Driving a classic mustang as a daily driver.

I am considering purchasing a 1965 Mustang that is in excellent condition. I currently live in NJ, but am planning on moving to San Diego, CA. This means that I should have optimal weather for the car (its a vert, and no salt/snow, and little rain).

My current car is paid off, but I dont think I will have room for a 2nd car, and dont think I will be able to afford 2 cars on insurance. I will most likely be in an apartment until I know the area better (maybe a year or more).

Can anyone give me there opinions on driving a classic Mustang as a daily driver?

I guess my current biggest worry is that the more I drive it, the more likely to get it dinged up...

I was going to get the 2005 Mustang, but I really do love the 64-68 Mustangs, and I finally have a decent amount of $ and could afford one... I guess I could wait till I have a house, and get settled in CA, but that could be a while (2 years or more...)

Thanks

 

There are a lot of issues to consider. Financially, it's a great move. These cars will continue to hold their value, if maintained and not abused. The 2005 value will steadily drop. But you've got to be willing to put up with alot of inconveniences. Are you willing to work on your daily driver in the middle of winter in an apartment parking lot, knowing you have to get it running tonight so you can go to work tomorrow? Are you willing to put up with the smell of exhaust gases that will undoubtedly stink up your clothes everyday on your way to work? How about AC that doesn't work? Loose steering? Inferior brakes? How does 12mpg sound? Dripping fluids? Overheating sitting in traffic? Windnoise through the weatherstripping? Then there are the convertible issues to deal with. You realize you can't (or shouldn't) lock a convertible? If they want in, they'll just cut the top, so you might as well leave it unlocked. Can you do that in your apartment complex? And as far as buying a 40 year old unibody convertible in New Jersey...no way would I do that. Rusty convertibles can cost 10s of thousands to repair.

My advise? Drive a 10-15 year old Honda Accord until you get a house with a garage. Then get a vintage Mustang as a second car. These cars are 40 years old, and can be used as daily transportation. But you have to know what you're getting yourself into. None of the regulars on this board use our Mustangs as daily drivers as far as I know.

 

I agree with Mberglo. I wouldn't daily drive a classic Mustang with todays traffic, especially in San Diego. The brakes, seat belts, steering wheel, etc. on early cars leaves much to be desired compared to todays technology. A couple of things to consider are cars built prior to 67 or 68 don't have collapsable steering wheels. That steering column is one big spear, if you rearend someone, your gonna have a Pony imbedded on your chest. The seat belts are just lap belts, no shoulder harness. You could add a shoulder harness, but it takes some drilling... Without a shoulder harness in daily driving, I'd be real nervous. I get really nervous driving the classics today, so I'm a real defensive driver. No chances, over safe following distances, no tailgating, early braking, etc. You can get lax with day to day driving and then mistakes can be made.

Leave the daily driving to the newer cars, especially in big city driving. And if someone says, "Yes, I daily drive my classic", ask them how far they drive. The daily drivers I know about drive 2 or 3 miles non-highway...

 

Thank you for the excellent reality check responses! Those are the sort of posts I was looking for... I suppose I will stick with my current car until I can settle with a home and the ability to have 2 cars. It's just really difficult to avoid the temptation of buying one of these beautiful cars...

Of course, if I buy a home first, I will have to get a mustang that is in much worse shape than the one I was looking at. Since most of my money will be in the home. Oh well, maybe that will be more fun in the long run working on it.

Thanks guys!

 

A very wise man once said "To have is often not as good as to want". The desire is what keeps you going, not ownership. I can feel your eagerness and impatience, believe me. I did not have the luxury of getting into this hobby as early as I wanted too like many did, I waited an additional 16 years to finally own the car I wanted since I was 16. It was rough but it was worth the wait. I wanted to do it right and that simply meant that the cars needs (having a garage, a budget, a daily driver alternative etc) had to come before my own needs or wants. Stay ont he path of crawiling before walking before running and you will have your car one day without compromise. Once you own a home and are prepared for it, the rest is easy. Do not worry about your money then being tied up in the home, there are ways around that. I would suggest as opposed to starting with a cheap basket case that will be years away from driving still (and likely leave you with a sour taste in your mouth as opposed to the wonderful experience it should be) that you should still buy the best car you can. One that is immediatly usable as is but with use requires maintanence that keeps you active in the hobby as learn the car and how to eventually tackle the bigger issues that will arise after years of occasional use. There are people out there who specialize in this type of thing. For example, www.jjbest.com does just that. Instead of spending your last 2 grand on a beater and then scraping together a few hundred bucks a month to buy parts until it's restored in a few years, buy a 10k car with only that 2k down and now you pay that few hundred bucks a month towards the loan instead and most importantly you can use the car immediatly. They have simple interst rates starting under 5% which makes payments very small on a 5 year loan, and if you pay more each month to finish early, you will save thousands. try getting that from a bank. the savings will continue. Now that you have a home and a daily driver you can get classic insurance from someone like www.hagerty.com for your car. As a guageof reference I have full agreed value on my car as the apprasial, I have 0 deductables across the board and it cost me about $140 a year. That is not a typo, $140 a year. Now, does all that sound affordable?

