Purchasing Classics

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Overview
Purchasing classic cars is very different from purchasing modern automobiles. Because classic cars obviously are no longer in production, it is not possible to simply walk into a dealership and order a 1969 Camaro from the factory. Rather, the majority of classic cars today are sold and bought in auctions, whether electronic or in person. For example, two prestigious auctions dedicated to classic cars are the Barrett-Jackson and the Mecum auctions. Online, there are many ebay auctions for classic cars as well.



Things to do when purchasing from an Auction

 * Find someone knowledgeable to advise you
 * Pre-determine a max price you are willing to pay
 * Never overstep your max price
 * Inspect before buying, especially for rare or limited edition vehicles
 * Look for the price and avaliability of spare or replacement parts if they exist. Otherwise, one may need to fabricate his or her own parts
 * Make sure it is the exact car you want

What if I hate auctions?

 * You are still able to purchase classic cars through regular advertisements and classic car dealerships
 * However, you typically will not be able to find the rare classic cars without auctions
 * You also could buy a project car and restore the car
 * However, restoring a project car is a lot of work and money.
 * Depending on the car and detail of restoration, it may cost anywhere from $5000 to hundreds of thousands of dollars