# Daily Driver or Non Daily Driver?



## NJG8GT (Nov 14, 2007)

I am just curious to see how many people use their GTO for daily driving and those who don't use them as daily drivers. Right now, I only have a 06 GTO which I use, and my wife has a 07 Tahoe which she mainly uses. We use the Tahoe when we go most places with the two young children. I Take the GTO on nice days and right now i get picked up for work. I have GTO for one year this mid January and just eclipsed 1000 mile mark. Just wondering if I should be using it more or stay with what I am doing and maybe one day get a beater to run around in so that the GTO one day will be in good shape for my now five month old son? Thanks to all.


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## 69bossnine (Aug 9, 2007)

I can't really say that my GTO is my "daily" driver, it's more like my "primary" driver... It shoulder's the lion's share of the work, splitting time between my fair-weather-only Carrera S and older classic cars... It does an admirable job at making me grin while serving as a work-horse... I've laid-on 2500 miles in roughly 4 months of ownership...

Once I get done with my "freshening" of my '67 GTO HO 4-speed (decided to install power-steering, which wound up snowballing into pulling the engine, doing a full engine-compartment detail, re-gasketed and resprayed the engine, blasted/coated exhaust manifolds, replate the carb, new Gardner exhaust, some fresh interior bits like dash trim, armrest bases, sail panels, etc...), I fully intend to drive it A BUNCH, which'll have my '06 sitting more... 

Funny how simple projects always snowball..."well, now that I've got the entire front of the motor disassembled, and the exhaust unhooked, it's only a few more bolts just to yank 'er, and then....", click-click-click, the dominos fall...  

I'm finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, the '67 should be heating up the tires in another week or-so..


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## macgto7004 (Jul 22, 2007)

Mine is not my DD, I have a BMW 323i Sportwagon for that. But, I do take my GTO out whenever the weather is good because of the boner I get everytime I drive it.
The 70 is a summer only cruise/show ride.

Russ


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## 06brazengto (Sep 21, 2007)

my Gto's a weekend fun car.
i have not driven it much, only has (153 miles lol) 
and it aint coming out till all the salt and crap is gone.


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## PDQ GTO (Jun 21, 2007)

DD for me. Round trip to work and back home is 8.5 miles. Had the Goat since March 06, and have just under 13k.


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## Tsker79 (Mar 18, 2005)

*Daily Driver*

My Winter tires are on ( 3rd Winter). What does that tell you!!!


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## Langor (Nov 2, 2007)

My GTO is my daily driver. The car I had before it is now the one that sits, 98 Eclipse. lol. It sits not because I value it, its because I never want to drive it after getting my GTO.


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## GTOsarge (Oct 9, 2007)

Drive it on nice days only. My 04 Ford Ranger is my DD.


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## 06LS2GTO (Dec 21, 2007)

My 06 started out as a DD. Bought it in Nov 06 drove it daily until March 07 when at 3,800 miles I got about a 14 inch crack in the windshield. So, I promptly got a beater at 4,300 miles. I was driving it about 80 miles a day round trip. 
Drive it a few hundred miles a month. Sitting at about 6,400 miles. Have not gotten to drive it since Thanksgiving. Hope to drive Christmas. Otherwise it sits in the garage. I love it. Cannot wait to pay it off and buy a new generation Camaro when they come out.


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## Lapres_3 (Mar 2, 2007)

Mine is a daily driver from April untill November... or when it snows. Then it becomes a garage queen... How should i vote? It was nice out today, should have had it out, but got home from work late... Maybe tomarrow.


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## 05GTO (Oct 6, 2004)

My DD is a 2007 2500 HD duramax,


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## raspantienator (Nov 20, 2007)

Spring, summer and fall only for mine. I often debate how far I should go interms of keeping the GTO super clean and with very low miles. I love the car but it's not a classic and when it finally is old enough to qualify for that status, one can only assume the car will merit some value in automotive history to become a classic. 

There is much plastic on these cars and even when I initially cleaned around the wheel wells, I felt the skirts bending and wiggling. You have to wonder if these pieces will stand the test of time.

So treat it like a classic , or drive it daily, or combine the two into a lovely trail mix- I don't know my direction as of yet but I am concerned if this car can hold my interest over time. I brought it for that reason, but I wonder it the materials, design, and function will increase in value as time goes on for me. 
Sorry..I get passionate over these things.


