Technical & General Discussion Area > Tech Torque Pre 1973

Advice 60s Coupe as 2nd Car / Family Car

(1/3) > >>

barkfast:
Hi all

I'm thinking about getting a classic muscle car as a 2nd car / family car, and wanted to get some advice on practicalites of this.

For context, we've got 2 tween / teenage daughters and I'm looking for the car to be mostly a run about - groceries, kids to sport, occassional school drop/pickup. We live in suburban Newcastle and most of the driving will be in traffic .. with the occassional weekend run. I'm not mechanically inept - and dont mind bolt on fixes/upgrades etc - but would rather a mechanic undertake more serious engine/transmission work.

I was looking at a 1965-1967 coupe - perhaps initially an inline 6 but ultimately want a 290 V8. Prefer a RHD but wouldnt rule out a LHD.. also prefer an auto but would go with a manual. Not looking for a race car, just a safe reliable classic with a nice rumble.

Hoping I could get some thoughts on:
* Is the backseat useable (comfortable) for tallish people? (most trips will be less than 30 mins)
* Are 'stangs of this era reliable or are they an unchartered money pit?
* What are the things I should be thinking about that might help the decision process?

thanks in advance

Terry


 

GEOFF289:
I don't think I'd use one as a daily driver but people do.

Frankly they aren't that comfortable in many ways and of course lack many of the creature comforts and safety features we take for granted these days. That said, we did about 1,000 k's around Tasmania earlier in the year in mine and lived to tell the tale. Mind you mine has aircon, a good stereo and an overdrive transmission but I still wouldn't describe it as comfortable to drive longer distances. If you're just tooling around the Novocastrian 'burbs maybe the comfort factor isn't so important.

The great thing about them is that they're pretty simple to work on, unlike even a basic modern car where there's not much point in even opening the bonnet as there's nothing much you can do under there.

On your specific questions:

- No the back seat isn't comfortable and unless the front seat occupants are pretty short there's pretty much no foot room in the back. This is a design feature Ford have stuck to right up to the current generation of Mustangs which also have no room in the back. Front seat passengers have heaps of room though. Tall drivers find it a bit tight in terms of headroom and getting far enough back from the wheel. I just got some seat extenders for mine to shift the driver's seat back 2 inches after our Tas experience (I just scrape the 6 foot/1.8 m mark). That of course will further reduce rear seat room. All of that said, I have had a bride and two bridesmaids in mine but not for very long trips.

- They can be either very reliable or bankruptcy on wheels. Like any car, reliability is function of maintenance/servicing and replacement of parts that just wear out. And a measure of luck. A fifty something year old car can of course present endless potential for having worn out parts. Rust in the shell is the other major consideration. Buy carefully. No rust and all mechanical parts replaced is likely to equal big bucks, particularly at the moment, and in my mind make for too nice a car to use every day, but your call.

- In terms of things to consider, I guess my thoughts are covered above.

fredm666:
I wouldn't consider a coupe/fastback, old or new, a practical family car; just my view on that type of car.
I have no kids so using a '64 Mustang as second car is not a big issue. Sometimes I use my car as "daily driver" for groceries or similar tasks, but I wouldn't do that on a very regular basis. Also I live in Perth and it is pretty easy to drive around with a classic car. I lived in Sydney (eastern suburbs) and it was a nightmare. Newcastle should be fine though.

Geoff289 covered most of the things, if you want a decent Mustang now it is very difficult to find some under $50k; a 6cyl it is probably around $30/35k. If you find a car cheaper than that it is very possible that it requires a lot of work and $$$. If car is in good condition and well maintained, it is normally a reliable car, because very simple and basically no electrics.
As Geoff289 said rear seat for long drives are not that comfortable for tall people, and also seat tend to be very soft.

barkfast:
Thanks Geoff and Fred. Appreciate your honest responses.

My wife and I are both 6 foot and kids are both not too far from it either.. so its looking like the Mustang is not looking like a realistic option (at least until the kids are older).

fredm666:

--- Quote from: barkfast on July 11, 2022, 03:15:24 pm ---Thanks Geoff and Fred. Appreciate your honest responses.

My wife and I are both 6 foot and kids are both not too far from it either.. so its looking like the Mustang is not looking like a realistic option (at least until the kids are older).

--- End quote ---

yeah, probably a coupe of any brand is not an ideal option as family car. It can be done, but comfort is limited.
Maybe one of the big classic coupe from the '70s can have more room in the back seats, down side is that normally the price tag for those is pretty high...

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page