To daily drive, or not....
I get what your saying...
My thinking is this; you can be in the safest car ever designed and still be killed by some idiot or drunkard, slamming into you at 100+ mph or hitting you because they were driving down the wrong side of the road. Nothing is ever idiot-proof in my experience.
If it's my time to go, I guess it's time to go. I've faced far worse "situations" in the Middle East and a few times on my Motorcycle. (for example I survived someone's unsecured load on the freeway, ended up colliding with it at about 45 mph after trying to avoid it, walked away with bruises plus headache, helmet and armored jacket did its job)
And there's even less protection on a motorcycle! And my 14 years of riding motorcycle have made me a very alert and attentive driver but since I have young kids, I do plan on hanging up riding mainly because of other people and my wife telling me to choose between the bikes or the duster. (my 10 yr old has ridden on the back of my bike a few times as well).
*Although, the bike's 36 / 45+ mpg is looking really good right now*
My area is extremely rural, so traffic for the most part is a none-issue unless I decide to drive to Salt Lake City, which I have quite a few times with no issues.
And my wife and kids have ridden with me in it plenty of times. But I would say roughly 70-75% of the time it just me and the Duster, my wife occasionally drives it, and I occasionally let my 23 and 25 yr old stepsons drive it (with VERY strict stipulations!)
I can drive 75 mph with no issues. In fact I've done it many many times going from Utah to Colorado, Or driving around in Idaho, Nevada, Montana etc.
My car is a restomod (in progress), so it has much stronger brakes, and a more modernized suspension. So I don't worry too much about handling and braking too much as she does really great in that department. My Duster was nothing too special, it's a 74, it was a (very) base model with a slant 6, 3spd auto, power nothing but I wanted a blank slate so to speak, so I can make it the way I want it and turn it into a DD.
Now if it was a 1970-72 six-pack (440 or 340) Cuda, Or even a 67-69 Barracuda fastback, yeah I will def. limit driving on those.
As for the salt it's actually not that bad here. I picked up my car from Grand Junction CO. which has a slightly wetter climate and uses about the same amount of salt on the roads as Northern Utah. It's not just the salt that causes rust with these cars it's mainly precipitation and humidity. Utah is pretty arid, even in northern Utah, from June to late Sep. / early Oct. we hardly get any rain and average only 10-15% humidity, Southern Utah is even worse with dryness and climate closer to AZ. I've seen quite a few duster in decent shape in ID, CO and AZ. For some reason Utah has few A-bodies but a crap-ton of old Jeeps on the road, I'm talking AMC era ones too. I wonder why? :rolleyes: (yeah, I used be into old jeeps I had 1978 Cherokee Chief with a 401, I wished I never sold it :BangHead:).
I have driven the duster nearly 60,000 miles since I got her running in summer of 2014.
When I picked her up in 2012 this was the only cancer rot on the whole car. (passenger side behind rear wheel)
I did a temp patch on it back then and it has mostly held up. But I plan on welding a new patch and do an extensive rustproofing this year.
I get what your saying...
My thinking is this; you can be in the safest car ever designed and still be killed by some idiot or drunkard, slamming into you at 100+ mph or hitting you because they were driving down the wrong side of the road. Nothing is ever idiot-proof in my experience.
If it's my time to go, I guess it's time to go. I've faced far worse "situations" in the Middle East and a few times on my Motorcycle. (for example I survived someone's unsecured load on the freeway, ended up colliding with it at about 45 mph after trying to avoid it, walked away with bruises plus headache, helmet and armored jacket did its job)
And there's even less protection on a motorcycle! And my 14 years of riding motorcycle have made me a very alert and attentive driver but since I have young kids, I do plan on hanging up riding mainly because of other people and my wife telling me to choose between the bikes or the duster. (my 10 yr old has ridden on the back of my bike a few times as well).
*Although, the bike's 36 / 45+ mpg is looking really good right now*
My area is extremely rural, so traffic for the most part is a none-issue unless I decide to drive to Salt Lake City, which I have quite a few times with no issues.
And my wife and kids have ridden with me in it plenty of times. But I would say roughly 70-75% of the time it just me and the Duster, my wife occasionally drives it, and I occasionally let my 23 and 25 yr old stepsons drive it (with VERY strict stipulations!)
I can drive 75 mph with no issues. In fact I've done it many many times going from Utah to Colorado, Or driving around in Idaho, Nevada, Montana etc.
My car is a restomod (in progress), so it has much stronger brakes, and a more modernized suspension. So I don't worry too much about handling and braking too much as she does really great in that department. My Duster was nothing too special, it's a 74, it was a (very) base model with a slant 6, 3spd auto, power nothing but I wanted a blank slate so to speak, so I can make it the way I want it and turn it into a DD.
Now if it was a 1970-72 six-pack (440 or 340) Cuda, Or even a 67-69 Barracuda fastback, yeah I will def. limit driving on those.
As for the salt it's actually not that bad here. I picked up my car from Grand Junction CO. which has a slightly wetter climate and uses about the same amount of salt on the roads as Northern Utah. It's not just the salt that causes rust with these cars it's mainly precipitation and humidity. Utah is pretty arid, even in northern Utah, from June to late Sep. / early Oct. we hardly get any rain and average only 10-15% humidity, Southern Utah is even worse with dryness and climate closer to AZ. I've seen quite a few duster in decent shape in ID, CO and AZ. For some reason Utah has few A-bodies but a crap-ton of old Jeeps on the road, I'm talking AMC era ones too. I wonder why? :rolleyes: (yeah, I used be into old jeeps I had 1978 Cherokee Chief with a 401, I wished I never sold it :BangHead:).
I have driven the duster nearly 60,000 miles since I got her running in summer of 2014.
When I picked her up in 2012 this was the only cancer rot on the whole car. (passenger side behind rear wheel)
I did a temp patch on it back then and it has mostly held up. But I plan on welding a new patch and do an extensive rustproofing this year.