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## m289d (Nov 6, 2007)

The GTO is the only vehicle I own. Purchased in July 06 with 20 miles. Currently has just over 20,000 miles (Dec 07). As much as the GTO may be worth more in the future if I keep low miles on it, I bought it to drive it. I love every second I am in it. "...the question is, when you turn your car on, does it return the favor?" Yes it does.


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## PontiacGuy (Apr 22, 2006)

My 70 mile round-trip commute is split between the GTO and my old Sonoma truck. The GTO goes most days when the weather is good. I've got 20k miles on it after 20 months of ownership. I bought the car to drive it!

I get to work at least 5 minutes faster with the goat than with the truck, even though I drive the same speed. Must be some sort of theory of relativity thing...


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## 242379 (Dec 3, 2006)

*Daily driver*

I bought it new on 12/14/06, one year and 20,000 miles later and I couldn't be happier. I try to avoid snow but sometimes you can't, I just wash all the salt off. Since I bought the 2006 GTO, my '87 Turbo Regal sits on a battery tender and my '69 GTO is for sale...what does that tell you.
arty:


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## JerseyGoat (Dec 2, 2005)

Year round daily driver. I bought new in Nov 2006 and im at 6300 miles.


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## LOWET (Oct 21, 2007)

*Daily Driver or non daily driver*

My 05 GOAT is used mostly for weekend duty . I have too many other items to use.


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## Bowdy's GTO (Dec 15, 2007)

Mine is just a nice day car...have a 4 banger for daily driving...


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## 1gto (Dec 3, 2006)

Only on good days I have a 94 sidekick to drive to work. Fire fighter so the car just sits outside for 24 hrs till shift is over. Also have 99 WS-6 so time is split between 05 CGM M6. Luv them both but must admit I do drive GTO more.


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## talspa (Aug 2, 2007)

Mine has never been my daily driver, but I still have 54,000 miles on her. But I have been driving her much less.


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## abright52 (Dec 17, 2006)

Bought it new almost a year ago. 17K miles from my 70 mile daily commute. Drove it 99% of the time until about a month ago when I inherited my wife's 2001 Sunfire when I bought her a 2005 Equinox AWD. Still drive my 96 Blazer 4x4 when we get a decent amount of snow...nice to have some options. :rofl:


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## 05GTO6SPEED (Oct 31, 2006)

not the dd ive got an s10 for the daily comute lol


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## Mr. Black (Apr 10, 2006)

Full daily driver capable. 

I have other vehicles to drive but I still drive the GTO unless it is icy or snowing. 

I refuse to own a car that will just be parked in the garage and stared at.


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## 6QTS11OZ (Mar 27, 2005)

I have a 2004 Maxima SL I drive most of the time.

Click photo to enlarge; 

When I have a need for speed I take the goat out. I do have about 34,500 miles on the goat.


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## OldDog (Mar 1, 2007)

*Daily Driver*

Mine is a Daily driver as well. 2005 with 47K on it. I am loving every minute of it. It still looks and runs great. I had a garage queen before I bought this GTO so I decided, I wanted to enjoy the car more rather than worry about wearing off the "new". No regrets so far.


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## PhantomTiger (Feb 15, 2005)

Not a DD. I drive mine on weekends for fun. I also enjoy maintaining my GTO, and applying Zaino. Just passed 3k on the odo.


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## raspantienator (Nov 20, 2007)

I already posted my reply but I am here a few days later wondering still. This is a very very good question and I can see from being on this forum for a short while, that we each have our own particular way of living with a car we all love. 
I think I am treating my GTO all wrong. I treat it as a classic but it really should be driven hard and often. Perhaps I need to have a classic again or start driving this machine through the year.
I still may trade her in for a classic muscle car once again.


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## NJG8GT (Nov 14, 2007)

*Me Too!!*



raspantienator said:


> I already posted my reply but I am here a few days later wondering still. This is a very very good question and I can see from being on this forum for a short while, that we each have our own particular way of living with a car we all love.
> I think I am treating my GTO all wrong. I treat it as a classic but it really should be driven hard and often. Perhaps I need to have a classic again or start driving this machine through the year.
> I still may trade her in for a classic muscle car once again.


I may have the same syndrome. Soon there will be no new GTO's left. I'm afraid if I bang something up it will never be the same. I don't know, I still won't drive it in snow or salty roads. I have been caught in the rain, no big deal. In spring, summer, and fall I try to use it more. Just pasted 1,030 miles. Maybe I need to buy a 70 GTO or 70 Chevelle to keep in the garage and stare at and like you said, drive it like it's meant to be driven!


