Daily-ish or special occasion?

[bueller]

2 hours ago, landon said:

Still a daily commuter car for me until the snow falls. I get good use for 8 months a year although this year it's still dry in CO so have been  driving it later than usual. It performs fine in modern traffic. Freeway speeds are running 75-85 these days and we certainly have no problem with that. I like Mike's comment about horns. Oddly enough I do not have a working horn. I never could get a spring mechanism working for my aftermarket steering wheel. When I was in Houston and had to have safety inspections, I would swap out the original wheel for that so the horn would operate. I have learned over the years that heads up defensive driving is key and never feel the need to hit the horn. Always keep space around you. When a pickup truck tailgates, move over and let them pass. Stay in the fast lane as much as possible as I feel it's safer to pass than to be passed. My wife doesn't like to ride in it anymore because of it's size relative to modern vehicles. After 40 years of driving 02's I'm still having too much fun in it to be pushed off the road by others preferences. It takes more discipline, but heads up and be safe out there!       

I still keep thinking I'm going to see that silver bullet going down 70 but I'm just not in Glenwood as much this year. Have you hit 500k miles yet? Is your iX still serving winter duty? We should get tacos at Slope & Hatch some evening! #dreams -Matt

[Leucadian]

Weekend warrior for me, and local road-tripper.  It's been to Palm Springs, LA, Santa Barbara, and Ojai, but always in fair weather.

 

On occasion, I'll take it to work with me during the week, but only during daylight savings time.

 

I try to not drive at night, if I can help it...Curious if anyone else avoids night-time driving?

[landon]

1 hour ago, bueller said:

I still keep thinking I'm going to see that silver bullet going down 70 but I'm just not in Glenwood as much this year. Have you hit 500k miles yet? Is your iX still serving winter duty? We should get tacos at Slope & Hatch some evening! #dreams -Matt

Only 466k, sounds like I need to go out for more tacos!

[tzei]

Night time is fine. Although one late summer night i had a moose rushing out of forest at me, it brakes haaaard like hooves skidding on tarmac and turns running alongside me and my M2. So we went about 50 or so meters eyeballing each other and then it ran back same side it came from. Huh!

[irdave]

1 hour ago, tzei said:

Night time is fine. Although one late summer night i had a moose rushing out of forest at me, it brakes haaaard like hooves skidding on tarmac and turns running alongside me and my M2. So we went about 50 or so meters eyeballing each other and then it ran back same side it came from. Huh!

 

Fuck.  Moose are so big!  Had one trot up the river behind the house a couple weeks ago.  Huge.

 

1 hour ago, Leucadian said:

Weekend warrior for me, and local road-tripper.  It's been to Palm Springs, LA, Santa Barbara, and Ojai, but always in fair weather.

 

On occasion, I'll take it to work with me during the week, but only during daylight savings time.

 

I try to not drive at night, if I can help it...Curious if anyone else avoids night-time driving?

 

I've known some people on moto that avoid riding at night...  And the stock headlights on the car, and the size of the car, I think, do make it a little sketchy in the evening.

 

So I, too, kinda pretend I'm on a moto while driving the car- If you can see them, or they can see you, they're out to get you.

[Oldtimerfahrer]

I don't think mine was ever a daily driver, I don't commute so mine only does events and trips. Events are either regularity rallies, gymkhanas or track days...so only 4-5 of those a year and a trip somewhere close...like 300 miles round trip...off the road from around the 20th of October to end of April...

[FunElan]

Mine used to be my daily driver when it was my only vehicle. Then I got a 96 318ti, which became the "modern" car. I just recently bought a 91 Lotus Elan. I rotate the 3 and try and keep each one started at least every 2 weeks. I also make a conscious effort to NOT drive anything for a few days. I like to walk. 

[cda951]

7 hours ago, Leucadian said:

Weekend warrior for me, and local road-tripper.  It's been to Palm Springs, LA, Santa Barbara, and Ojai, but always in fair weather.

