Monday, June 3, 2013

Guest post : 6 Tips on What To Do When Buying A Second Hand Classic Car

By Samuel Jones
I recently came across this interesting website which is actually sort of like a network portal for buying and selling second hand items. It's loaded with all kinds of interesting things for second hand junkies like me who love idea of saving cash, restoring, and recycling. So my first deal breaker that I intend to do with this site is to acquire a second hand classic car. Here are 6 of the basic things to keep in mind if you want to buy one too.
1) When buying second hand classic cars online it's just better on your pocket if, for starters, you think it through beforehand. What exactly is the purpose of the purchase? Will I be using the car daily or only on weekends? Will it be an investment or an unnecessary expense? If I do decide to sell it later how much profit will it make? Based on your answers to cons and pros involved you'll get a pretty good idea of where to start as far as which car and which model you are aiming to buy.
2) After thinking it through, the next step would be to research it. Get advice from friends, relatives, or family who have experience with or own classic vintage cars. Folks who own vintage imported cars are usually more than happy to share the know with you. And rightly so! Learn from them which are the good and bad points of owning a classic car, which models are best, and the care and cost that is usually involved. Do an online research of the car that you are interested in as well and get a good knowledge of it. If you are buying the car as an investment, everything should be as close to original as possible, if not then at least try to find a model that can be restored to its perfect condition.
3) Take into consideration that the price of the car will most of the times reflects the quality, but not always the look. The quality of the car is not always equivalent to the body being in a perfect shiny new condition.
4) Do your homework on where the car is coming from. You don't want to purchase a car that later turns out to have been stolen and then sold. Run a used vehicle history report on the car that you want to buy and make sure that it has not been stolen. You could also do a check on how many people owned the car before you. Again, purchasing any vintage classic cars online or off is a huge investment so make sure that you are prepared. Having a vehicle appraiser appraise the car before the buy is also a good way to find out the working condition of the car, whether it has been in any accidents and the engine, transmission, and other components have been changed from their originals. If any pieces have been changed then the value of the vehicle will drop.
5) Take a spin around the block for 20 minutes or so. If there are any serious problems with it you will be able to tell by any noises that are abnormal. Decide if you like the way the car maneuvers around corners and how it rides over speed breakers and bumps. This will tell you if the suspension needs to be changed. If the car is old, chances are that it will need a lot of repair. Again, this will add to the cost of your investment, so be wise and calculate it first. Also, have the car examined by a specialized car mechanic. They can give you a better idea about the quality of the car.
6) Will the car suit your location? If it was previously registered in a location that was dry and cool and yours is humid, the body may start to corrode and show signs of rusting. Make sure that the climates of imported cars match as close as possible. Higher valued cars are usually those that have never been exposed to intense weather changes. So if you are going to purchase these, be sure to match the quality of care that was given by the car's previous owner.