Route 66. What is it all about?

Michael Wallis wrote this book which
renewed interest in the highway.

(This post was found as an old wrinkled draft tucked away in my digital desk drawer. I smoothed it out and added a bit more material.)

I just got back from a trip to the southwest. My Wife and I drove out to Phoenix Arizona, to pick up some furniture that she had purchased earlier in the month. She had been there for an artist's workshop.The high point of the trip for me, was driving first through Sedona, then to a stop along Route 66 in Seligman. We first stopped in Williams which is east of Seligman. Williams has a very nice restored Downtown area with many Route 66 themed restaurants, shops and bars. Since the town is only a few miles off of Interstate 40, it gets a lot of business. It is easy to drop off the highway and make a quick visit. There are a lot of classic cars parked in front of the businesses, some even driven by their customers. The idea is to recall a nostalgic idealized version of the fifties and early 60's and vacation trips made during that time. Those of us who are old enough to have actually made these trips in reality probably have a different recollection of them.

Looking back at the past through rose colored glasses is a favorite theme of encroaching old age. Imaging a better "Golden Age" of motor travel is popular with the younger folks. A desire to reconnect with our past and old memories is just a natural response to the passage of time. These old time road trips made with our families really are family memories. No matter how uncomfortable or stressful they were, there was usually some very good moments that we remember fondly. Stuck in the back seat of the family sedan or station wagon with our brothers and sisters was usually  a cramped, sweaty Purgatory. Air conditioning, who had a/c in the fifties and early 60's? Just roll the windows down and get blasted by all that hot desert air. Hopefully you weren't sitting on those awful plastic seat covers! 

Occasionally we would stop at a roadside diner for a burger, but my folk's preferred to stop at a grocery store to pick up a loaf of bread and a pack of baloney. I, of course, had hoped for another burger stop or an even rarer "restaurant stop." "Not hungry for a baloney sandwich? Well, you just wait" my Mom would say. And she was right, as I was thankful for the sandwich and a bottled soda a little further down the road. Bathroom stops were another penance. How come I never had to go when my folks had to? Just as they were pulling away I felt the need. Should I speak up and beg them to stop again or should I try to "hold it" for another hour or so, perhaps with tragic or at least embarrassing, consequences? What is so compelling about these memories?

I remember seeing a series of articles that were published in USA Today, several years ago, where they asked their readers to share their road trip vacation reminisces. I found that our memories had a lot in common. Fortunately the most pleasant moments are usually remembered most nostalgically.

Route 66 is a state of mind, a dream of freedom, but it is also a real highway that used to wind through the landscape and pass through innumerable small towns and big cities on it's way from Chicago to LA.  The famous Bobby Troup song does a good job of describing the route, and has a catchy jazzy beat. Younger readers might better remember the catchy tune that was the theme music of the TV show. For me, the Nelson Riddle music immediately whisks me back to my childhood, and I am suddenly filled with the longing to grow up, so that I can experience the freedom of being an adult. To be an independent actor in the adventure of my own life. Heady thoughts for a grammar school kid!    

                                Both of these videos are from YouTube for enjoyment purposes only.

Unlike the modern Interstates, it did not plow through the landscape on it's way, bypassing small town America. It is similar to the Old Lincoln Highway, another one of "America's Main Streets."

The current two lane highway continues through sections of undeveloped terrain. At the time that we drove through there, there wasn't a lot of traffic. I told my Wife that in the past, back in the late 40's and early '50's, this highway would carry a steady stream of heavy traffic. It was like Interstate 5 in California, a heavily traveled main road. All of the roadside businesses would be packed with customers. Gas stations and garages maintained a fleet of tow trucks to render aid to stranded motorists. I'm sure that there were lots of cars pulled over onto shoulders and turn outs, under whatever available shade they could find, taking a break while their overheated cars cooled down. Many had the drivers and passengers trying to grab some sleep, so that they would be able to continue the journey after the sun went down. Night travel was much cooler.

That was a common approach to traveling through the desert. 

