72455

We all know that owning a classic car can be a lot of fun...what with all the tinkering, research and parts hunting, and of course, the CRUISING!!😀

But (yes, there is a but), at the end of the day, we all know that there is always something that needs done. Whether it's chasing down an electrical issue, installing that new part, or trying to find that sweet spot on the carb adjustment, again, it's always something.

So here's the question....if you had to put a number on it, how much time do we actually spend taking our treasures out for a drive on a beautiful summer day compared to how much time we spend turning the wrenches or tracking down that NOS fender trim? Would you say 50/50, 30/70 or maybe 20/80?

I know since I've bought my Cutass, there have been many a time when I fully intended slide behind the wheel, turn the key and bring that 455 to life. As it happens, I get started on a tweak here or a parts chase there, and before I know it, life has caught up to me, and I have to lower and lock the hood and button everything up, hoping that the next time I have the opportunity that maybe, just maybe, I'll get to just fire 'er up and stretch her legs.

I'm sure we've all been there, (and this isn't meant to be a put down on our passion), but again, I was just curious as to what you all had to say.

Thanks for the read,
Dave😀

oldcutlass

I drive the hell out of mine. The biggest problem with owners of old cars is they don't know how or when to leave well enough alone, if it ain't broke don't fix it. Drive and enjoy.

Fun71

Mine has essentially been a daily driver since I got it back in 1990. I drove the hell out of it even while I was doing paint, body, etc, so I have historically spent a lot more time behind the wheel than under the hood.

rustyroger

If you are spending more time mending than driving then either you own a project, or you like tinkering more than just driving. If you know that you can go to your car, fire it up and drive off, then you own a classic. We should be aware that we own old machines, this goes for all classic cars, or any other machinery for that matter, and parts might fail unexpectedly just because they are old.
However if we have done the maintenance properly breakdowns should be a rare occurence.

Roger.

chip-powell

Spring is my tinkering time. Every spring when I pull her out of storage. That is when I spend a few days cleaning, tuning, installing stuff that I have collected during the winter, polishing, etc... After that, unless something unplanned happens (water pump dies), I spend the rest of the spring, summer, early fall just cruisin', smilin' and enjoyin'.

Rustbucket2

I'm the guy who loves turning wrench's . I don't get out and drive my cars much, I like working in my shop. I always have a project setting around ( 3 Trans - Am's, 2 64 F85 Wagons, 1 cutlass, 2 square body trucks. ) that's what I have right now. I do own restored cars, a 73 442 4 speed car, and a 72 Buick skylark convertible .( looks like a GS) I like restoring cars, most cars I have are someone else's abandoned projects. I do everything myself, welding, painting, engine rebuilds. And I love it. I use to go to car shows, ( maybe 8 a month ) but all the cars there are the same cars I see all the time. And most of the time, if you don't go to a all Pontiac, or Oldsmobile only show, all I ever see is Camaros, Nova's, and Chevelle's. That is boring to me. Long live the car builders, and amateur builders, ( That's me , amateur) keeping lost projects alive! I'm that guy who fixes those lost cars up, so others can get out there and drive them, and I'm good with that, I always say " saved another one from the crusher ".

Greg Rogers

It's like the guy who builds wood knick-knacks in his shop. He can go to a store and buy a made in China back scratcher for 59 cents, but he makes some for a lot more investment and time. But it's a hobby and he enjoys making them. I enjoy tinkering on my cars- it's a hobby. I enjoy working on it and I enjoy driving it. It's the satisfaction of fixing something or making it look better. A neighbor of mine retired and had no hobbies, he sat in his lazyboy and drank whiskey, got fat, and died too young. He had a miserable short retirement. Anyway, I'd say I probably have a ratio of 50/50 ( working on/driving).

Olds64

I don't drive my Olds enough. I'm lucky if I drive it once every other week. Then again I rarely tinker with it either, besides changing the oil, coolant, etc.

Weezer

Ugh... I was just complaining about this very subject to the wife. Specifically, I said, "WHY can't I just have ONE year where I'm not constantly fixing ****????!"

This was the result of:
1) Power steering quit working on the Starfire (although it's most likely a stuck flow control valve, just need TIME to fix)
2) Front brakes on the Enclave. Stupid torx head bolt that held rotors on during trip down assembly line wouldn't budge, stripped out, broke my torx bit, then had to drill them out.
3) Power seats quit working AGAIN on my Lesabre. Drivers side went out several months ago, now it's the pass side. Already know which bundle of wires need repair, just need to take the seat out and do the fix.
4) Power window quit on Lesabre.
5) Servo motors failing on Lesabre instrument cluster.
6) Kids broke the kitchen cabinet island.

I could keep going here, but this is why I'm most likely going to put the Starfire up for sale. Between work, the house maintenance, regular car maintenance, the cottage (including maintenance), the pontoon, the jetski, there is not enough time for me to relax. Hell, the last time I tried to relax and take the Starfire out for a spin was when the PS stopped working. Stupid side entry garage makes it almost impossible to get the car in / out, and I don't want to risk breaking the steering wheel by cranking it around w/out PS.

droptopron

Since I had mine painted last summer it sat all the time. In NY I can only use it about 6-7 months a year anyway.
I wasn't getting as much enjoyment out of it. I'd be too worried to leave it any place. I decided enough of that. I'll be careful with it but I'm going to use it more. Take it out for errands or running around with the family. Its got disc brakes and AC so I'm good.
I had the stack 14" SS1's with repro belted tires. I stored those & got a set of 17's with modern rubber. Night & day difference with how it drives.

