Seeking sage advise on classic cars

MaxxVolume Those are good looking cars. Oddly enough I found one of those not long ago locally. Unfortunately too much rust to be anything other than a rat rod.
 
You touch upon a very important point. Even if you think you're just going to take your classic out for a leisurely drive, in modern traffic there's always going to be someone who cuts you off and then jams on his brakes. Modern cars accelerate and brake vastly faster than old cars.

It's nerve-wracking at best, and one of several reasons I no longer drive old cars...as much as I like them. 99% of people nowadays don't know a thing about classic cars and moreover don't care a whit about them. You're just another obstacle between them and where they want to be.
I am aware! As a motorcycle rider,I know people don't look and don't care. A classic would be a saturday or sunday drive durring low traffic times. Drum brakes,slow acceleration and no safety features,not daily driver material.
 
Drum brakes are not as bad as everyone makes them out to be. My daily driver for 8 months of the year is a bone stock 67 Chevy Belair with drum brakes all around which are well setup. I have no problem stopping as fast as I need to any time I want. Would I want to do 4 or 5 hard braking stops in a row? No, when they get hot they fade, but so will discs when they get hot. One thing you don't see is disc brakes on 18 wheelers, there must be a reason for that, though I'm not sure what it is.
 
Chrysler products in the 60's had self energizing front brakes, no problem with
stopping.

If the model A had self energizing front brakes it would be a big improvement.

As I recall, some one in Europe is making self energizing brakes for
Harley knuckleheads.
 
Drum brakes are not as bad as everyone makes them out to be. My daily driver for 8 months of the year is a bone stock 67 Chevy Belair with drum brakes all around which are well setup. I have no problem stopping as fast as I need to any time I want. Would I want to do 4 or 5 hard braking stops in a row? No, when they get hot they fade, but so will discs when they get hot. One thing you don't see is disc brakes on 18 wheelers, there must be a reason for that, though I'm not sure what it is.

My car has power drums. All new hardware, including the master cylinder, and fluid. Stops very well in normal driving. With the engine and drive train up front, the fronts take more abuse than the rears, but I haven't really had an issue with fade - so far - and when the weather is good, I drive mine at least three to four times per week to work, around town, etc. So no, they're not as bad as everyone says.
 
I am a mechanic but not on cars. Mostly ATV's. I can do big projects,I practically re-built my house...Never again!
I will wait and buy a driver. You guys have brought up some good points.

Good luck in your search. I think you're making the right decision and whatever you find, enjoy it and drive it!
 
My car has power drums. All new hardware, including the master cylinder, and fluid. Stops very well in normal driving. With the engine and drive train up front, the fronts take more abuse than the rears, but I haven't really had an issue with fade - so far - and when the weather is good, I drive mine at least three to four times per week to work, around town, etc. So no, they're not as bad as everyone says.
All cars put more load on the front brakes due to weight transfer towards the front while braking.

BTW, disc brakes are standard equipment on the steer axle on Peterbuilt and Kenworth tractors.
 
I put dual master cylinders on my 60's mid sized Pontiac Acadians for greater safety and one I added disk brakes off a 70's mid sized to one. The one with drums only and no power assist stopped pretty good, but as mentioned multiple high speed stops likely wouldn't be so good. As long as one didn't drive aggressively you might be able to do okay with the later more modern drum brakes.

I have seen newer big trucks(late 80's+) with disk brakes on the front also, but likely cost keeps them off the other axles. They are putting ABS on them for much better stopping though. in more recent years.
 
Chrysler products in the 60's had self energizing front brakes, no problem with
stopping.

If the model A had self energizing front brakes it would be a big improvement.

As I recall, some one in Europe is making self energizing brakes for
Harley knuckleheads.

My `66 Grand Prix had those beautiful 8-lug finned wheels, which provided very effective cooling to it`s drum brakes....

upload_2018-11-8_12-45-26.png
 
I didn't mention it before but my Belair doesn't have power brakes and the lady that owned it before me was in her late 70's before she quit driving and parked it. So how needed is power?
 
