Any regrets going with a classic?

Dr Jay

Dr Jay

Member
Jan 1, 2004
134
0
16
Canada
#1
I have always said that once I lost interest in driving my 2000 I would sell it and get the car I always wanted, a 65 or 66 Fastback with a 351w. The time has really come, I have lost all interest in the newer stangs and spend most of my free time on the net reading up on the classics, bought the 64 through 73 recognition guide...on and on. I like my car I just don't love it like I used to and every time I see a classic I just wonder why I ever bought a new edge.

We have three vehicles now so keeping my mustang and buying a 4th is out of the question. My wife keeps telling me I'm going to really miss driving my car and I know part of me will. Can anyone here tell me from experience what it was like to go from a modern stang to a classic. I know they obviously drive very different but I haven't actually driven a classic, not the type of car your neighbor lets you drive lol. I don't expect it to drive like what I have (maybe it will when I'm done modding) I guess I'm a regular gear head, I love the feeling of pinning myself in the seat and hearing the car scream once and awhile, the classics do a great job at that right?
 
#2
i havent gone from a modern mustang to a classic, but i have gone from modern cars to classics, and i have no regrets. cars from 1985 and earlier are easier to work on, are cheaper to work on, and easier to modify. there are a few draw backs, but they pale compared to the benefits.
 
#3
Yup. I don't drive my fastback often, but it before the build, it was a semi-daily driver that I drove about three or four days a week to work, plus a couple days a week to school for nite classes. How was it? Great. It was reliable, economical and just worn enough that I wasn't afraid to leave it in the parking lots. It was the kind of car that made me smile after a bad day, and really was a great commuter. However, be warned, I do not live in a city with lots of traffic, nor do I live in a high-crime area. While I could possibly drive it daily now, I don't. With dual-four carbs and a lopey cam, it's kind of a handful in parking lots, and it's a bit lower than it should be for a true driver. But if I swapped intakes and raised it a bit, it could be a good daily-use car. However, you should know these cars are noisy inside (road noise and engine noise), lack leg and head room if you're close to six feet tall, they're easy to break into with nothing more than a coathanger and they would not fair well in a collision. But then again, everything I've said could easily apply to a motorcycle, yet lots of people use those as commuters, don't they? I say buy a nice one, it'll make you smile every time you fire it up!
 
#4
+1 for what zookeeper said. My current one is not a daily driver, but a classic can be a blast to drive daily and can give you the power you need. Like he said in high traffic and busy cities the worst part may be noise and maybe manual steering or brakes unless you upgrade soon or it already has that done, not sure if A/C would be a big issue in canada or not. I went from a 95 gt to 66. They each have benefits, but go with a classic and you'll love it for a few years then maybe want a new one again possibly.
 
#5
Sold the '07 GT Vert and bought a Focus so we can tow it behind our RV. Drive the '66 daily. Never regretted selling the '07. Wife misses the vert part but other than that, we are happy with things the way they are.

As a daily driver for work, you could run into break down problems more than a new car until you have things under control as always with any new purchase.
 
#6
I have no regrets about owning a classic. I would rather have it than a brand new one. The only issue I really have is taking it to certain places or parking it in certain parking lots. I'm just worried something might happen to it. Of course mine is not a daily driver any more so I don't have to worry about that much.
 
#8
Shoot man!

I have both, and actually the reason I got my 04 GT was to protect my 68 from the dangers of daily driving. With that being said, you can probably figure out that my 68 is more important to me.
Luckily I don't have to choose, but if I did, it would be my classic all the way, bye bye 4.6.

BTW, my classic was my DD for a couple of years, and before that when it still had the 6 cylinder 3 speed, back in the late 90's, my brother drove it all through college, over 100 miles a day for several years.

Now that my 04 will be in collision repair jail for quite a while :mad:, I'm either down to my old 88 F150 and my 90 GT for DD duty, but I got new tires on the 68 and getting an alignment Saturday. I'm going to try it for the next week or so and who knows, it may end up being my nice weather DD again.
 
#9
Daily drove a 65 fastback through highschool (I got T-boned in it) Then picked up a 99 GT, sold that and got a 56 merc, which I sold to get my 65 coupe. I Daily drove all these cars, I even drove the current mustang with its 408w to and from school and work. Yes I ran into a few break downs a long the way but all in all it was very reliable and I loved every moment of it.

