Projects or Drivers?

[TonyHuntimer]

Hey guys,

How many cars are complete enough to drive? Notice I didn't use the word "DONE"... How many are driven on a daily basis?

I've been driving my car every day for over a month now. So far I've only burned one plug wire that had a mind of its own and I had to replace one of my new gauges because I got the wrong ohm range for my new sender. I keep checking screws and bolts... All my Detroit Speed & Engineering parts, including their coil-over kit, have been working flawlessly. I even got to use my DSE Select-a-Speed wiper motor last week. F^*^*& Awesome! I have some new paint chips...and I don't care. Next season I'll take it to Sears Point with some sticky tires and see if I can do better than a 13.11 @ 117mph with 3.7 60' time.

As far as I'm concerned, it's more than ready for Power Tour level abuse.

How are your cars running?

Tony Huntimer
RaceHome.com

[zbugger]

My "statue" is doing fine under it's cover at the moment. Time is against me right now. Oh well.....

[JLM]

I love it. I'm about 2 months off from having a driver with project status. I don't think I could possibly wait to drive the car until every shiney piece was places on the car. As soon as the car is in a high quality primer it's getting plated and insured and sent to the alignment rack.

The rest will be done while the car is being driven!

I do prefer drivers to show cars msyelf though. I can definitely see the want to have the car completely finished before you take her out though. Especially if it is a car with some hype surrounding it that will hit the shows.

[DarkBuddha]

Mine has been perpetually almost "done enough". All it really needs is the dash and carpet installed to be together enough to be driveable again. That said, there will still be a ton of stuff to fix and correct, and it won't keep a tune yet, probably because it needs some street time to figure out why it keeps flaking. I'm actually hoping I'll be tooling around in it in December in Tampa. We'll see...

[SatisTraction]

no where close :(

[MuscleRodz]

I am at least 8-12 months out. It would be nice to make the Power Tour next year, but I am really shooting for Columbus or SEMA.

Mike

[69rs]

When I bought my car, it was a driver and I am doing what I can to keep it that way. Even in it's mostly stock state it's enough fun to drive that i don't want to take it off the road for an extended period of time. I have used it as a daily driver at times, but mostly it just plays on the weekends. With the help of David (d touring) at Road Killer, I have come up with a plan of changing things, a little at a time, while keeping it on the road. I just can't bear the thought of taking it apart and having it sit for years while I try to finance it!

[62fairlane]

mine has been a driver since day one. longest it has been parked for a project is 6 weeks (only once.....usually it is only a couple days while waiting on parts)

althogh I am getting tired of hearing "it's gonna look good when it's done" or "that will look sweet with some paint on it" or "when are you gonna paint it?"

[Jagarang]

I can't remember if I have a car...I'll have to look.

[shmoov69]

Hmmm, when mine is not broke I......... :help:
Actually I try to drive it at least a couple times a week when it is not sitting there with broken crap on it! I drove it all last weekend with the new kid. He loves it! He spits out his pacifier and just looks around in the back seat the whole time we are out in it. :yeah: Took them to eat, to a cruise in car show, to eat again, to church Sun AM, to a friends house and to another friend's house. I actually think that I heard him say "get in it!!" the other day! So I had to make him happy and do it for him! :angel: He just kind of looked around some more! This is actually what the chic said since she is in the back seat with him and I can't see him.
So, yes, the 69 gets driven alot! And rock chips!?!? :drive2: I think I win!! :1st: :pat:

[jeff s]

Since selling my 12 sec daily driver Evo 8, I've been alternating between the Ultima GTR and Cadillac Attack as my daily drivers.
We had the trans out of Project Y Gen as the stall speed of the POS Torque converter was about 1000 rpm too low, got a genuine B&M NOS Holeshot 3000 now, works awesome. We're gonna hit the drag strip again with it soon and may make an appearance at SPeed Seekers at Road America in a couple weeks.

[TPI Monte SS]

My car has been driveable for a year now. I take it out a few times a week in the spring/summer/fall and beat the hell out of it. I actually convinced my wife to go with me to a cruise night this summer, and we brought my 2-year old son too. While we were there, the street-rod guys were looking at us like we had 3 eyeballs 'cause we used the trunklid as a table. My wife said, "It's a car, it's gonna get rock chips and dings, so just clean the pizza grease off the trunk and enjoy it!" :rotfl:

Once in a while I take the Monte down to work too. My students all ask why I drive an "old car" until I fire it up, rumble past them, and get sideways out of the parking lot. Then they know!

