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I have a '64 Dynamic 88 convertible- obviously, not a daily driver but if you think a 1964 Dynamic 88 could be a daily driver, I'd love to hear your thoughts. My driver is a 2001 GMC Sierra 1500, 5.3L 4WD extended cab- the suicide doors and a jump seat in the back. My wife has a 2018 Wrangler Rubicon with mud tires, the 2 door Rubicon. There's not much of a back seat. So here's my thing...
Nothing I own has a comfortable back seat for passengers. Neither the truck or the jeep really has luggage compartment, unless you count the bed of my truck as a luggage compartment. The truck is comfortable, and it has a long wheelbase so it's good on the highway, but it's got over 120K miles and it's starting to give me trouble. I love it for trips to the lumber yard, or when I need it in the snow, or to go up to the mountains to ski, but it's not so much fun when I have to pack up the family (my son, to be honest, it's just my wife and my son) and go 150 miles round trip to grandma's or auntie's for the holiday, or a birthday... when we have to drive as a family to visit, we take my big old truck or the jeep, and my son is not comfortable in the back seat of either vehicle.
I got a line on a late 20th century 4 door, around 90k miles, really clean, good looking comfortable full sized car. I could probably get it on the road for under $10k, or at least, right around $10k, but my wife thinks I'm being stupid. She says we don't need another car. I'm on the fence about it, so I'm tossing it out for opinions...
What do you think? I have a truck with a small back seat and 120k miles, my wife has a Rubicon with almost no back seat, and I could grab a GM B body 4 door from the mid 80's (rear wheel drive, V8) with 90k miles, "only driven by a little old lady to church on Sunday". Has anyone been in a similar situation? And the $10k is not a problem. I have the money for the purchase- after the purchase, the taxes, and maintenance, and storage... everything that goes with owning 4 cars when there's only 2 drivers... what do y'all think?
I'm replying to my own post- I think my truck would last longer if I had another car to drive when I don't need to drive a 4WD truck. My wife loves her jeep- and I think it's pretty cool, too. My son is in college and he has a comfortable sedan so we drive his car when we all visit family together. He has a comfortable sedan because I sold mine to buy his when he got his driver's license. I used to have my old truck and a comfortable sedan until I basically gave my sedan to my son. Now he has a good car at school, and I've got my old truck, and '64 convertible. This is my truck- 2001 with 120k miles. If it was just me, it would be enough, except I'm fixing it all the time lately.
I could buy a new truck- you've seen what trucks cost today? I could ditch my truck and buy a new car, but then I won't have a truck. I think a $10K car might be the answer.
Put 10 K in the 88 and drive the crap out of it LOL.
That's an option... it doesn't need 10k, I just worry about parts (brakes and such) if I drive the wheels off this thing. And I hate to take it out in bad weather, being a ragtop- but I guess that's what the truck is for, right?
Depends on where you live I guess but from a safety perspective an old car wouldn't work for me as a daily driver with the Tri-State PA/NY/NJ traffic and roads. Open rural roads could be a lot different.
Depends on where you live I guess but from a safety perspective an old car wouldn't work for me as a daily driver with the Tri-State PA/NY/NJ traffic and roads. Open rural roads could be a lot different.
I'm looking at a 1985 Delta 88, so it's not like driving a mid 60's sled. I also have a line on a mid-80's Pontiac Parisienne... so they are mid 80's cars, not mid 60's. I think a mid 80's car has the features to be a driver, even in NYC or down the Jersey turnpike. I'm in the Boston/Providence/Worcester area, so I'm hearing you.
I would think you might want something that gets better gas mileage than a mid-80s B-body. Thinking in terms of passenger comfort, how about a 10-15 year old Toyota Camry, a low-mileage cream puff from an elderly PO? I haven't priced them, but I have a hard time imagining the buy-in would be much over ten grand because they sold about a quadrillion of them. And God knows they have a reputation for being bulletproof.
I'm looking at a 1985 Delta 88, so it's not like driving a mid 60's sled. I also have a line on a mid-80's Pontiac Parisienne... so they are mid 80's cars, not mid 60's. I think a mid 80's car has the features to be a driver, even in NYC or down the Jersey turnpike. I'm in the Boston/Providence/Worcester area, so I'm hearing you.
I might get flamed for this, BUT driving a mid 80s 307 powered turd is very underwhelming. The performance is just awful and the compu-carb is not easy to repair/diagnose. The cars are a good platform but you'll grow tired not being able to pass a school bus. This is my experience driving a couple of these cars..
My daily drivers are 1985 Delta 88s with the underwhelming 307 and the CCC Qjet. They are not difficult to keep running if you have the patience to READ the factory Chassis Service Manual and follow the instructions. Most do not, which is why the get a bad reputation. The car is fine as a daily. My other daily is the 69 Cutlass wagon with three speed manual.
