Scotty, I am getting close to buying my very first car (yay). But, I am not interested in new cars, but rather classic cars. When my father asked me what vehicle I am planning to by I told him a classic, but all he told me was I shouldn't. Here is just some of the reasons he told me not to buy one:
>They are death traps
>Gas millage is bad (I can agree with this one)
> There is no safety systems like ABS, traction control, airbags etc.
> The brakes on those cars are very different and require a special "tactic" to use them or else they will lock up and you will lose control.
>many more that I don't remember.
>no modern features (bluetooth, GPS, Mp3 players) (not that I really want any of those)
Some of the cars I am considering include
1960's Chevrolet Bel air
1970's Cadillac DeVille or Eldorado
1970's Ford Galaxy or thunderbird
So what do you think. Should I go with a classic or should I buy a brand new car.
Thank You!
Truthfully I would advise against a classic for your first car. It's not only that you have absolutely no safety equipment.(Airbags, anti-lock brakes, and energy-absorbing zones) Well actually that's my biggest gripe. I m 58 and live in Fort Worth and just sold a really nice 85 Z 28 because it had no safety stuff. I bought a 99 Z 28 with 2.5 the horses, antilock brakes, and airbags. I drove it 16 months and realized I was fighting hitting the gas everytime I sat in it. The older cars are easier to fix and thats a fact. My advice is from a person who wants to see you get a good experience. Your DAD is totally right on.
My daughter bought a 66 EL Camino for her first car and I have spent at least a hundred hours working on it and She has at least 15000 in it. Most of the time its broke. She has a Toyota that she really likes and drives all the time.
If you really want a classic, just buy one. The truth is you would get a lot more use out of a used Toyota.
The other daughter has a front-wheel-drive Caddy parked on the street in front of my house with Antique tags. She has dropped about 10 grand in that and would like to sell it now and I hope someone buys it.
Really think it over is my best advice.
@larry
Thank you for the advice. I only doubted my father because cars aren't really about his profession and I wanted to see what someone else's opinion is. I only wanted a classic as I find them quite appealing, but since you already stated that they can be money hogs and not as reliable as a brand new vehicle, I can see why my father wants me to go with a new vehicle.
Anyways, stay safe and thank you!
@larry
Yo man! seriously I love classic cars, japanese / american muscle.. But Larry's advice is spot on. IF you want a cool classic car, Buy a model Kit!!! and build one for fun for your desk or on your dash!
@larry
yeah i mean i WANT an Rx-8... so bad.. for years.. but i KNOW it's bad.. it's like texting your EX - DONT DO IT. Just look at the pictures if you feel low XD
I know I see so many sun baked autos that are broke down. Restoration of those beauties would be so cool. I mean if you have a 10000 foot shop and 2 million dollars. Right on.
If your planning on driving it all the time no. Look around you, do you see alot of classic cars driven daily?
Out of experience, you can never daily a classic. It is what it is.
Father knows best (in this case ; )
Enjoy your classic later when you can have/own 2 cars, a daily driver and the classic ; )
Couldn't agree more with everyone. Get the classic as a fun project, not a daily driver!
Not sure of your age which plays a little into answering this.
I would go for a Toyota
You mentioned buying a new one which might mean you are a bit older and have a job and everything.
If you are 16 I would recommend going used (everyone gets some dents and things happen with your first car that a used car is better to start with).
I have had quite a few of the exotics - the advice of having it for a hobby car is excellent. Depending on the car parts can be interesting to find and the lower miles you put on it the better. (There are many cars that appreciate in the classic market).
So wait join the local car club of the one you are interested, find the BB for the cars you are interested. Talk to people on the board and find something you really love. Another big advantage is with a classic car many states you can get collector or hobby plates and you don't have to tag them every year.
Your dad's concerns can be summed up in Ralph Nader's book Unsafe at Any Speed.
A lot of advances in cars especially with safety.
Hope this helps
A lot depends on your definition of "classic". The rule of thumb used to be a classic car was one at least 25 years old. These days a 25 year-old car is going to have fuel injection, disc brakes, 3-point belts, air bags, catalytic converters, crumple zones, etc. (I daily drive a 24 year-old vehicle and I'm on the road a lot.)
If you're talking about cars from 50-60 years ago or more that's a different story entirely.
