Y2K_Frenzy

Museum pieces are only museum pieces if people come to see them. Know what museum pieces are they people don’t come to see? Old stuff sitting in storage.

RPM WS6

iTrader: (3)

There's usually at least triple-digit attendance at the weekly car shows I attend in my area, some of the big monthly events get to nearly 4-digits or sometimes a bit more. It's a popular hobby around here.

But yeah, during the off-season my cars really are just old stuff sitting in a garage. The alternative would be to have driven them all year like normal cars, just like all those multitudes of other "normal" cars that you still see on the road every day from the '70s...oh wait...

Y2K_Frenzy

I bet if one drove around all day in a large city I bet they’d see more 1970 some odd models than they would ‘92’s. Maybe not but maybe so. It comes back to the collectibility and not going to the crusher.

CattleAc

iTrader: (7)

Quite a milestone...congrats!!

JimMueller

iTrader: (9)

Sweet! How many miles have you put on each shortblock in its life? I've got ~227K on my daily driver, but it's only had 28K in 5 years.

RPM WS6

iTrader: (3)

I think that would depend on the day of the week and especially the time of year (regionally dependent). Speaking specifically in my area, if it's a nice Saturday during the summer then you're probably right; on the other hand, if it's a snowy Thursday in March, well...anything from the '70s that was regularly driven in those kind of conditions was either retired from that sort of duty decades ago, or has long since turned to dust.

The "modern" cars can certainly take it better, but even a 4th gen F-body still has some metal body panels and plenty of metal underneath and in the engine bay. Within the world of daily drivers, I took exceptional care of my '02 Z28 but the high speed salt spray of winter expressway commuting still produced rust in a bunch of places after ~10 years. And the sand that was mixed in took it's toll on any painted surface, plastic or not. The car was still "nice" when I sold it, at least compared to the average 14 year old 100k+ mile Chicago car, but it was junk compared to my '98 that has never seen those sort of conditions.

70T/A400

iTrader: (2)

On my last trip across the Mid West through 5 states I saw the same old pattern repeating itself.

Most folks driving on the interstates and at rest stops and restaurants were either Baby Boomers or Gen X. Very few young people.

Never saw a 4th Gen F-Body. Never saw the same years Mustang or Corvettes. Saw a few C8's, new Challengers and Mustangs.

I really think the car hobby is going in reverse. People buy them and do not enjoy them, they put them away, get mice into them and then brag about how the low mileage will increase the value.

But you only go around the sun once in 2024 and as every year passes you get weaker and your health declines. Enjoy what you have while you can.

Y2K_Frenzy

I think we don’t see a lot of vehicles from the ‘80’s, ‘90 and early ‘00’s is because most of have long been crushed. People were buying, driving, then trading them in. After the third owner or so traded it in for for $1k they saw they auction or the crusher.
Have y’all noticed that there are more reproduction parts for ‘60s and ‘70’s vehicles than there are for a ‘00 model? Throttle cables and things like that are obsolete for latemodel classics (90’s) but one can pretty much build an entire 60’s something from a kit.
I just thought of this, remember in the mid ‘90s and early ‘00s how many V6 Camaros and Mustangs there were running around? There were literally hundreds of thousands out there but today a V6 sighting is even more rare for me than the V8’s. They got crushed first I suppose.

LS1Formulation

iTrader: (13)

Pessimistic much? Lol. I go to the local tracks and car meets in my area, which isn't far from you, and I see kids in their mid-20's on a regular basis enjoying their rides. Really excited about them, too. Is it as common as it was years ago? No, of course not. I used to hate on ricers and "other brand" cars, but I no longer do that. If a person likes cars, ANY cars, I'm supportive. That's what keeps the hobby going. As for 4th Gen cars, there are a number of them near me and I see others driving around regularly. That goes for Mustangs and Vettes too. Sometimes you have to wait until a certain model year gets affordable and then you'll see younger people buying them and driving them. That's how I started out in my teens, buying what I could afford and going from there. Also, being an ambassador for the hobby goes a long way. If you have someone admiring your car at a gas station or whatever, answer questions if they have them. Just driving around can inspire people. When everything on the road looks like a cookie cutter crossover SUV, a bad *** ride gathers even more attention. Kids still are drawn to nice looking fast cars, and you could plant a seed in some kid's head simply by cruising past and one day they'll get a ride of their own. The OP's car has certainly inspired someone during those 400K miles

Y2K_Frenzy

The Ricers are now in their 40’s driving trucks and CUV’s.

Treburkulosis

There is a guy in the car pool line at my kids school that drives a mini van. He is late 30s and has several street bike stickers on it. We all have to grow up and get adult cars lol.