I have read numerous books that described travelling on the highway back in the good old days. Back in the late '70's I traveled through some of this same territory on several motorcycle trips. I wasn't too aware that this was part of historic Route 66. This was a time when it had fallen out of public awareness. I remembered the Route 66 TV show that I had watched as a kid, it had planted the seed and desire for cross country travel, but the actual highway itself hadn't registered as clearly. 

It was the book, The Mother Road, that brought the highway back to the forefront. of public awareness. The photos of the closed tourist businesses, cafes, garages, and curio shops told the story of a once busy and prosperous past. The current two lane highway runs along the original alignment through this area. 

photo source: atlas obscura
I had a burger at the Snow Cap on this trip.

Prior to this, interest in the highway had been promoted by Angel Delgadillo of Seligman Arizona. His family had run several businesses in the town for generations.  Angel ran the barbershop, his brother Juan, ran a burger joint called, Delgadillo's Snow Cap. They tried to encourage tourist traffic to return to the old highway and the towns that had rapidly withered away with the opening of Interstate 40. 

I first became aware of the Snow Cap after reading an article in a Rockabilly lifestyle magazine in the early '90's  The author related a trip he took to New Mexico along Route 66. The Rockabilly community is very into an idealized notion of nostalgia, as most of the fans are too young to have had actual contact with this period.

photo source: roadtrppin
The Blue Swallow is an iconic motel along the highway. 

I remember a family trip to Mexico, where we had driven to Southern Californian and then east to Arizona, where we would skirt Tucson, and make the border crossing at Nogales. We had been driving all day in a hot, non air conditioned car. My Mom was looking forward to spending the night in an air conditioned motel. As usual my Dad had driven late into the evening, trying to cover as many miles as possible. My folks saw a motel with a vacancy sign. As we pulled in, the manger came outside to greet us. My Dad asked him if they had a/c, he said that they did. My Mom asked to see a room prior to registering. The manager took us to a room that held a huge fan, "That'll cool you down!" he said. My Mom disagreed, and we got back in the car to continue our search. Back then many of the older motels didn't have air conditioning, their sign would describe the rooms as "air cooled." The older motels were cheaper, but tourists began to demand more comfort and the businesses either improved their accommodations or closed their doors. Luckily, we found a motel with "refrigerated" rooms, that was another description for air conditioning.   

I have actual memories of family road trips during this era. Contemporary travelers are looking to experience something that they have never known, but wish that they could have. Modern freeway travel is much faster and modern cars are much more comfortable, which allows the driver to cover more miles in a day's driving. The freeway bypasses the center of most towns but still traverses the same terrain. Especially when crossing these wide open spaces! At one time, fatigue would require drivers to make more overnight stops. Long distance auto travel was stressful and difficult on families with children. A stop in even a modest motel would usually include an evening splashing and swimming in the pool, a much needed night's rest, and a hearty breakfast at a nearby diner. 

American nostalgia enjoys world wide popularity. On this visit I saw busses unloading foreign tourists on Silegman's Main Street, speaking German and Japanese, right in front of Angels' old barbershop, which is now a Route 66 museum. 

I don't know if those tourists, or even our domestic counterparts are going to find what they are hoping to find. A connection to a slower paced era, when travel exposed you to actual changes in your environment. Looking back, the idea of Route 66 to me was not looking for a tie to a mythical past. It was the promise of adventure in the future. Or at least some new kicks. That is certainly something that you can find if you're willing to look for it.

You don't have to seek out a popular and trendy tourist highway like 66. On your next road trip, look for a different route, choose a secondary highway, or two. String them together. Factor in some extra time, maybe an extra lay over. Plan to spend the night. Make it a point to stop at historical sights, scenic over looks, interesting stores, local museums, and businesses along the highway.

Make the actual journey one of the priorities of the trip, not just reaching the destination.

 When traveling by vintage car, "Is it practical to carry a load of spare parts and tools with you?" 

Don't take this with you.
photo source: visatcreate

Back in the Day, when many of us drove breakdown prone, old beaters, it might have made sense. 

