I've been trying to save my money in case something happens to my car, but I'd like to know from your opinions/experience, what are the most common things that could happen? How can I prevent them? and how do I know if that's what's wrong?

Or, a simpler question, in your opinion, how much money should I always have in case of a problem? just try to keep it to problems that happen without me wrecking it, or driving horribly, or doing things wrong.

Thank you very much!
and by the way, its a 1966 289 V8

 

The most common problems under normal driving conditions are belts and hoses breaking the same as any newer car.

 

My rear tires seem to wear out VERY quickly

 

Little electrical stuff,......providing the rest of the car is well mantained

 

Made me laugh....

 

Your single biggest expensecould be a blown engine,, next biggest would probably be a rear end failure followed closely by the inevitable transmission failure... but these catastrophic failures are usuallyfew and far between unless you have a run of bad luck, lots and lots of miles,dont watch your fluid levels, overheat the engine, or abuse the hell out of the car.

If you intend to go back stock after a major issue, $3,000 (give or take)will take care of most any single big failure. If you intend to "upgrade" a failed component it could cost much more.

 

Hey Jozie...how about taking a few more photos of the car..and posting them...
Not so much the outside, but:

Under hood
- shot from left
- shot from front
- shot from right
- shot of radiator, hoses, and belts

Under front
- behind left tire
- behind right tire
- of bottom of motor

- under drivers door of the transmission

Under rear
- under car... at rear end...
- front of rear end..where driveshaft goes into rear axle

These will give a better idea of the condition and can make some more valid recommendations.

 

I think that learning to check your oil and coolant levels regularly is the most basic thing you can do to avoid some of the big problems. Pay attention to how your car responds to you and listen for changes so you can try to stay on top of problems before they turn into disasters. Don't ignore changes in sound or the way the car operates. Take the time to learn how things in your car work and this will help you to have a better idea of what a problem is before it becomes an expensive problem.

Its hard to say how much money to have on hand to respond to problems that may arise. But I would continue to keep in contact with all of the peeps on this site because almost everyone here is more than happy to help you whenever they can.

Have fun this weekend with your sweet wheels!

 

if you keep your car in good running order, the most money i would keep would be a couple hundred bucks. but if you are running it hard, not taking care of it, i would keep a couple grand.

 

rust is the biggest problem on a older car everything else can be fixed easy rust gets pricey if you cant weld.cowl vent is the biggest place that rust out if your floor board is wer after it rains or wash it the cowl is rusted.it depends on do you want to keep it factory or make a restomod out of it.