Do you picture yourself driving a classic car? Investing in a classic car is a great decision because its value will definitely grow in the future, unlike most of contemporary cars whose value decrease in time. If you’ve decided to purchase your first classic car you need to be equipped with essential information before you register on a website and start looking for the lucky one. Many people can offer you pieces of advice on what to look for when buying a contemporary vehicle but very few have knowledge on how to choose a classic model.
Here is what you need to know.
Decide what you want
You should not head to the local dealership before you do your homework on a particular model. There are countless classic cars available on the market with different aspects to check. You need to decide what car you want to buy before doing anything else. Try to get a specific answer, deciding to purchase a 1968 Mustang is better than looking for all the Mustangs built before 1980. Once you learn detailed information about a model, you may decide that it’s not the right one for you and you may be looking for something else.
Use your brain, listen to your heart and check your bank account
Many people decide to get a classic car driven by their emotions. You may want to drive the same car your grandfather used to own or you may want to use your savings to buy the cars you always yearned for but you didn’t have the chance to buy. You already know the model, but you should ask yourself if you really need it. If the answer is yes, you should check your bank balance because there are chances not to afford it. If you do afford it, it’s amazing, start looking for one. If not, you should check some other similar models that make more sense for your budget.
Do detective work to research the classic car
This is one of the most important stages of the process, it will take you some time but it will help you figure out what car is the right one for you. You should read multiple guides published by magazines specialised in classic cars, like Classic Cars Weekly, Classic Cars and Practical Classics. You should search for reviews for the model you want to purchase, they share with the public the upsides and downsizes every classic car has.
You can also contact a local club, usually their members are keen to bring new people into the fold and they are more than willing to help you find the right car. They will help you decide if you made the right decision or you have to re-think and choose another brand.
You have access to the internet, the greatest source of information, so post yourself in front of your computer for a couple of hours and dive into the information. Check details on the same model of car on multiple websites and compare them. Almost all classic cars have a page dedicated to them, your search engine is your friend in the process. Check a buyer’s guide and take notes, you don’t want to skip an important piece of information.
Check the VIN code of the car
If you identified a few cars, you would like to see, you should ask the owner to offer you the VIN code to verify it. It’s not advisable to see the car before checking it because it will offer you essential details about the vehicle. All cars, being they classic or contemporaries have a unique identifier code that offers details about the auto-maker, year of production, where it was manufactured, the model, type of engine and other similar pieces of information. Use an online VIN decoder to find out if the car was damaged, stolen or illegally modified. All auto-makers mark their cars with a VIN code so you should not forget to verify it.
Take a magnet with you when you check the car
When you find a vehicle you would want to purchase you should take a magnet with you. Most of the sellers would state that the car has its original body, no rust, but you should better check it. You don’t need a special magnet, a fridge one is perfect for the job. Test it all over the vehicle, if it sticks to the body perfectly, but if it doesn’t you should further investigate or check other cars.
When the owner of a classic car states that the vehicle is all steel you will definitely find something, it’s an old car so you should expect it to have some rust. You should better identify the dent repairs and points of rust before buying the car; you’ll know what aspects you should pay attention when repairing it. Make sure you check ahead if the car has aluminium or fiberglass parts because magnets don’t stick on these materials.
Ask a friend to join you
Inspecting a classic car for sale can be a daunting task for a first-time buyer. You have many things to check and if you have difficulties chitchatting with people you meet for the first time, you may lose track of the aspects you’ve already checked. Experts spend around 90 minutes looking at a car but you are a beginner so you may spend even more. Take a closer look at the vehicle, closer than the owner had in all the years they had it. If you ask a friend to join you, it will take off some of the pressure and you will be able to check as many aspects as possible. While one of you is chatting with the owner and trying to find out more details about the car the other can inspect the vehicle.
Here are some pieces of advice you should keep in mind when looking for a classic car. It may seem like a lot to read but a collector car is quite expensive so you should not try to save time during the research stage. Save the extra money, you would spend if you would miss something.
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