Buying An Antique Car

An antique car generally refers to cars that are older than 45 years old. This is a rather loose definition and can vary somewhat from state to state. For the purposes of registration, most states will recognize a car older than 20 years old as being antique. For the car enthusiast, finding and buying an antique car can be an exciting and fulfilling hobby. Before you go shopping, make sure you know what you're looking for. There are a lot of scams out there just waiting for someone to pay top dollar for a car that may not be a great deal after all. Some things to watch out for are:
Check the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). Make sure this number on the vehicle matches the number on the car's title. The VIN may be located at the base of the windshield, on the driver's side door sill or in the engine compartment depending upon the model and age of the car.
Will you be able to buy replacement parts for the car? This is a valid question, because antique cars need to be maintained and repaired just like any type of vehicle. If you want to maintain the integrity of the word antique, you will want to make sure that parts are replaced with original parts matching the model of your car. Check into how difficult these parts will be to locate, how pricey they will be, and who can do repairs on your type of car.
Are full service records available for the car you want to buy? Having access to the service records for your vehicle can go a long way toward knowing the history of the vehicle. They will indicate the maintenance that has been done, what some of the problem areas might be, and what parts are new.
Do your research before you head out to purchase an antique auto. Some years of certain models may have experienced chronic problems which were cleared up in subsequent years. Talk to other antique car owners and find out what their experience has been with their antique car purchases. The decision of which car to buy may be determined by whether you are buying the car to drive and enjoy every day, or whether it will mostly be a showpiece.

Now that you are armed with some knowledge and have a good idea about what you want to buy, where do you go looking for a good antique car to buy? Traditionally this was done by visiting car shows, classic car dealers, looking in your local newspaper or buying from people you know. The internet has changed the way that such car buying takes place, by bringing a local antique car marketplace right to your desk top. Now, any car enthusiast can find virtually anything they could dream of buying just at their fingertips by browsing the many hundreds of antique car websites. Buying and driving your antique car is a thrilling ride, and you will feel much better knowing that you did your research before making your big purchase.

Dan Annweiler is a car enthusiast who owns two auto-related websites: Auto Accessory News and Auto Accessory Market.

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