Vintage car observation.

[Wild Root]

Ok, I have had my '46 Ply for over a year now. She's a great little buggy and I love it to death. But, since we have had so many more members since the last time I have talked about this, I would like to know of other members here that may have vintage cars. Now, I'll narrow the word vintage down to a certain number of years. What I want to know is how many members here have any cars from the 20's to the early 50's. 60's cars are cool, but lots of people I find have these. Just want to know who here besides me and Michelson have a golden era ride.

Next,

Root.

 

[elsewhere]

We have a 51 Chevy Styleline Deluxe coupe, currently out of commission for a total rebuild.
Engine comes back next month... so it should move along quickly after that.

We also have a 27 T... but that is SO far from being driveable that it's really not worth discussing.

It's post your mentioned time frame... but we're also restoring a 67 Impala that belonged to my Great Grandmother... which I think is fitting since we're living in the house that was hers, too.

Oh... and we used to have a 53 Packard Clipper.
Great car, that one. Wish we hadn't sold it, now!

 

[Brad Bowers]

Vintage observation car

Ooooh, for a second there, I thought the thread was titled "Vintage observation car," and got all excited to talk about trains again!

The oldest car I've owned was a '69 Pontiac LeMans, but I had a friend in high school that had a beat up '39 Chevy sedan. We used to go bombing around in after school. He called it the "Amphibious Tank," since he liked to drive through puddles and splash people. I wouldn't mind having a car like that. Or an Olds.

Brad

 

[shamus]

I've had a 1957 Porsche 356 A
a 1964 Porsche 356 SC

and currently drive a 1970 Ford Bronco with the top off.

 

[Wild Root]

Well this is interesting. I see we have some car owners and some who would like to own such things. My general purpose was to see who owned classic or antique autos on the Lounge. Late 50's to 60's autos are cool but are referred to as "special interest autos".

I have my Plymouth in the shop right now getting a new clutch. So, I'll be getting it back tomorrow afternoon and all will be swell for now. May have some trany work done soon.

It never ends with these old cars! NEVER! But, that's ok with me.

Root.

 

[Nathan Flowers]

It's still better than a $400/month car payment.

 

[Wild Root]

Yeah, I have a car payment but it's just on the loan that I took out. I'll tell you it's under 100 a month! So, it's going to be vintage cars for me for a long time to come!

Root.

 

[shamus]

I'm not sure if it's by state to state, but any car over 25 years is considered antique.

Here in California cars don't die so you see alot of them. In the midwest, you're lucky to see a car 25 years or older because they just rust out.

I consider any car without a computer somewhere on it, an antique.

 

[jamespowers]

Let's see. These here might not fall within your bounds there Root:
1955 Chevy
1957 Chevy
1957 GMC
1959 Olds

They all get me around just fine on the freeway and through town. My main concern with older vehicles is that they are usable in all areas. If you can't drive it on the freeway then it might as well be in a museum. The old steam powered cars actually were pretty fast. They could reach speeds of 100mph. The problem with most is that they take a 20 mintues or so to "warm up." There are some vintage cars that are bricks though and just cannot keep up with traffic. I think I fall in with Jay Leno with this philosophy. He drives them all---all over and they can be.

Regards to all,

J

 

[Wild Root]

If a car that's not as old as I am is considered an antique well, what's that to say about me? The 25 year law is just set just to regulate the cars that are required to be smog tested in this state. Any cars pre 1975 are exempt from the modern laws. A 25 year old car is in no way an antique. I have radios that are from the 30's and most people in the collecting world of such things consider only radios from the late teens to the early twenties to be antique. 30's and 40's radios are considered vintage. I'm an old car man and I know the different categories related to the car world. If a 1980 Honda is an antique, I'm Gorge Washington. Cars are just like any other vintage item. A true antique car is from the start of the automobile. Pre WWII cars are classic if they have more then 8 cylinders and are in the expensive price range like Lincoln, Cadillac, Duesenberg, Rolls Royce and so on. 25 years is nothing compared to how long the automobile has been around. A true definition of antique is something that is about 100 years old.

All the best,

Root.

 

[elsewhere]

I can't speak for the car world... but in clothing & furniture, the general breakdown generally goes like this:
"Antique" is anything over 100 years old by definition. This is stretched a little bit and is often applied to things about 80 years or older. A table from the 20's is generally (but not always) called "antique". The more commonly used rule is often closer to "anything prior to this generation" and since there are less & less people around who REMEMBER the 20's, it's already "antique" in the eyes of most consumers.
"Vintage" is anything older than 25 years or so, and up to the "antique" timeline.

"Retro" is now often applied to those things less than 25 years old.

Heh... the 80's are retro. But... as these things often work.... even 80's is now creeping into the "vintage" catagories. Check ebay and you'll find a ton o "vintage 80's" clothing items, "vintage 80's" collectible video games, etc.

 

[Michaelson]

It never ends with these old cars! NEVER! But, that's ok with me.

Root.

We could write a book, couldn't we, Wildroot?!

