mega thread What's the oldest car you'd feel comfortable buying if you don't have a car but have a license?

[CaliforniaSpeedKing 17]

Sooo... this title is self explanatory and just a general question, what's the oldest car you'd feel comfortable buying? For me, I'd say a 1992 is the oldest car I'd buy all things considered... but what about you guys? What's the oldest thing you'd buy and why is it the case?

[Pentium100 2,186]

My current car was made in 1982. I think I could buy a car made in 1975 or so. Older than that, I think it would be difficult to find parts for it, though I guess it would depend on the model. 

At some point it would just become impractical - vacuum operated windshield wipers are not good and most importantly parts would be rare and expensive or I would have to have them custom-made which would be even more expensive and take a long time etc. 

 

On the other hand, I would not want to buy a car made after 1985, when cars became increasingly computer-controlled, with complicated electronics, difficulty to access anything, a lot of expensive parts etc.

[SharpWit 2,714]

I'm not supposed to answer because I don't have a license, but my dad used to drive a VW beetle from the 60s. I don't know much at all about cars, but the little thing sped along great and the engine was tiny. I've gotten used to riding higher in a truck, and that thing had a few holes in the floor so I could see the road. Not sure I'd be up for that again, but not entirely against it either.

[Dreambiscuit 10,164]

I’d be comfortable with any car if it’s been well maintained. Cars can be good for decades under the right circumstances, but granted, most aren’t that well maintained. That being said, I don’t think I’d go past the early-mid ‘90s in general, because people treat their equipment like crap and you have to expect the worst of anything too old.

Edited January 14 by Dreambiscuit

[Fluttershutter 2,536]

Generally I wouldn't want to buy a car that's more than five years old because you never really know if there's something worng with it. Now if you're a car lover buying a fifty year old classic car I guess you know what to look for and know that somebody really cared for the car all that time. But it would still be an unsafe gas gussler not for day to day use.

[Pentium100 2,186]

27 minutes ago, Fluttershutter said:

But it would still be an unsafe gas gussler not for day to day use.

I would rather the car use a bit more gas than if it was overly complicated and difficult to service. For example, on some cars you need to take the engine out to be able to service/replace the starter motor. and the car in general is extremely complicated - full of sensors and electronics. 

I'd rather have a simple car with a carburetor. And I have one and like it. It is fast enough to get a ticket (if I stepped on the gas), a lot of stuff is easily accessible which reduces the maintenance/repair costs, especially if I can do it myself (for example, I can reach the oil drain screw from the top, so changing the oil is easy). I do not drive a lot, so gas or LPG price does not concern me that much. 

[Iforgotmybrain 5,794]

Honestly? Probably 15 years max. Any older than that and cars around here tend to have major frame rust that can’t really be fixed without investing a lot of money into welding work. Exceptions to that are obviously proper classic cars that just don’t get driven during the winter.

[Snow 7,505]

If its cheap and not totally clapped out I'd say 1990 ish, maaaayyybbbeee late 80's but that's starting to push it for me. 
I'd prefer any car to have fuel injection or at least not be a total slouch when accelerating and air conditioning is a bonus.

[Azure Dawn 223]

Age is whatever, mileage matters. some older models even get more mileage... that said I would never get an electric from before 2017, the battery would just die in winter.

[Treeglow Flicker 13,885]

I could potentially go back as far as something from the 1970s or even 1960s, considering that I have always wanted one of these if I had a license.

[Sondash Studios 4,852]

I probably wouldn't go older than the 90s... mostly because cars from that era and beyond don't really attract me all too much design-wise. That being said, I wouldn't think twice about getting a 1990 - 94 Honda NSX. The JDM masterpiece will forever remain timeless in my heart. Plus it's reliable so I could daily it.