From a true old car guy I have to say it is not for everyone. They will suck the time out of your life and the money out of your wallet very quickly. I had to lay low on the hobby for many years until my kids were raised and out on their own. Now I have a 28 model A roadster and a 57 T-bird. I enjoy them both tremendously and surprisingly my wife also enjoys them much more than she thought she would. It is great meeting other old car guys and you will find most are very good people who are often motivated to help you out when you need it. They always seem to need something fixed but that is part of the hobby. Just don’ get in a hurry and fix things as you find time. One word of caution, get a car that is popular to restore because parts are probably available.
 
If you're into mid 60 Fords check out the Falcon. For all intensive purposes it's a Mustang or the Mustang was derived for the Falcon platform. Cheaper than the Stang. Lots of parts, lots of re-engineered aftermarket bits to improve things. They're small/light enough to throw around while wrenching on. I've owned three. Built a 63 2dr sedan into an almost trans am type race car. Sadly none are left after I sold my 64 Falcon Sprint.
upload_2018-11-8_19-17-4.png
 
If you're into mid 60 Fords check out the Falcon. For all intensive purposes it's a Mustang or the Mustang was derived for the Falcon platform. Cheaper than the Stang. Lots of parts, lots of re-engineered aftermarket bits to improve things. They're small/light enough to throw around while wrenching on. I've owned three. Built a 63 2dr sedan into an almost trans am type race car. Sadly none are left after I sold my 64 Falcon Sprint.
View attachment 1326068
A 1960 Falcar wagon trade school rebuild replaced my hand-me-down 1953 Kaiser Manhattan, both good cars. The Falcons are a solid period recommendation and the 170 ci six is bulletproof.
 
A huge consideration is what you are going to do with it once you own it. You don't want to pay for a perfect car if it will be deteriorating under your ownership. That means using it for anything more than an occasional show. And it needs to be in a garage, all the time, and even then covered and detailed regularly. And you are going to want to drive it. An under-powered, ill-handling rattle trap may look cool but you will get more thrills elsewhere.
10 grand will not buy you much of anything decent these days. At least anything collectible in decent shape. You could buy a project, keeping in mind most are never finished.
Sorry to burst your bubble. I look at cars all the time and addicted to muscle cars. Winter before last I took apart my brother's all original low mileage 68 Camaro SS 396 4speed car and put a 540 and 5 speed in it. Basically took a $50k plus car and made it a $30k car just because it's now much more fun to drive. We saved the original engine and trans in case he ever sells it.
Good luck and have fun.
 
If this is what you want to do....nothing will diswade you from doing it, once some people catch a whiff of must from an old car there is nothing that can stop them. But there are some things you should know. The cheapest way to go is to find a car with a front subframe that has the engine, trans, and front suspension as one unit. This subframe technology was popular in the late seventies. Then measure between the leaf springs and go to an auto wrecking yard and find a differential out of a leaf spring car from the sixties that closely matches the same measurement. Lucky you are from Texas because everything you need is in West Texas at good prices still yet. Then it’s just a matter of removing the mounting flanges from the old axle and weld them on the axle you find. Or, you can just keep it stock....which learning how many Dodges and Plymouth’s for how many years share the same parts and finding those cars over buying new except when you have to.

That’s it in a nutshell....you don’t have to build a trailer queen !!!!

Plus, a car that needs everything is not even worth two grand, especially a ‘49 Dodge. Don’t trust the bogus sales pitch of the car having a good drive train.....do they have receipts to prove it? Especially if it’s not a manual shift car...and has a gyro-matic or a fluid-drive like a Desoto has, don’t trust a horse trader, isn’t that what they say? He is not selling a ‘55 Chevy. If the car has a flat head six and 3-speed it won’t be hard to keep it on the road. But paying that much for ancient technology that can’t easily be updated, that doesn’t drive down the road and has a ratty interior means someone wants your money.

