How was it in the 60s-80s?

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75slant6

75slant6

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I read the other day where a member said he doesn't like taking his car on long drives for fear of what's gonna break next. So that got me to thinkin, how was it back when these cars were used for everyday transportation or even for y'all who drive y'all's classics daily? Could/can you go on a long trip without worrying about what's gonna go out next? Can these cars be as dependable as any other car? I believe they can but what are y'all's thoughts?

And to the ones who dd your classics, what upgrades did y'all do to make your cars more dependable?
 
The cars were quite reliable, actually. I Think today the cars don't get used enough, and so many people modify them to the point that they may develop a particular personality.
Bone stock originals, properly restored, drive very well and are reliable. My driver is a 77', and I could easily use my 66' or 69' as well. The big problem is: DEER, DRUNKS, crazy women in minivans on the cell phone!Teenagers! These cars can't be easily replaced. LoL
 
I started driving in 1975, in a 66 Dodge Polara. Drove it thousands of miles with just gas, oil and tires. Most dependable car i ever owned.

I think the reason the "classic" is not dependable is because it doesn't get driven regularly. The worst thing you can do to a car is let it sit inactive.
 
Funny, my 66' I referred to is my 66' Polara hardtop. A beautiful car. I owned one like it in 1971, only a Polara 500. I bought it with 40k on it, and ten months later I had 80k on it. Back and forth from Minot to Omaha, into Canada, all over. Tires,oil changes, and a couple sets of points. 17mpg at 80 mph, 21 at 65 mph, all day long.
Red/red buckets. I still miss that car. My present one is nice, but is a bench seat.
 
These cars are and were VERY dependable,I'm an old dude too but I have driven these cars and trucks from the west coast to St. Louis.Modifications don't always help reliability.
 
always carried a tool box in the trunk...and the nice thing was I could actually fix most thing on the cars,,,,
 
in 1968 bought a Feord pichup, headed back to college, nest country over a con rod broke. no cell. no phone, on back roads, had to convince the only car that stoped who all my relations were, this is s w ga . yes cars were dependable, simple machines just like now, tires lacked for sure '
bout mid 90's flew to calif , bought a restored 67 383 cuda, drove it back to missopuri without a hiccup. went on 2 lane across nev and utah, saw what 3 cars in 2 states, yea I had confidence! LOL
drive a feather duster to work 65 mi trip, no problem, I try to sell it for $2500, NO TAKERS! LOL
 
I don't see any reason they can't be driven anywhere.
I just think a lot of us always have something that needs attention, because not everything on the car is fresh.
For example,I have no idea how old or how many miles are on my alternator.
I have an electronic ignition, a good cooling system, good fuel system and drive all over with my car. That said, I have a trans leak at the pump/torque converter that I have to get to. As long as I monitor my fluid level, I'm good to go.
I've been stranded once in the last 3 years, due to a bad terminal at the ballast resistor, once diagnosed, a few minutes to fix...
I would think any freshly built car (after getting through any teething issues)
would be plenty reliable.
 
Keep the brakes up and tune well without trouble. Just dont over modify it with a tall gear and it will run a lifetime. Same as a new car but can be fixed in minutes on the side of the road usually. Keep it up and it will run longer than a new car.
 
most people modify these cars by getting rid of stuff that they think clutters or they think is for emissions when most everything under the hood, pretty much 80 and back was in place to make the car more reliable.
 
I always said: Mopar did it a certain way for a reason. Engineers had to be sure they weren't building a car that would break the warranty bank!
 
Women in minivans on cell phones !!! You read my mind ! Most dangerous drivers on the road.



NOT RELIABLE ? BULL !

180k ...383 mag , 727 HD , rebuilt engine for the hell of at 170k and trany about the same time because the yoke seal leaked..( ok.. Blew!)

1st car... Still got it!
 

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this is my everyday driver 440/727
but i have 3 mile drive lol:blob:
 

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I'm not afraid to take any of my cars, the '64 and '65 Barracudas' or my '69 Road Runner, on a 200 mile round trip. In fact I drove my Road Runner down to Carlisle a few years ago which is a 600 mile round trip in the 100 degree heat with no problems.
 