 

On occasion, I'll take it to work with me during the week, but only during daylight savings time.

 

I try to not drive at night, if I can help it...Curious if anyone else avoids night-time driving?

 

A set of H4 headlights and headlight relays will make a huge difference. If your nighttime driving is on backroads, an extra set of driving lights would also help, but at that point you will need to ensure your alternator is up to the task! 

 

Not to go too far off topic, but we just did a Lemons Rally in our 1970 Rover P6 3500S, and I knew we would be driving through the desert late at night in search of distant checkpoints. So I got a $100 set of eBay H4/H1 headlights (same 5.75" lamps as would be used in an E30) and installed a relay harness, and the result was impressive with all 4 high beams lit. I couldn't imagine doing that drive with old sealed beams like what came in all US-market cars of the era.

[cda951]

4 hours ago, FunElan said:

Mine used to be my daily driver when it was my only vehicle. Then I got a 96 318ti, which became the "modern" car. I just recently bought a 91 Lotus Elan. I rotate the 3 and try and keep each one started at least every 2 weeks. I also make a conscious effort to NOT drive anything for a few days. I like to walk. 

 

100% agreed. My girlfriend and I own seven cars and I walk most places in town, especially on weekends. But the 2002tii is a great little car for ripping around town. 

 

Lotus Elan also sounds like fun. Another car we have is one with the original Lotus engine design, a 1974 Jensen-Healey roadster, complete with a dogleg Getrag close-ratio 5-speed gearbox

[wkohler]

34 minutes ago, cda951 said:

I couldn't imagine doing that drive with old sealed beams like what came in all US-market cars of the era.

It would have been dimly lit.  Haha.

 

I certainly hope that once I get my tii running I could use it regularly.  I have a lot of other cars though.  

Edited December 3, 2021 by wkohler
Add something germane to the discussion.

[roadhog0]

Sadly mine has been moved to garage queen/weekend warrior over the years. Was my daily for a while, but I needed a truck more often. Lately I've had it parked because I need to rebuild the dizzy and haven't had the time to catch up to that project. Back in the garage for the wet season too.

['76mintgrün'02]

35 minutes ago, roadhog0 said:

Lately I've had it parked because I need to rebuild the dizzy and haven't had the time to catch up to that project.

 

Bring that thing to Kingston already.  It's been five years since you found my sun machine on CL and about that long since you've been over.  Free spins!!  I'll make tacos.

 

I've driven my car daily for the ten years I've owned it.  Aside from salty-roads-season. 

It gets wet.  It has rust.  I have a welder.

It lives in a carport in the great northwet.  p00r little 2002.

 

It's my work car, as long as I don't have to take t00 many t00ls.  The Thule racks are empowering and live in the trunk, just in case I want to drag something home; or need to haul lumber, or something. 

 

 

It's been very dependable and plenty comfortable.  It feels safer than the old VW bugs I used to drive.  Faster too!  It's pretty much stock / minus the smog stuff / plus a 32-36.  Giddy up!  I love driving that car.  I do it as often as possible.

 

Tom

[Leucadian]

11 hours ago, cda951 said:

 

A set of H4 headlights and headlight relays will make a huge difference. If your nighttime driving is on backroads, an extra set of driving lights would also help, but at that point you will need to ensure your alternator is up to the task! 

 

 

I actually have a set of H4's, and they work great!  It's less a matter of seeing and being seen, and more about everyone else on the road.  Driving around San Diego is harrowing enough nowadays, even in a car with airbags...

[OriginalOwner]

My '74tii is still a daily driver, which is to say:  it has always had current insurance & license plate tags and is ready to go at a moment's notice, and often does.

 

And as I've always done, I have another vehicle I use for the "chores" ...... chores being those short trips around town that are more "beat up" miles.  Same when I was working:  the daily commute was in a different vehicle, I didn't want to "beat up" the '74tii with daily commutes.

 

Cheers,

 

Carl

 

[chargin]

I have a triple stacked driveway but still drug the 02 out for dinner last night