By Maria Erickson, Anoka Classic Car Show Staff Writer
I am very proud to announce that my big brother
has gotten “the classic car bug”.However he, like many, many others, does not want to restore a classic
car.They love and appreciate the
legacies of these works of art; however, they either do not have the time or
the knowledge or maybe even desire to do the motor, body or interior work.
Perhaps, they are intimidated by the enormity of it all.They want to simply get into their car and
drive it.I totally can appreciate this
train of thought, as restoring a car is an expensive, immense and time
consuming amount of work.That being
said, after talking at length with my brother, he confessed his concern of
purchasing an already restored classic car that is a “lemon”.That’s when I thought, “Wow, what a great
idea for an article”.Yes, most of us
are motor heads to one degree or another, but not everyone is.So what do THEY do?Where do they go? What do they look for?How will they know if someone is “taking”
them to the cleaners?Come on, we have
ALL heard the horror stories of good folks who have purchased a car either on
eBay, Craigslist or just at an auction.When they get the car home to have it inspected, only to find out the
car isn’t even “street or structurally SAFE” and they just laid out
$25,000!!!Even a car with obvious
flaws, STILL can photograph beautifully, so attempting to ascertain value or
condition from a picture is really futile.My desire is for anyone looking to purchase a classic car already
restored, is that this article will take the mystery and fear out of purchasing
a classic car and maybe empower you just a little bit.
When my husband and I purchased our total restoration
projects, I must say that we were very, very lucky.We were as totally clueless as were the
sellers who sold them to us.If there
was anything terribly wrong with the engine, the seller wasn’t aware of
it.For my husband, how lucky was he to
begin to tear apart the engine of his 68 GTO, only to find out that it had high
performance cam and heads already in there.The seller never told us that because either he didn’t know or didn’t
think it was important enough to disclose, and we didn’t know to ask.For me personally, if it “looked” like a
sweet ride, I only knew enough to kick the tires and to climb underneath to
look at the undercarriage for extreme rust, and to make sure there was actually
a trunk and floor pans, but that was pretty much it.We were planning a total restoration
anyway.Knowing then what I know now,
would I have still bought my car and my husbands?Yes, definitely.So then, what is it that we can do as
consumers in an ever growing, explosive market to protect ourselves?You could hire someone to look at each of the
cars you are interested in, but that can be pretty expensive.Unless you are looking at a Bugatti or
vintage Rolls Royce, this is not very practical solution.So I decided to scope out some of the experts to see what they thought about this. There is always the obvious: check to be sure there ARE floor pans and for extreme rust, don't buy a car that they won't allow you to test drive, and if it doesn't have a clean/clear title. don't walk; RUN away. But they also gave me some extremely great ideas, some of which I personally NEVER thought of.
1.First
things first-Ask yourself:Do I want a
car to drive and enjoy on a sunny Sunday afternoon and to take to the weekly
car show?Am I looking for a “show car”;
a car to trailer from show to show-in other words, a competition car?A car you won’t be putting any miles on.
There is a HUGE difference.In the price
you’ll pay AND the availability of the desired car.
2.Next-do
your homework.I will say it again…DO
YOUR HOMEWORK.Once you know what
model/make the car is, check eBay, craigslist, and local websites to see how
much that particular model with whatever options is going for so that you will
know when you are getting a good buy or ripped off. Find out all the weaknesses
for that particular model and make and look for them on the specific cars you
are checking out.Your best source will
be at your local car shows.These guys
know EVERYTHING about their car.The
good, the bad and the ugly.Find someone
there that has the make/model of the car you are looking for.We LOVE to talk about our cars with anyone
who wants their ear bended.There is
your expert right in front of you.The
car shows are free for the public; as it is the drivers who pay the operating
costs of those shows, so you have a wealth of free information right at your
fingertips.
3.Watch
out for internet scams…..remember what your mother taught you.“If something a sound too good to be true,
then it nearly always is”.Do not give
into the emails who ask you to send them money, and they will ship the car to
you, and if you don’t like the car, you can ship it back. Yeah…not going to happen.
4.If
you are looking for an investment car.One to trailer and actually “compete” with, numbers MUST be matching on
the engine block and vin#.If not, walk
away. Don’t simply take the sellers word.Everything should be concurs. (Exactly as it came off of the showroom
floor) No
extra whistles and bells added for any reason.If this car is not being used in competition, and will be your enjoying
Sunday afternoon car, the experts say it really doesn’t matter if the engine
numbers match.The value is really not
affected.If the numbers do match,
great.But don’t let the seller jack up
the price because the numbers match” at that point it is just a perk not a necessity.In a lot of these cars, specifically muscle
cars, the engines have been blown and have been replaced multiple times.That’s ok, unless you are attempting to
compete with the car.
5.If you
know someone who can appraise the car or can tell if the car has been in an
accident, or if the transmission, engine or other vital components are not
original, (this is providing the seller doesn’t have the documentation to back up
his claims of “original”.) ask him/her to check the car out thoroughly.
6.HERE IS A
BIGGIE—Run the vin# with your local police to verify that that car has not been
stolen, and to check how many people owned the car prior to your purchase. Some
states can give you that info.Then run
the vin# with the manufacturer online.Each car manufacturer has a website for you to use their vin decoder,
for you to prove if in fact this is a true GTO or is a modified LeMan’s or a
true Shelby GT 500 or a modified Mustang fastback and the seller you are
speaking to actually “cloned” the car.It can tell you where in the production line your car fell.It can give you the color, the engine size,
what type/color the original interior came with and the option.If the seller cannot offer you the original
window sticker there are companies out there that for a small fee can reproduce
one for you.