RPM WS6

iTrader: (3)

That's actually not what I see happening at all in my area of the Great Lakes region. I see folks driving all these new, expensive muscle cars in weather conditions where I wouldn't even open my garage. The last few winters I can't tell you how many V8 Mustangs, 392ci Challengers and Chargers, and even Hellcats I've seen driving around in salt and snow. Most of those examples will be used up and discarded long before they are antiques. So I agree that we won't see many on the road when they get older, but that's not necessarily because they are tucked away - it's just as likely because they were used up.

Exactly that.

Most definitely. Part of this is because of the simplicity of the older cars, but it's also because of their popularity in the enthusiast community - those two factors are also related and compounding.

Yep, it's certainly not because anyone has them "tucked away"; they were used up and discarded at an even faster rate than the V8 cars.

RPM WS6

iTrader: (3)

Last Saturday I was able to get my '74 out for the first time this year. I took it to a party at a neighbor's house, there were probably about a dozen people there when I pulled up and most of them had seen it before, but not everyone. The entire party moved into the driveway just to check out this car, we're a group of Gen X'ers all in our mid-40s to mid-50s. One guy, who I hadn't met before, just fell in love with the car and started telling me about a '73 that he owned back in the early '90s. All he could talk about is how much he regretted letting that car fall apart. My neighbor's two sons (15 and 16) seem really interested in the car, especially the 16 year old. He has made it clear that he wants this car one day...haha. This may well be the car that inspires him as a hobbyist; I would love to see folks from that generation carry the torch of these old dinosaurs well into the future.

All of this is possible because this car survived, because it was not "used up" by constant exposure to the Great Lakes region elements. There were more than a quarter million Cutlasses built in 1974 alone, they were once a super common car; not exclusive nor performance/sports cars, but where are they all now? Used up, long since discarded. Yet this one example which was spared such a fate might be responsible for inspiring several young hobbyists of today, thus perpetuating its own existence...something that never would have happened if it hadn't lived a sheltered life.

Y2K_Frenzy

Guess what!? Today I was driving my Camaro in my neighborhood and there was a 16 year old’ish kid and his girlfriend walking to his pseudo ratty ‘93-‘97 Z28 parked on the street. They saw me coming from down the block and they both pointed at me. As I rolled by in my non ratty looking Z28 I dropped it in neutral so I could rev at them a little. He then jumped into his so he could fire it up to rev back at me. I turned the corner honked and waved. It was fun. The hobby lives on my friend.

TA_Freak

Thanks man ... I agree ... until yesterday. Had a blow out on the highway and wasted a tire and a rim. Fortunately it didn't destroy the quarter panel or anything else. I've got maybe 3k since the most recent rebuild and it's not using any oil.

TA_Freak

Body and chassis are original. I know what you mean. I drive my cars! I hope to drive this one until the day I'm told I shouldn't be driving any more!

TA_Freak

I got 375,000 out of the original engine. It was starting to have some blowby. I would use 2 quarts of oil every 3k oil change.

TA_Freak

I had an interesting conversation/debate with the wife a few days ago. She made mention of the amount of money that I'm spent on the TA in the last 3 years. I told her that since it's my DD, I chose to go that route rather than getting something I don't want to drive and have a car payment. She said, "oh it wouldn't be that much, " and my argument is that with what has been done to that car, I'm not going to get on any stock vehicle in my price range. She said, "drive the `08 Corvette." My response is that it's not a daily driver nor every intended it to be. It was a replacement to my C3 that I had before I met her. LOL! She said, "drive the "79 Firebird daily." My response is "are you kidding??!!" I can't imagine clutching that thing in Atlanta traffic - stop and go. That car doesn't like moving up 10 -20 feet at a time. Her reponse was "those cars used to be daily drivers." Indeed they were, and that car used to be one. It hauled my family of 5 to vacation several times. but traffic ain't the same as it was in the early `90s. I'm doing just fine with it being a Sunday driver to church, the TA - the DD, and the Corvette when I just feel like driving her.

Finkledbody

A new daily driver will set you back $40k plus registration and insurance. Unless you’ve dropped that kinda cash in the last 3 years in maintenance, sounds like you’re better off with the TA. Really you’re doing your family a favor by continuing the journey as any savings get to be provided to the family.

so if you think about it you’re frugal family man hero.

70T/A400

iTrader: (2)

I am glad someone is driving these cars and not squirreling them away because they're afraid they will melt or they think they will trouser a few dollars in a decade.

General Motors spent millions developing cars and powertrains and the general public would be shocked to see the testing regimen.

If cars could talk this is how my car would talk to one hidden in a dark garage.

"Where have you been?"

"Been to Charlottetown, P.E.I over Confederation Bridge. Up to Northern Ontario. Spent time in Missouri, Tennessee, Indiana, Ontario, Ohio for work. Been to the Tail of the Dragon and Cherohala Skyway a few times and even the eastern part of Trans Canada. Broke down a few times. Nothing catastrophic. Got some scars. What about you?"

"I've been to Cars and Coffe twenty minutes from here 4 times a year. Barely 2 tanks of gas. Bored really. No stories to tell. Just bored"