How about a Deville? I've owned two of these so far. Not so great on gas (20 mpg highway) but man do they ride and drive sweet!! I just took this one down to Phoenix and back (Indiana). This example cost me $6500 bucks. 44k on the clock, good tires, new battery, fresh oil change. Sunroof, Pearl Paint, very nice condition. Look around, you'll find one in your area. If you want.
I'm looking at a 1985 Delta 88, so it's not like driving a mid 60's sled. I also have a line on a mid-80's Pontiac Parisienne... so they are mid 80's cars, not mid 60's. I think a mid 80's car has the features to be a driver, even in NYC or down the Jersey turnpike. I'm in the Boston/Providence/Worcester area, so I'm hearing you.
It will need a mechanical refresh to keep it on the road, rubber parts tend to go bad when put back into use. But I can say from some experience while it's a lot of initial work, it's well worth it once it starts getting on the road and you work through it's issues. You'll have a ride way more comfortable than all but the most costly modern luxury cars, and you can do most of the maintenance on it yourself in your driveway. Plus it's way more durable than any modern car short of maybe some EVs because you've got a lot of weight and those juicy 5 MPH bumpers.
EDIT: Oh yeah and since you live in the Northeast definitely put on a very healthy layer of undercoating every single year without fail, fluid film would be good and maybe once it cures some heavy oil. It's a recurring expense to be sure but well worth it.
Last edited by illumined; Feb 18, 2025 at 01:50 PM.
Reason: Extra info.
If your an automotive enthusiast living in the rust belt, a disposable daily driver is almost a requirement.
My 06 Ram is the family vacation vehicle, it’s big enough for luggage, and comfortable enough for 5 people. With the diesel engine, the economy isn’t bad. If it’s just my wife and I, and don’t need lots of trunk space, we take the Challenger.
My daily driver is a beat up 02 neon. I like it because it’s the one car I rarely have to work on. It’s never let me down, I wouldn’t hesitate to drive it anywhere on a moments notice, and I don’t care if it gets door dings here at work. There is something very liberating about driving a car you have zero concern for. Before the neon, my daily was a 85 t-top Cutlass with t tops, buckets and the gauge package. I bought it 20 years ago with a main bearing thump from the 3.8, my plan was to swap in a 403 when the engine died. Much like the neon, it refused to die. I bought it with the engine hammering ,and sold it 2.5 years later still thumping, and it never gave me any trouble. A friend of a friend here at work offered me a ridiculous amount for it so I sold it.
Most any car ever built can be reliable. When they were new, they were expected to start and perform reasonably well in any environment. Assuming they are properly maintained there is zero reason they won’t today.
The GM CCC system isn’t difficult to work with. Get a good factory manual and use it when needed. All the info needed to keep it going is there.
If I were looking for an inexpensive-ish daily driver more or less sacrificial car in the NorthEast, I’d probably go, gasp, foreign. Better gas mileage, better brakes, well known and highly likely to be fuel injected as opposed to the CCC transition era q’jets. OTOH, the weight of a mid-80’s GM car would have the “tonnage rule” safety advantage.
If your kid is in college, like mine are, how many rainy days do you think you’ll be needing that back seat for the whole family going forward? We’re just into empty nest about 4 weeks, so I don’t know how it goes, but I suspect your college kid will be in the workforce soon and you just might not need that back seat as much as you might have in the past.
Come to think of it, don’t nice guitars cost a bundle too? I’m a piano player, not my area.
If I were looking for an inexpensive-ish daily driver more or less sacrificial car in the NorthEast, I’d probably go, gasp, foreign. Better gas mileage, better brakes, well known and highly likely to be fuel injected as opposed to the CCC transition era q’jets. OTOH, the weight of a mid-80’s GM car would have the “tonnage rule” safety advantage.
If your kid is in college, like mine are, how many rainy days do you think you’ll be needing that back seat for the whole family going forward? We’re just into empty nest about 4 weeks, so I don’t know how it goes, but I suspect your college kid will be in the workforce soon and you just might not need that back seat as much as you might have in the past.
Come to think of it, don’t nice guitars cost a bundle too? I’m a piano player, not my area.
Cheers
Chris
My son's car is a 2017 Ford Fusion Sport. It's a AWD turbo charged V6 with 18" wheels and big brakes to match. It gets upwards of 24 mpg on the highway, and that's what I traded my car for- to get him that car. It's got the whole "info-tainment" center that syncs with his Apple music and his iphone. It's got heated seats and in the back, the seats fold down for extra storage/cargo space (skis are long). He loves it- which make me happy as his dad. And when we drive 2 hours to Gramma's house, he usually suggests "Let's take my car". Since I'm paying for it, I don't object.
