True car enthusiasts enjoy reading about a great barn find like this 26k mile Bugatti Type 57S Atlante. But when it comes time to buy your own classic car, the ending may not be as great a story. Ownership of an older car is not as simple as the yearly oil change. It really does require a passion for the car you’re going to buy as well as an iron clad stomach for the expenses you will incur.
The more cost effective route is, as you know, find a car where the previous owner has already done the work. While this may be obvious, it’s not always easy to tell when a seller does the proper job or skimps to save a buck. There are a few steps you can take to mitigate your risk. It begins with research, doing some internet leg-work, getting inspections scheduled, researching some more, and finally making the offer.
Research
The first step is to do research on the car you want and then do some more. It’s easy to get caught up in the desire for the car you want and dive head in without knowing what it may entail to bring the car up to your standards.
Doing a quick search for things for known wear parts – as simple as tires even – will reveal much about general availability. Parts for rarer model cars are often discontinued, even for cars from the same brand. As an example, the E24 BMW M6 used metric wheels so a set of Michelin TRXs will cost you 50% more than a set of 17’ Michelin 4s. Conversely, parts for an E46 or E92 M3 are plentiful.
There’s a forum for almost every car brand out there and they’ll only cost you your email address. It’s easy enough to create a free email account to use specific to your research if you don’t want your primary account bombarded with notifications. These forums have highly knowledgeable members for authenticity, mechanics, and pretty much anything else you can think of. Ask about known trouble spots, what to look for with inspections, where to find mechanics, and how much to expect in annual operating costs.
VIN Checks
Free VIN check sites usually have some basic records for cars newer than 1981. It’s a good first step before you start paying for services. There are a few other steps you can take to self evaluate the condition of a car before buying a CarFax or scheduling an inspection.
If you do proceed with an inspection, finding a mechanic for an older car isn’t as easy as you might think. Just because an F body 911 is a Porsche, it doesn’t mean the local Porsche dealer will know how to service this properly. The fifty year old carbureted engines have been around longer than most of the mechanics who work for a dealer. They make their money servicing the cars they sell. Usually there’s a head mechanic with a crew of younger staff and turnover will be higher than a reputable independent shop. These mechanics built their businesses being experts on these older cars. If you’re not sure where to find a good shop, ask on the forums.