Daily Driving a TR

[84GNv6]

I was just wondering how many guys have a TR that is there daily driver? How many miles do you drive it each day? Im questioning the thought of daily driving a gn...what are some things to check at the end of each day?

 

[83turbomon]

I was just wondering how many guys have a TR that is there daily driver? How many miles do you drive it each day? Im questioning the thought of daily driving a gn...what are some things to check at the end of each day?

about 20 miles aday at 500,000+ miles maybe??? Lost track

 

["Turbo-T"]

I've used mine as a DD. However these cars are theft magnets even after 24 years. So consider if you work in even a slightly shady neighborhood, there's a chance it may not be there when you return. Invest in a Steadfast column guard, a hidden kill switch, an appraisal and get an "agreed on" value from the insurance co.

 

[terik.m]

ive used mine as a dd for the last 2 years. commutes varied from 50 to 75 miles round trip. she's only let me down three times. bad maf, broken trans mount and bad alternator. since then i havent had too many problems. when my alternator went out, my car sat in richmond, ca for 8 hours . i was suprised it was there when i got off of work.

its a car thats meant to be driven as long as you take care of it. drive easy while youre commuting and it should be fine. i change my oil and plugs every month like clockwork. i clean my air filter every weekend and check the trans fluid. having a modern chip and injectors worked wonders for gas mileage too. if you dont have a scan tool get one. i went with a powerlogger but for a dd i should of got a scanmaster. the powerlogger is awesome but having a cumbersome laptop all the time is impractical. by the end of the summer im gonna decommission my TR for a complete engine/trans teardown and rebuild. im either getting a camaro or an rx7 for a dd soon. but all in all...its been hella fun mobbin the buick....everyday is an adventure....huntin for imports and stangs.

 

[captflash]

Daily driven

My 86 T Type is my DD and my only car. I drive it anywhere from 50 to 200 miles a day and love it. But get a great security system and a scanmaster. My first Turbo was stolen after a week, no security system, and my current car has almost $1600.00 worth of security devices. Good luck, enjoy the ride.

 

[By-Tor]

I remember when I drove my TR as a DD.
It didn't run well in -30 degree weather. During the summer months it would get flooded if I parked on an incline. I think it was running too rich anyway, got like 8-10 mpg.

But, Hey! It started up just about every time, even when I broke the crank.

 

[jasjamz]

I had one as a daily. Attracts too much attention at times. Took it to malls, movies, and work. Loved it. Not too many mods, but still 12sec car. Even had a turbo 400 with a brake in it. Came with it. The OD developed slip in 3 separate occasions so I stuck with the 400, 3500 stall and TA 49. Super fun to drive. Had AC and plenty of sound system stuff. Now, my current one is just as dependable but would be even harder to protect. Not worth the risk to me.

 

[salvageV6]

No major problems to speak of in 23 years.

It's easier if you own 2 of them gives you more time to fix stuff.

We are a small State so only 190K and 33K on each car by me.

But lots of stop and start and short trips.

They are depenable if maintained a bit, but I only change the oil every 3K or 3.5K now, air filter about 3 times a year for cleaning.

Plugs once a year and cleaned once a year.

Gas filter every 30K along with tranny fluid and cleaning filter.

Rear end oil change 30K to 40K.

Alky. level I check weekly.

Once you get the car to have the things you need, such as more power, good A/C, good tires, good stereo, cupholder, scan tools and gauges, good chip, dependable MAF system, they are real fun to drive daily. :smile:

 

[kh440]

Done it several times over the years, and like a few others have mentioned: they do draw a little too much attention at times and the 3000 oil change interval is a given. Only other thing I can add is they don't always behave well on wet pavement.

 

[ChevMCarlo84]

I don't, but I wouldn't hesitate to drive it every day if I had to. In the 2 years I've had her, she hasn't let me down yet. *knocks on wood*

 

[allblackcars]

once you get the car to have the things you need, such as more power, good a/c, good tires, good stereo, cupholder, scan tools and gauges, good chip, dependable maf system, they are real fun to drive daily. :smile:

+1

 

[novaderrik]

driving one of these cars is no different than driving any other car from the time- except for the attention they can attract.
keep it in tune, stay on top of any problems, and stay out of accidents and you should be good.

 

[84GNv6]

You guys just made me want to make a TR a DD even more! So what is the gas mileage some of you guys are getting? WHat chip and size injectors?

 

[slow305]

I've been currently driving my GN everyday since I sold my other car about two months ago. The only problem I've had is because I've only put around 4k miles on it during the five years I've owned it, a few things started breaking when I started driving it everyday. The wheel studs almost fell off the passenger side wheel! But after all was fixed, I haven't had anymore problems with it. I'm actually on the eve of embarking on a VERY long road trip covering many states. More details to follow.

 

[troGNman]

I drove the ass off of mine when it was brand new. It was my only car up till 1991 when I decided to take it easy on the old girl and just drive her in nice weather. Oil change every 3K (Castrol GTX) and posi fluid changed every 30K. Rain, snow you name it. Never garaged the entire time.

I would average about 20-25K per year and pull down about 22 mpg. I took a few trips to BG as well. I kept the car stock with the exception of dual 2-chamber Flowmasters, test pipe, and a K&N cone. 13.80-14.00 all day long on Eagle GT's. Man, that stock tranny shifted HARD on the 1-2.

The constant sun exposure was wreaking havoc on the t-top seals and the top surfaces of the car was starting to "spider web". The driver's seat material was getting a little thin and the piping was starting to crack. Other than that, it was a sweetie until it was stolen in '93.

 

[Steve V]

Been daily driving them since 96. This march I just took my last one out of DD duty. They still get driven 1-2 times a week. My nicer GN has been out mon and tues in the 105 degree heat.

As long as you are a car guy and are in tune to things it can be done. Parts are getting harder to find and more expensive but they are out there.