Just a little curious. How many forum members use their C-3 as a daily driver besides me. I posted in the thread asking what everybody uses as their daily driver but it seems that I am the only one that uses my 78 Indy Pace Car as a daily driver. There have got to be some others out there that do the same. Please respond as I don't want to be the only one that does this. LOL.

 

Don't own a C3. I do want an 82 as a toy car. I'll stick with driving my late model truck for DD duties, even after getting the C3.

 

Why do you care what other people do ? It's your car if you want to drive it everyday drive it . You paid for it !

 

Sometimes people ask questions out of simple curiosity. I'm not very concerned with what you do with the car you paid for, but as simple conversation the subject isn't off limits.
I drive my '81 as an everyday car, unless I need the truck for cargo. Gas mileage is decent and it's a blast to drive. Since it's mostly stock, I don't have many repair issues (yet). But as with any old vehicle, a back up plan is required.

 

My 74 and my 80 were each my daily drivers in their respective turns. These days, my daily driver is GM, but not a C3.

 

When I retired in January I sold my F150 that I traveled in and bought a 79 vette for use as a daily driver.
Now that it is all sorted out and most everything is working properly I may buy an old heap to drive around town. I like the Vette to look pristine and that is difficult with daily driving.
My other dilemma is that I also have a 65 GTO and have 2 granddaughters. Both should get perfevt cars when the time comes. I must admit it is a good problem to have.

 

I don't use my current C3 as a daily driver throughout the year here in Kansas but I do drive it mostly from spring into fall. Not afraid of rain but keep it in during ice and snow. When I lived in San Diego my previous C3's and C2 where year round daily drivers. I just like the feel of the cars.

 

I am retired so I really don't need a daily driver. I do drive my C3 almost daily though.

 

I have a 1979 Corvette that I use as my daily driver. Know the emissions laws in your state. I have another daily driver (72 Buick GS455) that I keep registered as a normal car because I have to register my 79 as Historic due to emissions reasons. Ironically, my Buick pollutes more and uses more gas than my Vette. I've never had any issues, though.

My Vette is a 4-speed, and I still enjoy daily driving it. Most people want automatics for their everyday cars. I also have a light color interior, which keeps the interior heat to a minimum during the summer.

Some things to watch out for based on my personal experience using it as a daily driver if anyone is thinking of using theirs as a daily:

If your AC compressor goes out, buy an AC Delco replacement. The others don't work as well. I also had my condenser replaced with a reproduction that's made specifically for R134 (Classic Auto Air makes them), had the lines replaced, and put in a variable orifice tube. It blows freezing cold. Also, make sure the vacuum shut off valve is working correctly. It makes a big difference in the summer heat.

Get a DeWitts radiator if you start running hot. The L82 front air dam also helps a lot. With a fun car, you can choose to not drive it on a hot day. With a daily driver, you don't really have that option.

If you decide to run electric cooling fans, wire them up to the alternator and use a Powermaster 3-wire alternator. I went through some burned up wires and dead batteries because the fans weren't hooked up correctly by someone and the original amperage alternator couldn't keep up. I also tried a newer CS-130 alternator, and the heat in that engine compartment caused it to intermittently shut off.

Power steering pumps for these cars suck. My 5th pump in 4 years just started leaking fluid badly in the middle of a long road trip last week. Thankfully, AC Delco now remanufactures them (they didn't offer them last year), so hopefully the next one will last.

In my experience, Edelbrock carbs don't percolate as badly as the Holley carb I used. The Holley left me stranded a few times before I figured out exactly what was happening. From what I've been told, the original Quadrajets won't percolate, so if you have an original setup, you should be fine.

I've had to have my engine rebuilt twice, driveshaft balanced, transmission replaced (and the new Richmond is already acting up after 18 months), suspension rebuilt, and a host of little things. I've tried EFI and 3 different carburetors and settled on an Edelbrock carb for this car.

Make sure the car is sorted out before you start daily driving it, or have another car that you can use when the Vette breaks.

If it matters to you, I also have the best sounding stereo in any car I've ever owned installed in my 79 Vette without sacrificing much storage space (my wife and I took the Vette on a week long trip and had more than enough room for everything). I can give more details if you're interested.

My 79 is the most fun car to drive that I own, and I'm very happy that I'm able to drive it as my daily. It's a lot of fun.

 

My C3 was my daily driver for some 40 years. Stuck a few times for this and that. Biggest problem was the urge to get "into it" on frontage roads and such. Not a real smart thing to do on the way into work. With age came equanimity (mostly).

 

My 1978 is my only car haha

 

In New York? Do you have a snow plow for it?


I am driving mine as a nice day daily driver. Otherwise the truck gets the rain and snow.

 

Well i'm 17 so my dad provides a Durango I can drive in winter haha, other than that the vette is the daily driver

 

What do you think people drove in the 70's? This myth that old cars can't be daily drivers is silly......everyone drove everything back then. Sure new cars might be more reliable, but if your 1970 car is maintained, it can be driven every day. .....but it does require more maintenance. People today don't even open their hood for years!!!!

 

Some very good points in your post. As for the radiator, I still have my stock one that keeps the temperature below 200 degrees even with my air conditioner on here in Florida. I have not had any problems with my power steering pump as of yet. As for a carburetor, I have an Edelbrock 750 mounted on an Edelbrock Performer high rise aluminum manifold and I am very happy with that set up. Also, my engine was rebuilt about 8000 miles ago with a performance camshaft and heads along with a dual exhaust system and h-pipe. NO catalytic converter here as there are no emissions testing in Florida. I will be getting many more miles of smiles out of my 78 Pace Car before I am done with it, hopefully, for quite a few more years.

 

I am going to start daily driving my 81' in a few weeks. Like others have said though, have a back up just in case. My car is fairly reliable but its still old.

 

When i got my 75 41 years ago i helped deliver Pizzas in it in the Winter, me and my wife did our grocery shopping it.

Just saying.

 

Tell me more about this, please!

 

When my wife and I first got married we had a Triumph Spitfire as our only car . It's a good thing we didn't eat much back then because it had a very small trunk for hauling groceries. Maybe if we would go back to a Spitfire it would help our dieting today .

 

I have come to learn the reasons some people diss the shark corvette as a daily driver range from they think theirs is too nice for the wear and tear, to they are spoiled by the comforts of newer cars to their shark isn't up to par for daily driving which isn't the sharks fault.

A maintained old car is just as reliable as some new car, besides I have road side and they don't care what year the car is.

I replied in the OT's other thread all my corvettes from 66-86 have been DD's and my 69 will too, it will be a little better than in was new in 69 when people actually did buy corvettes to drive them...

My wife gravitates to the xterra to drive to toss stuff in the back, but is looking forward to the vette for her treks to the college where she teaches.