Automobiles

[jitahs]

Here is a typical driveway of a two-seater fanatic around here, based upon OG credentials:

deep in the back, an MG, rarely a Triumph, under a cover
maybe another Lucas-gremlined temporary oil-holding receptacle
an NA Miata, still used
either an NC Miata, Cooper or Fiat Abarth, "compromises" made for the extra 2 seats. Never an S2000

If thinking about an MG think about the NA, the car the MG wishes it was.

Jalopnik rules, not only for concluding the answer to every one of their questions is "A Mazda Miata".


Aside from all this car crap, a friend shot a vid of the Google self-drive car going by him on the freeway. Taxi service? One of those too, pls.

[Zimmermanbicycle]

Hey! I've got a '51 chevy truck 7 window,best $700. I ever spent,stock 216 just converted it to 12volt with electronic ignition and rebuilt the brakes,awesomeness,of course it never leaves Taos county it's my New Mexico truck.
_eric Z

Those guys are great. Very much agree with their take on it. When I rebuilt my 51 chevy pickup it was never babied and immed. got a class IV hitch and was my only vehicle for 9 years. Queen would loan me her volvo wagon when I took road trips. I changed it to 12V and solid state ignition, otherwise it is bone stock.

Car shows are stupid.

[cs124]

my take is that daily driving a classic car is only really feasible if you do a full restoration, and know the car inside and out. by full restoration, i mean full. having another car to drive, even if its the spouse/girlfriends car is invaluable when the inevitable break down occurs, to go get parts, etc. an obscure older car like the volvo or worse, MG is going to be tough to get parts quick, for sure. without a garage to keep some spare parts on hand, and do work when it comes up, it's probably a crazy idea, yes.

I think a 200 series Volvo is about the easiest classic car you could use as a daily driver. They have robust mechanicals and body and are pretty easy to work on. The 242gt has some unique trim and interior pieces but nothing that will keep you off the road if you need to wait for those parts. Ratty looking wagons have a certain charm too.
Still, a thoroughly restored 242 with a full compliment of IPD suspension bits and a later model 16 valve turbo motor will give you a bitchin ride.

[Too Tall]

Hey! I've got a '51 chevy truck 7 window,best $700. I ever spent,stock 216 just converted it to 12volt with electronic ignition and rebuilt the brakes,awesomeness,of course it never leaves Taos county it's my New Mexico truck.
_eric Z

NICE :) I'll drive that truck to the day I die. Nothing is that cool. Good for you. I killed my 216 on a sub zero winter day hauling about 1 ton of firewood. No heater and my brain went numb....next thing I knew I was going 75 mph and that's when I heard her a knockin. Ouch. Bent a rod but honestly I hated that engine. She has a full pressure 235 now and all is well.

[Philster]

I sure wish that I was that customer!

Slightly off topic, but extremely enjoyable.

I have a customer who just got a new 458 Sypder. He stopped by after hours the other day while I was there to chat for a bit. As we were both leaving, I ask him how the new car is and with a response of great he tosses me the keys and says let go for a ride. And hour later and about a half tank less, my smile lasts for a day.

F'in awesome! It would make the angriest person smile.

[TL179]

I don't know if anybody here considers them 'classic' but any Datsun using the VG series V6 is cheap and easy to keep running. The motor was used for 20 years in tons of nissan/datsun models. My 84 300zx was a cheap, reliable 25 year old car.

[christian]

Other than the dash, that shares 99% of all the parts with other Torslanda Tractors. Fun car. You should get it.

[cody.wms]

my take is that daily driving a classic car is only really feasible if you do a full restoration, and know the car inside and out. by full restoration, i mean full. having another car to drive, even if its the spouse/girlfriends car is invaluable when the inevitable break down occurs, to go get parts, etc. an obscure older car like the volvo or worse, MG is going to be tough to get parts quick, for sure. without a garage to keep some spare parts on hand, and do work when it comes up, it's probably a crazy idea, yes.

I think you're right on with this. But, and this is me playing the optimist on this one, there are a couple things I didn't really articulate well in my original post. The biggest thing is that I don't _need_ a car. I'm mostly car-free right now, since I no longer split my time between two cities, and there is some new road infrastructure that makes running out to eat, grab groceries, etc., much easier and safer. So, if the car was laid up for a couple weeks, it wouldn't be a big deal. The biggest need I have is if I can't get someone to watch my dogs over christmas and have to make the drive from DC to TN. Beyond that, a weekend trip in a Zipcar is almost as cheap as the gas you'd burn driving there and back (but the price gets steep if you go over the allotted miles).

