Need some help and thoughts with a theory about old cars and wagons

I work on a small farm and we have three vehicles that we use to go to farmers markets. All vehicles are from the 90s to 2000. 1994 minivan just cracked a head and obviously a pain to replace. 500 to 1000 dollars to replace. The whole minivan itself isn't even worth that. mechanic said for costs it would be better to just replace engine. Every month or so one of the vehicles is going into mechanic. So here's my theory I run 3 or 4 pre 1976 trucks or wagons or whatever vehicles. No smog ... carbureted... simple. Now when one goes down I can work on it and it won't cost a fortune. If a head cracks in an older vehicle... its right there I can pull it and replace it myself. And I get it maintenance is key and I will have to spend a little more time monitoring and listening and checking over these older vehicles. I am an intermediate mechanic. But don't you think in the long run it we would come out ahead. Please jump in and post what you think. Oh yeah and the money that is put into these older vehicles holds value and isn't losing value by the day. If I put 500 dollars into a sixties wagon or truck it will still be worth it's classic value. The minivan isn't worth anything.

Thanks,
Vance

 

Vance it all makes perfectly good sense to many of us. So why do we still buy a late model vehicle for most of our travels?
When i retired 20 years ago I bought an 87 Chevy van just to move our old cars and other things. I did bring five old cars with me. I told my wife that after the move i was buying another 57 Chevy. Still don't know why I sold the one I had when moving. Also told her a 57 Chevy would be our newest vehicle as long as I live.
Kept the 87 Chevy van another seven years. It proved to be a decent vehicle and we used it for some camping then pulling an RV. After it got over 250,000 miles on it I bought a newer Dodge hightop van to take over as a tow vehicle and part time camper.
Here's where i went astray. I bought a new 2004 Dodge quad cab truck at the end of 04. I said then this will be my last new vehicle till I die. I've had it nearly ten years and i ain't dead yet!
My excuse was I needed something to pull our RV with. Looking back i could have redone several old cars or trucks and used them to pull an even older RV. In fact I bought the 55 Chevy wagon and a 1948 Chevy panel truck just for that.
But things in life seem to change. Personally I think you should stick with your new plan and fix up an old car, wagon, or truck. We both know a mini van or newer car is like a boat is to water. Just a hole to dump money.
Okay this probably makes no sense. But you are off to a good start.

My son is a motorcycle mechanic but works on late model junk for poor people in the area. I've seen him bring home mini vans and cars with 200,000 miles on them and keep on replacing more parts every month for those people. They can't afford the payments yet pay as much for parts to patch a piece of garbage. It does not make sense. Sadly those people don't like old cars and wouldn't drive one anyway. But a lover of vintage iron should take advantage of a vehicle he can work on himself.

 

You just discovered my "secret". Actually it is out there for anyone to utilize. Up to '07, I ran '72 and older Cars. I still run '72 and older Trucks. They saved me $1000's and 1000's of dollars through the years. I might have still been running the cars, but they got to be too valuable on the re-bound as classics and cars of interests and too expensive to buy for daily drivers.

My other "secret" is to use the same type of vehicle. I ran '71 and '72 Chevy Impala cars for 21 years straight. Not only did I learn a lot of extra experience with the cars when it came time to repair them, if I wore one out, I could use it for parts.

I also drove '64 to '66 Chevy Trucks for 25 years straight. They were great trucks, but I have since moved up to the '67 to '72 style. I presently have 3.

Now not only were/are these cars and trucks a good financial move, but they were/are fun to drive and I continue to get compliments with my trucks today to boot.

Keep us posted on it.

Bill

 

I would ditch the minivan, keep the older vehicles. Any time you spend in preventative maintenance on the older vehicles, will mean less time spent on making repairs. Added benefit: You won't have to worry about the minivan passing smog tests going forward.

 

I like your thinking, Vance. For you, using all older vehicles works. Cheap to purchase and maintain, as long as the parts are easy to come by.

That type of ownership works for you, but it would not work for me. I know a lot about vehicles, but my ability to actually fix them myself leaves quite a lot to be desired. I do a bit here and there, but if I were faced with a cylinder head replacement or even a water pump on the Safari, I don't think I could handle it. I also have to factor in consideration for Mrs. Krash. She wants a nice, comfortable vehicle to drive, and I don't want to worry about here being stranded on the side of a freeway if an older vehicle breaks down. So she drives a newer vehicle.

 

Marshall you've been brain washed. Anyone with most of his or her fingers, arms, and hands can replace a head, water pump, or most exterior parts.
And if an older vehicle is kept maintained Mrs. Krash can cruise in style remaining cool or warm.

 

I'm working on getting my 67 Belvedere wagon to a point that it can take over daily driving duties of my ,expensive to maintain, VW Passatt wagon. I will still have my "new" vehicle though to share daily driving duties. The "new" vehicle is my 96 Dodge Ram 4X4 pickup. Its 18 years old and I've had it since new, but I still consider it to be "new".

