Having traveled down this road a few times for both myself and helping others there are a few tips to keep your sanity as well as not breaking the bank to get your dream classic car. We put together some tips to guide you along your way when shopping for a restorable classic car.
Restoring a classic car or truck can be one of the most rewarding experiences we know of. Putting your time, hard work and hard-earned money into a classic car project can also be one of the most intimidating things to do as well.
By restoring a vintage car or truck, you will create a bond between human and machine that can only be understood if you are an enthusiast yourself. It is an especially important relationship and there are some important things to think about before you and your classic car set of into the sunset together.
A classic car restoration will take a lot of time, sweat, tears and money. You will end up spending thousands of dollars to get the restoration done right. In fact, it is common to put more money into a restoration then you may ever get back out if you sell. In many cases you can spend more than twice the actual value of the car.
Therefore, we have a few tips, suggestions, or warnings depending on your perception, that you may want to consider before buying a classic car for a restoration project.
Choose A Car You Can Fall in Love With
Choose a make and model that you know you will love forever. There is a car from your childhood that you have always dreamed of. It is a more recent love affair. Either way, make sure it is a vehicle that you can see yourself with for a long time. Do not buy a vehicle just because it seems like too good of a deal to pass up. They never are.
Run Away from Rust
Always, always, always run from rust. Not simple surface rust, we are talking the stuff that has eaten holes in the sheet metal or is starting to. Any classic you consider buying must be looked over everywhere for rust. Body panels, floorboards, chassis, trunk, and every other part of the vehicle needs to be inspected for any signs of severe corrosion. Repairing rust can become extremely expensive, extremely quick and is often a highly skilled task to accomplish.
Only Buy a Car That Starts/Runs
This is a great piece of advice. Take it from someone that has learned the hard way. Unless you are an expert mechanic and are fine with replacing the entire motor and drivetrain, only buy a vehicle if it will fire up. A car that is a “barn find” may have been sitting for years in the elements. Who knows if the seals are damaged or even worse the entire engine has seized up? If you find a car that starts on the other hand, at least you will have a better idea of what you are up against mechanically during your restoration.
Get A Professional Inspection
You very well may be an expert yourself, but it is always a good idea to have a second set of expert eyes look over any vehicle you want to buy. Crooks have gotten good at creating fake classics. It can often take a true professional to spot the differences between the real-deal and a counterfeit. Even if everything is legit on the car it is advised to get a second opinion.
Find Replacement Parts First
You are not putting the cart before the horse with this tip, believe us. You want to research part availability and pricing before you buy a classic car or truck for restoration. If you buy a car that parts are not readily available, it can bring your restoration project to a standstill. Some parts might even be impossible to get your hands on. Things are slowly changing in this arena with the use of 3D printing to make classic car parts. However, until this technology becomes more mainstream, even 3D printing might not be cost effective for replacing parts.
Finally
Your level of mechanical skill and financial ability should guide you along your way when starting down the road of restoring a classic car. No matter the reason for purchasing that vintage car we suggest using our tips for when you are shopping for a restorable classic car to help you refine your search to those cars that check all your boxes to achieve success. Happy trails.