I had the same impressions that a carburated 70's vehicle or older couldn't be a good nightly cruiser (after work on good evenings) but I have two 70's dodge's and with some new parts and a good carburetor they get 20 MPG and idle/work nearly as good as EFI

now I'm not saying I don't like EFI, I love it; but some cars are suited better for EFI then others and I have switched many old ones to EFI
 
I'm 65 headed towards 66 "if I live that long." I didn't have anything with breakerless ignition until I converted my 70 in about 73? So up until that time everything was breaker points. Yes things broke once in awhile. You did some maintenance. No different than now. You changed oil, you watched the brakes, you did what you were supposed to. Checked, gapped, changed the plugs and points once in awhile.

Just like now, sometimes water pumps failed. Sometimes a hose broke Tires weren't as good and much of the time, we could not afford good tires, anyhow. I didn't have radials on a car until about 72. But having radials does not automatically mean good tires, either.
 
I still drive the wheels off them now like I did back then. Only factor now is the price of fuel has changed a bit over the years.
 
I drove all of my cars everywhere back in the day, and still do now.
They were as reliable then as a new car today. Just different.......
The modifications to the engine made the difference in reliability, just like today.
Regular maintainance was and always will be the key to reliability.
BTW, a car that got great gas mileage back then was 25 mpg.
Now it's 50 mpg!
 
75slant6 said:
I read the other day where a member said he doesn't like taking his car on long drives for fear of what's gonna break next. So that got me to thinkin, how was it back when these cars were used for everyday transportation or even for y'all who drive y'all's classics daily? Could/can you go on a long trip without worrying about what's gonna go out next? Can these cars be as dependable as any other car? I believe they can but what are y'all's thoughts?

And to the ones who dd your classics, what upgrades did y'all do to make your cars more dependable?
Click to expand...


Those people worry too much. The cars were very reliable. I typically carried a small tool kit, a rag, a belt, a set of fuses, a ballast resistor, and a quart of oil. Hardly ever used any of it.
 
I drive my stroker powered fish cross country every summer 10 thousand km round trip , broke down last year and changed the destination but thats what makes for good stories , life's a journey .
 
When the cars were new they were as dependable as any new cars.
 
The age is a lot of it. A low mile car is going to have problems because lack of use. But with proper maintenance they can be daily drivers and driven everywhere.

Most people are saving their car, FOR WHO? Wife's next husband, or your kids that could care less.

I have 39,000 miles on my Prowler bought it to drive and enjoy. My Dart on the other hand only has about 7,000 miles since building. If I can ever get the gremlins out of it will drive it more. It has been on over 100 miles in a day more than once and so far only had to tow it home when I just left the driveway and the coil quit so less than 1/8 mile. Had I had a spare coil would have changed and been going.

My cars that had points, always had spare in glove box. I carry spare parts and tools for the just in case.

The big difference in the 70s they were just cars and all the junk yards were full of parts.

Keep up the maintenance and drive the wheels off them.

Friend took his 68 GT 500 Shelby with 4 speed and 4.10 gears from Indy to Arizona in the 70s

Another bought a new GTO in 70 and it was their driver and took them all over the eastern parts of the states on vacation. It had just over 60,000 miles when I seen it last 18 years ago and it probably doesn't have 70 on it now.

No different than cars today, maintained cars good to go, neglected cars better have AAA.
 
Most everyone knows I drive my old Plymouth allot and take it 2 ta 300 miles from home with back up parts in the trunk, heck I feel like the worst that could happen is a flat or like said before a person on the dang phone
If anything does go south I can most likely fix it my self, now a newer model I would have to have it towed and pay to figure out what is wrong and have it fixed by a stranger...
These older cars are build for bad roads and are spoilt to good smooth pavement we
have now (but we do have our share of bad roads in Arkansas) Bad gas!! heck change the gas filter with a screw driver, can't do that with most newer cars.
These cars was built for cross country long trips I believe.
Keeping the leaves off in the fall has been the only problem if you keep it parked to long :D
 

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TWICE last year, 1)waiting at the light on my Guzzi. it turned green, Something told me to wait. Just as I started, low and behold ANOTHER woman in a minivan on her phone blasted the light! I was saved by two seconds, maybe. When she realized what she did, she stopped so fast she slid off the highway near the ditch, just barely missing a stopped car. 2) In my 69' coronet, minivan driver #2 blasted from my right as I was turning left. She missed my Coronet by Inches! On the phone again, it must have been important, her conversation that is. Sorry to turn the post! Half the reason I drive the old cars less, is because of stupid people like that. I'm thinking about getting up at midnight to just go for a drive! anyone else coming?
 
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