We have 3-6 inches of ice and snow on everything around here today, and I fell on the ice 2 weeks ago and wound up in urgent care for 9 stitches in my knee. Today I knocked all that icy stuff off my old truck and drove over whatever was still frozen in the driveway to get my stitches out, and I sure do appreciate my old truck right now. It's got a blue tooth aftermarket radio so I can play my old blues, 70's rock and metal, and some new stuff that fits in well with Black Sabbath and Metallica.
I have a Les Paul, but I wanted a Stratocaster- so I bought one, and I'm terribly disappointed. After playing a Les Paul for many years, when I plug in the strat with those single coil pick ups, it just sounds so thin. I guess if you have a monster amp and play it through a tube screamer effects pedal maybe it'll sound good in an 80's hair band kind of way. But I find myself constantly putting it down, and picking up my Les Paul. I don't see how anyone plays blues rock through a strat- but SRV did, and you can't argue with that.
I'm way off topic- except to say, I tend to want things and sometimes I find what I want is only what I imagine how it would feel to have it. Then when I have it, I find I'm disappointed. Sorry for the confession- this ain't the church- but it is. It's the Oldsmobile church, the old car church, and some of us come here to confess our sins, or ask the congregation for advice, or forgiveness. I'm guilty of lusting after cars and guitars, and right now I'm lusting after a 1979 Delta 88 Holiday Coupe.
this car, right here
Last edited by davek1661; Feb 19, 2025 at 06:46 PM.
Sorry about the ice injury. We don't heal like we did when we were 22. Damn.
In CA we don't have to deal with ice-injury threats daily, but we can't get good chemicals anymore either. No, not _those_ kind of chemicals, I mean Xylene, Toluene, Naphtha and other highly useful VOC's. Ya take the good with the bad, where ever we live. Don't ask me about fire & earthquake worries. Or home insurance. Beyond dumb where I live.
That 80's 88 looks great. I'll bet it's solid as the day is long. These were never hot rods, so generally the previous owners didn't abuse them. Which makes them terrific for 2nd owners.
Knowing it has front disc/rear drums, relatively hight curb weight & wide tires makes me think it's a worthwhile gamble from a safety perspective. You might have your SO/wife drive it prior to purchase to confirm she is/isn't on board. Even if she doesn't like it, if you smile big enough while she's in the driver's seat, you may reach an agreement.
We can't see what's under the paint, but you looking at the frame can figure it out. Warmly suggest you check all 8 cylinders for compression, but I'll wager they're within 15% of each other and likely no dead holes. If that's right & it runs bad, throw in new plugs & wires and you're back in business. Or replace the carb gaskets. Or throttle plate. Or HEI cap & rotor. These technologies are well known & well documented here & elswhere on the web.
Before you throw the buy-it switch, have a look at availability & price on disc rotors, pads, drums and other maintenance parts that might be getting rare or expensive now. Probably the suspension bushings are o.k., but if not, what's the bill for replacing them? Wouldn't surprise me between parts & labor to be north of $1,500. Sourcing tires won't be a problem for an 88, but know before you buy, right?
For reference, I'm a fan of the big cars. In CA, we have no salt & our winters are trivial compared to elsewhere. So I drive my '66 Starfire in the rain. My view is Olds built them to be driven. Allowing for 20 odd years of design difference, your photo and my car are very similar. Big, comfy, quiet, fast enough, and the tonnage rule helps on the road for safety. No they don't have ABS, nor 4 wheel-discs or radar warnings.
Fair warning: when you use these old cars in traffic, leave extra room. Every car on the road has better brakes than you. Plus ABS, plus radar. And don't get p*ssed off at that d*ck who cuts in front of you to gain a car length. Remember, you're enjoying your fun old car. That poor b*st*rd is grinding out his/her daily commute in some POS they hate. Here & there you'll get a thumbs up, maybe daily from people who remember. Children will look & smile and ask their parents what kind of car is that? Then you can smile, wave back or have a conversation, as you like. The other good news is these things stick out like a sore thumb. No one, I mean no one, misses a 21 foot American car from 40, 50 or 60 years ago. There's some safety in that.
Practically speaking , the key thing is knowing what the maintenance costs can get to before you commit to something older as a driver. And have a fallback in case you can't get brake rotors, A-arms, bushings or brake drums.
You have the truck to fall back on. Factor that into your thinking. I fall back on an old Audi with 115K on it. Runs like a clock. But it's had an easy freeway-driving life.
Not to get too off topic. We can't get more days. If this car will gives enjoyment for the days you have now & in future and your spouse/SO is on board, go to it!
I would imagine that no matter the route you go, you'll get better milage and comfy from anything other than a 4WD truck.
For what it's worth, my daily driver is also 2017 Fusion Titanium, just has the 2.0 engine instead of the 2.7 twin turbo in the sport. It's an awesome car and I can get 30 mpg on the highway. No active suspension like the sport though.
