Drive or trailer your Mustang?

[GrabberOrange69]

I un-apologetically do both.

When it suits me, I drive it; when I need to/want to I trailer. I trailer my Shelby (a real one) on an open trailer. I also drag race it - and I have hurt it. 5 years ago I bent a valve while power-shifting by missing third - with my accelerator foot buried on the floor. The tach hit the high side of 7000rpm. It has BFG Drag Radials on it right now - as it has for the past year.

But it gets trailered, so some may call it a trailer queen (it certainly looks like one). I think its a lot more complicated than if it merely gets trailered some place.

12 years ago I took it to the Woodward Dream Cruise. I was there from Wed through Sat, and did some driving around, and in fact got lost and ended up around 8 or 9 mile in the worst 'hood I have ever seen - burned out mansions, trash strewn everywhere, and every eye peering out the window at the bright orange mustang with the loud pipes and a honkey driving. I was scared but kept driving until I got out of it. But yes, I trailered it up from Pensacola Florida.

My '65 coup has only been trailered once - after it blew a tire.

[Gas_Pumps]

My family drove our '66 about 190,000 miles with no major problems. Then I restored it and it will get driven whenever and wherever we want it to go. My daughter's '66 200 broke a piston at the oil ring, late at night near Yuma, AZ with about 220,000 on it. They are definitely drivers. Don't give me the "they are old BS". Properly restored and cared for, they are better than they came out of the factory.

[Kelly_H]

No trailer here - but no problems with those who do trailer their rare cars. Mine's a modded T-code that has been built with the intent to drive everywhere, all the time. If I break it, I fix it and get on with things. So far she's never left me stranded during a drive, though she does tend to do some silly things once we get there or right before we leave. I prefer the extra adventure anyways... or so I tell myself every time I'm under the hood fiddling around with something that's acting funny

[Klutch]

Back in the 1980s and into the 1990s, the vast majority of Mustangs you saw on the road were completely thrashed; extra long shackles, cheap chrome wheels, multiple bad paint jobs, primer and maybe even a van sunroof cut into the top.

So, people started to get really into meticulous Mustang restorations. When you went to a car show, everyone would ooh and ahh over the few meticulously restored trailer queens. It was neat to see a Mustang completely restored to original condition.

But then everyone started doing this. Car shows were just rows and rows of meticulously restored trailer queens. They're nice, but (yawn) been there, seen that.

So, now, I think we're seeing some new trends. One is the survivor/original car. Leave the bad paint. Leave the rust. Heck, even the leave the dirt on. This baby is all original! And those cars are starting to fetch some big bucks. It's not my thing. But more power to those collectors.

Another trend is people are realizing there are plenty of meticulously restored trailer queens out there. And, unless your Mustang has very low, original miles, driving the car isn't going to lower the value. So, people are driving their classic Mustangs, which I think is great. This is my thing!

At last year's Rocky Mountain Mustang roundup, I heard about a Shelby owner who had driven his car over 250,000 miles. He had even taken it to Europe and driven it there. That's my kind of Mustang owner!

If you've got a very nice GT500 KR, I can understand why you'd want to trailer it. But if you drive it, you rock!

[Rorin67]

Drive mine every day - very lucky to live in SoCal. Only time it sees a trailer is when I have to use my AAA card (which, thankfully, is extremely rare). However, if I had a trailer, I would use it for track days 'cause as said above, something may break and you don't want to be stranded at the track.

[saligli]

I've only been to a few small car shows with my Mustang, but I drive it everywhere.

I think the person that drives there car has a better experience overall and enjoys the car more that the person who trailers their car everywhere.

Some people have the attitude like "if I was a millionaire, I would drive it everyday!"
Well people.. you only live once, so how about you drive it everyday and enjoy it more than the people who afraid to drive it...

[aslan]

My luck would be if I did trailer the FB people would compliment me on the trailer. LOL
Stan

[chillininnh]

Logged just over 6K miles this season after a complete overhaul, I hate the winter as I absolutely love driving this car! Don't own a trailer.

[Klutch]

When I was a kid, my mom used to read books and articles by a housewife/humorist named Erma Bombeck. (All you more "experienced" folks out there likely recognize the name.)

In 1979 I and article she wrote an article called "If I Had My Life to Live Over". I was only 14 then, but boy did that article strike a chord with me. (Contrary to some tellings, she did NOT write this shortly before her death. She lived many years after penning this:

If I had my life to live over…

I would have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren’t there for the day.

I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage.

I would have talked less and listened more.

I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained, or the sofa was faded.

I would have eaten the popcorn in the ‘good’ living room and worried much less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace.

I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his youth.

I would have shared more of the responsibility carried by my husband.
I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had been teased and sprayed.

I would have sat on the lawn with my children and not worried about grass stains.

I would have cried and laughed less while watching television – and more while watching life.

I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn’t show soil, or was guaranteed to last a lifetime.

Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I’d have cherished every moment and realised that the wonderment growing inside me was the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle.

When my kids kissed me impetuously, I would never have said, “Later…now go get washed up for dinner.”

There would have been more “I love you’s” and more “I’m sorry’s”.
But mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute…look at it and really see it…live it…and never give it back.

I would like to add, "I would have driven my classic Mustang instead of putting it on a trailer!".

[JohnnyK]

I would trailer mine. If it was a Ferrari GTO.

[69bossnine]

Hey Klutch, I drove my GT500KR from Florida to the 45th Anniversary show in Alabama... It didn't skip a beat.

That said, I think it's all good, I drive when I can, but trailer alot too... If I've got my family with me, I trailer for myriads of reasons including safety and practicality.

You can't blame a guy who's poured years of work, heart and soul into a fresh restoration wanting to keep it that way, at least for a little while..

Just driving, by and of itself, in clear good weather, doesn't hurt anything... And I am EXTREMELY annoyed when I see show cars that are foul-running, smoking, rough idling pigs that can barely make enough power to climb back aboard the trailer.

Regardless of whether I'm tugging or driving, I take alot of pride in having a fully-functional impulse-starting fully-sorted machine.

And I wish folks would drive their cars more than they do..

But, there's plenty of understandable reasons to trailer. I just don't know why anyone would be annoyed one way or the other, the car will get driven eventually, even if it's a future owner. We're all just caretakers, we're all going to croak eventually.

[Israel]

What we're building is a weekend toy, good weather only, stop to stop light, straight line fun, low gears do not make goood travellers, interstate or otherwise.

Stock interior, no power brakes, steering, AC or heat, 12 point roll cage, fully tubbed, no rear seat, 460 with big ole 671 stuffed on top. Strictly local driving

[Laurie_S]

I've trailered my coupe at least 50,000 miles to shows, and I get a heck of a lot of enjoyment out of that car. It's a long way from Tucson to almost all the MCA shows. I've trailered to Raleigh, Charlotte, Pensacola (twice), Nashville, Birmingham, and Seattle area (twice), to name a few. How many people can match that?

[aslan]

Originally Posted by Laurie_S

I've trailered my coupe at least 50,000 miles to shows, and I get a heck of a lot of enjoyment out of that car. It's a long way from Tucson to almost all the MCA shows. I've trailered to Raleigh, Charlotte, Pensacola (twice), Nashville, Birmingham, and Seattle area (twice), to name a few. How many people can match that?

I think that makes you the ultimate "Trailer Queen". Sorry I couldn't help myself.
Stan

[LastDeadLast]

Drive. Thats what they made them for!!

-Shannon