[Rick B]

Guys, what is the concenses(spelling?) on using a 70's Chevelle as a daily driver? I put about 80-100 miles a day to and from work, sometimes a little more. Its mostly highway driving, but some local stuff too. Would a very good resto hold up under the stress. I love driving my 71, but it doesn't have air (live in FL) so I would try and find a real good resto with air. This would also make a good case as to why I need two Chevelles. I think it would hold up just fine, but would like some comfirmation for a comfort level. I would be selling my 98 GMC truck to do this. Big step back in time!

 

[Buck Mustard]

**** yeah! Do it, man!

I am building a '70 to be a weekend cruiser. I will be driving it around to drop off movies at BlockBuster, run to McD's, or to stop by the liquor store. Might even run it to work every once in awhile.

These cars were built to be driven. So drive it! There are plenty of aftermarket (or even original) parts that will help pep up an old Chevelle for daily use.

Its your car, do what you want with it. If someone complains that you are 'running a classic into the ground', tell them to go *%&# themselves! You will probably take better care of a daily-driven 'velle than you would if it were a Hyundai.

I hope I was clear enough that you can understand my comfort level on the subject.

 

[Buck Mustard]

Wow! This is some pretty fancy software Al is running. The four '*'s at the beginning of my last post was actually the word: sh*t. The software must have monitored and corrected my cussing. Technology and colorful expressions must not mix.

Boy, what my mom wouldn't have given to have something like this around when I was younger!

Ain't that the ****?

 

[tom3]

Make a very good daily driver! Get a air/fuel ratio gauge and dial in the carb. Yo will get 22 - 24 mpg with a small block and decent gearing. Good ride, plenty of power, easy maintenance, and no dealer hassles (may be best thing). Really nice since rust is not a problem down there. tom

 

[Rainer]

Does the software screen for George Carlin's "7 bad words you can't say on TV"? Let's see:

1) ****
2) ####
3) ****
4) ####
5) C###sucker
6) Mother****er
7) ####

It looks like it only caught 3 - I had to edit the others with ###. I guess we'll need to keep ourselves in check.

------------------
Rainer - Team Chevelle #50 - Gold Member
'68 SS396
'70 LS3 400 Malibu
& the newest - '70 Malibu convertible!
[email protected]


[This message has been edited by Rainer (edited 06-09-99).]

 

[Gene McGill]

I drove my 68 SS 396 (325 hp/th400) 80-100 miles daily for 3 years. The front of the car has picked up a lot of chips, plus the repo seat covers are starting to wear. I didn't have air either, and I live in southern Arizona. My biggest gripe was in paying for premium gas while getting 12-14 MPG and being real hot. Other than summer, it was fun to drive though, and passing cars / semi's going uphill was fun. I recently got a SUV that gets 17 MPG, uses regular unleaded, and has cold air, so it can finally be a weekend cruiser. I'll probably still drive it to work occasionally once it cools down.

 

[Dave66]

My '66 Malibu is a daily driver. It is my only car now and sees approx. 350 miles per week. I don't know what my mileage is with a ZZ4 and all the trimmings; it is probably a little less than 20 MPG. 3.55 rear gears, 1000 RPM over stock torque converter, Edelbrock 600 CFM carb. I went through two aluminum radiators (company name starts with a "B") and am now running a US Rad copper/brass with no problems. Torque converter also mysteriously blew up recently and had to get trans rebuilt (TCI Street Fighter).

The combination I have works very well for a daily driver. I think the main thing is the high stall converter means I can navigate through slow moving traffic without the pedal being oversensitive. The carb hasn't needed any adjustments for over six months now. I ran the car everyday in the Winter also, and the only thing about that was to not hit the accelerator while turning because the posi would make the car try to spin out.

This car also goes to and from Ohio every two months or so, which is 800 miles round trip. For a small block the 3.55 and non-overdrive auto are fine for highway driving.

 

[283v8]

My opinion continues to be that if it isn't driven (alot) it ceases to be a car and becomes "automobilia" or auto-art. Websters 7th collegiate says :"car; a vehicle MOVING on wheels" - "automobile; a vehicle designed for passenger transportation".
I say build it as you like it, modifications and all, then drive it. If it gets worn, rebuild it again as you like it at that time.
The Smithsonian has many examples that will last forever untouched - therefore you do not need to provide that service.

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[Jason Shulenberger]

Now if it were a low mileage LS6, or something rare like that, it would be a little different.

Myself, I would rather buy a high milage car so I don't feel bad about puting miles on it, because I certainly will.

It makes me smile to see a Chevelle on the road, no matter what shape it's in.

 

[406chevelle]

They make great drivers. It's not a mistake that they are still around after 30yrs.

