im thinkin its time for me to make some changes

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540demon

540demon

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blue ridge, va
lets see if anybody else is in the frame of mind as me.the snows pilled up,the drag cars put away,the barely useable street car is sold....i think its time for a real street car.a real driver.an everday real driver.not one like everybody else has parked in the lot at work...i think i need a beater!
i passed myself 3 times on the commute home today,and it got me thinkin....i need a no frills,bare bones a-body to drive everyday. i put up a want ad on several sites,and i think i'll go from there.sure i got plenty o projects as it is,but nothing id want to drive every day.im thinkin a slant six,manual everything.its gotta be a 2 door though.
heck,you could make one last 30 years or so just using old worthless cast-off parts from previous projects,and buddies scrap piles...and a couple extra ignition boxes and ballast resistors.
i set out to do this a couple years back..a buddy had a 4 door 73 dart that i picked up for $400. i originally bought it for its disc brakes,but as i was driving it home(with nothing but the hand brake) it dawned on me that this car still had some life left in it.so i fixed the brakes and drove it to work for a few months.knees on the dash the whole time!then came the day that i needed to stop by home depot and pick up a new waterhose reel.when i got out to the parking lot, it was then i realized that not only would it not fit in the trunk...it also wouldnt fit into the back door. i became disgusted and ripped the speaker wires out from under the package tray,and tied the trunk down with them.the next day i started parting that damn car out...all over a waterhose reel....
so this time im thinkin...2 door oughta do it.
anybody ever been here?anybody drive one everyday anymore?ANYBODY GOT ONE FOR SALE? is wifey right...have i really lost my mind?
 
when i say beater a mean someone elses used up junk...not a nice car like yours.if i thought they werent the best cars ever built...i wouldnt be lookin for one!:-D
 
They are great drivers but we have become spoiled with modern cars and things like adjusting brakes every month or two and windows fogging up on rainy days or vapor locking on hot days will get on your nerves real fast.

That being said, I just picked this up for my daily driver. Slant 6 auto and the only thing power is the top.

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I have 2 Daily driver darts a swinger and a sedan and I live in the ....SALT BELT of Ontario might be getting another for a DD this weekend
 
I've been looking at a 69 Valiant 4dr that I want to make a everyday family car. I'd like to put 15x7's up front 15x8's in the back. Similar to what I have on my Duster. I'd leave the 6 banger in it and put a nice paint job on it. Make it look muscle but with fuel economy in mind. If there is a such thing. So, you are in you right frame of mind.
 
Blownfish said:
They are great drivers but we have become spoiled with modern cars and things like adjusting brakes every month or two and windows fogging up on rainy days or vapor locking on hot days will get on your nerves real fast.

That being said, I just picked this up for my daily driver. Slant 6 auto and the only thing power is the top.

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Very nice BlownFish.
 
I got mine for the reasons you mention. Paid a grand for it and I drop the kids at school every morning (oh, the looks from the soccer moms) then commute 6 more miles to work. I work in Santa Monica in the music business and I love pulling into the garage past the Valets and the Bentleys, Mazaratis and Aston Martins. I have the coolest car in the lot, and everyone knows me and the wagon by sight now. But you got one thing wrong, you don't need 2 doors you need 5.

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You have lost your mind! Welcome to the club! I think the small block colt explains what your frame of mind is. I drive a 69 Roadrunner that is so rusty, it will need every panel and frame rail replaced. I bought it as a parts car and now drive it 12 miles to work every day. All things function, the heater/defroster works very well and it is quite comfy to drive. Plus its a numbers matching 383 auto 391 suregrip Runner that runs 13s on 195 radials. As you can tell I am a fan of the idea, plus who needs to drive something boring everyday. We spend the most time in our commuters why not drive something your into.

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yeah...you guys know exactly where im at! that look from the soccer moms is what im talkin about.i live in a town with plenty of snobs....wait...lemme start over...i married into a bunch of snobs and i just love those looks that your speakin of!!! i think this beater idea of mine may be just the ticket for me....no bling,no flash,better fuel economy than my crew cab ram delivers,and the opportunity to use up some extra parts that would otherwise lay around forever...this feels like a haveto more than a wantto!!
 
