To daily drive, or not....

[crj1968]

...that is the question.

I didn't want to hijack the other threads... and I know it's been hashed over, but that's what we do with 50 year old cars..... hash it over again and again.

Anyway those that are daily driving their old cars/trucks...rattles, leaks, cooling issues (both the car and the driver, etc) What has been your experience? Is there a stretch of freeway involved?

I've driven my hot rods to work on occasion. and on the freeway, about a 25 mile stretch, it sucks. (Idling a 440 in traffic, or 3500 RPM / 70mph) But that's a single day going from modern luxury to a 50 year old car....so maybe the change was too dramatic. Being in my 50's, of course I've daily driven total beaters, we all did. I like my comforts now, but I also like the idea of making my 70 Duster (mild 318 / auto) a livable daily driver. A/C is a must...

What changes, if any, were the big difference for you?
What changes are you planning? thx for input !

 

[abodyjoe]

I'm not daily driving my old cars. i like my modern comfort and features. 80 mile round trip for work too.

if i were to do it the first thing id have to do is the suspension and rims/tires. would have to get it to handle much better then stock. I'd need working a/c, bluetooth radio, more comfortable seats and im sure I'll think of more as time goes on.

 

[rumblefish360]

It’s been a while since I daily drive my ‘79 Magnum. It was my only car for a long time.
(The wife got the modern car for several reasons, more reliable with peace and quite from her, gas mileage, running the kids around when they were young, etc… )

I’ll say what I did t do to it, hot rod it for 12 seconds and better! The stock engine was replaced twice. I wasn’t so found of the ODA 400 since ‘78 was built in the horrible years of no power. The 5.9 that replaced it was a 80-K mill. I kept it simple. Bolt on parts. No cam. I just put on a RPM with a 600 carb, chrome box ignition, headers with a 2-1/2 exhaust. It’s making 300 hp.

I left the transmission stock, the rear end has 3.55’s. The OE 3.21’s in the 9-1/4 let loose, so the slight increase in ratio was not a big deal. Just a few more rpm’s at Hwy cruise.

There is the biggest issue right there to consider when the car is an every day driver. Your cruise rpm’s. Hwy. gears may not be the greatest around town but if you hit the Hwy @ anytime your never thinking about driving it slow in the right lane. Honestly, even a set of 2.76 cog’s is a smart idea. IMO, no higher than 3.23’s.

I was going to do a cam in the 5.9. It’ll be small, really a baby cam, like maybe two steps higher? It’s two fold. Keeping the stock converter limits the cam duration to under 220@.050 & even more so when you have Hwy gears. If you have 2.76 gears, perhaps a limit of 212@.050 or less is better. You’ll still get good mileage and it’ll drive around town great.

Then what A body Joe wrote.
(I’m glad the forum puts up that “view posts made” before I reply and re type what he said.)
But that’s dead on. Oh hell yea. On my Magnum, I opted for 245/60/15 on all 4 corners. Re did all the bushings. Added new leafs in the back, better than stock shocks on all four corners as well. How far you take it is your call. I suggest sway bars if your not equipped.

PST is a sight supporter. I have used there stuff before with really nice results. I highly suggest paying attention to the suspension with PST. They also have break upgrades. I did t need it for the Magnum since it has the big discs stock and the 9-1/4 I swapped from a Cordoba has 11 inch drums. Yea, that’s upgradable, but it works fine for me now.

 

[rumblefish360]

Keeping the car closer to stock was the just for above. It just makes life a bit more simple. Adding HP adds heat and the stock cooling system only handles so much over stock. Don’t tax it.

As far as the rest of the car, I do put up with some rattles on cruddy roads. Otherwise, it’s pretty quite. I slowly upgraded what I thought lacked. For me it was mostly the stereo.

As parts crap out, I address them when I can. Door clips that fail to hold the door panel on…. Fix it later, it gets done but there’s normally no big emergency to do so.

My A/C system never worked and wasn’t a big deal in New York but now I’m in Florida, so I’ll be working on that soon enough!
My gauges work, but the needles broke off from being old! LMAO when it happens before your eyes! I’m considering upgrading them with speedhut gauges. The later B bodies gauge panels are about 4 inches.

After that, anything that pops up or needs to be addressed gets done when it gets done.

The only thing I’d add to an older car like a Duster is under carpet heat shielding/ sound deadener. If I’m going to spend a decent amount of time in the car in and out of work or what ever, I’d rather hear the music clearly and have a conversation without raising my voice to be heard.

