dreroc-z

Now I know this forum is based on third generation f-bodies and all but I was just curious what car every one drives as a daily driver? Whether it be your Camaro or Firebird or something else? Did it start out a project or was it bought new? Why do you drive it over your third gen?

I am just curious because although I love my Camaro my pockets don't always agree with the gas prices and this snow is really tough because it piles high here and the winter is long so getting around can be nearly impossible and that's probably why this question is on my mind.

I have been thinking of buying a second car...more of a beater/project thats a little better on gas. I know most of you would probably kill yourself if you had to drive one but I've been looking into getting a CRX thats not modded. It would be a little project car that would fixed up to be as close to stock as possible because I'm not really into all that making a honda go fast type stuff. I would choose something a little more modern but I have a weird taste in cars I guess.


Well anyway its late and I've rambled enough. Post pictures of your DD or if you could have a second car as a DD what would it be?

lb9 GTA

My daily is an Oldsmobile Alero. It's a very comfortable car with a good factory sound system that's good in crappy weather. It's also as quick as some of the V8 cars on here (16.1 et. I have the time slip somewhere). I summer dailyed my GTA for 2 years but always intended on having my GTA as a weekend, nice weather only car. To some that means I never drive it. I say I don't commute in it. To me driving and commuting are two different things. If I'm stuck in traffic moving 10, 20, even 30km/h below the speed limit with a bunch of people that want to play bumper cars I don't want to be in my V8 powered prised possession. I save that for when I can actually ENJOY it and let the Olds take the abuse and rust and what not. Also, the average person thinks cars are appliances. As such they automatically think if you drive anything other than a normal sedan, SUV, pick up, or minivan that means you're a douche bag with small, um, equipment. They can't fathom someone being passionate about a car so they treat you and your car poorly. I've had people brake check me, box me in, do every thing the can to be in front of me, people running their fingers on the paint when its parked, and we all know every one with a shitbox has to park next to the nice car in the lot. I even woke up one morning to find garbage dumped on it which meant I was late for work because I had to wash the garbage juice off. That was the last straw. Another bonus is that collector car insurance is cheap and agreed value.
This is what my daily looks like http://www.bankstreetmitsubishi.com/...allic__33U.jpg

Ron U.S.M.C.

I don't have to worry about the weather and
I don't have to leave town very often so that allows me to drive it all year. Heres my DD. It was a wreck when I bought it for $ 500.00 eight years ago. Definitely a project car and my first build ever.
My second car would be a truck. 1972 Chevy Blazer.

onthedownlow

iTrader: (4)

Ron that's a beautiful car, one of my all time favorite third gens.

Ron U.S.M.C.

Thanks ,

The only thing is I think some of the guys might be getting tired of seeing it.
I’m a picture *****. I have photos documenting every aspect of the build and I tend to use them. Honestly I wish allot more people were that way. I love photos.

Also I’m "finally" getting the chance to work on the seats.

TheEndofanEra

I've got a 93 caprice that a buddy sold me for cheap (I thought it had a 350, so I was gonna swap it, I didn't find out until later it had a 305). It seems to get around pretty okay in the Minnesota snow, peg-leg be damned I just toss some 40lb bags of water softener salt in the back and go. The miles per gallon on the thing is usually about 17, but I really like acceleration, so there's that.

I did have to fix the brakes, and I still need to fix the passenger's door - it got crunched and has about an inch and a half gap at the top. But other than some stop leak and oil changes its been a good winter car, and cruiser to get around in while I'm working on the Camaro.


(We call the Caprice the "Rice Classic" because the badge on the trunk broke)

dreroc-z

I was going to say the same exact thing, your car is looking great. Heres mine just bought it at the end of the summer, my first car.

@TheEndofAfanEra is that plasti dip on the hood? I was thinking of doing my eyelets black

Zane M

iTrader: (1)

My daily driver is the truck I work out of- a '87 Chevy V20.
In the rare instances I am not working/driving for work, I drive a '02 Blazer.

TheEndofanEra

@dreroc-z No, its SEM Hot Rod Black on the hood.

Defiantly go and plasti-dip your headlight buckets though, its a no loose situation. I like the color of your car, its hard to beat that copper-red.

sweetmelissa

My daily drivers are a 97 grand Cherokee loredo and 07 duramax pickup...
The iroc is in excellent condition and very clean,, I don't drive it in the snow or on salted roads or in the rain it is garaged,, can't wait for the spring so I can take it out and hot summer nights are my favorite,, T-tops off and some good cruising tunes.....

RedLeader289

iTrader: (2)

My DD is an '06 Malibu Lt. My '83Z is a weekend and nice weather car that is currently in hibernation for the winter. I have been caught in the rain once, but I try to avoid that as well, took a long time to kill all of the rust it came with, I plan to keep it that way, haha.

jpearcy1

iTrader: (1)

I DD my SC during last summer but my main DD is a '94 GMC C1500 209,xxx on the original 4.3. My SC and Iroc are summer cars only now.

midias

I daily drive my 2001 Toyota Solara 3.0 V6 250Hp and a 5 speed with minor mods.



