Overhaulin'

Practical & Inexpensive classic American automobile to drive daily -- 1949 through 1961 -- Suggestions?

I'd rather drive a car from America's golden age than a modern one. Not talking heavy mileage here, just routine errands and modest annual mileage. What classic autos from the 50's (plus or minus a few years) are folks out there actually driving on a daily basis, or at least several times a week? Don't need a flashy standout like a 49 Merc or a 57 Chevy or a 55 T-bird [although I wouldn't rule one out if I spotted a true bargain] But I would, however, like an old faithful that's relatively-easily to find parts for, and that gets better than average gas mileage for its era. Probably a six cylinder rather than an eight? Thanks for your stories and your suggestions!

Public Comments

1. ANYTHING from that era will be more money than a new elantra/new elantra gets about 35 on the highway/check out hemmings.com for old cars to buy
2. You've got to understand that in the 1950's gasoline cost less than 25 cents per gallon, and no one really worried about fuel mileage. The average family car of that era probably got 12-15 MPG, and drove like a tank. The old fashioned drum brakes and 6-volt electrical systems were lousy and compared with modern cars of today, they were not safe or reliable transportation. All that being said, I've always loved the GM cars of the early 1950's. Chevy, Pontiac, Oldsmobile, Buick and Cadillac all had really great looking cars with relatively modern features like power brakes and steering, automatic transmissions, etc., and some of them even had air conditioning. Of course, it would take a lot of work to find and maintain a daily driver of that age, but if you can find one, it could be a really cool car to drive.
3. There's several problems you will run into with cars of that age. First, anyone who bought one of those cars today are in for a world of hurt in upgrades just to drive it. The 1950s era gasoline was leaded, so they didn't have hardened valve stems and such necessary for unleaded gas. So, just to use today's gas, you would have to rebuild the engine top to bottom. Second, the ethanol used in todays gas is known to cause problems with cars as new as 1997. Third, those cars required constant maintenance, which is fine for some, not for others. If you don't want to get dirty on a weekly, or monthly basis, don't know how to set points, adjust a carburetor or distributor, you probably shouldn't consider this for anything but a weekend cruiser. Despite what someone else said, your average family car in the 50s did get better than 15mpg, with some getting upwards and over 25mpg, you just had to work at it and keep your foot off the gas. If I were going to own a car of that style, I'd probably do what's known today as a "resto-mod" with it. That is, I would find one of those cars, and stick a modern drivetrain in it. Something like a 55 bel air with a 2001 Camaro Z28 V8 in it and the automatic transmission. 25-30mpg highway with that car, and still have a 350hp V8.