Old cars for us Baby Boomers
- Thread starter RicinYakima
- Start date
L Ross
Well-Known Member
As a young man I drove junk. Whatever I could get that was cheap. Even as a young officer I remember laying on my back in a snow covered driveway at 10:30 pm trying to pull a starter from a 63 Nova so I could get to work for the Midnight to 8 shift.
As our lives progressed and our financial situation improved we still usually bought used. Then our financial advisor asked why we were still saving money? We told him we always did. He said if he could not give us a reasonable return on our investments that he had helped us set up over the years we should fire him!
My wife gets a new car now at about every 80-90K miles. We bought a new Indian a few years ago. I still buy used trucks, but with lower mileage than I used to. And we have a couple of toys to play with, our 32 Chevy 5 window hotrod and our 57 Olds Super 88. I believe I have shared photos of both in the past.
As our lives progressed and our financial situation improved we still usually bought used. Then our financial advisor asked why we were still saving money? We told him we always did. He said if he could not give us a reasonable return on our investments that he had helped us set up over the years we should fire him!
My wife gets a new car now at about every 80-90K miles. We bought a new Indian a few years ago. I still buy used trucks, but with lower mileage than I used to. And we have a couple of toys to play with, our 32 Chevy 5 window hotrod and our 57 Olds Super 88. I believe I have shared photos of both in the past.
Petrol & Powder
Well-Known Member
Owned a pile of cars over the years, and worked on even more. Sedans, hardtops, station wagons, convertible, trucks, Jeeps, you name it.
Didn't have much money when I was young but wish I had a quarter of the money now that I wasted on cars when I was young !
Had a few "fast" cars when I was young. 68 Cuda convertible, 65 Belvedere 2 door. Somehow lived through that stage but my wallet suffered.
Had several motorcycles over the years, mostly Japanese but the best one was a BMW.
My pragmatic side won out and I'm glad it did. Being ABLE to travel when you want to, even if it's just to the store and back, is worth more than being able to do it in style. Some of the best vehicles I owned were the least flashy ones. A 1964 Bel Air with a straight 6 and 3 on the tree, a 64 Dodge with a slant six and three on the tree, a $400 72 Datsun 510 with a 4 speed......
Didn't have much money when I was young but wish I had a quarter of the money now that I wasted on cars when I was young !
Had a few "fast" cars when I was young. 68 Cuda convertible, 65 Belvedere 2 door. Somehow lived through that stage but my wallet suffered.
Had several motorcycles over the years, mostly Japanese but the best one was a BMW.
My pragmatic side won out and I'm glad it did. Being ABLE to travel when you want to, even if it's just to the store and back, is worth more than being able to do it in style. Some of the best vehicles I owned were the least flashy ones. A 1964 Bel Air with a straight 6 and 3 on the tree, a 64 Dodge with a slant six and three on the tree, a $400 72 Datsun 510 with a 4 speed......
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Actually my first 'vehicle' was an allstate 125 2 wheeler, well worn out, only 25$. Fixed the broken clutch lever and rode around town. Mom found out and I 'sold' it back. Had it all of a day. We did hot rod the moped (replace the head gasket with a thinner on to up CR) and cushman eagles though. One kid had a mustang - cool little bike. Buddy had a whizzer and I was given a Solex. Peddling that 75# bike to get the motor started was a real pain unless going downhill. Get her going fast, drop the motor onto the front wheel and maybe it would start. Interesting, that 80HP ford got better gas mileage than most little new cars, ~27 mpg, would carry 6-7 people with luggage.
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Missionary
Well-Known Member
Hi P&P Hows a 1971 R75/5 BMW sound ? That is my daily rider when up north.
Petrol & Powder
Well-Known Member
Mine wasn't that old but they are all great bikes.
Mitty38
Well-Known Member
Seams as I have gotten older the age and mileage on my vehicles I depend on have gone up. And my income has gone down. The "fun cars" have all gone away entirely. Had Race cars, show cars, off road vehicles, motercycles and so forth.
But I enjoy driving my beat up 90 f250, just as much as I have enjoyed driving other vehicles. Guess it is a mater of perspective.
I love vehicles and often live vicariously thru car shows, and events.
