Trading classic cars for something modern?

Oh, another guy in my club with a Rolls Silver-something, had it in our club shop for brake adjustments. He had tried several professionals who could not get it to work right. Apparently the brakes are not vacuum assisted, but assisted by the transmission or drive shaft or something where the faster you are going the more braking assistance you get. Levers and stuff. You can only adjust it from underneath with it up on a lift with the motor running and the rear wheels turning. Anyway, the owner commented that driving it in modern traffic was quite challenging as he would leave a safe distance between him and the next car, which would get filled by someone cutting him off and standing on their brakes.

After our Rolls expert adjusted his brakes properly, he was much better off.

^Good point. The "pretend 18-wheeler" method may not be so viable.

As someone who was supremely surprised by a 50 mph delta lane splitter a few times in LA, I am not sure that's the safer way to do this.

Also, the much cheaper Leaf was never that unreliable. Highly recommended for commutes.

Dr. Hess wrote: Oh, another guy in my club with a Rolls Silver-something, had it in our club shop for brake adjustments. He had tried several professionals who could not get it to work right. Apparently the brakes are not vacuum assisted, but assisted by the transmission or drive shaft or something where the faster you are going the more braking assistance you get. Levers and stuff. You can only adjust it from underneath with it up on a lift with the motor running and the rear wheels turning. Anyway, the owner commented that driving it in modern traffic was quite challenging as he would leave a safe distance between him and the next car, which would get filled by someone cutting him off and standing on their brakes. After our Rolls expert adjusted his brakes properly, he was much better off.

I only recently became acquainted with RR brakes.... WTF!!! Thank god I had the option of walking away thanks to advice from this board. And its not limited to the brakes, the car is a rolling collection of mechanical pranks.

I tried commuting in a classic - but even the 73 Volvo with 3 point belts and power disc brakes at all 4 corners felt like a death trap in traffic.

Modern cars may suck all the joy out of a twisty road, but they're safe and efficient for traffic.

After reading this thread, it's makes me feel somewhat better that I missed out on a cheap early 70's Eldorado beater.

Disc brakes. That's the deal breaker for me. I'll daily anything as long as its got front discs. The Volvo Amazon was a great commuter- light, nimble, good brakes, great visibility, and enough power to do what it needed to do.

I'm DD-ing a W123 Mercedes now, diesel, and while it's slower, it feels more solid and stable under all kinds of conditions. I was rear-ended recently by a soccer mom mobile and made off with a dent in the bumper that I didn't care about and a $200 check from the soccer mom as hush money.

Really, anything made since the 70's should be loads ahead of the '57 Caddy for commuting. And 45 minutes for 8 miles? Yeah, it'd better have an automatic trans, too. 3 point belts, disc brakes...some 70's Malaise tank with giant bumpers would be perfect.

NOHOME wrote: [A Rolls-Royce] is a rolling collection of mechanical pranks.

Say What?

Calmed down a bit, took a look at the F430 and think I am going to make a offer on it tonight. Sell my dad the SSR, drop the Cadillac at a friends resale shop and keep the Thunderbird as I still love that car.

Here is the F430, not my favorite color but I can own it for two or three years and only be out maybe 20K.

http://www.ferrariofsandiego.com/used-San+Diego-2005-Ferrari-430-Berlinetta-ZFFEW58A750143633

2nd least-GRM post this year.

With the kind of coin you have at your disposal, why not just retire so you don't have to deal with a commute?

That's a 100K car. You can't retire on 100K. Interest on that won't even get you a Starbucks coffee a day.

Somewhere earlier in the thread he mentioned being locked into a 5yr contract. Not sure it would be favorable to terminate it early.

Maybe my tolerance for risk is higher than you guys but close calls like that don't bother me. It doesn't even get my heart rate up.

But with that commute, that is not the car I would be driving.

Dr. Hess wrote: That's a 100K car. You can't retire on 100K. Interest on that won't even get you a Starbucks coffee a day.

Obviously. But if you are in a position to spend $100k on a Ferrari to commute with and that poses no undue stress on your finances (and the other posts we see from the OP here suggest this is true), you're also in a position to say "berkeley it" and just quit the rat race all together.

It really is the easy button... except for the 5 year contract I imagine.

Also, 4% on 100k = $11/day, so it will cover Starbucks easily.

In reply to Nick (LUCAS) Comstock:

Yeah, but you ride a bike. We're used to people trying to kill us on a daily basis.

I got the brakes - 4 wheel discs from a car weighing roughly 10% more... and enough power - roughly double what it had originally (170hp in 2200#)...

What I don't have is the sheetmetal to protect me from those crazies... BUT being as small as it is, I only fill 60% of a typical lane...

I don't mind venturing out in it, but if I had to commute daily, I'd pick something I cared for less

short answer. You can drive classics in the modern world, but don't bitch if you want 100% stock, cars have gotten better in the last 60 years, join them.

So

1) upgrade your car by getting something modern OR

2) upgrade your existing car but giving it modern capabilities

I worry more about being rear ended then hitting someone but i have front disc and live in a place wear my daily 4 mile round trip is about 12 minutes.

If I had unlimited money, but had to endure a 45 minute, 8 mile commute every day, an F430 would be about near the bottom of my list. What would be at the top?

Yeah, VCH, that's basically what I drive in my 35 mile 45 minute commute:

Oh, and PD, where can you get 4%?

Driving a classic in stop and go has got to be a bit rough. But I have to say, in general, driving a classic in super safe mode (e.g. slow on the freeway), seems to get you a lot more consideration then doing the same in a modern car. People seem to understand it's reasonable for a classic to be putting around.

Not sure what people think of a 65 Corvair doing 85 (rare aftermarket 5 speed) down the freeway, but it works for me.

I understand the 430 or the old Caddy for that cummute. My wife does 22 miles in a little under an hour most nights. Her favorite car is the 911, not because it's the best tool for the job, but because a crappy commute in an awesome car is better than a crappy commute in a crappy car.

In reply to Dr. Hess:

Look harder. Stop reading zero hedge.

volvoclearinghouse wrote: If I had unlimited money, but had to endure a 45 minute, 8 mile commute every day, an F430 would be about near the bottom of my list. What would be at the top?

Once I sell the Abarth one of these is on the short list to be the commuter beater around here.

ProDarwin wrote:

Dr. Hess wrote: That's a 100K car. You can't retire on 100K. Interest on that won't even get you a Starbucks coffee a day.

Obviously. But if you are in a position to spend $100k on a Ferrari to commute with and that poses no undue stress on your finances (and the other posts we see from the OP here suggest this is true), you're also in a position to say "berkeley it" and just quit the rat race all together. It really is the easy button... except for the 5 year contract I imagine. Also, 4% on 100k = $11/day, so it will cover Starbucks easily.

I'm about to make a similar purchase and I can say this is in no way accurate, at least in my situation. I'm able to buy these cars because I work. Retiring would mean not nearly as many cool toys among other things.

As far as commuting in a classic for me it depends. I probably would not commute in my 60 beetle, but would have no problems commuting in my 71 Chevelle or 78 Trans Am. Ones of my current DDs is an 85 300sd, which gels like a tank but these days a modern Altima dwarfs it.