Nowadays it seems like it's not such a good idea to be working on our cars on the side of the road. Unless it's something simple, like a flat tire, dead battery, fan belt or hose. Anything else is going to take more time. With AAA I can have the car towed to a shop, or a motel parking lot, or even all the way home. 

So at a minimum you need to have a good spare with the jack and lug wrench. Hand tools to replace the battery, fan belts, and radiator or heater hoses. So, carrying spares of these might make sense. Old cars usually leak, so maybe some extra fluids, oil, coolant, and automatic transmission fluid. If your car doesn't use readily available sealed beam head lights or tail light bulbs, then maybe some of those.

These spare oil cans were designed to sit on a car's running board.

On one trip with my XJ6, I had a headlamp bulb burn out, but found a replacement at a nearby Autozone store. This same Jag also developed a progressive problem; the radiator outlet top spigot that was slowly crumbling away, causing the hose to pop off. I carried a screwdriver and a couple of gallons of coolant in the trunk. But I was only driving back and forth to work, and locally. I would stop immediately if it popped off, I wasn't going to chance a blown head gasket. Luckily this didn't become a problem for several years. The problem was only solved by replacing the radiator. 

Another time one the trans lines to the radiator split a seam, and the transmission lost a lot of fluid. Luckily, I was pretty close to home. I had my Wife respond with a couple of quarts of ATF and made it the couple of blocks home, though I could have called triple A.

The primary concern is getting your passengers to a place of safety, then removing your car from a busy freeway or highway, so that you can evaluate the situation.

Not to say that only vintage cars can sustain serious unexpected breakdowns. 

My F150 was just barely out of it's new vehicle warranty when the a/c compressor seized up. We were on our way back from Las Vegas. We were driving along on US101 when I noticed an intermittent chirping sound. I was north of Santa Maria when we stopped at an antique store in Nipomo. When I started up the car to head home, the chirping became a screeching, and I knew that I had a problem. 

This wasn't something that I was going to be able to fix on the road. It required a lengthy tow truck ride back home. I hadn't planned on carrying a new a/c compressor with me! The other option was to have the truck fixed locally, I'd done that once before, with my '90 Dodge Caravan. I left it at a Dodge dealership in San Luis Obispo, only a couple of hundred miles from home. I rented a car to get the family home, but I would rather have had the vehicle towed home. However, this can get really pricey. Now I have a truck, and I can always return and tow the vehicle home on my own. I also  now have the upgraded Triple A Premier membership. This provides for one 200 mile tow per year, along with three 100 mile tows. 

Even back in my Harley riding days, I only carried chain lube, a master link, and a spare quart of 60 weight oil. There were plenty of Harley dealerships all across the country, If I could make it there, I could find the needed parts and fix my bike. I didn't carry a spare drive chain, or spark plugs, bulbs, or spare cables. Obviously I didn't carry any spare engine parts. If my bike ever suffered a serious engine breakdown, I would probably have just stashed the bike somewhere, and returned later with a truck. In those days, it would have been a Greyhound bus, instead of a rental car that would have carried me home.  

Bring a tool roll like this.

I did carry enough tools to tighten up all the nuts, bolts, and parts that Harleys used to produce. This is especially important when you are undergoing the "shake down" process with a vehicle. It's not unusual to find that some fasteners may have been overlooked, or some mechanisms might need to be adjusted.

It's one thing to be prepared, but it's another to carry it to extremes. I don't think that you should have to worry about the engine wearing out completely during the trip. If that's the case, then maybe it might be a better idea to stay close to home!

Leave this at home!

I think that it reaches a point of diminishing returns. 

The first rule should always be; never ever, ever, leave on a long trip with a car that you know has mechanical issues. 

Most of us use our vintage cars solely as hobby cars. If we notice a problem or a potential problem we just leave it parked and take the daily. That makes the most sense, who wants their vacation spoiled by a breakdown? Especially if it is a family event.

If worse comes to worse, we can always  leave the car and rent another car to finish the vacation.

Many of us have trucks that we can hook up a rented car trailer to, and return later and pick up the car and bring it home. 

