Hello guys. I have recently developed an interest in modern classics, and the mk1 Gto in particular. I understand that it’s not a practical car for everyday use due to fuel and maintainance costs etc, and I also understand that owning and keeping one will require a significant amount of time and money on my part.
I have been toying with the idea of keeping one as my only car because I have a very short commute (4miles) and also because I only have 1 parking space to myself. Unfortunately I do not have garage so my potential future GTO will have to be kept outside.
Is this feasible? Would it be completely foolish to keep a car like this outside? Or is it a viable option assuming that I would keep on top of any maintainance issues?
Hi personally over the years for me the most reliable cars seem to have been those that are daily drivers , as long as you don’t mind putting the fuel in which tbh the are not that bad really you will be fine
Have a look at our comprehensive buyers guide on here it has loads of points to look for
First of all, welcome, you’ll find loads of helpful advice and good banter here! Regarding your question, the inevitable response is… it depends!
Paint job: I keep my mark 3 GTO outside all the time and after a quick wash it looks mint. However, it really depends on the particular car you’re looking to buy and how it has been kept in the past. If it’s underneath lots of trees with tree sap or in direct sunlight all day long, then like any car, the colour will start to fade over time.
Everyday Use: I have also use my GTO as my everyday car for the past 8 years, so I don’t see a problem with using it that way, however, again that depends on the car’s reliability, history and servicing.
Maintenance: There’s two ways you can go about this, you can either have the engine and other important bits completely renewed / redone when you buy it (this is what I did as I didn’t want to worry about things breaking, as it was my everyday car) or you can put a sum aside each month / year to deal with possible maintenance issues as they crop up. However, you may be without a car for a while, depending on what’s gone wrong. The renew option is an expensive option to go for, but you’re assured the old girl won’t break down!
I used mine as a daily for over a year. These cars really like to be used. They don’t like sitting around doing nothing for long periods.
Mine is for sale at the moment if you are interested and is about to have a new water pump / cambelt etc ready for sale.
Thanks for all the advice guys. I am a little nervous with regards to keeping it outside, I’m not too concerned with sun damage as I could probly just get the paint buffed or re-sprayed every few years. I am most worried about corrosion. I know that this car is not particularly prone to it but I have been told that any car of this eara will most likely rust away within just a few years. I have only just baught my house and I don’t anticipate having easy access to a garage any time soon…
My mk2 lives outside all the time purely because it won’t fit in the garage! Paint wise it should be OK if the paint is not faded when you buy it, and you polish it annually as a minimum (more frequently is preferable, particularly if it is red).
One thing to look out for is where some panels have been resprayed and others haven’t - my mk2 suffers from this a bit where some bodykit and other panels are a different shade (presumably due to fading rather than the wrong paint being used).
Rust wise, be sure to buy one that isn’t excessively corroded underneath. If it hasn’t been recently undersealed then get this done.
