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Aug 31, 2011 12:18:59 GMT
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Hi guys new here. I'm very keen on getting a 'retro' ride, just can't decide what yet?! i'm looking at getting something classic but needed some reassurance (?)
How many people use there retro's for regular use? If so, what car is it and how many miles do you do on average a week?
Cheers for any help in advance
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Aug 31, 2011 12:25:53 GMT
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I use my modern Nissan for daily driving, but it was built in 1990 and has about 220,000km on it so some would call it retro. I do about 600km per week in it and it runs perfectly, just like a modern car should. I have had a few maintenance issues with exhaust manifold studs working their way out of the head and causing exhaust leaks, but that's par for the course on a 20 year old alloy head.
Last year I was daily-driving my 1972 VW Superbug and before that a 1973 VW Type 3 and a 1970 VW 1500 Beetle. All of them have been good fun and very reliable. I only did probably 200km per week in most of them, but they handled everything well. Most retro cars will have little issues but it's easy to deal with them yourself. My Type 3 used to have one side of the throttle linkage fall off every so often and the positive coil wire on my Superbug used to have the annoying habit of falling off every few weeks. I've solved this now by putting twin carbs on and mounting the coil vertically upwards!
I say go for it and enjoy your retro ride! If you are at all mechanically minded, get something simple for your first retro and learn to maintain it yourself. It will save you a lot of money and when your car breaks down you will have the pleasure of knowing how to get yourself going again rather than having to wait for roadside assistance.
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Aug 31, 2011 12:54:52 GMT
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There is a member on here uses this as his daily: Any other questions?
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Regular use???Deleted
@Deleted
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Aug 31, 2011 13:10:05 GMT
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My only car is my retro '85 Polo. Even though it needs a bit of TLC and I'm usually a low mileage user, my parents are borrowing the car at the moment and have put 200 miles on it in a fortnight. I've only had 1 break down so far, but that was down to a set of points that were several thousand miles overdue replacement that melted, my own fault for not replacing them sooner. Other than that the car has happily plodded along performing daily duties admirably and even moving furniture so I didn't have to hire a van (I'll post some pics of that when I have them off my friends). Perhaps not as impressive as a hot rod daily, but this is what I tootle around in and intend to continuing tootling around in for the next couple of decades. Just be prepared for old cars to have old car problems. If you're patient with them and work through issues as they appear there's no reason an older car can't keep up with modern duties. Here he is doing some daily duties, taking a load of curse word out of the cellar to the tip. Did get a few odd looks from the tip staff on that particular trip.
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Aug 31, 2011 13:19:07 GMT
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The age of the car is irrelevant, provided it is in good order to begin with, and properly maintained. However some vehicles will be a better choice than others depending on your needs, e.g. town vs. A road vs. motorway driving. My daily for the last nine years is a '67 Volvo that is approaching 300k miles (120K of that during mine & my family's ownership) and is driven all year round, even in snow. Probably does about 7 / 8k per year, although I'm no longer commuting in it due to cost of fuel / mpg sitting in London traffic, and there's also a decent bus route from home to work. Ironically, it has been much more dependable than several '90s and later cars in the family.....
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Aug 31, 2011 14:30:43 GMT
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My 1991 Supra 3ltr turbo was my daily all last year doing a large number of snow miles too! Hideous MPG round town and rising fuel costs mean it is now a weekend car so it has temporarily come off the road for some tlc.
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You can't buy happiness but you can buy cars and that's kind of the same thing.
1989 Austin Metro 1994 Harley Davidson hardtail bobber
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speedy88
Club Retro Rides Member
"Nice Cortina mate"
Posts: 2,296
Club RR Member Number: 118
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Regular use???speedy88
@speedy88
Club Retro Rides Member 118
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Aug 31, 2011 17:13:14 GMT
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I'm running a custom engine in the volvo notorious for mechanical and electrical problems but I maintain it well and keep spares of the problem parts in the boot (only 3 of them, and cheap too). I've broken down a couple of times but it's mostly due to my own stupidity. Plus I do 20,000 miles a year, I'd say that's pretty good going. As above, routine maintenance is key. I recommend an older car for reliability, maybe something from the 60s. Engineering was far more basic back then.
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Aug 31, 2011 17:23:04 GMT
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I agree with Paul H. As long as it's mechanically sound, then why not daily it. It's what they were designed for, afterall. I currently daily my 30 year old mk1 Fiesta over 300 miles a week and I do little more than servicing and rust prevention stuff on it. My previous Triumph Herald and Citroen Dyane both held out fine doing the same mileage. just remember that an old car isn't inherently less reliable, it'll just have more regular service requirements
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...proper medallion man chest wig motoring.
