Actually, 6', 170lbs. Must confess I get a chuckle out of those who want to modify the steering column or steering wheel to get more "belly room". I'm thinking wouldn't the money/time be better spent on a gym membership?
But I'm not here to judge. I'm just here to enjoy the peeps and share stuff about these old trucks.

 

Ya, and a Grant steering wheel will do nothing for overall health, either. I like your thinking.


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So in summation we can say:
Downtown L.A. would be a bit awkward but feel free to use your old truck as a daily driver if you want. However please be carefull it's 50 yr old technology so you and other drivers do have a somewhat increased chance of getting in an accident and getting hurt.

In regards to your question I wouldn't say my bone stock on 33's 63 f250 4x4 is my daily driver but I do drive 60mi round trip to work occasionally in it and also to town, usually to the lumber yard. Issues? Not much really it doesn't handle real well and the drum brakes are what they are so I stay back from other vehicles and drive slow.

 

With all due respect, an attentive driver driving 50yr old technology has far less chance of having an accident than the chick drivng the new Mercedes equipped with multiple airbags, crush zones, navigation system, computerized brakes, etc while she's texting, talking on the phone, doing her hair and putting on makeup......yes, this happens in downtown LA....

 

lol good point. Sometimes I think we tend to forget good defensive driving skills are the most important thing in regards to safety.

 

As a long time former resident of WLA and a S/M native, this probably occurs far more often on the Westside than it does in downtown LA.

Coupla months ago I was at my barber, who is located on Montana, just west of 11th Street.

While getting a haircut, heard this BANG...went outside...a texting teen ager driving a newish Mercedes had rammed the car in front of her.

It was a Lexus, driven by another teenager.

 

As we all know we can be safe in our trucks. Defensive driving is a must. I for one have been driving big stuff for most of my life. I drove trash trucks for over 20 years. (No accidents) I know drive Heavy Equipment for the past 7 years. (No accidents)
I was driving a work truck along a road where speed limit is 45, up ahead was a road to the right that "t'd" into the road I was on. A young girl maybe 17 was approaching the stop sign that "t'd" into the road I was on, she did not stop. I had enough time to hit brakes then swerve to the right cause I knew I was going to hit her. Her eyes were as big as pumpkins when she saw me. She froze with the cell phone against her head. I slid coming to a stop inches away from her little blue car. When the smoke cleared she took off, I wanted to yell at her but I think she learned a lesson that day.
In my personal truck, my 64, people are looking at the truck instead of the road. Defensive driving comes into play. For some reason they want me to acknowledge them so I can see a thumbs up, hell I'm to busy trying to get out of their way.
No matter what you drive there are idiots and inexperienced drivers, so you best know how to drive what your in. Accidents can happen know matter what you drive.

 

I can relate to all this, living in So Cal and driving old vehicles all my life. Defensive is the best you can do. Last Saturday I drove my 57 Ranchero to San Diego to visit the grand kids. My best defense is leaving at 5am and getting there before the idiots hit the road, because they all leave late and are in a hurry and if they drive 90mph they can make up two minutes they lost..

 

Being a fellow Slick Highboy driver, you should know that the radius of the wheel is inversely proportional to upper body strength.

 

You know those California drivers, right hand on the steering wheel, left hand for the horn and for flipping people off!

Sound familiar? commute time in CA.

 

If you click on the "64 F100 Shop Truck Build Thread" you can see my build and what I did.

I drove my virtually stock 64 f100 for over 2 years as my daily driver. I live in a smaller town, and only drove it long distance (by long distance I mean 150 total miles...haha) on a freeway 1 time in that 2 years which was a nightmare! I was always driving slower than traffic and prepared for everything while driving. The one upgrade I did was put throttle body injection on the 292 y-block. The stock 2 barrel was so problematic, it was by far the best upgrade (and the only really) I did in terms of having a reliable daily driver. It was so unreliable with the carb, but never let me down once after I put the injection on it.

Now my truck is completely different and to compare the before and after in terms of safety would be a joke. My truck is SO much safer now, if only considering that I am in much better control now than I was when it was stock. I almost T boned a girl that pulled out in front of me when it was stock, and that NEVER would have even been close to an accident the way it is now. Only reason I didn't hit her was that the truck pulled to the left so hard when slamming on the brakes that it pitched me left and I let back off the brakes and was able to steer around her because I got turned so much by the brakes. I would have just casually come to a stop the way it is now.

Also, I have towed a truck on my car trailer with my truck now, and taken many long trips in it since the swap. I have put more miles on it in the last 5 months than I did in the first 2 years I owned it. It still my daily, but now I actually love driving it.


Andrew

 

Exactly. I admit, using mine as a daily driver is slightly more stressful than when in my modern japanese plastic car... but the thing is, I drive safer and more focused in my f100.

And the F100 isn't really stressful, either, other than parking and unparking which with manual steering is a PITA.

Actually, the SAFER people feel in their cars, the more distractions such as texting and stuff they will do. It's an interesting discussion, though. To each his own.

 

Are the new cars really safer? As you say too many distractions. set the cruise control at 65, get the thump bump stereo pounding then lets check that talking GPS, oops, gotta turn here, oh sorry I cut you off, my GPS said to turn here?

Check the smart phone, may as well check my eBay bids also, then the email. a few minutes later we'll check craigs list and then get on the blue tooth and call CL ads. Oops, GPS says turn left here.....oops another text coming in.............. CRASH...........

Good thing the car is equipped with side air bags, you just got T-Boned by a F-100. LOL

Got Insurance? I think some people have the "I have insurance mentality go ahead hit me" my insurance company will fix it for me and give me a rental car!

I have full coverage on both classics but not the Chevy, it's an old car now worth only 1,500 bucks or less but I have lots of liability coverage on all vehicles in case it's my fault.

REMEMBER THIS "SOME PEOPLE CAN'T WALK AND CHEW BUBBLE GUM AT THE SAME TIME" and they are driving cars on a highway!

All we have to monitor is the speedo, temp gauge and the gas gauge.

 

you know, i ride a harley. driving one of these trucks seems pretty safe to me, but everything is relative, i guess.

when's the video of the old truck running head on into the new truck going to be posted? :-)

 

Good points made here, cars and trucks are much safer today, but it's almost as if the safety improvements are offset (or can be) by poor driving practices - excessive speed and inattentive driving. Vehicles are so quiet and comfortable today they sort of give a false sense of security and coupled with modern distractions can be deadly. Driving the old rigs with solid metal dash and no belts - pay attention!