I mean, my '68 Galaxie doesn’t need repairs often. I bought it where it sat in the desert for two years, so I replaced hoses/belts, rebuilt the engine and transmisison (bumped the engine from the factory 302 to a 347 stroker from SCAT on the factory block), installed aluminum heads and a 3/4 RV cam, replaced the ball joints (air chiseled the factory riveted ones to swap with bolt in replacements), and installed Wilwood disc brakes in the front (still has factory drums in the rear with one new wheel cylinder that was leaking). But like, once I started daily driving it, it hasn’t needed much in terms of repair except for an ignition wire that a rat chewed up once and a radiator fan relay that went bad and needed to be replaced.
Bought the car for $1500 and put maybe $5000 total into all repairs before I started daily driving it, and it has treated me well. And most of that was for the engine, cost me like $3k on just the engine, and some extra stuff like interior upholstery and such. But it hasn’t been nearly as unreliable as some might suggest.
Your maintenance budget will have a surplus now, congrats!
Fix. Or. Repair. Daily.
I mean, my '68 Galaxie doesn’t need repairs often. I bought it where it sat in the desert for two years, so I replaced hoses/belts, rebuilt the engine and transmisison (bumped the engine from the factory 302 to a 347 stroker from SCAT on the factory block), installed aluminum heads and a 3/4 RV cam, replaced the ball joints (air chiseled the factory riveted ones to swap with bolt in replacements), and installed Wilwood disc brakes in the front (still has factory drums in the rear with one new wheel cylinder that was leaking). But like, once I started daily driving it, it hasn’t needed much in terms of repair except for an ignition wire that a rat chewed up once and a radiator fan relay that went bad and needed to be replaced.
Bought the car for $1500 and put maybe $5000 total into all repairs before I started daily driving it, and it has treated me well. And most of that was for the engine, cost me like $3k on just the engine, and some extra stuff like interior upholstery and such. But it hasn’t been nearly as unreliable as some might suggest.