[Blown353]

While not my daily driver, over the same period of time I've put more mileage on the Chevelle than my daily driver (2005 Subaru STI) which I bought back in March. The scoob-a-doo just clicked over 6000 miles today, the Chevelle has just over 6500 on it since March as of last Friday. Mind you the Chevelle is not covered under insurance to go to and from work, so those are all "after work/weekend joyride" miles which are typically pretty rough on the poor thing. :yeah:

Other than routine maintenance (a couple engine oil changes, blower oil change, changed plugs once, rotated tires, etc) the only thing I've broken on the Chevelle this year is the rear end (my fault, didn't get the pinion nut tight enough when I swapped yokes so I trashed the gearset and bearings.) Other than that it's been great, taking all of my abuse in stride. The tires and brake pads are about due for changing though, and it will be getting a more aggressive front end alignment soon to combat some outer edge wear on the fronts. I keep checking the car over thoroughly expecting for something major to be on the verge of breaking/falling off (as was the case 2 years ago when it ate a distributor gear and trashed all my bearings) but this year it has been as reliable as the proverbial Honda (only faster and better looking... LOL)

I'd love to tear the car apart and finally paint it, as well as swapping frames and doing a few other changes but I have far too much fun getting home after work and going out and thrashing on it for that kind of downtime. Until I *have* to take it off the road for some compelling reason (at which point I'll start on the laundry list), I'll keep driving it. :)

Troy

[USAZR1]

Heck,I drive my car at least 2-3 times a week. May drive it down to Houston for some custom exhaust work,Wednesday.
Would never have the patience to work on something for a year or longer,without driving it.

[rocketrod]

Just really got it back on the road. I built the car to take on the Hot Rod Power Tour, but it is used as a weekend cruise and for running errands. I rarely drive it to work as it is a bad part of town, lots of petty vandalism and theft, and my other cars are covered with door dinges from the work paking lot.

[6'9"Witha69]

Not done and not a daily driver but definitely a Driver!

[Lawrence]

Mine gets driven to work and back every day, normally about 90 miles. It's done nearly 9000 miles this year. It rattles, it leaks, its noisier than a jet and I still love it.

[vanzuuk1]

answer-

[Mkelcy]

Driver: Several trips up to Santa Cruz from SoCal to see my son and every Saturday and Sunday morning up the local mountain road to play. 7,500 miles in the last 18 months. Done? Not really.

[Diognes56]

Not close :( .

David

[mike67cam]

I am probably about 6 months out from getting my 67 to driving status again. So far it has been apart one year for a second round of updates. After I “finished” :hand: it the first time I drove it about 2 to 3 times a week for about 18 months. I sure miss driving it. :3gears:

[nitrovette]

yep had it out saturday for a drive and to burn some rubber off the tires.only got a few more weeks to drive it before the motor and trans comes out and 6.0 4l60e project starts for the winter.

[ACEFOOTER]

Daily driver when I can afford the gas!

[beyonda68]

Not even close. Drive train is in. Turns on, moves back and forth but have to get the metal together. Thinking a month or less.

[Pzary3233]

I had my car as a daily driver all though High School... it still is when I am home. However I am planning on taking it out of commission for a month of so while I clean up the engine bay and prep it for a new motor. Then it will return to daily driver status! I cannot see how you guys can not drive your cars for years... Maybe if I have the bird and another project? I sure would like to find a 67 or 68 camaro coupe shell needing some work... Though I have another project car 1959 Austin Healey which is totally blown apart at the moment. Bare body sitting on the rolling chassis... trying to figure out what to do with the car... Ahh gotta love school breaks! I better finish school so I can afford to play!

[Nicks67GTO]

Well i just broke my new cam in so im hoping to get out and put a few miles on it tomorrow and over the next few weeks before i hit the 1/4 mi. again. I drive mine on 600 mile round trips and to the grocery store, work, Car Craft in St. Paul, to the parts store, the girlfriends, on cruises and just because i want to for 15 minutes whenever. Its not a daily driver but pretty darn close....BUT i dont have a 30,000 dollar paint job either, all my moneys in the drivetrain and safty equipment so i have no $$ left over to make it look nice.

[squid]

I drive my 68 Camaro almost every day. It runs great, at times better then my wifes Snob, I mean, Saab. I can't wait redo the subframe with all new Moog/DSE/Hotchkis/Baer/QA1/POR-15/IROC Steering box components and DSE 3" drop leafs that are sitting in the garage. I've alotted two weeks to do everything, then back on the road. I can't wait!