Glad your ride is getting a new clutch, by the way. I'm DESPARATELY needing an exhaust system, but until we get past the daughters wedding next month, I guess I'll just keep sounding like a B24 in take off mode.

I agree with jamespowers to a point. I RARELY take my 50 Plymouth on the interstate, as it only has 95 hp under the hood, and though it can plod along fine at 55, I'd be pretty concerned at higher speeds (speed limit in Tennessee is 70), and the way the old car bodies roll with steering, it's not something you want to perform fast maneuvers with. If a modern car pulled out in front of it, it would be like the Queen Mary hitting a row boat. But anywhere else, I take it, and I drive it everywhere...everyday. I'll be happier when it's just my 'funsy' car, but it's my work car, and until we can do something different, I'm out there with it all the time.

Regards! Michaelson

 

[shamus]

This is from the Indiana Motor Vehicles web page... A state I used to live in.

And I agree, that a 1980 Honda civic is not an antique in my eyes, but by law in some states it is.


Antique Plates
Eligibility: Vehicle must be 25 years old or older.
Additional Fees: None May be used on: passenger cars, trucks up to 11,000 pounds, recreational vehicles, motorcycles.
How to obtain: Initial application must be presented to the license branch accompanied by an Affidavit for Inspection of an Antique Vehicle - State Form 37935. No verification required in subsequent years.
http://www.IN.gov/bmv/platesandtitles/oplate.htm

 

[shamus]

And in California

http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/plates/specialplates.htm

Any car over 25 years old is considered "Historical" only motorcycles can be called Antique if they are from 1942 or older.

 

[Michaelson]

The problem in Tennessee is that you're limited to how many miles you can drive your car per week on approved, issued antique tags. The miles allowed wouldn't even get me back and forth to work in a week's time, so I run mine on standard state issue. Regards! Michaelson

 

[Wild Root]

. The DMV are all on crack as far as I'm concerned. If they consider a car only 25 years old an antique it just tells me how loosely they use the word Antique.

I have talked to car collectors and got the story on what is antique and classic or vintage in the car world. I just repeated what they told me. So, knowing they have gone to the big shows and seen the big boys (Duesenberg Rolls Royce’s, Auburns, Cadillac’s and Packard’s) those are to me classic cars. Antique cars are anything from the 1920's and before. But, I'll tell you it was rather funny when I signed up with AAA to insure my 46 that their computer didn't even go that far back. The earliest year on their list was 1964! I remember the lady asking me if I meant 1964, I said No, I mean 1946! They had cars that far back! She laughed!

It is truly sad to hear how the 70's and 80's are considered antique or retro. That's a big slap in my face! I don't feel that old at all.

Oh well, just the way things go I guess.

Root

PS. Michaelson, I love my plymouth and will for a long time to come! I take it on the free way all the time and she does great! Just keep it under 65 and I'm all good.

 

[jamespowers]

I agree with jamespowers to a point. I RARELY take my 50 Plymouth on the interstate, as it only has 95 hp under the hood, and though it can plod along fine at 55, I'd be pretty concerned at higher speeds (speed limit in Tennessee is 70), and the way the old car bodies roll with steering, it's not something you want to perform fast maneuvers with. If a modern car pulled out in front of it, it would be like the Queen Mary hitting a row boat. But anywhere else, I take it, and I drive it everywhere...everyday. I'll be happier when it's just my 'funsy' car, but it's my work car, and until we can do something different, I'm out there with it all the time.

I changed out the rear end gears of my truck so I could actually drive the thing faster than 55 on the freeway and not make it rev like crazy. It really made a heck of a difference without really changing the outward appearance. I am not sure what your rear end gear ratio is but it is likely pretty high as well. Just a suggestion. I bet that thing could fly with the right equipment.

Regards to all,

J

 

[Leporello]

Some years ago I owned a 1931 Alvis Speed 20 Tourer. As I recall this was classified in the UK as post vintage. Only cars manufactured pre December 1930 are classified as vintage.

That damned Alvis caused me all sorts of grief. My next car was a 1941-42 MG TC. my next a Lotus 11, a VERY low slung track car barely road legal. I took my first driving test in this. It was in reality a single seater with a square of sponge as a nominal passenger seat. The driving examiner sat next to me but at a much higher level, his head above the skimpy perspex windscreen with his kness pressed under his chin. Needless to say my driving test was very brief and I got neither a driving licence or even a polite smile from the examiner.

I wonder if I figured in that driving examiners collection of career anecdotes.

 

[shamus]

One can not really compair the word antique to people as people die and are no longer there as an antique is still there and does die. So if you think 80 years old is antique... it doesn't apply to Grandma.


Case in point: An Oil Lamp from 1875. That would be an antique
Great Grandpa from 1875. That would be amazing. He's old,
but people are never antique.

 

[Trickeration]

We have a 1955 Packard Clipper. All original, but it could do with cleaning up. It's also been ticking a little, lately. Stuck lifter maybe? This seems to have happened after a period of sitting. Before that it was fine, even on the freeway.

The car's only got 75k miles on it. We're the 3rd owners. The guy we got it from had had it sitting in his garage for years. It had 1984 stickers on it and it has it's original license plates. .