While others proudly pound there chest on a loud cars exhaust music, which I love myself, I’ll save the ears on a car I’m in a lot and enjoy the racket of the hot rod on my terms. Call me old, I don’t care, I’ve always been that way.

For the most part, I haven’t run across an issue with replacement seals. On my Duster, I did the windshield wipers first. Stop that annoying water on the door drip quick! The door windows were next. Then the short coming seals on the firewall.

Once you get the car where you want it, it’ll be great.
IMO, there’s nothing like hoping in your ride that is capable of go any time, go anywhere and not get slayed by a gas guzzling monster that’s not using its power under cruise. That’s what I built the hot rod for.

 

[66Valiant528]

I'd say the 2 best upgrades available to make it a daily driver are rear gears and an OD transmission. If you can deal with 2.90 gears then an od trans probably isn't necessary. The other option (which I do)
is 2 cars! 1 driver 1 race. Easy peasy. Old Valiant run. Looking for 9s this Sunday at LVD in New York

 

[rumblefish360]

While your taste of power can vary a lot for you on car to car, how far your willing to take the power maybe limiting vs the creature comfort level you want to experience. With longer turbo mufflers, the sound can drop inside a good bit. While this may very well allow “More Motor” under the hood, I’d just keep the cam small so the car cruises in the cams sweet spot and still has available passing power with power to spare.

 

[rumblefish360]

@66Valiant528 I was just going mention that. IDK if that is in his deck or cards but it is a worthy mention. An OD trans (auto) turns 4.10’s into 2.82 (2.829-2.83)
The slightly deeper first gear ratio (I always forget what it is vs the standard ratio, but) is also really helpful on the get up and to factor.

 

[crj1968]

Thanks all. agree RPMs is an issue. Right now the car is 3:50 geared (Ford 8inch) 245/60/15s so that's not too terrible. Not ideal either, easily changed
Manual steering which is fine.
Yeah road noise.
..
brakes right now are small 73 duster manual discs. not great, but upgradeable easy enough

Has fat Hotchkiss sway bar front and rear, new PST stuff all around.

I'm not worried about making tons of power-
Car has manifolds with 2.5" exhaust all the way to the back (flowmasters I think- not too droning)

Sound deadening / brakes/ maybe some seats....

 

[rumblefish360]

Creature (seating) comforts are big and even huge when you spend a bit of time in the car. Never mind hours on interstate travels. I never had an issue when I see a aftermarket or modern seat rod the driver & passenger. Though sometimes there “Look” is very odd and sometimes disgusting. But I blow it off know it’s for the drivers *** and comfort.

Are these ideas for the Duster?
If so, your not minding the “Upgrades” over what is correct and stock then?
If so…. I’d find the coin for the OD. It’ll turn the 3.50 gears into 2.41’s. I’m not sure I’d change the cam the engine came with with that final drive ratio.

Otherwise, I’d start in with the sound deadener everywhere I can shove it in. A bodies (or any old car) are on the tinnie (tin-e-r) side being they lack sound deadener.

The muffler swap is an easy thing.

 

[crj1968]

Creature (seating) comforts are big and even huge when you spend a bit of time in the car. Never mind hours on interstate travels. I never had an issue when I see a aftermarket or modern seat rod the driver & passenger. Though sometimes there “Look” is very odd and sometimes disgusting. But I blow it off know it’s for the drivers *** and comfort.

Are these ideas for the Duster?
If so, your not minding the “Upgrades” over what is correct and stock then?
If so…. I’d find the coin for the OD. It’ll turn the 3.50 gears into 2.41’s. I’m not sure I’d change the cam the engine came with with that final drive ratio.

Otherwise, I’d start in with the sound deadener everywhere I can shove it in. A bodies (or any old car) are on the tinnie (tin-e-r) side being they lack sound deadener.

The muffler swap is an easy thing.

Yeah this is for the 70 Duster (not the 72 for sale)

I dont mind doing upgrades that aren't mopar "stock"
Car is pretty decent as is but I think I could budget $5K to it. Might need to wait until somebody buys the 72... ;)

 

[crj1968]

...oh and of course it needs a set of hood scoops. I guess that goes without saying...