 

IIIIII knew it. Thanks so much for the back up. Parts are more affordable access to everything is right there. I have a 64 wagon and I can almost stand in the engine bay to work on it. Older jalopys that just need a little things here and there to get running solid cost anywhere from 1000 to 4000 cause people just don't want to deal with it. Krash this is part of my theory...I was never into cars or mechanics until I got a boat. About 10 years ago it needed a water pump and the boat mechanic tells me...you know you can put this on right... I was like...what do you mean. He says pull these bolts, put these gaskets on, tighten this, do this, I said okay. I did it and that started the ball rolling. It hit me that I can do almost all this stuff myself if it is carbureted. Smog vehicles look like mini robots under the hood to me stuff everywhere and if you for get one small hose or it is cracked somewhere your screwed. Example 1994 f250 it just wasn't running right and I did plugs wires and followed vacuum diagram nightmare..still not running right. Mechanic said its the catalytic converter...damn...I would have never found that. Smog... Come to think of it isn't that why they started smog restrictions because everybody had these carbureted vehicles and they didn't take care of them and they kept on smoking and spewing exhaust fumes into the air. But they kept on running.

Thanks,
Vance

 

one more thing...sorry it's been a few years since I posted. I have 1994 ford ranger v6 it gets about 16 to 18. A lot of guys on the net are taking v8 carbureted, putting 700r4 and changing gear ratios and getting 20 to 22 mpg and more. Isn't that better for the environment. Reduce, REUSE, RECYCLE. I am totally in. All for less money and I can do all the work myself.
Thanks,
Vance
I am going to put in a 700r4 mechanic said if you drive it you will recoupe costs in a year with savings in gas. I need a gear ratio for a 1964 chevy bel air wagon if you guys could help me with as I know nothing about gears. I can install all trans stuff but I think I have to have a mech do gears.

 

Years ago someone asked me if I could play the piano and accordian. I told them I don't know, I've never tried. I tried and after some time I could play them both. Maybe not as good as Liberace but I thought it sounded good.

I was working on my first ever old car, a Model A coupe. Friends ask if I could weld and paint it. How did I know, it was my first home, first garage, and first old car. Bought a compressor and stick welder from Sears and learned.

Everyone has to begin sometime. It ain't rocket science working on pre computer cars. But my son even says that's easy! Newer cars not rockets.
I also learned that grease and dirt wash off. If you're a brain surgeon you may wanna wear gloves to work on old cars.

 

sorry one more, lady farmer next to me at a market, has a brand new diesel truck or like five years old which is new to me. Beautiful badass Ford... every few months back in shop. For about a month straight I didn't see her bring it cause she said it was in shop. A new top of the line Ford diesel repairs must cost a fortune. I'm not trashing I'm just saying if it was an older carbureted I could probably do the labor.
Thanks

 

700R4 GM in a Ford Ranger? Maybe they have an adapter but that's not gonna be cheap.
Son had a Ranger with a rebuilt engine and Ford automatic. It did good on gas. He also knows how to rebuild rear ends. He learned how to work on cars by working with me. He just truned 25. Now I watch him and wonder how he does that new stuff. :confused:

Diesel engines. I love diesel engines. I worked for one of the best diesel engine companies there is. Even they stopped making diesel engines for highway use because they couldn't afford to keep up with the demands for better fuel and emissions.
Then there's the difference in buying a car or pick up with a diesel for better fuel mileage and longer lasting. Did ya ever figure how long it'll take to save enough money in fuel to pay back the extra cost of that diesel engine? And higher maintienence costs. The fuel companies ruined that when diesel fuel costs more than cheap gasoline. Diesel, a left over byproduct of gas!
No-lead costs more because they no longer add lead to fuel. ?????

 

Sorry modelt1 ... I meant chevy 350, have to replace your powerglides and turbo 350s with 700r4 and a different gear ratio, I was just comparing my ford v6 to chevy v8

 

BillT I was thinking the exact same thing. I love the 1960 to 1966 chevy trucks and they are still affordable. If I had a few I could be bouncing back and forth for parts to keep them going. Btw why did you step up to the 67 to 72? Please reply all info cause I'm getting ready to start my fleet of old junkie trucks back on the road and I was really leaning towards 60 to 66.

Thanks,
Vance

 

Rear Gears on a '64 Bel-Air are actually easier to change than a Transmission. They are taken out in a "unit" what some of us call "Hogsheads". There are some details to go along with it, but basically you pull the Axles and drop out the Hogshead and install your new one.

But... Before we go too far, what do you have in there now? The 3.08 is the highest gear in '64 and you may have one already in there. Plus we need to know more about the car itself (engine, trans, type of hauling you use it for, etc as well as where you are driving it on, back roads?, Hiway?).

Bill