Then in the summer I rock the TA and the motorcycles.

6SIX6

iTrader: (35)

2010 F150 FX4 for me

IMissMy86TA

2014 Altima SL

Caveman305

iTrader: (8)

I DD an '08 cobalt though it is technically the wifes car

my RS was a DD, now its kind of a Drive if the wife has a meeting to attend
other than that its good weather only

the Iroc is still currently out of commission and is the project car for 2014

88blackiroc

iTrader: (1)

My former DD for 2 1/2 years. Rain, sun, snow, ect.



Here's a picture of when I drove it to work with snow (don't mind the red hood, sister backed into me.



My current beater is a 99' escort with over 200,000 miles. Only reason I got it was to have something to drive until the camaro is finished the turbo build, then it'll be mainly my DD again unless it rains/snows. I enjoy it too much to not drive it when I can, plus you should see the looks I get shooting up rooster tails at 20-35 mph. In addition, i think it gets better MPG than the escort with the ls1/t56. But I'll only DD it again until I get a vette hopefully in 6 or so months.

IROC-Z123

my daily driver is my 88 iroc-z. the 350 likes the gas thats for sure. but i just tell ppl i love it enough to pay it. glad im in a situation where i can do that

visitor

2012 genesis r spec sedan and 08 f250 crew 4x4 diesel

92g92

I can't fathom how some of you have such cool, nice, and sometimes fast cars and it doesn't kill you to drive an Altima or Trailblazer or F-150, knowing what you have back at home. Mind boggling.

ZsTransAm

I have an 04 grand am that is my winter daily driver. I've put 122,000 miles on that car myself (172k on the car total) and I've literally never had to put any money into it, not counting basic maintenance. Its a little dull to drive but easily the best purchase I've ever made

ZsTransAm

Tulsa doesn't get much snow does it? If it did you'd understand

Back when I had my 84 Trans am I had to park on the street for awhile in the winter and it was a huge chore just trying to get it from one side of the street to the other so that it wouldn't get plowed in.

But for the people who aren't driving in snow, I agree with you!

midias

i am guessing you did not get over 75" of snow this year at -10F

92g92

We got like 4. I just mootched off of friends and yes, started wishing for a Subaru WRX STI. Why don't you guys have the Trans Am or Camaro as a dd and instead of a sunny weather car, and crappy weather car! Kind of reverse the order.

RedLeader289

iTrader: (2)

Salt and water kill these cars, or any old car for that matter. Anyone who has restored one (a large amount of people on here) can attest to that, the owner's who had our cars before us DD'd them, and that is how they ended up in the junkyard/barn/field/etc.

In addition to that, my car only runs on premium fuel, so driving my malibu which gets 30 mpg on regular unleaded (and has a V6 with a good amount of pep) is the wise decision if I want my Z to last and not break the bank.

midias

You need AWD for 4" of snow? Those or some poor driving skills. Shame

I dont want my TA to rust any more than it is. I am sick of cutting and welding new metal onto it then repainting. Salt kills everything. Besides my toyota is fun enough mid 14s and 20+ mpg 195K miles and still going strong.

When spring rolls around and salt is off the roads I will bring out the other toys.

92g92

Poor driving skills...not quite. Back the Camaro out, onto the street, press the gas pedal, and the wheels spin. I didn't drive at all, no skill came into the equation. It's called ice, which is the solid form of water. Occurs at 32 degrees Fahrenheit and 0 degrees Celsius.

midias

Oh no not ice........

Not that thing that covers the roads here October through May. I don't know how I managed to get to work today with the roads completely covered. At least there were dozens of other cars doing the same including a nice old lady in her grand marquis.

Agreed no skill came into the equation.

jpearcy1

iTrader: (1)

All my friends think I am crazy for parking my camaro's when it gets to winter. I just can't get them to understand how bad water and salt are on a car especially our cars. West KY might not get a lot of snow but mention it and salt trucks every where. Plus I save close to $1,000 by just parking them and not paying insurance, they are parked in my insured warehouse so no worries.

Johnny Blaze

iTrader: (15)

When my third gen gets finished ( this spring) it will become my daily driver.

dreroc-z

I'm surprised how many of you DD your third gens, even though I do the same. I did feel really guilty when my car was out in the past snow storm we had. I hope that will change by next year though. Gotta find a good beater

Johnny Blaze

iTrader: (15)

^ heck, my daily driver is a 1971 camaro, until my 3rd gen gets finished!

