Buying your classic car

Buying a classic car is fairly straightforward, but you need to be careful in deciding exactly what type of vehicle best suits your needs. It is not good to buy a classic MGB if you want to use the vehicle for family outings (with children and dogs) to the beach. Similarly, a Ford Cortina 1600E might tick all the boxes for practicality if you’re a single guy, but does it have the same effect on your street cred as a gleaming MK2 Jaguar? So the key practical considerations should be: number of seats, number of doors, hardtop or softtop, trunk space, and even image!

Where to store your classic car

How you store the car is also an important factor. Unfortunately, most “ old ” cars just don’t weather the weather like newer ones, so you’ll need to store your new classic in a garage or locked up to maintain its appearance. If, like most people, your garage is full of anything BUT a car, you will have to empty it or factor the cost of renting a safe into your budget.

If the car needs some work, you will need room to move around the vehicle (especially under it). And if you’re thinking of leaving it outside, covered with a tarp, think again! Humidity rises, putting your car at risk, and how would you like to do your vital maintenance work in pouring rain or snow?

Because the condition

The condition of your chosen classic car is an important consideration. If you have a background in engineering, welding, or metal working, a rusty pile won’t be afraid of you. Classic car magazines are full of ads for a wide variety of potential classic vehicles, and this should be your main hunting ground. The key is to be realistic about what you can take on. A full restoration project is one thing, but it could be much more delicate to take on a project that has been partially completed and only needs a few spares to get it back up and running.

Similarly, you can find a ‘bargain’ for just a few hundred pounds, which may well be worth £ 15k when complete. But spending hours trying to find irreplaceable body parts, or having to outsource specialized elements of the rebuilding project to experts, will soon have you wondering if it was worth it.

A sensible option when buying your first classic car is to spend a little more, but go for something that’s presentable, even if it takes a little longer to find your dream car.

Where to find classic cars

The internet has made it easier than ever to track a classic car. Previously, shoppers had to search store windows for potential purchases or buy trade magazines, but now simply typing “Daimler Sovereign” or “Austin Healey” into Google is likely to bring up results. You’ll find specialist dealer sites, people using auction sites like e-bay, and even portals that bundle all the classic car websites in one place.

Magazines are still useful as they often provide additional information through restoration features. While the internet is great for finding vehicles quickly, print media often delves much deeper into the joys and pitfalls of classic car ownership.

Preparation before dipping

Having found some potential purchases, you now need to do some homework to make sure you don’t end up with ‘a lemon’. While you will have some return if you buy from a dealer, classic cars are unlikely to be sold with a warranty and if you buy from a private party, you will have even fewer rights.

That’s why you should have a number of key questions to ask the seller over the phone or email to ensure you create an accurate car history. Sample questions might be: Why are you selling the car? How long do you have it? How often is it used? Does it come with spare parts? Do you have any MOT receipts or work that has been done? Where has the work been done? How easy is it to find spare parts? Can you recommend a local supplier? You may want to know if the car runs on unleaded fuel or can be easily converted as leaded petrol is expensive and has limited availability in the UK.

Watching your car

If you’ve progressed to a viewing, choose a time to view it during the day. Avoid seeing it in the rain too, even the worst classic car has a certain appeal when sitting in the dim light with the rain bouncing off. And consider bringing an expert. You can hire the paid services of an AA or RAC inspector, but using internet forums you can usually find a classic car club member near you who would be happy to give you the benefit of their expertise (often for the price of a pint of real beer!).

Other MUST DO on your display:

• Look under the car.
• Check for signs of sagging, which could indicate suspension or chassis problems.
• See if all the tires match.
• Look for signs of body repairs, especially paint touches (black and metallic colors are very hard to match).
• Check the entire body for rust and rot, or cracks in the example of cars with a fiberglass body, such as the Lotus.
• Raise rugs if you can, checking the floor pan and interior sill seam.
• Start the car cold.
• Take a test drive – look for and listen for bumps, squeaks, and smoke that may indicate oil is leaking and burning.
• Look for a soft or lazy clutch and check if the car has a tendency to spin left or right.

Hopefully, this list of dos and don’ts will help you get started in buying a classic car. Trying to cover everything would take all day, but the key things to remember are:

• Take the time to consider what is best for you.
• Don’t be afraid to ask for advice
• Ask lots of questions
• Be thorough with your inspection.

Follow these rules and your first foray into classic car ownership should be a pleasure, not a disaster.