I'm looking to buy an impala 70. I was wondering if someone could tell me if its reliable once its restored and if its worth getting. I'm in my 20s and dont want to be spending all my money on a car.
You're asking the WRONG question..... what you should be asking is whether you will be safe....The answer is NO. If I were you, get a newer vehicle with electronic stability control and better MPG... Old cars are cool, however, they're not as stable as newer cars.
Tom is absolutely correct, no crumple zone, no ABS, no airbags... Think of yourself as a pilot, you wouldn't fly without safety features would you??? Your choice..... I definitely don't want old cars, I don't care how cool they look.
Less things to go wrong... maybe, but, what about the availability of replacement parts??
Finally, cars are NOT INVESTMENTS......
Is there anyway those things can be installed? I do appreciate the responses I'm considering all options, though I am still curious if those features can be added.
Guru7PV7-. Even if you had $10,000 ...you could NOT get a car from the 1970s to get the kind of mileage, 45 to 50 MPG I get on my 2009 Toyota Prius and NO, absolutely not easily install all the safety features....new cars are safer, get better mileage and less breakdowns....you sound like someone in their 20s, we were all there once..and dreamed of stuff you're thinking of. I'm going to save you the trouble of all this, take it from someone who is in their 60s.... just find a nice late model Honda Accord.... get an education, and later when you are in your 50s or 60s with a good job, then, and only then think about taking up collecting old cars for a Sunday drive...
Upgrade the ignition system to electronic and maybe convert it to disk brakes all the way around, good shocks and polyurethane suspension bushings and you will have a nice driving car. You can even convert the stock motor to fuel injection if you want to. (Keep all the original parts) Who wants a boring econo box Subaru or Honda? Classic cars that are kept mostly original and are well kept up can be a investment. I made a 500% return on my last classic.
With little trouble you can make your car as reliable as a new car and it will be so much easier and cheaper to maintain and repair.
F_O_R-. Oh, so you sold the Jaguar???
F_O_R-. Interesting that you purchased a "boring' 2015 Subaru Forester???? If you were talking about someone purchasing a Dusenberg, now, that would be an entirely different story... An old Chevy from the 70s.... nope. Cars from these years were not particularly great, especially American cars.... By the time this person makes all these special mods, it's still an old American car... with poor fuel efficiency....I would skip it...
Again, and I can't say this more more emphatically, CARS are NOT INVESTMENTS.... your Jaguar is an exception...
Grasshopper you clearly don't know investment cars. Impala's won't be a serious investment at least not for many years but kept up well it will appreciate, not depreciate and you can take that to the bank.
Jim, thanks for being the voice of reason here.... And, full of regrets never answered my direct question about whether he sold his Jaguar.. my guess is that he still has it! AND, not every car is going to be a classic.....The 1970 Impala was a gas guzzler, just average car and you are so right about the carburetors, points and condenser all archaic by today's standards.. NOT a daily driver and not particularly safe...
Grasshopper. Go on Hemming's Motor news and look at Impala's just a few years older than this one and see what they are worth ;) The Jag is sold and I am in the market for another INVESTMENT.
If I had a 1970 Impala I would go through it and upgrade a few minor items and once I was done I would not hesitate to drive it coast to coast - and back.
Thank you all for responding it means a lot. I decided I'm not going to get this classic babe and simply settle for a beater car that I can afford. One that is reliable and trustworthy. Maybe when I'm older I'll buy one of these beauties and take her out for a spin and show her in car shows.
Funny that a 4 door hard top would become desirable as these are usually the least valuable cars but a TV show can change everything at least for a while.
Jim, just curious, what is your daily driver car??
Guru7PV7-. I think that you have made a very wise decision... good for you.... If can find a mid 90s Honda Accord or a 2009 Honda Accord or Civic, you will have a trouble free vehicle...
Thanks Jim... I have a 2009 Toyota Prius in addition my 2010 Subaru Outback Limited. The Mercury is a nice cruising car....
Jim, thank you..... Unfortunately, there's a lot of people on the forum who razz me about my 2010 Subaru Outback Limited... it's in beautiful condition with only 83,000 miles... The 2.5 FOUR cylinder engine is fine for me...I don't need or want a race car, and I get 27 MPG on the road..... here's a picture.....
Jim, thanks....yes, this is a great color... I get a lot of compliments on this color.... please post a picture of your car... Here's my latest vehicle acquisition for you ...it's a 2012 Roadtrek RS Adventurous.