There are many unexpected things that can happen to ruin your trip in an old car. Actually there are plenty that can happen even with a newer car. 

A flat tire. I have found that tires that still have plenty of tread depth seldom suffer from punctures. A plug kit is small and easy to use. 

Running out of gas. This is one of the most embarrassing situations because it is so easy to prevent. Unless, that is, your vintage vehicle has a non functioning or false reading gas gauge. Then it can happen with annoying frequency! 

Running your battery flat. Remember to turn the headlamps off when you park. Old cars don't have warning buzzers. Carrying a rechargeable "jumper box/tire inflator" is good for peace of mind, and you can help out a fellow traveler in distress.

Being involved in a traffic or other collision. This can be a serious delay. Please drive safely and sober. Driving at dusk increases the chance of a deer encounter. Try to drive during daylight hours on rural highways.

The length of the trip is also an important consideration.

Are you expecting parts of, or your entire car to wear out on this trip?

Would you anticipate that you will have to replace parts that will wear out while you are on your trip? 

I hope you're not planning to rebuild your car enroute. 

Refer back to Rule Number One!

This discussion pertains to hobby cars, using the car for a trip is usually a choice, most hobbyists have other vehicles that they can use to take on the trip. Or they can rent one, a very good alternative back when rentals were plentiful and cheap. 

A co worker of mine was planning a trip along Route 66 and had purchased a '66 Mustang that he was looking forward to driving on this vacation.

The ad had represented a good running, sorted out machine in good driving shape. Since he knew that I was an old car guy, my Buddy discussed preparations for the trip. I told him that he should do a "quick" inspection of critical systems and a series of shake down runs. 

He was not a "hands on" mechanical guy so he had to work through a mechanic. 

He found out that there were problems in the brakes, and some of the electrical systems, especially the headlamps. 

Unfortunately, the car was not as good as it was represented to be. Ultimately he was unable to get the car sorted out before his planned vacation.

Luckily, he had an almost new Ford Edge that he could use. I tried to cheer him up by reminding him that it was the trip itself that really mattered. Besides, even those '57 Chevy's were new cars at one time! You have to start making new memories, someday.

An unknown car has to be sorted out before trusting it, usually a series of shake down runs and inspections can handle that. Driving it on progressively longer trips is the only way to build up confidence in the vehicle.

I wrote a favorite reply to a forum request about a daily driver's reliability. I tried to be funny and put a Jeff Foxworthy "You might be a redneck" spin on it; "if you do this and your car does this, you might have a daily driver. " 

My main contention was that a long trip is just a combination of shorter trips, strung together. Start out by using the car for daily errands; a lot of starting and stopping, and turning off and restarting the motor. Using the reverse gear and clutch in parking lots. It's more likely to overheat or run the battery down while being driven on short trips. Besides using the car for daily around town errands, you lay out a course that has a point 25 miles from your house, as the first turn around point. Then select a point 25 miles in the other direction. Starting out from your house to the first turn around is 25 miles. Driving back to your house is 50 miles. Continuing to the other turnaround point is 75 miles, and by the time you're back at home, you've traveled 100 miles! But you are never more than 25 miles away from home in case there is a problem. 

There are three stops in this route and you check your car at each stop, as well as at the end in your driveway. At each stop you'll be looking for leaks and listening for odd noises, allowing the motor to idle for a bit, checking for smooth running. Then turn it off and let it sit for five minutes then restart. This process will reveal many potential issues and provide a lot of valuable feedback.

Plan ahead, be prepared, but mostly, enjoy the drive!

 In praise of "Old Man's Cars!"

This is one of my favorite car ads. I especially love the old guy
 doing the Frankenstein walk out to his car!

Take off your judgement hat!

Old Man Car. That's a derogatory term that is tossed around quite a bit by young guys in general. That, and the term "Chick Car."

There are other terms that are used, "penalty box" or the ever popular, term P.O.S. I imagine that you know what THAT means. Sometimes that is more of a description than a judgement! 

