Re: Easy driver?

Posted by Craig the Clipper Man On 2014/1/28 13:00:07

While I tend to veer toward Let The Ride Decide's philosophy, I am not afraid to drive my Clipper in traffic and on high-speed highways. People did not baby their cars in the 1950s and 1960s and I think that as long as your cars are properly maintained and serviced, there is no particular reason why you shouldn't drive them like you would any modern car.

This is not to say that I a compulsion to beat new cars off the line or try to keep up with the fools doing 85 mph down I-95. My car is an old car and is simply not as safe as a late-model vehicle with crumple zones, air bags, 3-point seat belts, and anti-lock disc brakes. My car also represents an investment for me and as such, I feel a strong desire to take good care of it and protect it as best that I can. That includes not trying to push it to its limits to see how fast it can go.

I think the key here is to drive your car the way that you feel most comfortable. You have a couple of great cars and you have nothing to prove. I think it is a good idea now and then to take your cars out and run them for a good while at highway speeds because it does your engine good to blow out any carbon build up you might develop after they sit for awhile. It is also a good way to detect any latent problems with the car that you can see in a walk-around.

I have to disagree with Mr. Peterson on his adherence to bias ply tires. They simply do not handle as well as radials, do not last as long, and do not give you better fuel economy. They may have been the best tires available in 1956, but they are not the best now. Just because these cars did not have seat belts in 1956 should not deter you from installing seat belts today. If you are going to drive a 1950s car in 2014, I think it ought to be as safe as you can reasonably make it.