Better Beaters - Building Cars and Daily Drivers

 This shelf holds my Hot Rod inspiration.

On the top shelf is a classic example of a custom Forty Ford coupe. Flamed with the front end in the weeds. These were cars that were built both as Hot Rods and as sleek customs. Either way, they are an icon.The second shelf holds a model replica of John Milner's American Graffiti coupe. A bit raw boned but authentic. The car and movie had a huge impact on the rebirth of Street Rodding. Both the movie and the car are true American Classics.  The third shelf holds my favorite, a '34 Ford three window, high boy coupe. It's kind of a modern take on a classic design. I love the light blue color which accentuates the coupe's sleek lines. The rake, and the wide whitewall tires are perfect in my eyes. If I could ever have a real Hot Rod, I would love it to be a '34 like this one.

Here's close up shot of the coupe on my desk. As scale models I can afford to buy and maintain this trio. They don't take up very much room on my bookcase! As real cars, trying to acquire even one is realistically out of my reach. So what should I do, forget about them? 

I've written that you have to find a way to scratch your particular itch. Find out what you want, and try to find something that speaks to you. I really liked the look and feel of my slammed '66 Buick Riviera. It had a long, low, sleek design. This is the kind of car that really suits me. I guess that I could just go out and buy another one. They have gone up in price quite a bit, and I clearly remember the 9 mpg. daily fuel consumption. Not the most practical choice for a daily driver.

I really like and have enjoyed my '96 Mustang GT. It's fun to drive and sounds good. It is just a little too small to pull off the slammed cruiser look that I love so much. 

I thought that I might get something like a Cadillac DTS and lower it and add some custom wheels. I'd keep my Mustang and add the Cadillac. I'd have to get rid of something, like the XJ6, just to keep the stable the same size.  I would probably hold onto the XJS.

 There aren't any more new Rivieras, Thunderbirds, Cougars, or Mark IVs being made today. This genre of car has become extinct. The personal luxury car field has been filled by the new Mustang, Camaro, and Challenger. I just started driving the '07 Mustang again. I had driven the '07 Mustang a lot, since it was a family car, well over 100,000 miles. When I bought it I thought that it was a great looking car. Nothing has changed my impression since.  In fact, I think that the original iteration of the S197, from 2005-2009 is the best looking of this model run. The heritage Mustang cues are well done. Later designs added an interesting variation of front end restyles with a somewhat unfortunately restyled rear end sculpturing. 

The performance from the base 200 hp. V6 teamed with the five speed automatic box is quite good, as is the mileage. Of course I wanted a V8 GT model at the time, but I don't think that my choice put me in a penalty box. 

This car seems bigger than it is when I drive it, much wider and longer than my SN95. Driving it like I love it, I have re-discovered the things that I liked about it. I also found that it channels some of that Riviera swag, I'll bet that this thing would look great slammed a little. Maybe I could build one of these into my cherished cruiser. 

Why not? 

I think that I'd start out with a GT convertible. 

photo source: american muscle.com

I think that the straight upper body line, combined with the squared off ends gives it a longer look. The short rear deck with the end of the roof terminating at the rear edge of the rear wheels looks very sporty. The front overhang is minimal, and the front axle line is a healthy distance in front of the cowl. This gives the car really nice proportions. And it really looks good lowered with a rake.

I would like something like these wheels.
The intent is to get away from the Torque Thrust/ Bullitt wheels.

I would like a wheel with a flatter face. Although I think that the Torque Thrust wheels are a classic I'd like to get away from the spokes. An "aero" type wheel like those used on 80's Pontiac Trans Ams, or the wheel used on my '97 XJ6 would be nice, but they are all a little too small. Classic chrome "baby moon" wheels are still available new, they could be considered. I also like the base steel wheels used on my F150. They are 17 inch with a flat, non recessed face. They have a compatible wheel lug spacing. Maybe they would work.

Maybe I could run some classic Moon Disc wheel covers like I used on my Riviera. 

Now I'm leaving the best for last, Maybe I should consider running wide whitewalls!  My plan is to roll my own three inch white side walls. I've done that in the past, it was quite successful. It would be a good topic to share the process in the blog. 

I think that this car would scratch my cruiser itch in a way that my '96 just can't. I wouldn't even need to buy that Cadillac anymore. I won't need it. I often wonder if the time for a customized car is past, at least for me. In my old age I do have a bit more appreciation for good taste and restraint. I don't really want a car that looks like some crazy kid's car and that my better half would be embarrassed to ride or be seen in. 

I've always wanted a car with flames on it, I wonder if there is some way to work that into the design tastefully?

I guess that time will tell.

You don't actually think that I've actually given up on all my crazy ideas, do you?

I have actually given a lot of thought of moving up to a '13 or '14 model. The '07s that I've seen usually have too many miles on them. The '14 is the last of the retro styled Mustangs, which I consider a classic look. These cars are still available with 50,000 miles or less mileage. I'm definitely not looking for another project car. 

What I decide to buy will be dependent on the particular car that I can find. Anything from '15 and up will obviously be newer with less mileage. It's not that I don't like the newer cars, but I plan on holding onto the car for a very long time. 

In many ways the 2005-2009 models look like a real Classic, and better looking than the last iterations. At least to my eyes. These cars really make me remember the '69 and '70 Mach One models. If I could have a classic Mustang it would be one of those.  I remember back in early 1970's that our across the street neighbor's son had a red '69. That was the only car that could turn my attention away from an old Cadillac!

Even the coupe was a real good looker!

There's a lot of heritage in the S197.

I was very happy with the design.

I was motivated several years ago to buy a '70 Mustang coupe. That was the car that resulted in the launch of my blog. Besides the work needed to get it back in good running shape, I had it painted and did some customizing on it. I thought that it came out pretty good, but it still needed a lot of quality detail and redoing. Plus I would have to do something about that straight six. It didn't seem like it was worth it in the end. Buying a newer car would be much simpler, perform much better, and I could enjoy it right away.

The only problem is that the 2005-2009 cars are getting to be quite old. That means that finding one with acceptably low mileage would be a challenge. 

But not impossible.