Judgement and derision. There are more names like "Ricer." Just an attempt to discredit what someone else likes and drives, as in, "Bro Dozer. " Of course anyone that goes around "Rolling Coal" deserves a bit of derision.

My Dad once told me that people only drive what they can afford. Or what they can stretch to afford,  I added that last part. More judgement! 

You are what you drive, (who told you that?) most people try to buy the best car that they can. When you're young, you  ACTUALLY  think that other people care about what you drive. 

Judge me all you want, Just keep the verdict to yourself! 

Good advice, I don't need or want to hear it! 

It's kind of like when a guy decides that he wants to grow a mustache. The only people that are going to comment on it are his friends and family. I doubt that anyone on the street is going to stop that young man and tell them, "That 'stache looks terrible on you, YOU are not a mustache person!" 

Not that that young man should care, I've sported a 'stache since I could grow one, going on fifty years. Once I was out of high school anyone that met me, met me in all my mustachioed glory. They wouldn't know anything different! 

This morning I opened up Curbside Classics and what did I see? A nice article on the '63 Buick Riviera, one of GM's styling triumphs. Was this Buick an old man's car? It wasn't cheap, it cost quite a bit more than a compact car, and I would imagine that the typical buyer would have to have a good enough job to handle this purchase. The buyer would have been someone well into a successful career, thereby... older.

I think the buyer in '68 was much the same.

But not really an Old Man, I imagine the buyers being in their very late 30's or most likely, early 40's. That would have seemed old to me as a teenager, but I would consider them a "younger" person from my current perspective! These Rivieras seemed to be for someone on their way up, or already on a higher plateau. Some one with a lot of style and a zest for life. 

I suppose that a dynamic younger person, or a slightly older person who considered themselves as such,  might have bought a new Corvette Stingray.

There was also an article about a '76 Cadillac Sedan de Vlle. These were the biggest Cadillacs ever built. They were the end of the line for American big cars. As I once read, these cars were actually the end of the 1950's!  Was this an Old Man's car? Yes, I'd have to say that. Back in the 1940's through the 1950's, and even into the early 1960's,  Cadillacs were seen as the best there was. They were fast and rakish, even younger buyers thought they were desirable. Remember that even Elvis bought a new purple '57 Cadillac convertible. They really appealed to older Boomers.

By the arrival of the '70's, the over sized car was out of fashion. It was the older buyer that felt that a big car like this represented success. The younger buyers had plenty of alternatives. The Eldorado or Lincoln Mark appeared more youthful, even though they weren't appreciably smaller. There were also expensive imported sports models gaining in popularity.

Nobody wants to be confused for their "Pappy!"

Young people, especially males, like fast cars, or at least cars that sound fast. If they don't sound fast enough from the factory, they will modify them until they do. The proof of this is clear by how many cars will roar past you today and rattle your cars windows!

Besides the noise, they have to constantly zig and zag through traffic, usually with only incremental reductions in travel time. Zoom Zoom! 

The Sturm and Drang of youth fades, and eventually most guys don't feel the need to announce their arrival like a burst of artillery. The need to cut and thrust through traffic diminishes, and the more mature person starts to appreciate a quieter, smooth, calmer, type of vehicle. 

Also something that is reliable and trouble free, by the time that you're in your 60's you can do without surprises and "adventures," you just want to get where you're going. 

Would this be the Old Man's car? Maybe.

The more mature individual will usually have a few more bucks to spend, and would likely prefer something that is nice, maybe even brand new. Prestige starts to be a factor as they are in the later portion of their life, and the purchase of this car is likely viewed as a reward. Sometimes long overdue.

These thoughts appeared to me as I took another drive in the country to the Casa de Fruta. This time in my Navigator. The Navigator personifies a lot of the virtues of the old school  American Luxury car. It's big and impressive looking with a lot of presence. It's quiet and smooth riding, with a very nice interior. It's definitely not a fuel efficient or performance tuned vehicle. It's just a very nice vehicle to drive or ride in. It is very successful at it's mission.

