My New Daily Driver? Am I Nuts For Thinking It?

[Doober]

You're not crazy... it's made it this far in one piece, who's to say it won't make it just as long before falling apart? 😉
I agree on a 2004R. Being behind any type of motor, however mild, you'll want to get into it, and if it's your daily you won't really want to risk it with a stock T5. I was thinking of this myself before I came across the Saginaw 4-speed I have (combined with 2.29s is about equivalent to a 2004R w/ 3.42s), my other option was a used Monte SS or similar geared rearend combined with a 2004R, but I have a feeling I would've been on borrowed time. At least with the 2004R you could drive it and save $, and when the time comes have it rebuilt with better clutches, shift kit, etc. while you're saving up for other things on the car as well (T56, TKO, beefed T5, etc.).

 

[85 Cutlass Brougham]

The plan with the T-5 would be to do a 8.5 at the same time, and then save up money for a TKO while driving it on the T-5. This way, the engineering is done while I am not living with mom and dad, and I can do a remove and replace with the T-5 and TKO using 3rd gen F body parts. Even if I have to pay a shop to install it, it will not be too bad to pay someone else to put it in for me...but I cringe at the thought of anyone else ever touching my car, ESPECIALLY mechanically. My other fear is vandalism by do gooder greenies who, like many overly idealistic leftists, have no respect for anyone else's property and feel it is their right to vandalize something that does not agree with their world view. I fortunately live in the south where these wackos are not as easy to find as in hate filled places like LA or other left leaning major cities, but they are out there.

 

[HurstOlds]

Oh man, I don't know. I spent a lil time looking over your build thread and I don't think you should DD your car. You have too much time into it to let it waste away.

Are you sure there's not other arrangement you can work out? ie...store your car at a buddy's place and get a beater for the mean time, or rent a storage unit and park it there? Find someone with a locked lot that you can park it at or something

You just told me that you've spent 12 years working on this car. That's a lot of heart into this build. I'm all about having a car to drive it, but after mine was taken it's just not worth it. I still drive the heck outta mine, I already have almost 1500 miles on it and I've only had it 2 months

Be careful man, at least put in some security measures

 

[85 Cutlass Brougham]

Sadly, my last friend in the area is moving away to live with family in Maine by July. He is doing the same thing I am: Living with family while they pay for him to go to school. The only friend whose house I could store it at is in New York and has a farm. (I live in Central Florida) This would mean it would sit outside deteriorating for 2-3 years. I will only really be able to afford to insure, tag and drive one car while I am in school. If I have to pay for storage and insure an extra car it will run me $200 a month, and then I have to worry about it in storage. Will the storage place get robbed, or maybe some unscrupulous tenant set fire to it to collect insurance? I am not afraid of a few dings, scratches and dents. I plan on gutting the car again when I get settled after school. It will need a new roof by that time as the one it has now is patched together and will probably rot out again by then. I AM afraid of vandalism, theft and that sort of thing. Now I am an older student, so the likelihood of me getting invited to parties, etc. is not too great...unfortunately. I will probably be on campus just long enough to go to class and then go home. I will also add an alarm system and a few kill switches to the car as well. The Alarm will be a thief's worst nightmare as it will be well hidden and installed with the dash out of the car, and have multiple alarm sirens....some of them inside the car. If I had another place to store it, I would prefer not to drive it as my DD. I would rather use something I don't care about, like a new Honda Fit or my old truck for that abuse instead. Then again, maybe I will have a chance to have a more normal life during this time and meet someone who would let me store it at their house. I can probably use my grandfather's garage in his Florida house to store it until November when he comes down, so I have a bit of time to make up my mind. I just don't want to have to get rid of it after all that work. I want to enjoy it instead, even if I wreck it.

I also still have my first car, which I have had since I was 15 in 1989. I WILL be getting rid of that one as I don't have any use for it anymore. It's a 1979 AMC Spirit and it has an equal amount of work in it to what is in my Cutlass (engine swap, body and paint, suspension, etc.) My truck I have had for a long time too as I bought it new in 1998, and have used it for almost 320,000 miles. I don't want to get rid of that as it is a very reliable little beater that fits my needs perfectly. However, if I have to choose between it and my Cutlass, I really have no option but to get rid of it.

I am at a unfortunate crossroads right now. I can either keep my house and never live up to my potential or roll the dice and try to make things better with this one bet. Keeping the house means keeping the status quo, but the status quo is depressing and lonely. It allows me to keep everything I have worked for, but I am not sure that is a good thing either. I hate my life right now, and want to be able to make a good living and work normal hours. I hate the food service business as it narrows my social options too much and does not put me in contact with too many other people I can relate to. I will also say I love my house and my neighborhood. I don't want to lose it either. However, if this is what it will take for me to have a chance to find happiness and maybe even love, I am willing to try it.

 

[axisg]

Don't be foolish !! The car was built to be driven ( and it's paid for ) so drive it !!

You have the skill and know-how ( and probably enough parts ) to keep it running for years even when stuff does break. What's the point of doing all that work to the car to turn around and sell it for pennies on each and every dollar ( nevermind the hours ) you have in it so someone else can drive it ??

Quick and dirty ( and cheaper ) drop in another 200r4 trans and run it.

 

[crappycutlass]

drive it man... i drive my 84 for almost 5 years now.. everyday... best car ever...


even my camaro get's driven atleats 300k/week...

reallly your not dealing iwth a high end car or high value car... and you built it to enjoy... then enjoy..

 

[dogsht]

Enjoy it I mean Drive it. Its not a 70 hemi cuda convertible.

 

[foxtrot]

You're not crazy dude!

I did the same thing when I went to college MANY years ago. I had a Regal with an olds V8 that I built and also had done lots of other custom work to the car. I used my custom Regal to commute to school (in the city about 25 miles from my rents house) and work for four years!

I also think you should just find a good 200r4 (with good sfift point/govenor, big servo and shift kit) to install and save the 5-speed work for after college.

Good luck.

 

[86oldsgbody]

Drive it. I drive mine almost everyday to school and its about 30-35 miles one way. Last semester when gas was around 4.50...that was great.

 

[85 Cutlass Brougham]

The thing I hate about the automatic is...well.... I just hate automatic transmissions. I don't like the lack of control around corners, or while accelerating, etc. Plus, I have managed to kill 2 TH 200 4R's in about 40k miles. I also want to drive it at some track days. Having driven Sebring in Forza II, I want to go there and do it for real...lol. I probably will have to keep the autotragic though. Which is a real bummer.