Classic for commuting?
Discussion
Was just wondering how this would work?
Ive always loved old cars, well more the shapes than anything. I dont know why but some of the cars feel like they have history to them which i love.
I was wondering if running an old volvo pv444 shape car as a commuter? I only live a mile from work but want to show a beauty off.
Also hope itll improve my technical knowledge of old cars and etc.
Im 19 and have 2 years ncb.
Thanks.
Ive always loved old cars, well more the shapes than anything. I dont know why but some of the cars feel like they have history to them which i love.
I was wondering if running an old volvo pv444 shape car as a commuter? I only live a mile from work but want to show a beauty off.
Also hope itll improve my technical knowledge of old cars and etc.
Im 19 and have 2 years ncb.
Thanks.
At a mile, that will kill a car, old or new.
My Mrs lived about 3 miles from work (as it happens with me) and she drove all kinds of classics including an S1 Elan, Morgan 4/4, 356, Volvo 1800s and more. They all needed a regular blast.
At that distance, you really would be better walking and leaving the classic at home.
Top marks for getting a classic at 19 though. You're a star!
My Mrs lived about 3 miles from work (as it happens with me) and she drove all kinds of classics including an S1 Elan, Morgan 4/4, 356, Volvo 1800s and more. They all needed a regular blast.
At that distance, you really would be better walking and leaving the classic at home.
Top marks for getting a classic at 19 though. You're a star!
Sorry, I forgot, you are 19 and have a life so it would be a mile to work and then out in the evening. Just make sure your car is properly legal as a 19 year old in a cool car, you will be a target for traffic cops who will assume you are some kind of villain as you aren't driving your mums car.
There are lots of aftermarket bits you can fit to classics. Central locking, heated seats etc.
Great to hear from a young man who knows his classics. So it's not all Educating Yorkshire in schools these days. Good to know.
There are lots of aftermarket bits you can fit to classics. Central locking, heated seats etc.
Great to hear from a young man who knows his classics. So it's not all Educating Yorkshire in schools these days. Good to know.
My girlfriend did this with the MGF. I think it was one of the main contributers to damaging the engine. (HGF lol).
I'd be taking a bicycle for that kind of distance and keep a classic at home for the weekends, or take it in one day at the end of the week, to bring on the Friday feeling...
Plan it so you can leave an hour early and go for a run before getting the glad rags on and chasing the girlies.
If you don't have someone to look after the car for you or not interested in maintenance expect problems along the way. Just a thought, so if you do go down the classic route try to pick something up in great condition that's relatively bork free.
Good to see more young enthusiasts into the classics though. There's a guy on here running an old Fiesta pop+, it's great to see this.
I'd be taking a bicycle for that kind of distance and keep a classic at home for the weekends, or take it in one day at the end of the week, to bring on the Friday feeling...
Plan it so you can leave an hour early and go for a run before getting the glad rags on and chasing the girlies.
If you don't have someone to look after the car for you or not interested in maintenance expect problems along the way. Just a thought, so if you do go down the classic route try to pick something up in great condition that's relatively bork free.
Good to see more young enthusiasts into the classics though. There's a guy on here running an old Fiesta pop+, it's great to see this.
Edited by deltashad on Tuesday 28th January 07:48
interloper said:
Have to agree with Pistom, a regular 1 mile commute is bad for just about anything except maybe an electric vehicle or a bicycle! Just walk it and maybe take your classic on longer runs.
Ive never understood this, surely even if you have a 15 mile commute the car still needs to go through the phase that it hasnt yet warmed up. Surely as long as you don't drive it like you stole it & if give it a blast now & then it will be fine.- Pete
PVs were only made in left hand drive as far as I am aware... would this be an issue with regards to insurance etc? (I know that every little helps when you’re 19 and trying to insure a car).
You MIGHT get a PV for the sort of money you’re looking at spending, but it’s likely to need a lot of work. As HumbleJim correctly states, you’ll find an Amazon a lot easier to buy with your budget... parts etc are also going to be easier to come across.
Can’t go wrong with a nice Amazon...
You MIGHT get a PV for the sort of money you’re looking at spending, but it’s likely to need a lot of work. As HumbleJim correctly states, you’ll find an Amazon a lot easier to buy with your budget... parts etc are also going to be easier to come across.
Can’t go wrong with a nice Amazon...
Faust66 said:
PVs were only made in left hand drive as far as I am aware... would this be an issue with regards to insurance etc? (I know that every little helps when you’re 19 and trying to insure a car).
