Unsafe why? Those old cars are built like tanks.
Nope, they have very poor crash performance compared to pretty much any new car. Also, no seatbelts, no airbags, no padded dash, no nothing.
Take a look at this:
Airbags are more dangerous than helpful for kids, and seatbelts can be installed.
Untrue, but it’s your choice.
Which is untrue? Newer cars have the option to turn off airbags when children are riding in the front seat because they hit kids at face level which is life threatening. Maybe I’m wrong in thinking that I could have seatbelts installed?
Installing seatbelts for 6 kids would be extremely difficult, and much less effective than factory belts. And modern airbag systems sense the weight in the front seat, deactivating for a too-light passenger. The side airbags are extremely valuable for all passengers, child or adult, in a side impact.
Did you watch the video?
Not yet.
Oooooooo… yeah, that wasn’t pretty. Hmmm. Rethinking.
This goes along with what I’ve always thought.
Nomad, as a woman with no mechanical knowledge or skills I have learned over the past dozen years reading and asking questions here on the forum to respect the combined wisdom of the folks who have been answering your questions. As appealing as 50 to 60 year old vintage cars may seem, they simply are not safe as daily drivers hauling children. If you doubt that, please read the many topic threads here discussing the severe safety issue of old cars loss of structural integrity due to decades of rust eating away at the car frame underneath. A fun hobby car for adults is not the same as risking your children’s lives.
May I make a strong suggestion you go talk with your local fire department / paramedics. Talk with them about the real world difference between the safety of cars with and without airbags, vintage cars versus modern cars, and the gruesome deadly comparison they see everyday in their work responding to car accidents.
If you can afford the upkeep, enjoy a vintage hobby car but use the boring minivan for daily hauling around the beloved brood.
The husband is against the classic car nonsense. Wait until the kids are out of the house.
That post relates to occasional driving of a hobby car. It doesn’t address carrying around a large number of children. The death rate in cars in the '50s was about ten times (or more) the current death rate. Much of that decrease resulted from all the safety additions to cars.
+1 texases !
I have a '66 Corvair Monza convertible and '73 Eldo convertible and have next to no mechanical ability, so I did join my local Caddy and Corvair clubs. I got one recommendation of a mechanic in Columbus who didn’t shy away from old cars and have taken both cars to him for years. They even completely rebuilt the Corvair’s engine and did a fine job. Such technicians are out there, just start asking around.
It’ll be a long wait. My youngest is a newborn. Oldest is 17. We’ve been in this minivan phase for a while already. If I keep our minivan it’ll be an antique by the time all my kids move out. Maybe that’ll make me enjoy it more. 
Obviously safety is a bigger concern. I wouldn’t keep a spare car as a hobby. As a general rule I only invest in things I can use and enjoy as part of my daily life. What about newer old cars? Something like a VW bus? Any safer or still a bad idea for families?
This is just me talking, of course, but I’d rather be in a '51 Hudson than an old VW van…but neither with kids. An old car is just a bad option as an ‘only’ car. Too many times it could/will leave you stranded, with kids needing to be somewhere.
Ye gods and little fishes, if you remotely value your kids safety forget an old VW bus.
Sorry, if you need a daily driver for six kids you are rather stuck with either a minivan or third row seating SUV for the duration.
Crap. You folks are ruining my daydream here. But I really do appreciate the feedback. I guess I’ll find a different outlet for injecting fun into the daily routine.
Use the minivan for the family. If you want a classic car, buy whatever you like without regard for how many people it can carry. Just don’t take the kids out in it. It will be your toy. 1950s sedans can be quite affordable after restoration. You can get one in good shape for under $10,000.
Personally half the experience of an old car is understanding it and keeping it repaired rather than just driving it. But to me an old car should be a daily driver and not just sit in the garage, but that does not mean it is driven every day for normal use like hauling kids around. Just means that you should be free to take it out and drive it and enjoy it but cognizant of all the safety flaws. Just IMHO.