Let's name some 30 year old daily drivers

[packratbimmer]

Now that I posted this, I am realizing that old Volvos are plentiful on the roads around here. Interesting comment about the wiring made above. Is it soy based and rodent attractive?

[Kershaw]

I see so many Volvo 240s still on the road. It was my first car, solid option for sure.

People daily Vanagons, but I can't imagine why. They must be nuts.

[varg]

Surprised XJs haven't made the list. They're solid, but gas mileage is pretty meh.

Which XJ? These days Jeep XJs seem to be either nice but expensive, hacked up trail rigs, or clapped out garbage. And Jaguar XJs are only good as a domestic V8 recipient

Now that I posted this, I am realizing that old Volvos are plentiful on the roads around here. Interesting comment about the wiring made above. Is it soy based and rodent attractive?

I don't know what it is made out of, but it falls apart and the wires short out. I'm sure an untold number of Volvos have wound up in the junkyard because of it at this point. It is a well documented problem. Sending a bunch of cars to the junkyard prematurely because the wiring insulation was biodegradable sure was an eco friendly move, eh? Morons

[zwill23]

Which XJ? These days Jeep XJs seem to be either nice but expensive, hacked up trail rigs, or clapped out garbage. And Jaguar XJs are only good as a domestic V8 recipient

Hah! I definitely had Jeeps in mind, I haven't heard of any reliable 30 year old jags out there. Jeep XJs are on a similar trend to the E30, but if we're just thinking daily driver status I see clean 2wd variants on craigslist quite a bit at least down here in Texas. Not the ideal Cherokee, but 2wd is enough to get the job done.

[rjmcdermott81]

XJs are really great.

I daily'd a 93 Ford Ranger for years and years with absolutely zero problems. 4 banger with a 5-speed was plenty for 95% of what I needed to do from a truck perspective.

[rjmcdermott81]

Hah! I definitely had Jeeps in mind, I haven't heard of any reliable 30 year old jags out there. Jeep XJs are on a similar trend to the E30, but if we're just thinking daily driver status I see clean 2wd variants on craigslist quite a bit at least down here in Texas. Not the ideal Cherokee, but 2wd is enough to get the job done.

What's amazing is how much of a beating those things will take. My XJ had zero oil pressure at idle on hot days for the three years I drove it and I overheated it one day pushing the limits to get it home when the coolant system was failing. Engine still ran perfectly fine with zero issues afterward. Great end of the world cars IMO.

[zwill23]

What's amazing is how much of a beating those things will take. My XJ had zero oil pressure at idle on hot days for the three years I drove it and I overheated it one day pushing the limits to get it home when the coolant system was failing. Engine still ran perfectly fine with zero issues afterward. Great end of the world cars IMO.

The way people are talking about this virus the end of the world might just be upon us :P

[Andrew325is]

Other E30s without an M20b25... I think all the E30 engines are pretty reliable. I've seen half million mile M42 cars. I think the M40 had a few issues, but of course they weren't sold in NA. I'll also say Volvo 240 and Mercedes 190e. I still see 80s & 90s Honda Accords & Civics on the road and some old Toyota Camrys.

[ZeKahr]

E30 325e - low revving torquey engine makes it the best E30 engine to daily, esp with automatic transmission. These engines will clock diesel miles due to their low revving nature. Probably the best looking 80s car ever made.

Mercedes 240D (W123) - there’s a reason these are still being used as taxis in Morocco. Unfortunately these are slow to the point of being undriveable.

Volvo 240 - probably the safest 80s car given how much people waffleswaffleswaffleswaffleswaffles out about the lack of safety in 80s cars. Side note: what is it 240 and being a fantastic 30 year old daily? 240 must have been a magic number back in the 1980s

80s Toyotas Corollas/Honda Civics - built like tanks but are cheap feeling Asian tin cans with shitty driving characteristics and hideous looks

[doctorx]

I prefer my shitboxes to be French, so Le Car for me.

i miss mine... had one in high school.

[doctorx]

my other vehicle is a 92 GMC sonoma that my grandpa bought new. Still runs and have repainted it. Havent done much with the engine outside of maint and replaceing valve seals and springs.

[MayaWilson]

I daily my E30, but if you want something more comfy nothing will beat a 190e

[Fraser]

While none of my cars are typical "daily driver" as in daily 20 mile work commute or anything like that, they are all ready for use at any moment and rarely let me down.

1978 Ford F-150. Dirt simple and pretty bulletproof
1989 Toyota Pickup, 3.4 swap from later 4runner/Tacoma
1988 325iX, turbo, all sorts of crap bolted to it
1985 Porsche 944

I probably drive the Porsche the most, while the Toyota is the one that gets driven across the country. I would go so far as to say a well maintained 80's/90's vehicle is debatably quite a bit more reliable than many more complicated modern cars....

[Garemie]

'88 Suzuki Samurai
'88 BMW 325ix

[phillipj]

While none of my cars are typical "daily driver" as in daily 20 mile work commute or anything like that, they are all ready for use at any moment and rarely let me down.

1978 Ford F-150. Dirt simple and pretty bulletproof
1989 Toyota Pickup, 3.4 swap from later 4runner/Tacoma
1988 325iX, turbo, all sorts of crap bolted to it
1985 Porsche 944

I probably drive the Porsche the most, while the Toyota is the one that gets driven across the country. I would go so far as to say a well maintained 80's/90's vehicle is debatably quite a bit more reliable than many more complicated modern cars....

+1, less electronics and less to go wrong = more reliable.

I always wondered if a mid to late model 944 would be a good daily. I constantly wonder about daily driving a late 90's r129 SL500 instead of my e30.
My e30 is my daily and has never let me down. And long distance we are up to (5) 2000+ mile road trips.