If I could have one vehicle back that I owned it would be one of my Mavericks. Had a 72 and a 76.
Great on gas, big enough to be comfortable, light enough to be fun to drive. Would plow thru snow and ice well, for a rear wheel drive. And almost indestructible.
Lost a lot of my car pics in a fire but here is a picture of one exactly like my 76 same color and all.
But I enjoy driving my beat up 90 f250, just as much as I have enjoyed driving other vehicles. Guess it is a mater of perspective.
I love vehicles and often live vicariously thru car shows, and events.
If I could have one vehicle back that I owned it would be one of my Mavericks. Had a 72 and a 76.
Great on gas, big enough to be comfortable, light enough to be fun to drive. Would plow thru snow and ice well, for a rear wheel drive. And almost indestructible.
Lost a lot of my car pics in a fire but here is a picture of one exactly like my 76 same color and all.
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RicinYakima
High Steppes of Eastern Washington
Yes, Mitty, that is why I would like to have my '50 Royal back; dependable, great ride comfort and fast enough for an old man. 
JonB
Halcyon member
Here is one that I really enjoyed owning, I drove it on a couple road trips, one to Michigan to visit my brother and attend a wine tasting. I tent camped along the way...this was a fun truck for that. 1990 Dodge Dakota Convertible with short box, it had the gutless 6 cyl engine, but it did fine for a road trip.
Petrol & Powder
Well-Known Member
I remember when the collectors starting noticing the Nash Metropolitans. It was probably the early 1980's when the interest finally became serious. Prior to that, no one ever looked twice at one in a junkyard or parked behind a garage. Everyone was looking for a muscle car, a big 1950's ride, a pre-war Ford coup, etc.
When the collectors started going after the Metropolitans, they were all just about rusted away to nothing. There were a few from salt free regions but most of them had trees growing through them long before the collectors wanted them. And if I recall correctly, the engine was some typical tiny British 4 banger that maybe made 40-50 hp ? When it ran......
I remember seeing them at car shows. They were almost novelties. This was in the days when only the super high end shops had the "rotisserie" jigs to do body restoration and they wouldn't tie up that equipment on something that wouldn't turn a profit. So most Metropolitan restorations were done by lifting the unibody with a chain hoist. At least they weren't big !
When the collectors started going after the Metropolitans, they were all just about rusted away to nothing. There were a few from salt free regions but most of them had trees growing through them long before the collectors wanted them. And if I recall correctly, the engine was some typical tiny British 4 banger that maybe made 40-50 hp ? When it ran......
I remember seeing them at car shows. They were almost novelties. This was in the days when only the super high end shops had the "rotisserie" jigs to do body restoration and they wouldn't tie up that equipment on something that wouldn't turn a profit. So most Metropolitan restorations were done by lifting the unibody with a chain hoist. At least they weren't big !
glassparman
"OK, OK, I'm going as fast as I don't want to go!"
Bought a '66 Impala while in the Army in 1982. Sold it 6 months later to buy a '66 Olds Dynamic 88.
Went through a TON of old Oldsmobile's and whish I NEVER sold the '55 98 hard top.
Currently driving a '62 Ford Fairlane 500 with a 302 and 4 speed.
Working on a '65 Fairlane with a 289 and three on the tree.
Went through a TON of old Oldsmobile's and whish I NEVER sold the '55 98 hard top.
Currently driving a '62 Ford Fairlane 500 with a 302 and 4 speed.
Working on a '65 Fairlane with a 289 and three on the tree.
glassparman
"OK, OK, I'm going as fast as I don't want to go!"
Ooooh! 57! I had one for a while. Like a dummy I sold it.
I had that car in the mid 60's except mine was all pink. About the fastest top end car I've ever owned, thing would pass anything on the road except a gas station. I wanted to put the J2 carbs on it but at the time couldn't afford the parts and already couldn't afford the gas.
glassparman
"OK, OK, I'm going as fast as I don't want to go!"
My '55 98 Coupe had the 324 and I found the J2 option from a '57 in a junk yard. Bolted right on that 324 . . . scared myself a few times!
L Ross
Well-Known Member
We have the J-2 set on this one, but better yet, we have a new engine coming from Ross Racing in Niles, Ohio. I get the vapors just thinking about it.