 

[Sublime one]

I daily drive my Demon, except for when it rains as I still don’t have wipers yet! Agreed on all the previous posts with regard to gear ratio and RPMs. I put in a Tremec T60 with 3:55 rear end she purrs at 70mph running at about 1500rpms. Makes all difference in the world.

 

[roccodart440]

As long as it isn't seeing salt, I don't see an issue daily driving them. That's what they were designed to do.

 

[crj1968]

Wipers yeah...good point they are horrible on these cars!

No salt here which is great. I have Jeep XJ for our 2-3 yearly snowstorms

 

[crj1968]

I daily drive my Demon, except for when it rains as I still don’t have wipers yet! Agreed on all the previous posts with regard to gear ratio and RPMs. I put in a Tremec T60 with 3:55 rear end she purrs at 70mph running at about 1500rpms. Makes all difference in the world.

Sounds like a killer set-up. you don't mind clutch in and out constantly in traffic ? Or do you deal with gridlock at all?

 

[Sublime one]

Sounds like a killer set-up. you don't mind clutch in and out constantly in traffic ? Or do you deal with gridlock at all?

I am in Fargo, what is grid lock? A tie football game? Hah! I have always been a three pedal guy so I guess I just don’t really notice it. But I am lazy and most often in town leave in second gear. Rarely do I use first. Two thru four spans zero-ninety!

 

[MopaR&D]

I commute to work in my Duster a few times a week. With the upgraded suspension, steering (Firm Feel Stage 2 PS box) and modern performance tires it handles like a dream although the ride is a tad firm but not much more than a typical modern import sedan. Since moving to the same town I work in my commute is short and on slow roads but I used to commute about 25 minutes one way on the freeway and that's where the car is really "in the zone". 2.94 gears and a 904 trans with a 450-hp (at the crank at sea level) 360 does great, gas mileage just kind of sucks with the cheap slippy 2600-stall converter. About 13 MPG around town and 17 on the freeway. But damn it'll cruise at 90 mph all day long.

My biggest gripe is wind and road noise. I get tired of driving before the car does LOL. I've never had a breakdown in it aside from a punctured tire once or twice and I've been driving the car regularly since about 2010. I used to drive it 2.5 hours to the track but that got old after a while (and I worried if I broke something at the track I'd be SOL getting back home) so now I tow it on a trailer with my D200. The heater on these cars is also kinda weak so when it's below freezing outside I'm much more inclined to drive one of my other vehicles. We do have road salt here but also plenty of sunny and (relatively) warm days in winter.

Oh and brakes, at the very least put factory front discs. I have '73-up factory 10.9" front discs in mine and the only time I found I needed more braking power was at the track coming off a banked turn at 100 mph approaching a hairpin turn... reached a point where I pressed the pedal harder but the car didn't slow down any quicker lol. Looking at doing the Dr. Diff Cobra Mustang brake conversion once I have about a grand of cash lying around

 

[RustyRatRod]

We daily drive Vixen when the weather's good, because her door gaskets leak, so she's in the shop in inclement weather, like now.

She does 70 at about right at 3000, but cruise more like 60. I have planned a Ford 9" with 300 gears, almost completed now, and a World Class T5 5 speed. Once that's done, she'll cruise with the best of um.

 

[rumblefish360]

Dude! That’s killer. Sounds really like an awesome car.
(What’s “Grid lock!” - LMAFAO!)

I daily drive my Demon, except for when it rains as I still don’t have wipers yet! Agreed on all the previous posts with regard to gear ratio and RPMs. I put in a Tremec T60 with 3:55 rear end she purrs at 70mph running at about 1500rpms. Makes all difference in the world.

 

[mbaird]

Over 15,000 miles last year . No issues...
Suspension all rebuilt using rubber bushings , HD springs , front and rear sway bars , 2.76 gears , 215/70-14 Michelins , ...5.9 with EQ heads , Eddie air gap , dougs headers and a 222/229 cam with 540 lift on 112.
13-16 mpg and probably runs mid 13s but I havent been to the track with .
I will drive anywhere with it .

 

[66Valiant528]

I drive my Roadrunner as much as possible, weather permitting. Although I do drive in the ice and snow,winter in New England much to the horror of some of my friends who believe there cars are made of sugar! But with 4.10s and 28 inch 275/60R15s I rarely go on the highway for more than 20 miles at a time. Fuel prices being what they are I've been driving the Roadrunner more because of the price of diesel for my ram . I see someone is selling a 42RH here for 3400 or so. That with maybe a 5.2 Magnum
(cause the stroke on a 5.9 just eats fuel) in an light A body with cushy seats, a kicking sound system and A/C should cover it. 3.23 gears. It might be cheaper to by a 5.2 drivetrain from an early 90s B van. Save the money on the drivetrain and do up a nice body. Although I don't know what your budget is.