MG parts availability is pretty good. I think Moss Motors has about everything, now cost and shipping time is another story. And as Maunahole says, there is a certain Masochism to a Lucas-electronic'd machine.

But I think the lack of a garage/a good work space is the biggest thing. No real way to logic around that.

Jalopnik rules, not only for concluding the answer to every one of their questions is "A Mazda Miata".

This is the sane thing to do as far as a second car goes, but I'm sure that sanity has nothing to do with my desire here. If I had half a brain, I'd just get an NA off of eBay or Craigslist. And unlike my old MGB, I bet you wouldn't have to shift from first to second to get most of the interior lights to come on.

[jitahs]

This is the sane thing to do as far as a second car goes, but I'm sure that sanity has nothing to do with my desire here. If I had half a brain, I'd just get an NA off of eBay or Craigslist. And unlike my old MGB, I bet you wouldn't have to shift from first to second to get most of the interior lights to come on.

Wait, you had an MGB and want to jump back in? You are indeed insane.

[cody.wms]

Wait, you had an MGB and want to jump back in? You are indeed insane.

Actually, we had two in the family. My oldest bro had a 79 that was a total POS. It had been reverse converted to get all the smog stuff off of it, and man could that thing backfire. The 73 was pretty decent, and was originally owned by my middle bro. Well, it was pretty good after replacing the master cylinder so it would, you know, kinda stop.

So, yes, I am insane.

[Justin@BlackOakVelo]

About to buy a Mazda 5. Anyone here have one? It seems pretty great, spent a while at the dealer looking at them tonight.

[jitahs]

About to buy a Mazda 5. Anyone here have one? It seems pretty great, spent a while at the dealer looking at them tonight.

Apologies for dominating the thread but I'm all about Mazdas...

Test drove one, liked it enough but seemed a bit underpowered. Good use of materials inside to maximize space, though the thin doors bugged me a bit. Fun to drive as all Mazdas are. Tried the cx-5 w/the Skyactiv engine? Not too different in price but a new-generation car.

[maunahaole]

I'm interested to know your impression of the 5. I have heard that it is underpowered, but I've never driven one. I like the sliding doors and the high roofline on it. Looks like it would be a great car for toting bikes around.

[Justin@BlackOakVelo]

I'm interested to know your impression of the 5. I have heard that it is underpowered, but I've never driven one. I like the sliding doors and the high roofline on it. Looks like it would be a great car for toting bikes around.

Not too concerned with power. It has enough to move out of the way on the highway and do what it needs. I have two kids and a wife that need to be happy more than I do.

Nice ride and seeing as though I drive about twice a month not too concerned but the wife likes it and it'll have a roof rack for when I need it.

[christian]

The new 5 is a good car. We shopped one before we bought our Ody. Two friends have one. The interior cloth is a bit cheap-feeling; that's probably the biggest complaint they have. Both are happy with the general reliability, pep, and fuel economy. It's basically a market of one for the micro-vans...

[christian]

BTW, the Odyssey is great, but it sucks vast quantities of gasoline at alarming rates. Like Mercedes E55 AMG levels of slurpage.

[AngryScientist]

BTW, the Odyssey is great, but it sucks vast quantities of gasoline at alarming rates. Like Mercedes E55 AMG levels of slurpage.

like what are you averaging for real world mpg? i've only got one kiddo, but every time i look at a minivan, i think about how wonderful it would be to throw bikes and gear in. it would be tough to give up the excellent fuel economy of our little euro sedan though, it's the family car and gets driven a lot of miles/year.

[christian]

I only have two kids, but the Odyssey is simply the perfect vehicle for toddler/pre-schooler conveyance/broom wagon/bike trips etc. I love it, and really can't recommend it highly enough. That said, I get about 18 mpg in combined fuel economy - roughly 25-26 mpg on the highway (400+ miles per tank if you go on a trip) and about 15 mpg in town. The problem is that ours is really just used in local driving except for occasional trips.

Of course, we're a one-car family -- my motorcycle gets 60+ mpg and I use it for all trips except those with the kids.

[Jayme]

About to buy a Mazda 5. Anyone here have one? It seems pretty great, spent a while at the dealer looking at them tonight.

I liked the styling of the older version vs the current one. My wife insists on AWD though.

['nati Chris]

"My wife insists on AWD though."
Well Toyota DID make an AWD Sienna. That said they're bigger than the 5, expensive, rare, thirsty like the aforementioned Odyssey and not sure if they're available in Canada. If you or anyone else needs more car "advice" feel free to contact me. Bear in mind my first car was a hand me down Renault Fuego.