Now that I've got my '06 Mustang,
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| Well, maybe not this one! |
Do I really need a 63 Riviera?
Need is a dangerous word around old cars. Nobody really needs an old car, unless it is going to pressed into actual transportation use.
As I've written before, shouldn't my '06 Mustang fulfill my need for a PLC (Personal Luxury Car)?
The answer is yeah, of course, kinda, mostly, ...sorta.
Let's see; a sporty, stylish, comfortable, luxurious, four seat, high speed road cruiser. Both can cover those areas. Pride of ownership? Yep.
One of them does get twice the fuel economy of the other, on regular gas! Guess which one?
Yesterday I tried to see if my '06 would fit as easily under the garage table as the '96. Not really. It will, but it's a tighter fit.
Compare the measurements:
'63 Riviera; 208'' L X 76.3'' W X 53'' H
'06 Mustang; 188'' L X 74'' W X 56'' H
'96 Mustang; 181'' L X 72'' W X 52.8 H
Wow! The Riv is 20 inches longer than my '06 and 2.3 inches wider. The Riv is also quite a bit wider than the '96, 4 inches wider. I've forgotten just how big even this compact Riviera really is. It is 5 inches longer than my long wheelbase Jaguar XJ6!
I'm really not used to big cars anymore. Big GM cars from the mid 60's and up stretch out to 225 inches and were proud of it.
I'm also kind of a fuel economy wonk. I determined that the best highway mileage of my last '66 Riv was 12 mpg. on the way to Paso Robles. I'd estimate that it got around 9 mpg. in mixed use. On premium gas. Of course. Wow! Again! All my current vehicles get at least 20 mpg. driven at 70 mph. My two Mustangs get at least 25 mpg. Both on regular.
One of the reasons that I got rid of my '70 Mustang was because of the poor fuel mileage of around 15 mpg. on the freeway.
Of course you don't buy a collector car for the economy. Now that I'm retired, there are days when I don't even start the cars, much less drive them. It's not like I'd be depending on this old car for practical transportation.
So, what would I use that old car for?
Good question. Fun?
I used to keep my '56 Cadillac on the right side of my garage. The big Dagmar bumpers allowed maybe, six inches clearance with the clothes drier, and that was because my garage door doesn't close all the way and I could pick up another few inches of length by letting the rear end stick out a bit.
I'll have more to say on this subject in a following post.
If "need" is one of the most dreaded words that must never be uttered.
Then the "W"word is even more feared; as in, "Do I even want a car like that?" Be very careful never to utter these words aloud, especially in the presence of, or much worse in conversation, (!) with your SWMBO. (She Who Must be Obeyed!) It is not our job to undermine our own arguments to buy an old car.
In reality, there are no logical arguments in favor of getting a vintage car, no rational supportable argument that can be made. You get one to satisfy a "want." Nothing wrong with that. Yes, many times the reasoning doesn't make any sense, but you want it anyway! If you are paying your own way, and not taking the funds away from something that you should be providing to your family, then feel no guilt.
Still, I feel kind of weird not because I want an old car, I feel weird because I don't particularly want an old car!
Why is that?
Maybe because I'm old enough to have already owned several old cars. These cars were not that old when I owned them, I still used them for daily transportation, though they would be quite ancient now. I was shocked to realize that my '70 Mustang was 45 years old when I owned it recently, that's almost half a Century!
Would I even want to drive an old car anymore? That's a hard question to answer. I'm pretty active on the AACA forum, so I'm always reading about other guy's old cars, and checking those for sale. I know that I don't want anything that would be really old, probably nothing earlier than the mid Forties to mid to late 1950's. That would mean that the car wouldn't be too much older than me!
I'm much closer to 70, than I am to Sixty, so maybe that car is pretty old too.
Of course there are other cars that are older, but not really old. I've actually got a couple of those already.
One "problem" ( first world, I guess) is that I've got several different types of vehicles that cover my different needs and wants.
I've got a full size long bed pick up. It's not a "bro dozer," it's my useful work truck that I can also drive anywhere, comfortably and enjoyably. I really enjoy driving this truck. This was something that I wanted since I first saw one, so much so that I bought one new. I was lucky enough to get a green one.
I've got my big CUV, the Ford Flex. This is a very useful and "flexible" people and stuff hauler that is a terrific road tripper. It's a late model, low mileage beauty that was something that I also had admired when new.
Talking about things that I've admired since new, my '06 Mustang is the personal pony car that I've wanted for over 15 years. Now that I've got it, there's no reason for me not to drive it. It has 100,000 miles less than my '96 Mustang.
If I'm going to drive the Mustang, then when would I drive the Riviera?
I just got rid of two old cars so I shouldn't be in any hurry to add any more complications to my life. I'm in a pretty good space right now, I even have some extra space around the garage, so I should just enjoy it. Maybe even improve upon it by jettisoning the other two old cars that I've got. That would sure reduce the overload of cars.
I'm not thinking of adding an old car to my current fleet, an addition would only be made if one or both of my garage cars were sold. That way my Wife would know that I'm serious about cutting back.
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