This was my DD for 3-4 years until I lost my job and couldn't pay for gas anymore. Lots of fun in the old cars

I know it's not all rusty and it's a BB but it was a lot more fun then the newer pos I drive now

I almost did that with a /6 aspen I had bought but I didn't for some reason and I don't know why

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res1vw21 said:
This was my DD for 3-4 years until I lost my job and couldn't pay for gas anymore. Lots of fun in the old cars

I know it's not all rusty and it's a BB but it was a lot more fun then the newer pos I drive now

I almost did that with a /6 aspen I had bought but I didn't for some reason and I don't know why
Click to expand...
That's a beater with class.
 
I drove a 67 Coronet 440 convertible for a while as my daily driver. It had original paint & interior. Once the snow started to fly I had to find another daily driver. It was too nice to drive in the winter.

I have a 67 Dart GT 2 door hardtop that could be made into daily driver, but it hasn't been on the road in 30 years so more a project than driver as is.

But I have thought about putting my 6 from my convertible in the hardtop and making it a driver for me.

it is great to have a classic car as a driver.

Cousin had a 57 Coupe deVille as a daily driver
 
As interesting as it might be to get an old car as a daily driver its not a great idea when you think about it. They have no modern conveniences which is fine except that air bags, ABS brakes, crumple zones and other crash protection items are included in that. Getting one for an inexperienced younger driver is even a worse idea IMHO. Sorry to be a nay sayer but I'm just giving you another point of view here.
 
I have this thought every day- but I am torn between the modern aspects, airbags, car starter, shoulder belts, a/c, etc, and the fact that any 'beater' I get will 'need' cop car wheels, bigger tires, then dual exhaust,and before I know it I'll have another a-body eating my paycheck.
The I try to justify it periodically by thinking I don't need another a-body, but an a-body wagon would totally make sense!
 
i drive my dart all the time. /6 auto, both leak, no heater or defrost but its reliable as hell, cheap, and i'd rather be in a wreck in this thing than any of the new cars with tin foil bodies.

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You're thinking too small. Here's a pic of my beater. With a trunk this size you can haul most anything. Rides and drives great, brakes will throw you through the windshield, dual exhaust sounds sweet. Besides, with the size of this thing SUVs don't intimidate me and all the skulls and crossbones keep the snobs at bay!
Dallas

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I have a 64 Dart/valiant that i use as my daily driver.
I love the hell out of her but she is dose not always want to work for me!


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I like that wagon, I would buy one if I could find a clean 65 Valiant wagon.
 
My beater/daily driver I could see this done up the way blownfish does things whoo Hooo :cheers: for the right offer I would consider sellin to be able to do up waggin II and waggin III

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I know exactly where all of you are coming from.
Our 66 Dart is going to be the Wife's daily. She should be up and running this time next week.
 
now you made me start thinking again, however i would try getting a two door dart or valiant but with a nice litle 318 since i know they sound alitle better and dont use to much gas if set up right with all the right stuff and it doesnt need to be expensive either..
my daily driver now is a sixcylinder twodoor hardtop from germany (mercedes 320CE -93 that i got for free just becuase my old father hated my chevy caprice so much) :( its a very good car with LOTS of performance but its just not the same.
 
is wifey right...have i really lost my mind?[/quote]

Yup, you are certifiable. And I will start driving my '66 Valiant next week, 50 miles one way every day... And I don't give a damn how much the gas costs me!:cheers: This has been a major goal of mine since returning from my tour in Japan, and I finally bought the Valiant recently. This will be the first older mopar I have driven as a daily driver in 10 years... Yes the handling is pathetic after being spoiled by an Acura Integra GSR every day, but I will slowly upgrade and I already love the car... 170/6, 3spd on column standard everything, radio delete... giddy-up!
 
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