When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Im really just in the past few years getting out of that rut if you will. Kid turns 7 in the coming weeks so, as hes gotten a bit older Ive had more time to finish things the way I really wanted. As it is now its ready to be driven... I just need to drive it instead of the Z.
Not a TA but I have 3 vehicles. Diesel truck, my first truck and my Impala SS. 265k, 235k, 135k. 2006, 1999 and 1996. The Impala is the garage queen but every day I can drive it she is driven. I will take it anywhere and everywhere unless it is raining. I try to keep it maximum clean.
Diesel is my work horse and daily. First truck is my fun truck just waiting on boost, will never get rid of it. I haven't drove it in a while because it needs AC, fix windshield tint and needs to be inspected and registered but other than that I would take that thing anywhere.
I agree with @70T/A400 watching any of my vehicles sit physically hurts me when I look at them. Mostly my first truck.
I will take it anywhere and everywhere unless it is raining. I try to keep it maximum clean.
The problem is, these two things are mutually exclusive. Driving a car all the time, even if you avoid rain, precludes it from ever being "maximum clean" unless you're willing to stop sleeping and just stay up all night cleaning the car every day. LOL. I know folks have different definitions of "clean", but you aren't going to keep something at true show car standards if it's always on the road - it's just not possible (I can say that from personal experience).
Originally Posted by shakenfake
I agree with @70T/A400 watching any of my vehicles sit physically hurts me when I look at them. Mostly my first truck.
Personally, this never bothers me. I definitely like to drive them on nice weekends during the on-season, but looking at them in the garage never makes me feel bad at all. In fact, all that time spent in the garage is the only reason my cars are still so nice after all these years. This is especially true for really old cars like my '71. So many of them were built - where did they all go? Folks used them, drove them all the time, used them up and junked them. Why is mine still here to be enjoyed today? Because it spent more time in a garage than on the road over the last 50+ years.
I suppose the other option is to drive it all the time and just continually restore it so that it never actually gets "used up", but there's a ton of cost, time, and parts-hunting hassles if you're going to do this for decades with the same car. I guess that's worth it to some folks but, living in the rough climate that I do, I'd rather just have disposable transportation appliances especially for the winters.
I guess you skipped over this word.
Although to be fair to you I guess I should have been more clear with my statement. I will take it almost anywhere. Going back to school again means I don't take it to work on the days I have school after work (Don't trust the door dingers) So that is instantly 4 days out of the week. It is also raining once or twice a week which means most likely you can throw in another day in that. I very very rarely drive on Saturday and Sunday so that is all seven. However I would not hesitate to drive it cross country even in the event of rain. I enjoy driving it more than I do looking at it, but keeping up with three black vehicles sucks lol.
It will never be a show car; there are multiple small dents and dings, the roof has a spot of clear that is cloudy, both my front and rear bumpers need repainting after poor prep work. And all of that is okay to me. I will survive knowing that it isn't perfect.
At some point you old farts need to realize you enjoy having museum pieces rather than having cars to drive. If I gave placed a life like hologram in your garage and took your car out for some hotrodding you'd never know.
Those guys that get all these old barn finds are having way more fun than any of the dudes who just let them sit in the barn.
Not at all. I just meant that it's a futile effort to even try for maximum when regular driving is the goal. But, again, I'm sure some subjectivity applies here as the concept of "maximum" changes once one has lived in the show car world. I still keep my daily driver very clean, cleaner than some of the cars at our local cruise nights actually, but I don't spend hours and hours on fine detailing of every aspect - it's just not worth it in that application (especially living in the rust belt).
Originally Posted by shakenfake
At some point you old farts need to realize you enjoy having museum pieces rather than having cars to drive. If I gave placed a life like hologram in your garage and took your car out for some hotrodding you'd never know.
My museum pieces still run and drive. I run at least 1-2 tanks of gas per year through them, do all the necessary fluid changes on proper schedules, etc. I don't neglect them, and they have rewarded me with years of pleasure. And I can assure you that they always see a bit of spirited driving every time I take them out.
Originally Posted by shakenfake
Those guys that get all these old barn finds are having way more fun than any of the dudes who just let them sit in the barn.
Just some things to think about...
All I can say is, if all those barn finds had been used like normal cars then they would all be where the other normal cars of those eras ended up; in junk yards decades ago. With that said, limited use isn't the same as NO use. I've never personally owned a car that sat for longer than the typical period of winter storage for my region.
Another set of tires. This time Michelin Pilot Sport All Season 4's. I have had my 98 WS6 since new and she has 278,000 kilomtres or almost 175,000 miles.
Fluid changes this year will include oil and a brake flush. These are great cars. Folks are really surprised when you come up on them.
Well, we technically own a new Ford F-150 but that is my wife's special baby and I don't drive it.
Still driving my WS6 everyday, in every way. Sees a lot of rain here in northern Oregon but they don't salt the road here and the undercarriage is clean and rust free still. Lots of things have been replaced of course. Tubular controll arms, Bilstein shocks, front brakes converted to C5 Corvette, overly maintained but it is what I want to drive everyday, so I do. Except for a few days a year when we get snow. 157,000 miles. Doesn't use any oil, runs strong.
Paint is getting bad and needs a full paint job, a few bubbles and scratches. Went through a touchless car wash and there must have been a small rock chip and the high pressure water blew a large chunk of paint off, fixed it with spray can. If I had another car to drive, I would still want to be driving this.
Another set of tires. This time Michelin Pilot Sport All Season 4's. I have had my 98 WS6 since new and she has 278,000 kilomtres or almost 175,000 miles.
I didn't see you in the WS6 registry here. Do you have your ASC#? Since your '98 WS6 is not red or black, I probably have it. If you'd like it and want to be added to the registry, PM your VIN to me.
Glad to see folks drive these cars like they were meant to be.
As @RPM WS6 said, keeping the miles off is a bit of pragmatism with maintenance. It's not that your garden variety 4th gen SS's or WS6's are museum pieces, they don't qualify - GM made too many of them.
Rather it is a pain and a cost to upkeep when you put lots of wear on the car. I really like my T/A and want to keep it a long time. I have the original sail panel on my Trans Am (58k miles), not a single bubble - not one. I just keep the car in the garage when the weather doesn't play ball, it keeps the rust off the underside, it saves the always too much fun of polishing milky/spotted aluminum, keeps swirls out of paint (from having not had to wash it) - in short a lot of avoided wear and tear.
04-13-2023, 10:57 AM