I saw several later model Corvettes out on the road that morning. It was a great morning and a nice road to drive with the top down. This wasn't a highway that called for razor sharp handling or sizzling acceleration, though the Corvettes can provide that. They can also provide a smooth comfortable ride with every desirable luxury feature. The Vette has blended performance with every luxury except extra space, and has become a very appealing machine. 

I noticed that the drivers were all middle aged, I would have referred to them as "Old Men" when I was in my teens. In fact, Corvettes, in my experience, have always appealed to the slightly older driver. I seldom saw them driven by young people. That always made a lot of sense. who else could afford to buy them, pay the insurance, and have a second more practical car for everyday use? 

So does that make them an Old Man's Car? 

The old adage is that "You can sell a young man's car to an old man, but you can't sell an old man's car to a young man." This has pretty much been true over the years. Older guys looking for a special car usually look for something sporty. The mid life crisis convertible is a well known cliche. The old guy wants to drive something that reinforces the idea that HE still has " a tiger in his tank!"

The old guy also wants to drive something that is a cut above the rest, a bit more prestigious, and therefore a bit more expensive. After all he's not a broke kid working at the corner gas station anymore. 

"Pipe and slippers" is a term that has been applied to Jaguars in the past. The sports models had been coveted by youngsters who couldn't afford them. The large XJ series was designed and marketed to the more mature driver, in fact Jaguar has always directed their marketing to the more mature buyer. 

One of my former co workers, who happens to be a bit older than me, bought himself a Hell Cat and a new Camaro SS. He says that he enjoys taking them to Cars and Coffee events. That makes sense, they are interesting cars that garner a lot of attention. They are also new cars that don't need any work. And, he can afford them.

I just hope that he keeps the mufflers on them!

 Advice for someone wanting to get into the vintage car game. Part One.

Cars like this aren't very common anymore.

These might be more familiar.

An overview and an introduction to the basic principles. These are of course, only my opinions based on my experience. I only offer them as advice and guidance, I'm sure that other people might have different opinions.

First of all, you have to think about what your desires are. Note that I said desires, not needs. Nobody really needs a collector car. Owning old hobby cars is a luxury, just ask your Wife! Generally it is not an investment. Sometimes you can gain the value of the car's use, but there is no guarantee that you will make any money, chances are you will likely lose money, but be assured; you will be spending money. 

So a very good question that you need to ask yourself is, can I afford to do this? If you don't have the money to buy the car, maintain and fix it, and handle other expenses like insurance etc. it might be better to put this off to a better time. 

If you're just getting started, you might be considering a car that could function as a second daily car, or perhaps a third car. But still something that can still be used regularly. You can drive your hobby car while leaving the family car available for your spouse's use.

This is the wisest course of action for the beginner. A later model car will be more practical, easier and safer to drive in heavy traffic, more comfortable and probably get better fuel economy. 

In this hobby everything, and I mean everything, hinges on money. How much you have to spend. You are either going to spend it up front or spend it over time. Believe me, this is the cardinal principal. 

This will determine what era your car will come from. It determines what condition the car will be in. 

For the person wanting to dabble, it's best to look for something that is not too old, but something that you find interesting. Cars that were common when you started noticing and caring about them. I was born in the 1950's but grew up in the '60's and was in high school in the early '70's. My interest has been in cars from the '50's through the 1970's. I've had a couple of '50's and '60's cars, but they were only 10-20 years old at the time. They were still in pretty good shape, and they were cheap. 1950's cars are now much more expensive and they are of course, even older.

To be honest, it will be more important to find something that is in good overall condition. This will actually be more important than the specific type or model of car.

Believe me, you cannot start with a hog's ear and end up with a silk purse. I've tried it, and it doesn't usually work out. 

The ideal is to find a car in good original condition, that has been well maintained, and with low mileage. 

I can hear you out there saying, "Sure, as if those actually exist!"

Oh they do, the trick is to find one!

In the past, most cars didn't last very long. Prior to the 1980's, but especially in the 1950's and '60's,  an engine was generally good for only around 50,000 miles, but with an overhaul could potentially reach 100,000 miles. Automatic transmissions might make it to 50,000 miles.

