is it possible to have a classic Mustang as a daily driver keeping in mind i have limited funds?

[hnicholls_1989]

hi all,
i live in australia & go to school in south australia but live in victoria. i've been wanting to buy a classic car for years, and a 'stang has long been my dream. however, my parents are (understandably) reluctant to see me get a first car that's likely unreliable and certainly unsafe.

is there any feasible way i could buy a decent mustang for a low price (under $20,000 australian dollars) and implement safety features with minimum cost and then use it as a daily driver/first car? for instance like this '66 'stang - [Link Removed]

unfortunately, i have minimal mechanical knowledge but my father is very handy with cars etc, so i would have his help as well as being super eager to learn. this is a genuine question and i'm really interested to know you guys' opinions. if something like this isn't an option, are there any newer (but still cool & stylish) cars e.g. a 90's era porsche boxter etc you guys would truly recommend for me as my first car?

thanks so much!

 

[horse sence]

I drove a 66 GT fast back to work every day from 1980 -1999 putting atleast 100 miles a day on it . I finally fixed my 1978 ford pick and drove it until 2004 when i bought a 2000 ford f150 that i still drive today

 

[LILCBRA]

It's certainly possible to make it a reliable daily driver but the safety features will always lack when compared to more modern vehicles. For example, a 66 Mustang won't have crumple zones engineered into them nearly as well as let's say a 1996 Mustang (or anything else for that matter....). For example, I was in a nasty head on collision in a 1999 Escort ZX2 in 2015.

If I would've been in an older car, say my 77 Cobra, I would've most certainly not survived. You can most certainly daily an older car, but you're taking a safety risk every time you're behind the wheel - not necessarily from your driving, but I'm sure Australia isn't immune to moron drivers who can get you into a nasty accident. I don't have a good suggestion for anything in Australia for you, but I'd suggest something newer just for your overall safety and recommend you wait until you can get yourself a classic as a play-thing. That's just my 2 cents, and probably not worth that....

 

[hnicholls_1989]

It's certainly possible to make it a reliable daily driver but the safety features will always lack when compared to more modern vehicles. For example, a 66 Mustang won't have crumple zones engineered into them nearly as well as let's say a 1996 Mustang (or anything else for that matter....). For example, I was in a nasty head on collision in a 1999 Escort ZX2 in 2015.

If I would've been in an older car, say my 77 Cobra, I would've most certainly not survived. You can most certainly daily an older car, but you're taking a safety risk every time you're behind the wheel - not necessarily from your driving, but I'm sure Australia isn't immune to moron drivers who can get you into a nasty accident. I don't have a good suggestion for anything in Australia for you, but I'd suggest something newer just for your overall safety and recommend you wait until you can get yourself a classic as a play-thing. That's just my 2 cents, and probably not worth that....

yeah thank you for the advice, i think i might get something newer like a porsche boxter and wait 'til i'm older to buy a mustang and keep it as a weekend cruiser, or be able to make it safer and then use it more often.

 

[70mstang]

I drove my inline 6 '70 mustang to school and back for about 7 years, I live in a suburban area and wasn't driving on the freeway much, less than 15 miles a day, it worked pretty well, but i was in auto shop classes for most of it and was able to prioritize my repairs, the lack of air conditioning was uncomfortable, and the car suffered because i was depending on my parents for gas/repair money... but i learned how to take care of the car and all my friends loved it... so honestly? it was a net positive... better get comfortable with reading ancient repair manuals though... you basically have to make antique cars your whole personality.