Daily driver or Garage queen?

[Franco76]

Just curious. Which do you get the most enjoyment from ? I've had both. My wife and I had a 2012 mustang gt , coyote 5.0, 6 speed etc... I would clean it , wax it, always ULW . wax it every 4 weeks. gold class leather for the seats . We never drove it. Had it 4 years and maybe put 2000 miles on it. You get the picture. Then I read a story about a man named Irv Gordon. He bought a volvo p1800 in 1966 and drove the car a world record 3.2 million miles. He passed away in 2018. Now volvo owns the car. Irv's thing was to take care of his car meticulously , but he would drive it anywhere / anytime. A lightbulb went off in my head. My wife's jeep cherokee is low mileage, always waxed etc.... My car is a old 2002 pontiac grand am gt. 133,000 on the odometer. I take good care of it. Always washes/waxed. But I drive it . I love driving that car . The goal is 200,000 miles. Irv's idea was that cars are meant to be driven. Always somewhere to go, something to see. What are your thoughts?

[Buddy]

Re: Daily driver or Garage queen?

For me, I kind of see both sides. I really enjoy getting behind the wheel and taking a drive just getting mellow with the road and forgetting everything. But, when not driving it's like I want to freeze it in time so it stays in the shape it's in. It's almost a subliminal instinct, if you don't drive it, it will not age. But as we all know, cars do hate to sit, stuff seizes up, etc.
For me there is also my opinion on newer vehicles. Everything today is disposable made to just stop working. Just go buy a new one. Fridges and other household appliances, tv's (remember tv repairmen?), phones, everything. It's "parts are as expensive as a new one... they don't make parts anymore.... etc) so it's always just throw it away and buy a new one. Cars today are soooo complicated in their construction (computers, sensors, chips, etc) that every repair is $$$$ and things just last. Ball joints and tie rods, whole front ends amd suspensions really, are junk today. Your replacing parts yearly in cases where you put miles on. Granted our roads are garbage, but all the parts these days are offshore trash, made to fail. Cars years ago were so simple and kinda tanks, rust got them more than anything. We are a disposable society and thats how manufacturers have made it, more $$ to be made by creating repeat customers.
So with that thought, I guess part of me wants to keep my car as new and shiney for as long as I can, so miles added take from that. But I do love a good drive.

[Franco76]

Re: Daily driver or Garage queen?

Buddy, exactly!! Our Jeep cherokee is a 2016 bought new. Just turned 22,000 miles. A little over 4,000 miles a year. The Grand Am was our sons first car. I'm sentimental. Mostly mental. I do remember TV repairmen. I also remember listening to Glass Tiger on the radio back in the 80's ! I'm retired now, and thinking about a new car. I could blow a lot of $$$$$ and buy a Hellcat or Shelby GT500. But i'm thinking a used v6 mustang and drive the heck out of it.We live in Delaware and Florida is only 900 miles away. Time to enjoy while i can. So back to car stuff, polish the mustang with D166 followed by ULW a week later and drive............ Franco

[Buddy]

Re: Daily driver or Garage queen?

I totally see where your coming from. My daily is a '14 Ram, just clicked over 100kms (60 miles). I hate putting the kms on it, just want it to stay new. I'm still way under the industry standard of @20/per year, but was bummed when it hit the 100k. My toy is a 3rd gen Trans Am, had it since '93, so there is a huge attachment to it, been through so much with it. Now it has been just nipping at 200k on it for a few years now. The last number of years I've put a gas tank or 2 through it every summer, lol, like I'm trying to keep it from 200.
But when I do take it out I really enjoy the experience and memories and moment. But like you said, I keep saying gotta enjoy it more. We take care of our cars, but when we are gone they won't shed a tear, just get driven (and hopefully enjoyed) by new owners. I have a friend that is part of the exclusive Grand National brotherhood, guys that are crazy about their cars. His is a pristeen example, modded and crazy fast like most of them, but also flawless. He is like me, couple tanks a gas every summer. I been talking to him lately much like you did above, "we gotta enjoy these cars more while we still can, this ride is half over now, enjoy the time. We enjoy looking at them after we detail them, almost don't wanna see dirt get on them then, lol. But we gotta enjoy the miles now too. Told him to do more things like Woodward Cruise in Detroit and such, enjoy future memories.

Besides, we will have plenty of time to park them as garage art when they make us gas users criminals like they so want to, we may as well while we can. .... but thats for another topic, lol.

[Old Bear]

Re: Daily driver or Garage queen?

Here is a different thought.
An acquaintance named Ed, brought a 1980's Chevrolet station wagon. His goal was to rebuild parts of it and make it very reliable. He uses it to travel. He saves on hotels by sleeping in the back. His takes one or more trips (CoVID slowed him down) every year. One trip was from Florida to the Albequuerque Ballon Festival with lots of stops in between. He came back through the Texas Hill Country and enjoys moderate hikes along the way. He is retired, so a slow trip meets his needs more than a quick trip.

Watch this quick video log of his trip through the Blue Ridge Mountains.

https://youtu.be/GBgV5Q_3Mr4

"From the end of August to the 1st week of October I took a road trip all the way up The Outer Banks and over to the Blue Ridge - it was fantastic! I'd never been in that part of America, I was knocked out by how gorgeous it is. The whole reason for building OLDScool was to take extended road trips in it. The car was virtually flawless on the trip"

[HCAD]

Re: Daily driver or Garage queen?

That's a neat video Old Bear, and the Blue Ridge Parkway is basically my backyard. A short 20 min drive to hop on. That and the Tail of the Dragon in North Carolina is where I enjoy my cars the most.