Now the 65 stays in the garage a bit more often but still gets plenty of attention.
 
#10
My only regret about my 65 is that i didnt buy one 10 years ago. I looked for one then, but couldnt find one for a price i could afford when i was 19ish. They are probably not as comfy as newer cars, but the cool factor goes a LONG way. And for fairly cheap, you can fix most things. My advise, is spend at least 7-10K when buying one. For that price, you can usualy find one that doesnt have much if any rust and will be a decent shape good running car. Obviously deals can be found, but i found, that 5K bought a car that ran, but had bad paint and interior, 7 buys decent interior, decent paint and ran ok.
 
#11
I have to agree with all the above comments, I have had my 65 for close to 15 years it was my daily driver when I first got it then it slowly shifted to summer only duty then to cruise night/weekends/car shows/track duty.

I also have a vette, and I say all the time that I would keep the stang over the vette, the amount of positive comments, thumbs up, kids smiles, and my smiles every time I put my foot down can not be made up for with a new car.

Don't worry about missing driving your '00, I spank my buddy's '04 GT all the time. The only thing he has got over me is A/C and power steering....and you can get all that in a classic as well. Not to mention his loud/modded '04 attracts the wrong kind of police attention, classics get waved at for the same thing.
 
#13
Max Power said:
Regret going to a classic?

Hell, I never left!

Not much interest in the modern ones, although that new Coyote engine has me a little bit intrigued.
Click to expand...

Actually, I feel the opposite way about it. The new 5.0 engine has really turned me off. I hate how they are marketing it as a 5.0. They gave up on the real 5.0 in 95.
 
#14
I have had my 65 since 1994. It has been at several varying stages of completion and was my daily driver in the beginning. I would not trade all the experiences I have had in it. I know that some times things broke or the car had to be towed home. At least when that happened it was close to the house, so we used the F150 and a tow strap. I think it was all a great learning experience.

I also agree with what was said about getting smiles and thumbs up from people. I even get people and kids with cameras hanging out of windows on the highway.

While there are some things about new cars that have been improved, the coolness factor and fun factor is just so much more with the classics.

old school > new school
 
#15
I just read the last issue of mustng monthly,( at least i think it was in there) borgsen has a steering box that is power steering, & bolts right up to the factory location,& uses stock suspension to give you power steering which would making these classics much more enjoyable to drive any where. has anyone used one yet to know how well they work?
 
#18
The newer ‘Stangs look good, handle better, and are safer than the classics, or even the Fox’s. But they’re not for me. The newest I’ve owned is my present ’92 GT convertible daily driver, which has been highly modified. I have a ’65 project that I purchased earlier this year after dragging it out of an old garage where it had been sitting for 18+ years. I’m going to keep it close to stock with primarily just some safety and handling upgrades (disk brakes, steering, seats with 3-point belts, etc.) and a few nice finishing touches (decent gages, dash mounted GPS, & killer audio system). When I get the ’65 ‘finished’, I’ll decide which one to keep for the long haul. When I retire in a few years, I don’t think I’ll want to pay the insurance & and take the time to keep up three vehicles of my own, plus the wife’s. (I’m keeping my truck, hands down). Right now, I’m leaning toward keeping the ’65 and selling the ’92 to someone who can appreciate a well done restomod. We'll see if it turns out that way.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Willybill32
Classic Car Insurance
Replies
83
Views
2K
1979 - 1995 (Fox, SN95.0, & 2.3L) -General/Talk-
7-UP BILL
7-UP BILL
MKatzenbach
Hello Mustang community!
Replies
6
Views
196
The Welcome Wagon
MKatzenbach
MKatzenbach
8
87 lx 4cyl to v8 project 4 lug disc conversion questions
Replies
2
Views
466
1979 - 1995 (Fox, SN95.0, & 2.3L) -General/Talk-
87lx428
8
D Durden
Place to Avoid: Jamison Auto Group in Gulfport, MS
Replies
45
Views
2K
1965 - 1973 Classic Mustangs -General/Talk-
nickyb
nickyb
5
Hello fellow Mustang fanatics.
Replies
2
Views
163
The Welcome Wagon
General karthief
General karthief
Top Bottom
Back
Forums
Menu