hello
i need some advice on buying a chevelle.first off i just like to say that i love Chevelles.anyway i'm 16 and need a car.i've always wanted a chevelle but there are alot of people telling me right now that i wouldn't be wise to buy an older car because they just aren't good daily drivers.i'm looking to spend about 4-5,000 and was wondering if they are good daily drivers for going to school.i realize that you have to keep doing little things and take care of the car.And my parents think that i should go for a newer car.but sorry i just dont see myself driving around in a little 88 escort with a 4 cylinder in it.not that there is anything wrong with that kind of car,its just that that isn't me.and this one guy told me that if it isn't frame-off restored it wont be a good driver??i can hardly believe that.maybe he's right though i dont know.anyway any help would be appreciated.thanks

I believe that older cars can be great daily drivers if everything is taken care off. My elky was a daily driver summer & winter for the first 25 years of it's life. You just need to make sure that you have it tuned right, running good and make sure you check the brakes, suspension and steering. Once you get the old girl running good, it will be easier to locate and fix problems as compared to a newer car. I have a 1991 Grand Am used as my daily driver and I know how complicated the wiring and electicals are. I would much rather work on an older car than a new one.

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Bryan Shook
www.geocities.com/motorcity/speedway/6673 (http://www.geocities.com/motorcity/speedway/6673)
Favorite Quote: Some people have shrinks. Some people have their garage.

A $4000 late model car will will likely have as many miles and as much wear and tear as a $4000 Chevelle; in other words, it probably won't be any more reliable. Most of the parts for the Chevelle will be cheaper, and it is easier to work on. On the negative side, the Chevelle will probably use more gas, and you probably won't have and use a shoulder belt.

When I lived in Florida, I bought a '68 Pontiac LeMans convertible with a dead engine. The price of the car, and rebuilding the engine and transmision, came to less than $4k, and that was my daily driver.

One thing you can use to argue your case for a daily driver.

There's a good chance if you get a reasonably sound car that you can go into any auto parts store in town for parts. No trips to a dealer for the Escort thing-a-ma-jig only the dealer stocks or no yard has.

Course a tired sb 307 won't get the gas mileage of a newer 4 banger, but your chances of walking away from an accident (knock-on-wood) in a Chevelle is way worth saving a few bucks on gas. http://www.chevelles.com/forum/smile.gif http://www.chevelles.com/forum/cool.gif

Just don't bite off more than you can chew. Look for a car where someone has already redid or swapped out the driveline. That's what I have, a 307 70 Malibu with an 86 sbc & over drive trans.

Course, lots of things for me to fix up, but nothing that would keep you freom driving it to skool. http://www.chevelles.com/forum/smile.gif

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DG
Springfield, Ohio


My 70 Malibu http://www.wright.edu/~adams.41/chevy.htm
dga@erinet.com
TEAM Chevelle Member #0086
eBay username: dg98adams

As long as you don't mind working on your car, they are fine daily drivers. My '68 El Camino has been a daily driver it's entire life of 32 years. http://www.chevelles.com/forum/biggrin.gif It is now in resurection for the next 30 years. I'll wear out before it does. Good luck!! Have a blast.

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"When the job gets you down, and life's a drag,..........RACE!!"

My '70 Malibu has been a daily driver since I drove it off the dealer's lot in 1970! Thirty years and 500,000+ miles later, it's still used as my "main car". It's been rebuilt a few times along the way, but as long as you maintain it, it'll serve you well! Plus, you'll learn alot about classic cars along the way! http://www.chevelles.com/forum/biggrin.gif

65,I have a 70 with a 307 and I drive it everyday.It usually stalls on cold mornings but oh well.The best advice I could give is make sure the car is straight.You know what I'm saying.Take someone that knows chevelles if possible.And if you find a chevelle and get it make sure you can take the ragging from the rich boys when and if it ever breaks down.Personaly I've kinda been lookin for a truck so I could just get a chevelle body and frame so I could start a project.Its a big wish.Good luck in your venture and make sure you don't get takin'.

they are a cooshie and ride like a caddilac
they are cheap to repair
they are cool to drive
they get heads to turn
they give you pride
they don't burn rice

give those reasons to your parents, and keep in mind an escort etc. engine coste 3x the cost of a 350 to rebuild and which would you rather be in (god forbid) if you were in an accident, STEEL or tin foil

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My 70* (http://members.aol.com/jnkb2cool/chevelle9.jpg)

355 in progress (http://members.aol.com/jnkb2cool/350.jpg)

My Chev-Hell Page (http://hometown.aol.com/jnkb2cool/home.htm)

1970 malibu SS look-a-like well kinda
350/200-4r (soon to be 383/355 dunno yet)

Ft.Worth, Tx

hey
thanks guys for all the advice.i'm definitly getting one probably.and i love working on old cars.and i dont mind spending money for gas cuz its worth it.