If it was a ‘49 Chevy you could drop in a Chevy 265 small block and still use the original transmission....
 
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If you're into mid 60 Fords check out the Falcon. For all intensive purposes it's a Mustang or the Mustang was derived for the Falcon platform. Cheaper than the Stang. Lots of parts, lots of re-engineered aftermarket bits to improve things. They're small/light enough to throw around while wrenching on. I've owned three. Built a 63 2dr sedan into an almost trans am type race car. Sadly none are left after I sold my 64 Falcon Sprint.
View attachment 1326068
That 64 is really sharp and yes I have been looking at the falcons.
 
A huge consideration is what you are going to do with it once you own it. You don't want to pay for a perfect car if it will be deteriorating under your ownership. That means using it for anything more than an occasional show. And it needs to be in a garage, all the time, and even then covered and detailed regularly. And you are going to want to drive it. An under-powered, ill-handling rattle trap may look cool but you will get more thrills elsewhere.
10 grand will not buy you much of anything decent these days. At least anything collectible in decent shape. You could buy a project, keeping in mind most are never finished.
Sorry to burst your bubble. I look at cars all the time and addicted to muscle cars. Winter before last I took apart my brother's all original low mileage 68 Camaro SS 396 4speed car and put a 540 and 5 speed in it. Basically took a $50k plus car and made it a $30k car just because it's now much more fun to drive. We saved the original engine and trans in case he ever sells it.
Good luck and have fun.
I do have a garage and plan to drive 1 day a week weather permitting. I would honestly like something that's less than perfect. I would like to drive it and not freak out if a shopping kart hits it! I remember buying my first and only new motorcycle. I unknowingly rode through brown paint that had been spilled on the ground by a family member. Brown specs all over my new bike, things happen.
 
Trailer queens are, IMO, no fun. Cars are meant to be driven. One of the coolest things I saw at the Ford Nationals was a clean unrestored 1957 Continental Mark II that dude had driven from New Hampshire to PA for the show. Another lady from New England had driven her 1966 Continental convertible down. That one had been at least repainted and she told me the engine had been rebuilt last year since it blew on the trip down.
 
If this is what you want to do....nothing will diswade you from doing it, once some people catch a whiff of must from an old car there is nothing that can stop them. But there are some things you should know. The cheapest way to go is to find a car with a front subframe that has the engine, trans, and front suspension as one unit. This subframe technology was popular in the late seventies. Then measure between the leaf springs and go to an auto wrecking yard and find a differential out of a leaf spring car from the sixties that closely matches the same measurement. Lucky you are from Texas because everything you need is in West Texas at good prices still yet. Then it’s just a matter of removing the mounting flanges from the old axle and weld them on the axle you find. Or, you can just keep it stock....which learning how many Dodges and Plymouth’s for how many years share the same parts and finding those cars over buying new except when you have to.

That’s it in a nutshell....you don’t have to build a trailer queen !!!!

Plus, a car that needs everything is not even worth two grand, especially a ‘49 Dodge. Don’t trust the bogus sales pitch of the car having a good drive train.....do they have receipts to prove it? Especially if it’s not a manual shift car...and has a gyro-matic or a fluid-drive like a Desoto has, don’t trust a horse trader, isn’t that what they say? He is not selling a ‘55 Chevy. If the car has a flat head six and 3-speed it won’t be hard to keep it on the road. But paying that much for ancient technology that can’t easily be updated, that doesn’t drive down the road and has a ratty interior means someone wants your money.

If it was a ‘49 Chevy you could drop in a Chevy 265 small block and still use the original transmission....
I would leave the drive train stock,not that I'm buying the car. No malice intended from the seller. That botched paint job was professionally done.I think it cost more than the asking price but you're right it's prob closer to a $2000 car. The sub fame idea is pretty good,when I had my 53 chevy my brother wanted me to do that. I was 14 and never finished the car.
 
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