Classic as a daily driver

So I am in the market for a new daily driver. I've been looking around and newer used cars, but nothing is jumping out at me. My total commute is only about 20 miles a day. I've started thinking maybe there is a classic out there I could use as a DD. My requirements are that it must be reliable enough to run every day, seat two adults and one small child, and be large enough to take on a weekend road trip with all three. I need heat, and would like AC but depending on the car its not a deal breaker. I have a 76 911 Targa, so I have the top down, twisty roads, car and I am only considering hardtops. The vehicle will be parked in a garage at night, but during the 8 hours at work it will be parked outside. I do not want another project at the moment, but I don't mind fixing little things. My budget is between $8-10K.

I first thought about an old Mustang, which I am still thinking about, but how are these on rust issues. My next thought was a 912 to go along with the 911. I know these pretty well so fixes would be somewhat familar, but there is a limit to space on the 912. I thought about an 54-57 Chevy four door, but it seems they are all high priced or projects.

So what options do I have?

I would want a daily driver classic that has some degree of reliabilty where you're not afraid to drive it any further than you would have to walk home if it broke. A friend of mine has a TR3 and a TR8. He drives the TR8 a lot more than the TR3 for this very reason.

Hey Octavious, are you a "plant" by management to promote activity in the CM forum? Just kidding. Your question will probably generate 50-60 responses as they usually do! But I always love these questions. Just about every response will be valid, which will probably make it more difficult for you to decide.

Anyway, my recommendation would be a vintage Volvo from the early-to-mid sixties: PV544, P1800 (or 1800S), or a 2-door or 4-door 122 model. They're all hardtops with good heaters, and with the right suspension mods and tires they'll handle pretty well in the twisties.

I think if you can find a nice rust free 912 for 10 grand then buy it now. They are on the way up big time.

Something else in the Porsche family would be a 928. You can get a really nice car for 8-10 grand and they may be one of the best cars available for that little money and seem to be slowly climbing in value.

The mustang is a great option, get a 65-66 Notchback from Arizona or California and then you do not have to worry about rust. You can get one of these with a/c and a V8 for 10 grand all day long.

Another interesting option would be a Mercedes 450SLC. Nice 4 place hardtop version of the iconic R107 roadster.

Last you could also get a nice BMW 6 series coupe. They represent a lot of car for the money.

VW bug makes a funky classic. Dirt simple cars that are still around and still get around. They make others smile as you cruise by with that distinctive chirpy exhaust note.

Cheers Ron

I agree on the Mustang, although as an owner of one I have to tell you that they are terrible driver's in 100% stock form. You'll want to upgrade the steering, brakes and seats if you want to drive it safely and comfortably every day. If in good shape they are rock solid reliable, and parts are cheap to replace.

BMW 2002.

For your stated budget you can get a nice reliable car. They are easy to work on (like other older cars I guess), they have good aftermarket support, and you can still go down to the local dealer if need be for parts.

The back seat is really not a place I'd want to spend a weekend though....depends on the age/size of your child.

The trunk is plenty big to carry stuff though. AC was an option.

How about a Chevy II wagon? Not sure what you could find in your price range. It would make a cool DD and be great for weekend trips.

Thanks guys.

No plant from management. I'm actually on the GRM board alot, I just don't post much.

I'm getting rid of a Jeep Wrangler which has been my DD for the past few years. I love the Jeep but I want something a little more sporty for a DD. I have the 911 for the real sporty days, but its a targa and it leaks in the rain so parking it outside all day in the rain is not something I want to do.

I should have added that cheap parts would be an added bonus. Its kind of a "make the wife happy" point to have something we can take on a long trip. Her car is an 08 Mazda 3 wagon so it will be our long trip car. I think she was trying to make that a requirement so I didn't get a Boxster, TR6, or MGB (which were all on my list).

I don't really want a wagon. I'm cool with a coupe of sedan, but we already have one wagon in the family. Of course one could make the same argument about adding another Porsche. But Porsche are like pringles and beer, you can never have just one. I thought about the 928, but "if" something were to go wrong on one, parts are fairly expensive. And "if" it is something beyond the scope of the shade tree mechanic I assume finding a 928 expert would hit the pocket book pretty hard.

Keep the replies coming. I like the VW idea. Had a 73 as my second car and as a a project through last year. An older Benz is cool too, but how are they on sportiness and parts costs? My only measure on the older Bens is a 79 240D I drove for awhile that couldn't get out of its own way.

I've personally put well over 300K miles on this car since 1983:

Seat four adults comfortably, reasonable trunk capacity, dead easy to work on, excellent parts support, lots of performance and handling mods possible.

octavious wrote: I don't really want a wagon. I'm cool with a coupe of sedan, but we already have one wagon in the family. Of course one could make the same argument about adding another Porsche. But Porsche are like pringles and beer, you can never have just one. I thought about the 928, but "if" something were to go wrong on one, parts are fairly expensive. And "if" it is something beyond the scope of the shade tree mechanic I assume finding a 928 expert would hit the pocket book pretty hard.

I don't think they're much more expensive to run than a 911. Not that this makes them cheap to run.

octavious wrote: Keep the replies coming. I like the VW idea. Had a 73 as my second car and as a a project through last year. An older Benz is cool too, but how are they on sportiness and parts costs? My only measure on the older Bens is a 79 240D I drove for awhile that couldn't get out of its own way.

Benz by definition are very good at getting you from A to B comfortably, but sporty they aren't really. The SL is slightly different and yes they raced a few but the regular ones are more comfortable cruisers than sporting machines. The ones that are sportier (say, an E500) are a little out of your budget, as would be an E28 M5.

That said, you might find a decent E24 6-Series BMW for that money.

560sl, you can get one for between 5-8k. The 560sl is the pinnacle of the r107 series mercedes, minus the 500sl euro of course. I think they top out around 140mph so they aren't slow by any means.

The problem with these old mercedes though is you might not have enough trouble to qualify as a classic.

while not 'exactly classic' it will be in a few years: BMW 850i and can be had for your budget...

If you like Porsches, look at a 944. I personally like the turbo better, but both make good daily drivers. The NA's are especially cheap and if you do the maintenance yourself, are not all that expensive.

I am with Racerdave, a good friend and big car guy just added a 944 to his cars and he loves it, calling it one of his all time favorite cars. Having driven a number of these cars I agree. I really like the 944 quite a bit. As to the above on the 560SL, those cars do not fir more than two people. I know they had a rear seat kit but it is not comfortable or safe for anyone. The 350/450/500 SLC is the correct R107 to buy.

There is always a 560SEC, super touring car or the British version the Jaguar XJS, a model I just bought myself by the way. Love the XJS.

When considering 944s I'd definitely look at an S2.

Yeah I thought about 944's but part of me wants to get away from Porsche. I do like the 944 Turbos, but I've never owned a turbo car.

So far on the list are: -early Mustang -early 70's Monte Carlo (weird I know but there is a family history with these) -4 door Benz especially the 560. I've seen one and liked the look -944 Turbo

Bravenrace---how is pricing on upgrade parts for the Mustang? Also I've seen a couple with front disc brake swaps, is that pretty common? I've also seen some with A/C how does that work on a 60's era car?

Keep the ideas coming...

The a/c units made for the classic mustang look old but function like a new cars a/c. They are a great upgrade.

In reply to Andy Reid:

So do the original A/C units when functioning properly.

In reply to octavious:

I sent you a PM answering your PM.