Paid 2k about 3 years ago ran good. I have recently replaced all the engine stuff but mine is a daily i have noproblems. I just need to get rid oft hese damn drum brakes they got pushed back because of the DAMN IRS!!!! and my mistake for doing the wrong exemptions http://www.chevelles.com/forum/smile.gif. If any1 says old cars aren't good for daily drivers is just ignorant, what did people use 30 years ago? hmm

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Yellow (puke yellow:)), 350 bored .40 over 10.5:1 KB pistons, 282 dur cam with .490 lift, TH350 B&M shift kit 3000 stall, Street dominator/Holley 750 vac.

NEW WEBPAGE Still in the making http://www.members.home.net/gumball/

Your always better off if you buy a car that already is a daily driver and not one you spot in the back of someone's yard.

I got mine for $3.2k and I all I did was change all the fluids/filter's and it was ready to go. Try and get as much of the cars history as possible! Be sure you can keep in touch with whomever you buy it from.

Just devote $300 bucks to making sure all things are in working order. You will feel a lot better after you rebuild a part of your chevelle, knowing you've done it is better than a warranty any day.

This web page will do the rest http://www.chevelles.com/forum/biggrin.gif

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have now>>>>> am building
SB350>>>>BB396 w/nitrous
TH350>>>>TH400 (shift kit, slight stall)
shooting for low 12s in 1/4
college student budget!

65, im 17 now and a year ago i was in the same boat your in i was looking for a chevelle and wasent sure how good of a daily driver it would make. I spent 2 years looking for a Decent chevelle between 4-5 thousand and it dident happen 64s and 65s are almost impossible to find in
pa{eastern part anyway)i would look for a 71 or 72 with a rebuilt 350 and trans. I think most people dont driver there chevelles every day because they dont want salt and grim on there restored cars. i ended up buying a 87 Monte CArlo SS its pretty simular to a chevelle with some more moderen feachers.

I'm 18 and got my chevelle when I was 16. It is a daily driver for me, school and home and work. let me tell you in my personal experience the chevelle has been an excellent daily driver even though I have had to replace the master cylinder, the transmission, the distributor, the starter and the alternator. It is still in excellent condition and more importantly I LOVE IT. Chicks dig it too!

0Jon

One more thought for you 65. If you by a Grand Am today for $4000 it will probably be worth $400 time you graduate college. If you by a Chevelle today for $4000, it will probably be worth more than $4000 when you graduate.

All the posts above are true. I have a'65 EC w/327 and 4-spd. No AC no PS. Had it for 33 yr. parked it for 18 yr. while overseas.

The car is just simple. It's the 60's equivalent of a model T. Never had an alignment in 150,000 miles and it still tracks straight and tires wear evenly. Rugged front-end. I can get new windshield for 150 bucks and put it in myself. Drum brakes are just fine unless you are a road racer. You can buy the parts to rebuild the cylinders, and brake shoes are cheap. Its made out of low-carbon steel, so anybody can weld on it or pound out the dents. I could go on forever.

The main point is either get one that doesn't have major problems or has had the major problems fixed. Major problems might include major rear axle work, major engine work, major transmission work.

For example mine has about 150,000, so its got a lot of small stuff and a few bigger things. Transmission and axle are OK but leak. Small stuff. Needs an engine. Engine runs great but burns a little oil. I can buy a brand new 350 with warranty for 1200 bucks. Or i can have my engine machined and put it together myself for a bit less. My brother's kid's '95 Camaro 6 needed major engine work last month. 5 yr. old car and engine's shot?? You got to be kidding me. Cheapest reasonable deal was a factory new crate engine. It cost twice as much as a 350 and then they had labor to pay too.

I won't even get into computer-controlled transmissions and engines and transaxles and plastic radiators and so on.

Tell your folks that this 55yr. old cheapskate would be delighted if his kid wanted a 60's Chevelle instead of a newer car. If you are willing to work on it and have access to a place to work and some tools and somebody who can help you with some of the tougher stuff, you can keep a 60's Chevelle running good and safe, and reliable
forever for low cost and not a lot of hassle.