Fun71

It's the opposite here - it's too dang hot 5 months out of the year to have any fun with a convertible, so mine sits in the garage through the summer then gets out fall/winter/spring.

Summertime is too hot to even work on the car - my garage was 93º at 8am this morning, and it's only gonna get hotter as the day goes on.

CRUZN 66

As Eric stated above, If it isn't broke, don't fix it... Fix what you need too and enjoy the ride...

Tedd Thompson

Mine are ready to go most anytime I can get away in the summer. Winter is the fix whats been bugging me time. Right now on the 55 the only thing that needs attention is a intermittent dash light issue ,intermittent horn connection (I hate intermittent stuff), and a small transmission oil leak that I have ignored for a few years. I wouldn't be afraid to head out for a 1000 mile trip tomorrow.

The Miata on the other hand the sky is the limit, looking to go on a 3000 mile + trip in a few weeks, should be cramped but a fun run.... Keep them up and use them..... Tedd

steverw

I drive mine weekly, usually saturday nights go crusin with some locals. Entered it in a car show 10 days ago, won 2 place muscle car. There were about 250 cars in the show, some really nice cars. Theres always something to do to it, but i did build it to drive it. I have just over 1000 miles on it now. So far so good, im lovin it.
Steve

redoldsman

I considered the restoration completed on my 54 Olds several years ago. It is now in what I refer to as the perpetual maintenance stage. There is always going to be something to do to it. I think I have finally finished the upgrade to the cooling system by installing an aluminum radiator. I had it out Saturday and it stayed below 200 although I did not have the AC on. I have need to replace the tailshaft seal in the transmission and the oil filter adapter with a later model I have that takes a spinoff filter. These are two jobs I dread since I hate working under the car. I don't have a lift so I have to put it up on jack stands and get the creeper underneath it. It is a nasty job and since I am older and heavier, getting up off a creeper is a pain. I am actually considering taking it to a nearby shop that does work for other members in the Olds Club and having them do it. I have a 57 Chevy that I have had a very long time. I hope to start on it near the end of this year. That is going to be my last one to do and I look forward to it.

Gary M

droptopron

If I had a bigger garage I'd love two cars. Mine for show duty & another a little rougher around the edges to use. Radials, EFI, overdrive trans and AC but not so nice I have to worry about it everywhere I'd go.

1of1442

friesjh

Personally I think the tinkering, parts hunting, and installing new parts is just as enjoyable as cruising. But I will say I do drive my black 71 as much as I can when the weather permits. I've been putting off installing the new rear end gear because I'm afraid it may take me 2 weekends to complete, especially with the honey doo list I have.

btw

I drive mine unless it is just too blistering hot or humid to enjoy it. I've had it for 3 years and driven it 6k miles. By comparison, I owned a Corvette Stingray for 15 years and drove it 9146 miles. The Olds is a better ride with less mechanicals to go wrong and easier on the pocketbook prices for parts when I need them. And with room for 6 I get more smiles to the mile in my Olds. Drive on!

72455

I appreciate all the feedback and comments, and I'm a "drive it" guy myself. But what do you do when you have an issue that while it's not crucial to "enjoying the ride" it is something that needs attention. Case in point if you see my post about my horn issue (in the electrical section) you'll see what I mean. Do I spend time troubleshooting knowing that everytime I make a right my horn will blare, or do I just "deal with it"?

matt69olds

Allan R

My opinion is you troubleshoot and fix. No point in just ignoring it. After all, the horn is actually listed as a safety feature on any vehicle inspection.

Gary M

Weezer

Yeah, the horn blaring by itself sure isn't cool. My '93 Pontiac Sunbird started randomly beeping while I was driving one day. Discovered that it was a design flaw with the steering wheel, caused by temperature changes in the plastic & vinyl warping the material and engaging the horn contact. Popped the center pad out, disconnected the horn, and drove it w/out a horn until the car died it's untimely death due to... a distracted driver plowing into the back of it.

Rvsmith5

shipped a grand am from hawaii to wisconsin back in my military days. Man were they pissed that I didnt tell them about the "security system". It was just the cold temps on the horn switch. The car was not happy in the cold, so I traded it in.

Weezer

HAHAHAHA! I can confirm that they were the exact same steering wheels, b/c my friend's Grand Am started honking one morning while on a ski trip, parked just outside our chalet. I came outside, yelled, "MOVE!", popped out the center cap, and disconnected the horn. He looked at me like I was some sort of mystical wizard-genius for knowing exactly what was wrong.

Nice work by the engineers responsible for testing that ****. Somebody cut some corners on the thermal testing.

Rvsmith5

I took a less wizard/genius approach. I laid in bed in the hotel cussing the person whose horn was stuck.

rustyroger

"If it ain't broke don't fix it" is fine, but in your case it IS broke - so fix it!.

Roger.

Fun71

Disconnect the wire at the horn relay, run a new wire to a horn button in the cabin, and keep driving until you have time to troubleshoot it and fix it the right way.

zbadboy

I recently picked up this 1967 Delta 88 Custom. It came with the limited edition "Elk Package"!!! Kidding aside, I was fortunate to pick this up for very little money. Replaced 3 plug wires, hit it with some starting fluid, she fired up and I drove her home. Unfortunately it has had some sun damage to the interior, exterior is straight with every piece of chrome, need a driver door handle and the driver window falls off the track. Other then that, I just drove it to discount tire yesterday for a new set of tires. I plan to fix the window moldings, sand/prime/UV matte finish and shine up the chrome and roll with it.

Will22

Since I have my car "done", I probably spend 90% driving and 10% wrenching. I'm in the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" camp.