The majority of old cars I’ve spotted were in Jacksonville Beach. I spend a lot of my time in the beaches area, so that could explain it. But I kinda think the residents who live at the beach have a thing for old cars.

Although owning a vintage car requires a lot of upkeep and love. There’s also a lot of joy and unique experiences that come along with it.

Riding in a vintage car can transport you into a new kind of mood. It’s a carefree nostalgic feeling. It’s like the feeling you have when you drive down an old dirt road with your windows rolled down. Its that type of magic you can escape to while riding in a vintage car.

Vintage cars also drive completely different. My husband owns a 1985 Land Cruiser and its a 4-speed manual. I drive the beast here and there and although its fun, it also a full-on task to drive. At high speeds, it feels like your about to take flight in a small airplane. It’s loud, a little bouncy and it rattles.

When driving an old car, there is a meditative rhythm that comes into play. Especially if its a manual speed. While pushing in the clutch and switching gears, both of your feet and hands are in use. Then your ears engage as you wait to hear the RPMs go up. This is all happening as you also keep your eyes on the road. You see, there is only room for one simple act. Driving.

If you own a vintage car, you know that taking it out for a cruise is a pastime all on its own. It’s an adventure to sit on the bouncy old seats and fun to manually roll up the windows.

If you’ve never ridden in an old car before, know this. The lack of a glowing LCD screen, fancy sounds system, or Bluetooth actually enhances the ride. The stripped away experience transports you to a simpler time. When I ride shotgun in our 1985 Land Cruiser, I don’t even feel OK looking at social media. It feels out of place, and wrong for the car experience.

To all of you vintage car owners, Thank you for loving cars from the past. The attention to detail and care you give your car is not in vain. Many people appreciate it even if they are too shy to say something. Thank you for making Jacksonville’s culture a little richer.

And to the people who love innovation, and modern cars, that’s cool too. 😉

Without further ado, here is the eye-candy of Jacksonville vintage cars.