Remember, a four-door hardtop or a convertible with power everything is a lot more complicated, and complexity means hassles and expense. My dream would be a '65-'67 2-dr sedan with a six, three on the tree, radio and heater, period. (overdrive if you could get it)

Good luck.

I wouldn't touch an older car for a daily driver. When I was a teenager, I had a 1968 Cougar and I always set aside $50/month because something always broke. That was in 1982 dollars so it would be more today. I don't remember how many times I got stranded. It was a reliability nightmare not to mention the rear wheel drive was no fun in the rain. Today, I own a Chevelle for fun and I love it but for the past 7 years I have driven a Honda Civic. It has cold A/C, great heat, excellant handing and looks as good as the day I bought it for about $12,000. Not a tear rip or sag in any part of the interior and every knob, bolt and fitting is as good as new. Just last week I put a timing belt on it and a few other doo dads for $365. A year ago I put new axles in it for $200. Today its worth about $6,000. It has never let me down, has been perfect in every way, still looks good and has only cost me about $500 in 7 years for maintenance [excluding tires-which I got 55,000 out of the first set]. I haven't even changed the cap, rotor or plug wires My mechanic said it has another 150,000 miles or more left on the motor. He works on Hondas which are still in good shape after 300,00 miles. Oh by the way, it has 102,000 miles on it now. Now, I know I will catch some flak for this but I don't think there is any way an old domestic can even come close to matching the quality, reliability and resale value of my Civic. Do yourself a favor and get a used Honda or Toyota for a driver until you get older and can afford a toy like a Chevelle. Thats what I did and its one of the best decisions I ever made. Now I will stand tall to take the verbal punishment I so richly deserve from my fellow Chevelle enthusiast for speaking such treason!

Michael's experience with his Honda is undoubtedly quite common, as his experience with his Cougar. But, neither of his experiences would lead me to the conclusion that a 60's Chevelle couldn't be an economical, reliable daily-driver.

Well, as I've said in an earlier post, I've owned my '70 Malibu since I bought it new and the car has NEVER left me stranded or stuck anywhere. The factory exhaust system lasted 175,000 miles, the first 350 lasted well over 300,000 miles and the rear is still original with 500,000+ miles on the clock! The car is very easy to maintain, is used for back and forth to work everyday (72 miles round trip)and is still my primary vehicle. Of course, I've changed the oil and filter every 2000 miles since new and carried out regular maintenence religiously. These cars are simple technology and perform well when properly maintained using the owner's manual as a guide. They should..they're Chevys!! http://www.chevelles.com/forum/biggrin.gif

I've never had any problems with RWD in the rain??? Don't understand that one. A chevelle's value will always go up, unless it is neglected. A honda's value will never go up. If you are a good enough mechanic to keep the car in good shape, you should never get stranded anywhere. I drove a 71 chevelle with a 250 & powerglide through college, never had a problem because I took good care of it. I bought the car from a kid who broke down in front of my house in '93. The car just stopped, the tranny would not go. I paid $150 for it, put in a new tranny filter & drove it for 3.5 Years. (that's the kind of people that get stranded, never check anything, just gas & go). I never got stranded, never had to put any $ into it except oil changes & gas. BTW, I live in Buffalo NY, this car was a fine driver for all the seasons. Car was already rusty, so I did not care about the road salt. I sold the car Body in '98 for $350. I rebuilt the 250 & sold it for $300. I sold the powerglide for $60 (needed a rebuild).
Get a chevelle dude! You should be able to get a nice ride for the money you have.

Good Luck!

[This message has been edited by ETD66SS (edited 03-27-2000).]

I have to agree that a Chevelle can make a VERY dependable daily driver. Of course, that is just my opnion. My father bought a '70 Chevelle for me in 1984 as my work\school car. The previous owner really did not take great care of the car, but it still ran really well. A lot of wax, new rubber, and a decent brake job, and I was on the road. No one in town had a car like mine. It has recently been given a transplant (new 377 for the old 307)... the 307 had close to 300k miles on it (two rebuilds). At one point about three years ago, I drove it from Beaumont, TX to Vicksburg, MS more than a few times. Not a BIT of trouble the whole way. And that was with the original 307!

Maintain it! It will treat you well. Now that it has a new heartbeat, there aren't many 'stock' cars that can hang with me. It really is loads of fun when the little rice-boys try me... but that is a topic for Bench Racing.

Get it and enjoy it.