92g92

Talk to my car you simian. It. Would. Not. Move. Forward. Not to mention, why risk my celestially beautiful 1992 Dark Teal Metallic Camaro Z28 on the ice, where it could be battered by the other drivers slipping and sliding everywhere? I don't know what POS you drive, but I'm not willing to sacrifice my perfect car to the weather or the masses.

midias

Awww your an angry little fella aren't you

Its ok you don't have to make excuses. I already posted my daily driver above. Yes it is getting a little old but it is in great shape. No I don't drive my TA in the salt but I did drive many RWD cars with much more power all year round when I younger and much poorer.

Probably better to leave it at home I am guessing any little thing would give you a terrible case of road rage which does not go well with adverse conditions.

sailtexas186548

iTrader: (2)

2007 dodge ram 3500, single cab/g56/6.7L cummins

Johnny Blaze

iTrader: (15)

I drove my 71 camaro all last winter with big and little welds! Those 165r15 fronts cut right threw the snow and ice!

firechicken1992

I have my trusty....er... "t"rusty 1991 Ford Explorer, standard 4.0 V6 and 5 speed. 190K miles, runs like a champ but needs new heads soon (exhaust valve seats are HAMMERED). Has some major cancer under the rear doors, I'm sometimes afraid I'll get tetanus if I look at it wrong.

PO had tried to fix an intake gasket leak with stop leak and it plugged up the radiator, so a nice 105 degree day and *poof* goes the intake gasket on my way home from work.
Luckily I didn't crack the fragile factory heads, and replaced the radiator, upper gaskets, head gaskets, thermostat, and O2 Sensor. Amazingly the cylinder walls all still had cross hatching and almost no ring ridge at 185k miles when this happened .

Going to school to be a mechanic so I can do all the work on the vehicle for cheap, but starting to debate upgrading this summer after I graduate. Just a hard debate since the motor is running so strong and the interior is very clean, just the body is rusted to hell, but wondering if I want to dump the $1100 into new heads, injectors and clutch/slave cyliner, which is all needed.

gearhead141

I like your idea to get a CRX. I always liked those little Hondas and they supposedly get pretty good gas mileage. Being in SoCal I see plenty of them but they are usually "riced" out. If you live in snow country, I'm not sure how comfortable you'll be with a manual trans CRX. My "other" car is a '95 BMW Five series. You may want to look at Bimmers as they are relatively easy to work on and turbine smoothe for acceleration. The '89 to '95 models can be found pretty cheap around here and are plentiful. No matter what you get, I would think you want it to be rock solid reliable so that you can put all your spare coin into the F-body. Good luck with your search.

midias

Actually manual trans CRXs are great. Nice thin tires and front heavy. Manual is better for snow.

IMissMy86TA

Driven one in the snow. such a light car I am unsure you can call it front heavy Better than a 3rd gen though!

banker

My 3rd gen has been taking me to and from work for the last 14 years, however with the cost of fuel here in the Uk any long family trips are in a diesel Freelander

dreroc-z

Yeah believe it or not finding a CRX around here thats not "JDM b18 swapped v-tec swap" is pretty difficult. I have found two or three 91 civic hatchbacks with really good exteriors and interiors looking normally worn. One of em had a fart can and a shocker (two in the pink one in the stink) sticker on that back so I'm not sure about that one lol. I'm not sure how well they would handle in the snow but it'll be similar to a CRX. I'm just more concerned with saving a buck going back and forth from school and work and preserving my Camaro during the winter months.

jharrison5

I drive an '03 Silverado 4x4 crew cab with a duramax because my first three cars while in high school were a:
-'79 Trans Am with a 403ci auto
-'81 Firebird Espirt with a V6 auto
-'85 Z28 305 5-speed
oh and the fact I live in freaking Nebraska lol!

I finally wised up when I put the Z28 in the median four times one winter commuting to and from college and bought a 4x4. However I did decide to take the '85 Z28 to work on a nice day in January of '98 and some dude rear ended me doing 55 while I was stopped at a stoplight. That prompted me to let the f-bodies hibernate in the winter in the garage and let the goof ***** bounce off a 3/4 ton truck lol!

ZsTransAm

Here my other black pontiac

InfernalVortex

iTrader: (4)

92 Acura Integra.... good car.

Barlow8869

iTrader: (1)

1990 3.1L buick regal ... real pos ... never had a tune up in 23 years ... it is truly 100% factory, other than the oil and filter and the air filter and tires... it needs about every electronic part of the motor replaced ... lol

85ttopsz28

My Camaro is my DD for now but I will be getting a beater hopefully within the next year. I hate bringing my Camaro in the snow, my car was a CA NV car until it came up to IL so I feel sorry for it hahaha.

KR81

Although I am lucky enough to be able to drive my Trans Am all year round, it isn't a DD. Here is my DD:

2002 Mitsubishi Verada (Diamante in the U.S) 3.5lt v6 5speed tip tronic.

84 fbird45

My DD is a 03 s10. Complete with 4 wheel drive and heated seats. Hopefully the Firebird will be on the road this spring