 

[Kevin]

Rick,

I used my '71 SS 454 as a daily driver for four years but I only lived 5-6 miles from work. I currently use a '69 Camaro (350, 700r-4, no A/C) to drive 100 miles per day and have to admit that sometimes it does get tiring - these cars are not quiet or smooth. It is then that I use my Tahoe for a couple of days - until I get tired of it being gutless and ordinary....

In your case I'd put Vintage Air in the '71 and keep the truck. This way you'll have the best of both worlds.

 

[Guest]

I agree 100 percent. Drive the wheels off the thing. My son's 71 has about 46K on it and he drives it every time he gets a chance. My 67 is waiting for the new bullet, radical small block, it will be driven and raced some.

The trailer queens out there are fine, let them drag them around to shows and wow everybody. But I bet my 67 is more fun, bust this baby in the ass and stand by for some excitement.

Wally
Gold #67

 

[Rainer]

I'll have to agree with Kevin, that driving your toy on a daily basis gets old after awhile. I've been driving my 68 SS daily since my Honda died last Sept. What was only supposed to last for 2 months has lasted for 9. One of the drawbacks is that I can't have the Chevelle down for repairs, etc. for a few days because its what I use to get around.

I also agree with Jason that I always get a kick out of seeing a nice Chevelle on the road!

------------------
Rainer - Team Chevelle #50 - Gold Member
'68 SS396
'70 LS3 400 Malibu
& the newest - '70 Malibu convertible!
[email protected]

 

[mike reeh]

I agree they are good daily drivers.. my 70 el camino is my daily driver, i.e. i have no other car to drive and i drive a LOT. and i have no heater/ac/radio!! and the damn thing squeaks like theres no tomorrow. but other than that its been extremely reliable and a good driver. it all comes down to how spoiled you are with new econobox cars that get 30mpg and have ac, etc.

mike

 

[Pat Kelley]

I drive my 66 EC everyday. It is my only transportation (other than a high strung 67 EC that's going racing). If you keep the engine calm and keep your gearing reasonable, these cars make great drivers. My EC still works for a living, hauling parts (500-600 lbs at a time) to the heat treater and plater. I upgrade when something need replacement. Poly bushings, KYB shocks, and heavy anti-sway bars make driving very enjoyable. I just accept whatever mileage I get

 

[Philip]

My 70 was our family car for many years. The stock 350/300 (I added an HEI) with 3.31 gears gave us around 18-20 mpg on the road and about 15 around town. We had ac, ps, pb and a 4 speed. It was comfortable and a pleasure to drive. Also a kick when leaving a light with tires smoking and the wife and 3 kids smiling at the guy getting left behind.

 

[Dave Kaveshan]

People seem concerned about "wasting" a perfectly good Chevelle or Camino by driving it daily and having to repair it occasionally. Consider this: go out and buy an average new car. Then drop a fresh engine, trans, interior, suspension and paint into a Chevelle. Drive them both for 100,000 miles. In the beginning, you started with pretty much two brand new cars. At the end, you have two well worn cars. BOTH of which will have required some maintenance and possibly repairs along the way. This is where everyone jumps in with the "apples and oranges" comparison. I say the bottom line is this; either way, over the long run, you are going to spend a lot of money to drive a car. Both up front (buying)and down the road (maintenance). The least you can do is drive something you really enjoy. (I'm waving the Chevelle flag here) Dave

 

[Quadzilla]

I have a 70 Sedan that gets (got

) driven every day.. I mean every day; Rain, Snow, Scorching Heat... every day it could run I did... and I am a firm beliver that once you do not use a tool, you no longer respect or like/love the tool and should't have it any more.
I have seen too many cars just sit in garages and never get used, mean while the owner is spending way too much time telling me about how much it's worth and "fast" it can go... in the back of my mind I just figure out it's worth in scrap metal and reusable parts and ask him when it was last run...

run it every day you can, smile and thank John Z. DeLorean for giving us all a reason to want to get up very early on a saturday, just to get parts to be rolling for saturday night!

------------------
Francis Taracido
[email protected]
Proud Patron of Quadzilla

 

[Rob F]

Yeah, what they all said. Drive it! My 68 SS396 is driven daily over 350 miles per week. I have no other car. Of course it has been upgraded to this status- All poly bushings, lowered, perf. tires and shocks, disc brakes, etc, etc. My insurance is cheap (by Atlanta standards), parts are cheaper than new cars, and I feel a lot safer with some real steel around me than in a modern tupperware jellybean. These old cars have a character, a kind of soul to them that just isn't found in todays cars. And they're just plain cool! Life's too short to drive a boring vehicle.

 

[Ox68]

One of my favorite things about the older cars(Chevelles in particular) that I always liked is what you end up with. What I mean is that someone can't go to a car dealership and walk out with a car just like yours. Guess in short it's kinda fun to be unique(and look cool).