Of course noe of that puts you in a car today, but it does insure yu enjoy this hobby for years to come. Meanwhile if I where you I would start buying books about classic mustangs. That will keep your blood going and your desire level high. It will also make you a pro when it comes time to evaluate potential candidates. Knowing all the model years and options, pitfalls and strengths, whats fact and what is fiction will all make you a better shopper and owner and get you the most bang when it comes time to spend the bucks.

 

well said, Pak! :spin:
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Excellent suggestions Pak. Does anyone have suggestions on classic mustang books? I will probably purchase a couple this weekend.

Just so you know, I am 32 years old. I am withing range of purchasing either a house or a condo. I have a good amount of money saved right now for a decent down payment.

I am moving to San Diego to be near my parents and sister. My parents are retired and my father is not as healthy as he once was unfortunately... I want to see them more than just a couple times are year (at most) now that they are up there in age...

I will be looking for a new job in San Diego, and then get to know the area so I can purchase a home.

Once again, I appreciate the info!! Hopefully I can get my home situation straightened out within a few years!

 

Hey I disagree with these guys I have a 1966 Mustang as my daily driver. It does not have ac or power steering but to own a classic is priceless. Yes the smell and the sweating does get annoying but then I just think I own a beautiful classic car and everywhere I go people look and look and look. But if you do decide to get one just make sure you put collision on it. I am 17 years old and I had a really hard time to find a insurance company to insure her. I bought it beginning of may and was too scared to drive it with our collision and comp. so I had to wait, but I finally found a good insurance company to insure me. Allstate and at only $83 a month that is a deal.

So my opinion is to buy one but not in Jersey wait till you get to CA. There are alot of nice cars there and the prices are very reasonable.

So again please buy that car.

1966 Mustang Owner

 

agreed

Ah, young and full of enthusiasm.

Hmm, if your Mustang wasn't a daily driver, you could insure it with Hagerty for $100 per YEAR. B)

 

Well there ya go, 32 was my magic number as well, so it is never to late to realize a dream. There are so many books to choose from and of course everyone has their favorites. When I began my 2 year long search for the car I finally bought I used to visit the local Barnes and Nobles 2 or 3 times a week during my lunch. I would eat it there and browse thru the various books they had on the subject for free, weeding out the less desirable ones and only purchasing those I felt would always be a handy reference to have. One fo my favorites has always been The Illustrated Mustang Buyers guide. Lots of pics to go with descriptions and it also provides statistics and value ratings. Not the best in any one area mind you, but covers a lot of ground. Here is a link just for a reference of some of the titles out there. http://www.mustangreview.com/books.html This website also has photo's of just about every make and model offered fopr your vieing pleasure.

Good luck, the hunt for the right car is only half the fun!!!! We will be right here whenever you are ready (well we know you are ready, but when life has caught up to you) to help in anyway we can.

 

Mber,
if you are still getting a rate that low you better check your agreed value. I only have mine insured for $35k and I'm north of $500 for the year with Hagerty. And my driving season is probably short than yours.

 

Geez, what the heck you drivin? And how is your driving record? Mine is set for only 15k and it's about $140 a year. In fact I just inquired last week about uping it to match my recent appraisal of 16.5k and it's only gonna be like another $15 a year. Even if I double it I am no where near what it is costing you.

 

I think Hagerty (& others) gig us modified guys at a much higher rate per $ of value... :nono:

Somebody that has "spare time" should run a modified vs a stock car thru their rate system, both valued for the same $20k or so...

 

I don't pay $100. I only guessed at that figure, assuming a typical daily driver value.

Mine is insured for $20k, and it costs me $165 or so per year. You know, I've never had the car appraised. I probably should do that. I know I wouldn't sell the car for $20k, so I should probably increase my policy.

And everyone knows that people that drive Modifieds are degenerates of society, and are more likely to commit random acts of stupidity. Just look at the things they do to a perfectly good car!

 

I'm 28 with a clean driving record. Though I'm not in a flood zone I am a few steps from the beach (LI Sound). And I just checked, my last payment to Hagerty was $568. One thing to note is that I used my road side assistance option last year and my rate increased significantly this year ... possible relation :scratch:

 

That could hurt. Hagerty takes a dim view of unreliable cars that they have to come rescue all the time

I have researched this some and there is a sig difference b/w 'stock' and 'modified' in the Hagerty lexicon. Modified (by their definition) costs a good deal more to insure.....defined as transmission swapout, engine HP increase of more than 50 over stock, etc.....
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Maybe there is a better option for modified cars, instead of Hagerty?

 

I agree....I drive my Honda accord or motorcycle 7 miles to work each day & take the Mach 1 out on week -ends.....too many idiots on California roads

 

I drove my 1965 mustang for 2 months 40 miles per day while I was waiting to get my 2014 mustang.
The novelty of driving a old car runs out after a few weeks?
Better to just drive the old one to work 3-4 times a month and enjoy it!