Age of "new" tires
PolyGlas tires last forever because they're terrible. Traction, handling performance, wet traction/handling, temperature and speed ratings, all absolutely horrific by any kind of modern standard.
50 years later tire technology has improved. Traction is better, handling and performance is better, wet traction and handling is better, temperature and speed ratings all MASSIVELY improved. But people complain because the tires have to be replaced after 7 years.
Sorry, but I'd much rather buy a tire I have to replace in 7 years that will outperform that PolyGlas hockey puck in every single metric there is than run a tire that will suck for 45 years. I just buy 200 treadwear tires, they'll probably only go 30k before they're worn out and I can do that in under 7 years.
yes. I dont get it out that often and when I do, It was either a 120 mile round trip to spring fling or a drive to the Donuts car show 13 miles away and maybe a few weekend jaunts in between. Its not my daily driver for sure. It has no A/C, brakes are 1967 vintage, gets <20 mpg and the brake lights are 1965 bright, as in NOT bright through 58 year old lenses and with no 3rd brake light, young drivers have locked them up behind me more than once because my "3rd brake light was not working" yeah, really. Afraid to park it anywhere where Karen isn't going to ding it with her door. Its crazy around here.
1,000 miles in 7 years isn't
any kind of driver.
Most of the way your car is outfitted is completely your choice, you can upgrade the lights so they're brighter. Polish the lenses, restore the buckets, all of it. No reason to run 1967 vintage brakes, there are LOTS of options to upgrade the brakes, even for 14" or 15" wheels. No third brake light? Door dings? C'mon, you're just making excuses.
My '74 Duster doesn't have A/C. It doesn't have a third brake light. It gets about 13-14 mpg the way I'm driving it most of the time and it only runs on 91 octane. I run LED bulbs and polished my lenses up, they might not quite be modern car bright but they're close enough. I run 13" disks up front and 11.7" disks out back. I put ~120 miles on it every time I drive to work for about 600 miles of commuting a month. I've got over 1,000 miles on it in the last month because I've been doing some fun runs up the hill and back, usually 60-80 miles round trip. I'll still drive it most of year if I can, obviously now that I'm snow country I'll have to rock my 4WD some in the winter. But we don't use salt here so when the chain controls go down the Duster will go out. Cars were meant to be driven!