 

[mbaird]

I drive my Roadrunner as much as possible, weather permitting. Although I do drive in the ice and snow,winter in New England much to the horror of some of my friends who believe there cars are made of sugar! But with 4.10s and 28 inch 275/60R15s I rarely go on the highway for more than 20 miles at a time. Fuel prices being what they are I've been driving the Roadrunner more because of the price of diesel for my ram . I see someone is selling a 42RH here for 3400 or so. That with maybe a 5.2 Magnum
(cause the stroke on a 5.9 just eats fuel) in an light A body with cushy seats, a kicking sound system and A/C should cover it. 3.23 gears. It might be cheaper to by a 5.2 drivetrain from an early 90s B van. Save the money on the drivetrain and do up a nice body. Although I don't know what your budget is.

Ha ! My brother in Minnesota wont even drive his 4WD Tundra in the winter much less his 68 or 69 Firebirds.
I wont drive my Mopars in the snow for fear of other idiot drivers. But I will drive in the winter if roads are clear.

 

[crj1968]

I am in Fargo, what is grid lock? A tie football game? Hah! I have always been a three pedal guy so I guess I just don’t really notice it. But I am lazy and most often in town leave in second gear. Rarely do I use first. Two thru four spans zero-ninety!

Ha!
I'm not in "big city" traffic but even idling along for 15 minutes at 5-10 mph is a drag. I used to daily drive a stock sweptline in Portland Oregon all over and I used ot have to pull over and let the brakes cool. A lot of pre planned swerving going on there.

Lot's of good advice- much apprciated. $5K budget actually doesn't go that far, but Ive got a good base to work with

 

[Bill Crowell]

Mr. crj1968, I certainly don't want to discourage you from daily driving your older Mopar because I daily drive 4 of them and I enjoy them a lot. But you do need to remember that corollary to Murphy's Law which applies to older daily drivers: "anything that CAN break WILL break". I found that I needed to drive each of my older Mopes for several years and replace lots and lots of parts before the corollary had exhausted itself, and in the meantime I found it necessary to buy good towing insurance. It also helps to have a boss who is sympathetic to your endeavor, and who won't get too upset if you are late to work a few times while you get your car sorted out.

 

[Cuprum-74]

I've been daily driving my Duster for the past 6 years. Were there issues? Yes. But mostly easy to fix. I've driven long distances as well, did quite a few 500+ mile trips and did one 1200 mile trip in 2017. (planning another 1000+ mile trip in it soon)
Yes there were some squeaks but very mild as I've taken care of most of them. The wind noise is moderate but again I haven't replaced all the seals yet, and the interior is about 75% complete.
I currently have 3.21 rear gears. I can cruise comfortably at 71-72 mph. @ 3000 rpm, The exhaust drone is minimal (crossover pipes and straight-thru mufflers like Magnaflows are key).
Now keep in mind my suspension has been (and still is) slowly converted to aftermarket over the years. Now only the Lower Control Arms and rear suspension are OEM... For now.
I do plan on putting in an OD in mine soon, and change the rear end to 3.55 or 3.73.
Is she the most comfortable ride? Not quite, But it's loads better than before, but again I can likely improve her a little more... But man is it fun! She get's a lot of attention as well. (Both good and erm... bad).
Yes AC is a great thing as well. Luckily there are quite a few aftermarket options. As for seats I actually modified and mounted 1996 Mitsubishi Eclipse bucket seats into mine. Much better!

@Bill Crowell
I agree, but the same law also applies to newer cars as well.
My wife's 2012 Tahoe had issues, And it was only 6 years old when it started to have problems. Was a little bit of a pain to fix, but not too bad.
My wife's old 2007 Ford Escape was a POS. Started having major issues in 2015, And was the biggest piece of ****, pain in the *** to work on. Thank god it was deemed totaled after it got pummeled by a hail storm in Colorado.

Mitsu Eclipse seats: (This is an old picture from 2013 when I was still putting her together i never did install that center console, didn't like it plus it got in the way of the Hurst shifter)