Retro Daily drivers

[stedaley]

If everyone was to have 5k to spend on a retro daily driver, what would people go for?

The car would be used for work commutes, the very rare motorway trip and the weekends away.

Im just interested to see if anyone is doing this currently and if any one has any issues?

or what would people go for if they could!!

[0a]

I split my commute between my mercedes W124 and r129, both are 24 years old. The r129 is a new addition, but I have had the W124 for 3 years and it has been at least as reliable as colleagues' modern cars - it it has never let me down.





I will probably add a 190 from the same era quite soon.

[FakeConcern]

I sometimes use this to commute

[Leins]

I did it for a while in a 1990 BMW E30 318iS. Didn't like it in the winter much really, and the car was wasted on my old motorway commute. Plus I was always hearing phantom noises, so eventually relented and swapped it for a modern Eco-box instead

Back on the train now, which is actually a damn sight more relaxing than all the above. I do use my E34 M5 on the odd Friday though, when the traffic is usually lighter

[psi310398]

0a said:

I split my commute between my mercedes W124 and r129, both are 24 years old. The r129 is a new addition, but I have had the W124 for 3 years and it has been at least as reliable as colleagues' modern cars - it it has never let me down.

I will probably add a 190 from the same era quite soon.

I, too, use an r129 straight six as a daily driver when needed. I mainly work from home, but the SL will happily run and down to Bristol or Preston when I'm on assignment as well as poodle round London. Never misses a beat and £500 year in year out to service and MOT.

I also used to have an old 190 for daily duty. Front seats are tragically uncomfortable but an excellent car otherwise. If you are considering the 190, I'd investigate getting some Saab seats or some r129 seats to replace the fronts. Fancy treating myself to a Cosworth version at some stage...

[Vincefox]

E36 m3.

[Faust66]

Perfectly possible to use an older car as a daily, as long as you are will and able to spend time and money keeping the thing going.

For example, I've spent all afternoon fitting new suspension arms and polybushes to my car: my mates are all in the pub but I was crawling around on the road swearing steadily whilst cover in muck (only got one side done as well... bloody sized ball joint was to blame). Going to be spending bank holiday Monday doing the same job on the passenger side.

Can you afford to pay a garage for work if you can't do it yourself? Can you spare the time away from your partner (and kids if you have them)?

It's all worth it though... newest car I've ever owned was a 1990 H reg Sierra XR4x4. Moderns cars? Pah!

Edited by Faust66 on Saturday 23 May 22:12

[320touring]

Been fiddling about on the e30 335i today- its a great daily as long as you don't mind the fuel consumption from the 3.5 m30, and can handle the Leda coilovers!
https://fuguttycars.wordpress.com/2015/05/23/the-s...


To be honest, the newest thing I own is a P reg polo- and I've dkne 24k+ per year in my 320i e30 for a few years.

As long as you keep on top of the maintanance, older cars can be great-and are often cheaper and easier to fix should somethkng go wrong.

I used the 320i for a 3200 mile i day round trip to Prague from Glagow last year-35mpg, cruise at 85mph all day and carried all the luggage no bother.

Want proof? Look herehttps://fuguttycars.wordpress.com/2014/09/14/the-h...

|http://thumbsnap.com/b7VzfXkj[/url]

Edited by 320touring on Saturday 23 May 23:01

[cologne2792]

FakeConcern said:

I sometimes use this to commute

That's great - The V6 is awesome !
Had several 2.1 td over the last 10 years and currently borrowing a 2.5 td at the moment - though the mpg's probably worse than yours !

[55palfers]

I am very biased, but you won't go wrong with a good W124 (probably won't lose much either)

[AntiLagGC8]

When I'm working at my local office, I often use the RB5. When I'm traveling further I use the diesel Alfa.



The RB5 is a little turned up (about 360bhp) with a fully forged engine and twin scroll. It's also epically bad on fuel for a 2.0. It averages about 16/17.

[S0 What]

Faust66 said:

Perfectly possible to use an older car as a daily, as long as you are will and able to spend time and money keeping the thing going.

For example, I've spent all afternoon fitting new suspension arms and polybushes to my car: my mates are all in the pub but I was crawling around on the road swearing steadily whilst cover in muck (only got one side done as well... bloody sized ball joint was to blame). Going to be spending bank holiday Monday doing the same job on the passenger side.

Can you afford to pay a garage for work if you can't do it yourself? Can you spare the time away from your partner (and kids if you have them)?

It's all worth it though... newest car I've ever owned was a 1990 H reg Sierra XR4x4. Moderns cars? Pah!

Edited by Faust66 on Saturday 23 May 22:12

Funny enough i just spent this afternoon fitting poly bushes to my 1990 (G plate) sierra

Anything used as a daily that's over 15 years old you need to keep a filing cabinet of spares! most are available but either at the cost of cash or time, stuff like switchgear and trim, heater motors ect, all worth keeping "just in case".

I work on modern ish (6 years old and older) cars on a daily basis and appart from rust and parts availabilty the actual work isn't any differant, same ste siezes, same cr@p snaps on removal, in fact it's inveriably less involved on older vehicals with easyer access and less stripping down to get at the fooking part !

First thing i do with any intended daily is give it a good going through (cambemt kit, full service, brakes ect) and keep a supply of know weak componants on hand (in the filing cabinet)
Retro nowdays can extend to the 90 where TBH cars were no less reliable than the noughtys or the teens, if not more so ! 80's cars are hit and miss and 70's cars will allways need bringing up to date (leccy ign, better cooling, decent brakes and tyres), plan for the 100th trip not the first.

[iva cosworth]

I've used this as a sometime daily,even in winter top down.

[0a]

iva cosworth said:

I've used this as a sometime daily,even in winter top down.

Such pretty cars

[ambuletz]

I've not even hit 30 yet but some of these cars I don't think (more like feel) that they're old enough.

[iva cosworth]

My Fiat has retro looks,even if it's not very old.

[Huff]

Modern retro OK?

I spent 7 very happy years up to last July running an E34 540. I'd have another in a heartbeat.



Happened across perhaps the only real replacement for it: Alpina B10 3.3, with the rarer manual box. It's a blindingly-good allrounder; I think I'll be keeping it a while yet.



(details on both on profile blogs.)

[griffin dai]

[MJK 24]

For the last 15 or so years, my daily driver has been a 1985 Volkswagen Scirocco. I also own and regularly use a 1991 Mercedes W124 and a 2000 (not yet retro?) Lotus Elise.

Modern cars hold zero appeal and endless depreciation!

[Levin]

S0 What said:

Funny enough i just spent this afternoon fitting poly bushes to my 1990 (G plate) sierra

Great choice. Of daily I mean, the polybushes probably aren't half bad either. Mine's a 1991, but both are probably great daily drivers. I think they have an air of retro cool now.