Rust proofing of cars was rudimentary at best, and rust has always been the enemy of the old car community. 

So what makes a car a good candidate for your first  hobby car?

Remember one word:  Condition, Condition, and Condition! 

Start with the best car that you can find and afford.This is the third principle. This is the hardest principle to learn and accept.

While anything can be fixed, and there are guys out there performing miracles, for your first car, it would be nice to find something that you can just preserve, maintain, and improve. Not rebuild and restore. Remember that phrase, "preserve and maintain." 

A word about patina and barn finds.

Patina has been corrupted to mean acres of surface rust and shredded interiors. Actual patina is evidence of continued constant care along with evidence of sympathetic use. 

Barn Finds are all the rage. Barn finds are vehicles that were abandoned in the past, usually protected somewhat in a structure for that period. They vary in their condition, but most have not run or moved in over twenty years. These usually have frozen engines with internal rust, brake systems full of rust, interiors that small animals, usually mice, have been nesting in. 

Another rage is the "abandoned twenty years, will it start?" phenomenon. Carelessly trying to start an engine that has sat for decades can ruin an engine that might have been more carefully brought back to life. 

This not to say that you can't find a car that has been sitting behind a barn for thirty years, and has been home to generations of raccoons, and covered with a thick layer of bird droppings and dirt, and build it into a show winner. It has been done. But there are just so many factors working against your success. 

That brings up another couple factors: available energy and level of gumption.

These factors are almost as important as money. The first is how much enthusiasm can you bring to the project? The second is, can you maintain this energy over time and stick to the job. It's the lack of these things that will produce those barn finds and abandoned projects.  

So the point is: don't try to get involved with something that is going to overtax your resources. You could start with an '80's Monte Carlo or '90's Mustang and have an enjoyable car that you could use right away. There are still a lot of mechanics around that will work on these machines. Parts are more readily available. You can still find an example that is in good original condition with reasonable mileage. These types of cars can make a pleasant and enjoyable project. 

I have found that my enthusiasm starts to fade rapidly if I can't drive my hobby car. I have realized that it is best to buy something that you can drive right away, and start to develop a bond with.

As I found with my '51 Jaguar, important parts like those needed to restore the brakes and hydraulic clutch system were hard to source and very expensive. My '51 was complete, and it was cheap to buy, but it was hard to wrap my head around the fact that rebuilding the clutch and brakes would cost me almost three times what I paid for it. And it was still going to need some work to the engine to get it running again. Sure it could have been done, but it would have taken a great amount of commitment to the project, and I just didn't love the car that much. 

If you are thinking about getting a hobby car, then I'm sure that you have been checking out CraigsList and Facebook, looking for likely prospects. It helps to think about the type of older classic car that you might like, and look at the later versions of that particular model. For example, Corvettes have been available continuously since 1953, but C4 and C5 models are affordable. Mustangs and Camaros have also been around for a long time. Each generation has had their fans. The Buick Riviera, Thunderbird, Monte Carlo and other personal luxury cars were produced into the late '90's and even into the new Millennium. Sports cars like the Porsche 911 and Boxster have been around for quite awhile, though I don't know that I'd recommend either for a beginner. Miatas have become a modern classic and they are often well cared for by their owners. There are lots of pick up trucks available and later models have more comfort options and nicer interiors than the old classics. The same thing with SUVs. 

Imported cars, primarily Japanese makes are usually a good choice. Some like the Nissan Z have been in production for a long time. Others like the Honda Prelude, Acura Integra and especially the Legend, have been gone for years. Lexus has been building rear wheel drive sports sedans for a long time, the IS and GS series.

Later models of "Classic" nameplates won't be exactly like their forebears, the Dodge Charger returned as a four door, but it has been embraced by fans. The "new" Challenger displays the kind of styling that excites Mopar fans and both have evolved into awesome performance machines. While these are newer and more expensive than the type of hobby cars that I've been describing in this post, they are still more attainable than the original models. 

In future posts I'll be sharing my experiences and observations. Seek and Ye shall find!