Classic Cars

Recently I have been getting online ads for car dealers specializing in classic cars.  This immediately brought back fond memories of my teenage years.  You see, my first car was a classic muscle car.  A 1971 Buick Skylark which is Buick’s version of the Chevy Malibu and Pontiac Cutlass 442.  Mine was a base model with the 350 engine instead of the 400 or 455.  But it had nice lines and drove very well, at least for a car of that era.  There are times when I wish I would have kept that car.  Now I often find myself perusing the various classic car dealers online to scope out another Skylark of that vintage. 

I was fortunate to have grown up in the late 70’s and early 80’s before flitting off to college.  Most of my friends from high school drove classic cars from the 60’s as they were not considered classics at the time.  They were just affordable used cars for teenagers and college students.  Hindsight is always 20/20.  We definitely had fun cruising around town in our “muscle cars” when fuel was only $1.05 per gallon with cars that got maybe 8-10 miles per gallon.  I could fill my tank for $18 bucks.  Those were the days. 

I am seriously considering a purchase of a classic muscle car in the near future.  Not one of those frame-off restoration jobs that people only take to car shows and never drive on a regular basis.  But ideally one that is an everyday driver that I can tinker with and make some improvements so it can be a great looking classic that is reliable.  You know, the kind of car you can drive around town on the weekends and people will turn their heads and enjoy seeing a great classic still on the road. 

I have been researching cars a bit and believe it or not there are “affordable” classic muscle cars out there.  And by affordable, I mean mid teen to 30 grand.  Sure it may need some work but that is part of the fun, spending time working on a car in my spare time.  But it is also a way to create some new memories.  I am getting excited and hyped up just writing about the possibility.  The one problem I have is my garage is not large enough to hold 2 cars even though it is considered a 2-car garage.  But that is an issue to work out later.  How many of you drove classic cars when you were in your teens and college years?  I would love to hear about them.