You MIGHT get a PV for the sort of money you’re looking at spending, but it’s likely to need a lot of work. As HumbleJim correctly states, you’ll find an Amazon a lot easier to buy with your budget... parts etc are also going to be easier to come across.
Can’t go wrong with a nice Amazon...
ill have to have a look i want a rhd card but i was using a rv444 as an example of the body type You MIGHT get a PV for the sort of money you’re looking at spending, but it’s likely to need a lot of work. As HumbleJim correctly states, you’ll find an Amazon a lot easier to buy with your budget... parts etc are also going to be easier to come across.
Can’t go wrong with a nice Amazon...
A mile each way is going to be bad for the car.
You'll be running on the choke for half of it at this time of year if it's stop-start (which causes bore wash unless you are exceptionally careful), you'll never get the oil warmed through which means wear will be accelerated dramatically (old engines tend to let the oil drop to the sump a lot more tha modern cars due to big tolerances and thick oil), and you'll also kill the battery because a mile isn't enough to recover the charge used to turn over an old engine with a weak starter and bad earths.
Those two miles a day will cause as many headaches as a 100 mile commute, and possibly even more. I'd avoid it if I possibly could. Buy a bicycle, and keep the car for the evenings.
(I used to commute in a Dolomite Sprint.
hanging the tail out every day on the way to work was fun, 17mpg and having to keep a wire coat hanger in the back for when the exhaust fell off less so).
You'll be running on the choke for half of it at this time of year if it's stop-start (which causes bore wash unless you are exceptionally careful), you'll never get the oil warmed through which means wear will be accelerated dramatically (old engines tend to let the oil drop to the sump a lot more tha modern cars due to big tolerances and thick oil), and you'll also kill the battery because a mile isn't enough to recover the charge used to turn over an old engine with a weak starter and bad earths.
Those two miles a day will cause as many headaches as a 100 mile commute, and possibly even more. I'd avoid it if I possibly could. Buy a bicycle, and keep the car for the evenings.
(I used to commute in a Dolomite Sprint.
hanging the tail out every day on the way to work was fun, 17mpg and having to keep a wire coat hanger in the back for when the exhaust fell off less so).
If you're going to rely on a classic as a daily driver - even for a short run - you're going to need a decent budget, both for purchase and for maintenance. You'll be lucky to get anything - even 80s landfill - with a £2k budget that will stand up to daily use reliably. It will hate short runs on the choke the whole time, and it will hate being left outside. You won't get classic car insurance for it because it won't be a second car (and you know how picky for the truth those pesky insurance companies can be, don't you;)) and you'll be on first name terms with the local AA crews.
If you can pull it off, you'll have a blast. But if you get it wrong, it'll put you off classics for life!
If you can pull it off, you'll have a blast. But if you get it wrong, it'll put you off classics for life!
prg123 said:
I've never understood this, surely even if you have a 15 mile commute the car still needs to go through the phase that it hasnt yet warmed up. Surely as long as you don't drive it like you stole it & if give it a blast now & then it will be fine.
It is a temperature thing. There's bore wash as covered above (a very big deal in the days before fuel injection, because 'a choke' is such a blunt tool) and also the fact that nothing in the engine, esp. the oil, ever gets hot enough to boil-off or drive out the invitable condensation products of the warm-up phase - water, and soluble acidic byproducts, right down to waste/exhaust heat drying all the underside of the body (days before underseal etc.)Average running temp makes an unbelievable difference to the lifespan of the drivetrain and everything bolted to it (exhaust systems especally). In the late 90s I worked on N.Borneo a while. There, by reason of economics, the vast majority of cars appeared ancient; but while the environment was aggresive (32degC, 95+% RH virtually 24/7/365) cars lasted forever mechanically - we could buy something, anything well over 3-400,000KM and expect it to run like a sewing machine and use no oil - mostly becasue it'd never seen a true cold start in its life. I've never forgotten that...
Edited by Huff on Tuesday 28th January 20:36
Okay then thanks for the advice.
I cant help but admire classic cars. How do you think a capri would fair? I know theyre rot boxes so i personally think itd be awful for a commute
I also LOVE renault 5! The shape of it is beautiful!
Third option would be a mgb love these things too. Think im gonna try test drive some cars on the weekend.
Oh and i do like the mk1/2 fiestas. Theyre just so expensive nowadays
I cant help but admire classic cars. How do you think a capri would fair? I know theyre rot boxes so i personally think itd be awful for a commute
I also LOVE renault 5! The shape of it is beautiful!
Third option would be a mgb love these things too. Think im gonna try test drive some cars on the weekend.
Oh and i do like the mk1/2 fiestas. Theyre just so expensive nowadays
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