Daily driver 56 vintage Dodge pickup is my goal. Something like Dabee (Russ) or Poorboy (Gene) is driving, using, hauling, enjoying. Mine will be all 56 Didge on top, all 2001 Dakota underneath, with a BUNCH of improvement, like a built 5.2 Magnum with a ZF 8HP-70 trans. Full depth box too, so I can still use it like a pickup, haul motorcycles, yard stuff, etc.

I bet there are a lot of daily drivers out there. Here is an interesting one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AISqqctf3FY

Not quite what I'm after, but cool and unique in its own way. So lets see the vintage, classic, full on purdy, rat-truck daily drivers, with details.

does my "bus" count ?
i know it's a caravan, but it hauls anything and everything i can stuff inside, or lash fast to the roof rack. it has hauled engines, transmissions, and complete rears at the same time, gets 20-26mpg all the time, and has been maintenance free except for the usual tires, oil changes, etc.
as i live in the rust belt, i bought this thing about 15 years or so ago with a busted transaxle, [the "death pin" exited the case really good !] because it came from arizona, brought back from there by the daughter of the deceased owner, and was rust free. it only cost $400.00, and came with 4 almost new studded snow tires. it had 140k on the clock.
i bought a 2002 "bus" for the transaxle, having to change the valvebody to make it compatible with my year "bus". at that time, a trans-go shift kit was installed, as well as their "tab kit" that contained a couple of tabs that bolt to the ring gear bolts above the "death pin", preventing the pin from exiting the case if the tiny retainer bolt for the pin breaks. i filled it with, yes, commom old Dexron 3, multi-purpose atf.
i have oiled it every year since, and other than a couple of "brown stains" around the dents where the paint is cracked and falling off, plus the usual lower front fender "brown" because of those areas filled with the foam the "expert design engineers" thought would be a good idea in their "infinite wisdom", it is still like new underneath, although very oily, and somewhat of a bother when needing to crawl under to check things.
it also survived a "drive" over an 85+ foot embankment when my wife stepped on the gas instead of the brake while parking at the grocery store. "know as the "Daisy Duke incident" around here, after getting my tow buddy to cut down some small trees and pulling it out of the foot plus mud the front wheels were stuffed in, i drove it home without any trouble, and believe it or not, other than mud packed everywhere in the front suspension, there was absolutely NO damage !!!
it has almost 180k on the clock now, and unless it gets totaled by me or someone running into it, it will be the last "bus" i will buy before i croak.

2012 Ram 1500

Still a good looking RAM, liked those years. Does your RAM have the 4-bar link style coil over suspension? Just thinking af adapting that onto my Dakota rear axle for my future vitnage build.

Nice no snowy days is the Challenger. Nasty snowy days or to haul or tow something is the truck.

My daily driver. Through wind, rain, snow storms, even on sunny days! 17,000 + miles since June 22 (9500 last year alone).
Dakota 4x4 chassis, 5.2 Magnum, EFI, 46RE, 8 1/4 W 355 gears.

2016 express,but also have this low milage daytona

My daily.

My DD....2002 Jeep WJ ... I have had it since 2009- 2010, it's been a great truck. Just maintenance parts mostly.
It has the reliable 4.0/ 42RE auto, and Quadra Trac 4wd.

WAY TO GO GENE!!

Show em how its done.

And, that 4L straight six in the Jeep is another of the classic, durable, reliable basic engines that so many have gotten away from. Sure, the new engines may get better mileage, but will they go 200,000, 300,000 and more miles. And in the long run costing less to realy use.

the two caravans i had before the "bus", a 95 with the 3.3 went 312k on the original engine before the body fell off of it due to rust, and the 2000 with the 3.0 went 212k before meeting the same fate.
the 2000 amazed me because that 3.0 did not use any oil between my 3000 mile changes. there were no signs of the heads ever being off to fix the valve guides, but i did replace the water pump and timing belt, as well as the belt idlers at around 110k.
nothing was ever done to the 3.3 except a water pump.
both engines got plugs a few times just because, and wires once during their lives.
as i'm not driving anywhere close to what i did before retirement, i believe my '99 "bus" will be the last one, as it only has 175k on it now, and being really oily, the body isn't going to rust off like the other two did.

.

My '01 4X4, 180,XXX miles, and still going strong. It does have a rear main leak (drip) that'll get addressed sometime this Summer...

08 Ram 1500 TRX4 Off-road and 10 Ram 1500 Hemi R/T