My first car was a '67 Malibu that I paid $150 for (in 1981 or so). It was rusty, and had a vinyl top that was peeled off. I pulled out the interior, and patched the floor pans and trunk with galvanized stove pipe sheet metal, black tar roofing cement, and self tapping screws. It had a newer (slightly) 307, and a Powerglide. I had to put a couple of bucks into the brakes (one or two new wheel cylinders, and new pads). I drove that car for the next five years, and I can recall having to replace the starter, and the heater core, the exhaust system (K-mart), and that was about it. I drove it back and forth the 450 miles to and from school, and I never worried about being stranded, nor was I. You can't beat the prices of Chevy parts. If you have to replace the front half shafts in your Honda/Toyota/etc. (and you will), It will cost you a few hundred bucks minimum. U-joints on your Chevy cost about $20. I bet I didn't have $1000 total into the car the whole time I drove it. Oh yeah, a drunk high school kid side swiped it once when it was parked, and I collected $400 from his insurance company. I just pounded the bumper back into place with a sledge hammer, bought one used tire, and drove on. That reduced the total cost of ownership by about 1/2!

[This message has been edited by Blazer1970 (edited 03-27-2000).]

hey
thanks for all the replies.i have decided to get a chevelle.it doesn't have to be a 65.i would prefer 66 to 71.anyway thanks.

My 64 is a daily driver. Paid 3k for it 5 years ago. Since then have driven it 30K miles. It is original except for starter, alternator, battery, tires and exhaust system. In the 5 years I have driven it, I have been let down twice, once when the battery went south, second time when the starter bearing failed. Before that I had a 66 Caprice, 41 Chevy (stock),59 PU, 67 Camaro and first 64 Chevelle as daily drivers. If you maintain them and don't abuse them you can drive them everyday. Basic parts are available and cheap (priced newer car starter or alternator lately?)

My daughter bought a 87 escort when she was 16 for $900 and spent another 1000 keeping it running for two years before the head gasket failed and trashed the motor. She sold it for $200 and paid $1700 for a 87 Taurus (4cylinder). It averaged about 1K a year in repairs (they have electircal gremlins), cracked exhaust manifolds (2), ECMs (3), FI service, etc. Also needed heater core (800 labor to replace, they need to pull the dash and instrucment panel), water pump (8 hours labor). See gave it to her sister and bought a new Civic when she graduated from college in June. I had good luck with an Accord (85) that my other daughter has. 170K and never been opened. Uses no oil and runs excellent. Paint is peeling like crazy. Need to replace the timing belt every 60 K but otherwise it was bullet proof.

Remember, when you drive a Chevelle, women will smile, men will weep and dogs beg for a ride http://www.chevelles.com/forum/cool.gif

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OrrieG
64 Malibu HT Survivor
Gold Member #171

I wouldn't use a chevelle as a daily driver if I lived in PA. It will quickly turn into a rusted out piece of crap from winter driving. If you lived down south I would say go for it, but salt kills old cars quick.
I used to drive my chevelle every day when I lived in augusta GA, but now that I live in chicago my chevelle is turning into a rust bucket and It hasn't left the garage in a year.

I been on both sides of this argument. I drove my '68 on the Chevelle for 3 years. Motor went cause I think the person before me raced it a bit. Second engine I got a raw deal on and didn't find out till later it was seized at one time http://www.chevelles.com/forum/frown.gif . Beyond that the rest held up great. Currently it has the engine donated from my other '74 Chevelle which I just sold all but the engine out of. 107k miles on the engine, runs like new, literally. No engine guzzling. Since the end of '95, I've been driving a toyota and working on my Chevelle to be the weekend driver I always wanted. I drove that '74 Chevelle for awhile, and even when it had problems it never broke down. Well, only had one problem, ran great, got around 25 mpg with that 400. I can vouch that if you get in an accident at 10 mpg in a newer car(within 10 years), it will just plain crumple the front end. Not the most fun fixing it, I can tell ya that. If you're someone who looks are important, try getting the looks you get in a muscle car Chevelle with that of a newer car. Granted the chicks AND the cops pay attention to ya, but that's the price ya pay. In any case in my tercel for a new water pump, it took me like 12 hrs of work. In my chevelle I just put in a new cooling system entirely in a fraction of that time.
I must concede that if you don't know how to work on cars, you might be better off in a newer car where all parts are new and less likely to wear out. But if you want a stylish car, you have to get one that has the look.

Tony
'68 Chevelle 400