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Regular use???retrowagen1234
@GUEST
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Aug 31, 2011 17:29:34 GMT
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I'm driving a 1970 bug everyday, Slammed 1300 , standard box. does 70 to and from work.. 40miles a day. Its fine ;D (and fun )
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Regular use???Deleted
@Deleted
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Aug 31, 2011 17:35:17 GMT
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There is a member on here uses this as his daily: Any other questions? Lol, that's me ;D The important thing is that it's mechanically sound and you can rely on it to start every time. Creature comforts are optional. The only thing that annoys me is it hasn't got a fuel gauge
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Aug 31, 2011 17:37:56 GMT
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I'm driving a 1970 bug everyday, Slammed 1300 , standard box. does 70 to and from work.. 40miles a day. Its fine ;D (and fun ) i think i'm gonna go back to mine, don't like my 1.8 mk1 golf tbh.
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Aug 31, 2011 17:57:26 GMT
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I don't have a modern. I used to do a 75 mile a day commute in a 1974 Cortina. Similar one in a 1970 Vauxhall.
My current daily is a 1988 Trans Am
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1941 Wolseley Not Rod - 1956 Humber Hawk - 1957 Daimler Conquest - 1966 Buick LeSabre - 1968 Plymouth Sport Fury - 1968 Ford Galaxie - 1969 Ford Country Squire - 1969 Mercury Marquis - 1970 Morris Minor - 1970 Buick Skylark - 1970 Ford Galaxie - 1971 Ford Galaxie - 1976 Continental Mark IV - 1976 Ford Capri - 1994 Ford Fiesta
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Aug 31, 2011 18:46:55 GMT
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had a 79' tina, 86'mk3 capri, 80'mk2 granny and a 81'mini all on the road as daily drivers within the last couple of years, your gonna suffer with niggles, but if you keep ontop of things like brakes, exhausts and those driving along and ur car just pops n splutters for no reason moments, youl be ok! they were used as dailys when they were made, s'long as they're looked after theyl do the same.
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Bioshock
Posted a lot
It aint hip to be square.
Posts: 1,861
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Aug 31, 2011 18:55:57 GMT
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Put 450 miles on my Renault 5 since friday
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Almera GTI = ugly bird who turns out to be great in the sack = Win
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bl1300
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,678
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Aug 31, 2011 19:32:36 GMT
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DAF 44 as the daily and my Triumph as a back up.
Run your retro daily it will thank you for it after all cars are designed to be driven. In fact I'm so much for this that I started
Classic Dailies forum
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Current fleet.
1967 DAF 44 1974 VW Beetle 1303s 1975 Triumph Spitfire MkIV 1988 VW LT45 Beavertail 1998 Volvo V70 2.5 1959 Fordson Dexta
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Regular use???Robinxr4i
@robinxr4i
Club Retro Rides Member 143
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Aug 31, 2011 20:08:19 GMT
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My daily, retro-ish and drifter are all the same car, mainly because I'm skint to own more than one car ;D
Anyway it's a Ford Sierra 2.0i twin cam complete with welded diff and horribly stiff suspension, I use it most days probably covering between 50-75 miles a week. Luckerly I live within walking distance of my work, but if I didn't I'd happily comute in it and my mileage would be much more!
Get it done retro daily is fine, I know plenty of people knocking around in moderns that are less reliable and more costly to fix!
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Sierra - here we go again! He has an illness, it's not his fault.
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Aug 31, 2011 23:51:24 GMT
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run a 72 cortina 2.0 est, have had various cortinas in daily use since the mid 80's
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theres more to life than mpg & to much power is just enough.
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There is a member on here uses this as his daily: Any other questions? Lol, that's me ;D The important thing is that it's mechanically sound and you can rely on it to start every time. Creature comforts are optional. The only thing that annoys me is it hasn't got a fuel gauge I know Wanted to get talking to you at RRG but could never find you lol
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I drive my 1967 Volvo 122s every day (it's my only registered car), I'll likely do a little over 20,000km this year.
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Remade In Australia thereimaginarium.com.au
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scruff
Part of things
Posts: 621
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I flip between the Esprit and Porsche depending on which has petrol or on the end of the drive. All cars like to be driven with mechanical sypathy most of the time then given a proper thrashing now and then.
Fix things before they fall off and have a list of things to improve (that actually gets done!) then you'll be fine.
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1994 Lotus Esprit - Fragile red turbo with pop up lights. 1980 Porsche 924 - Fragile red turbo with pop up lights.
I spy a trend...
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