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## gclcpa (Jan 9, 2005)

*Mine is a daily driver.*

I bought my 04 new in January 2005 with 15 miles on the odometer. I am now approaching 65,000 miles.


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## bklyn77 (Apr 17, 2007)

I would love to let me GTO sit in the garage, but my addiction to the speed/rumble just will not let me leave it alone!!!!! I'm at 15,800 since Nov 07...


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## raspantienator (Nov 20, 2007)

Just like finding a late 60's muscle car with low miles and good condition today, those of us that will keep the miles low for whatever reason, may have a classic 20 years down the road. Maybe we will be too old to appreciate the car then, but perhaps our children can will have a classic.

I'm older and more likely to think that way. If I owned this car at 25, I would have a different perspective.

Wish I were 25:lol:


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## 69bossnine (Aug 9, 2007)

IMHO, there is no "moral obligation" when it comes to how much you drive any particular car... They are machines, yet we insist upon placing ridiculous emotionally-based edicts upon them like "they are meant to be driven", yada yada yada...

Yes, a car is constructed to be driven... But it's also designed to please the eye, the senses, and the owner overall. Bottom-line, it's not "meant" for anything beyond pleasing the owner, WHATEVER THAT MIGHT ENTAIL...

If the first owner hardly drives the damn thing, and croaks 30-years later, having thoroughly enjoyed the novelty of his little "keepsake", what's wrong with that?..... All that means is that the second owner has a lovely-condition mechanically-fresh GTO, 30-plus-years-old, that he can choose to do with in whatever way pleases HIM, and so-on, to the next owner and the next... The car that spends the first 10-30 years of its life being used sparingly, is the car that is out being enjoyed TO THE HILT well after all the daily-drivers have been crushed and/or parted-out... I think most on here consider themselves fans of classic muscle cars, but do you understand that their relative rarity and high-values are very attributable to attrition, i.e. most of them have been lost to the crusher and the scrap-yard? Think of all the cars that are now "dust": Hemis, Cobra Jets, SS454's, because the original owner had the attitude of "f*** it, it was meant to be DRIVEN, and that's all I care about..."

If every GTO owner buckled to these ridiculous and romanticized perceptions that there's some moral and ethical obligation to drive the snot out of the car every day, every month, every year, spending every free moment just orbiting the neighborhood just to make sure the car is being used "as it was meant to be" (and who, pray tell, is the car God that dictates these car-use-commandments??), then 10-years from now you'd have every 04-06 GTO that was ever built, worn-out and used-up...

Yeah, you can rebuild them, but there's always a feasiblity-factor, as often the cost of restoration far-exceeds the finished-value. And nothing restored ever drives or operates exactly like when it was new, that's just the way it goes...

I think it's ALL GOOD... For those who use their Goats daily, and enjoy every minute of it, that's exactly what you should do...

And for those who save it for special occassions, you're getting a different kind of enjoyment... Less frequency, but far-more exhileration-factor-per-drive, as it's more of a special occassion than a daily-reality... And your car lasts longer, you keep it longer, you enjoy it longer...

However you use it, it all works out equal in my eyes.... You can drive it daily, and use up its reasonable operating lifespan rapidly, or you can drive it sparingly, and spread your ownership and useability over a longer span of time..

The car doesn't give two hoots either way, although I tend to think it's nice, EITHER WAY YOU GO, when the owner makes his best effort to afford the car great care and service, so it gets the most utility and pride possible per-mile.

There's nothing more obscene then a blatantly abused and neglected car... That falls into the "consumer-mentality" trend of our society... Use it like toilet-paper, and then flush it and replace it with a new roll...

Whether it's your daily, or your occassional, just do right by your nice future-collectible...


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## PAULCAPASSO (Dec 25, 2007)

Daily Driver Here! Got Rid Of A Silverado 2500hd For It. Much Easier In The Pockets With Gas Mileage And Cost. Plus Another 100 Horsepower

05 Ls2 M6 Red Jba Hedders, Flowmasters Res Delete And Hp Tuners.


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## raspantienator (Nov 20, 2007)

Very well stated 69boss9!arty:


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## 242379 (Dec 3, 2006)

For those of you that want a classic car for nice days and local cruise nights, PM me, I have a nice 1969 GTO that needs a home. I have too many cars and the '69 is the odd man out. $19k


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