7.Try to
purchase a car with full documentation and full service records if
possible.It gives you extra peace of
mind. If they were conscientious owners, they should have receipts on all work
done and records of fluid changes. Ask the seller how long he has owned the
car.If he tells you he has had it a
short time (1-2 years) then there is a good possibility that he is “flipping
the car”.Buying them, throwing
inexpensive parts and shoddy workmanship in effort to get a much higher
return.You may want to seriously
consider walking away from it, unless the seller can verify and prove that
“Chip Foose” from “Overhaulin’” has done the work for his show.Again, if you are planning to do a total
restoration, not a huge problem, but for someone who is looking for a
“maintenance only” classic car, you might be getting ripped off.
8.Next, the
odometer.If the numbers are not
matching up PERFECTLY centered and straight across….then someone has been
messing with it. Now some people (me in particular) will do a rebuild on the
engine and turn back the odometer so that they know how many miles on that new
rebuild. My son Jesse spent over 3 hours getting mine to line up perfectly
centered.Now this isn’t a problem if
the seller is upfront and honest with you, but I can tell you personally, if you look at my car…there are definitely more than 6,097 miles
that have been placed on that 1965 Mustang.Also, if it has lower mileage, check the brake pedal and look for
excessive wear on the right side of the foot pedal.If there is, then there is a lot more miles
on it than what the seller is telling you.They may have changed out that foot pedal, but then even that tells you
exactly what you need to know.
9.Look down
the side of the car.Are there
ripples?Does it look as though you are
on the ocean?Trust me, it isn’t a
getaway vacation.That car has bondo on
it, and obviously not done well.Walk away.That surface should look like glass.Also, take a look into the trunk.Does the trunk compartment look like it has
dropped ½ to 1 inch?Not a good
thing.Why would they go to the trouble
to restore a car and not have the trunk compartment lifted back into its proper
place?Check all fluid levels.Look at the color and texture of the oil off
of the dipstick.Ask the seller when the
last time the radiator fluid was checked was.Ask how old the battery is. Also the obvious; check the tread on the
tires.Replacement tires can run you up
to $750.An extra cost you don’t want
any sooner than possible.It also could
mean that the seller likes to do burnouts, especially if it is a muscle
car.That can play not only havoc on the
tires, but the engine as well.The last
thing you want to purchase is a car that’s had its life beat out of it.
10.When you
take the car on a test drive, make sure you drive it for 20 minutes at
least.Turn the radio on for a moment to
be sure it works, then shut it off and keep it turned off (it is most likely AM
radio anyway) and listen for the noises.Most of the creaks, rattles and knocking will occur during that
time.Bring someone along with you to
listen as well.You would be surprised
what two people listening for noises can hear.Bring a list of questions to ask the seller.There will be an attachment included on this
article for you to simply print and bring with you.Feel free to jot down any additional
questions that may not be included but that you want to know.If the seller is upfront, honest and really
wants to sell his car, he won’t be offended with a lot of questions.If he is, then ask yourself, what is it that
he is hiding?
11.Next, the
purchase price.Make sure you aren’t
paying for the seller’s “sentimental” value.The bluebook value on my car right now is about $8,500-$11,000.I wouldn’t even consider selling it for under
$40,000, because of sentimental value.My attachment to that car is worth over $32,000.No person in their right mind would pay that
for my car.Nonetheless, that is my
asking price.Make sure when you are
looking at the price tag, you are only purchasing the car for what its true
bluebook value is.No more, even if you truly want that particular car, ask yourself, “If a loved
one wanted to buy this car how would I advise him?”If your answer is, “keep looking”, then
follow your own advice.
12.Have the
seller, start the car.See blue
smoke?It is burning oil, walk away from
that one.
13.Finally,
be FULLY prepared to walk away.Take
your time to find the right car for YOU. You will know it when you find it. You
may kick yourself later for walking away, but trust me, better to kick yourself
later than to take the chance.There are
PLENTY of fully restored classics out there for sale and yours IS out there
waiting for you.
Final thoughts:Keep in mind that this is going to be a HUGE
investment of your money.You as a
consumer have every right to ask as many questions as necessary to ease your
mind.You do not need to apologize; your
many questions show the seller that you are a very serious buyer.Also keep in mind, that quality does not
necessarily mean “perfect condition”.For example, a 1970 Hemi Cuda convertible can be beat up, rusting with a
blown engine and still it will command over $500,000 and a beautiful stripped
down model of a 1965 VW beetle in mint shape be lucky to get $10,000.
Also consider this: those of us that
have these cars and are restoring them, all loving refer to them as our “money
pits”.There isn’t just the initial cost
of the vehicle to consider.The care
and maintenance is expensive.The
majority of these cars are 50 yrs and older.Those that are “muscle cars” have been pretty beat in years past, so
they require a lot of maintenance and upkeep.That all being said, my husband and I both have considered this hobby to
be the most fun and most entertaining of everything we do.It has brought us extremely close as he is
attempting to instruct me on how my engine runs and I must say that I have
become his little “grease monkey”.The
new friends we have made in the process and the networking we have accomplished
in this hobby is immeasurable and well worth every penny we have put into it.We don’t take luxurious vacations and I don’t
care about big gaudy diamonds, so for us, owing a classic car is more fun and
rewarding than a barrel full of “grease monkeys”.I have learned more things about myself and
car engines than life has ever taught me.Who knew?
