the worst at an average of 10 mpg right now but we've only had it for a week and its a healthy 455 with 3.55 gears and no OD, yet. My TA will get 12-13 around town and 20 plus on the highway. My truck gets 12-14 around town and might get close to 20 on the highway. If I've got to run around the truck and my TA are a wash and it feels like work driving the truck as I'm in and out of it all day. The classics make it feel like I'm off work even if I'm running errands related to work.

Insurance, even with agreed value policies, is less than a newer vehicle and to me offsets the gas mileage difference. The only car payment we have is the truck and that is a necessity as it is how I pay the bills. My old one was looking rough and starting to cost me to much in repairs and 2 years ago they gave me stupid trade ins on my work truck and an 07 charger I had so I took on a small payment.

As the others have said, drive them when you can or why have them? I've put 3k miles on the TA since I got the motor back in in March/April. We are on our third tank of gas already on the LeMans in a week. We don't take vacations so what I save on them, I'll pay in gas to go cruising with the wife as she enjoys it as much as I do. She says the new cars have no soul.

[Mister Pontiac]

Short answer, Yes.

Long answer, I have several and drive them all interchangeably, but when I'm home, they are all I drive.

71 GTO for daily duties around town.

74 Bonneville to make my run to the airport each week to work. She sits there while I fly, and comfortably takes me home end of each week. R12 factory A/C is nice.

72 LeMans GT for trailer towing, and misc around town/sundry errands.

67 Wagon. Well, whenever the need for a wagon arises.

67 GTO. Just to light my hair on fire once in a while.

All driven every week.

Speaking of... I'm off to my eye Dr appointment. In my 71...