Advice on Buying a Classic Car

If your annual mileage is very low, you may be retired or live very close to your workplace, running a classic car as your only vehicle may substantially reduce your motoring costs. You could even have free motoring.

If the car was manufactured before the 1st January 1973 there is no fee to pay for the road fund licence. It is considered to be an historical vehicle.

Note that the regulations state the manufactured date, not the registered date. So if your vehicle was registered just after January 1973, check the chassis number with the owners club or manufacturer to find out the date it was constructed. If the car was built in 1972 or earlier then get a dating certificate for the DVLA to claim historical vehicle status. However you still have to have an MOT and insurance, but you get a tax disk for no fee.

If your annual mileage is very low, you may be retired or live very close to your workplace, running a classic car as your only vehicle may substantially reduce your motoring costs. You could even have free motoring.

Insurance can be much cheaper for classic cars as insurance companies know you are not a boy racer. Ask your insurance company for a classic car policy, If they do not have such a policy then shop around. Your car owners club may have their own insurance company or broker.

Whatever car you buy, you must join the owners club. They will have contacts for spare parts and a mine of information about your car. Your car may have an interesting history!
Many years ago (before the internet) spare parts for unusual and old vehicles were a problem to locate. Nowadays if you go on to Google, I think you can still get spare parts for Noah's Ark!

There are 4 types of classic car you can buy.

Perfect, Original or restored.
Great, of you go, but you pay top dollar.

Running but requires some TLC.
This can be ongoing restoration whilst using the car.

Barn find, complete.
If you are handy with a spanner, great.

Basket case. (car in pieces).
Big problem, you must check that you have all the bits.

Where do you buy your car? eBay is a good start but always view and check the car before you bid.

Look at classic car magazines and newspaper advertisements. Unless you really know what you are doing, the first thing you need is a tame mechanic to check over the vehicle before you buy it. Even if it costs you a few pints it is well worth it. You can kick the tyres if you want to.

Why not use a future classic as your own car. I have a 10 year old Rover 75, and I think this could be a future classic. Other suggestions for future classics are a Golf GTI or MGTF.

Your classic car could also provide you with an additional income, such as wedding car hire or film and TV work. You could have free motoring.

Michael T J Hawkins.

You could use your classic car to provide a part-time income, go to http://www.michaelscarbooks.co.uk/ for a copy of "How to Start a Wedding Car Hire Business" You can also download a free copy of "How to Save Money on Motor Fuel" as a thank you for visiting my website.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_T_J_Hawkins

Original article

Antique Car Values - Tips And Advice For Selecting The Right Car

Being familiar with antique car values is extremely important if you are on the hunt for an old car to restore, or if you're in the market to purchase a collectible car which is fully restored. Not only do you have to be familiar with the resources which are at your disposal to determine the value of an antique car, there are additional factors about the car you're considering which will also have to be evaluated as well.

The following is a list of publications which will serve you well for determining antique car values:

1. Kelly Blue Book: Early Model Guide 1946 to 1986. It's important note that Kelly Blue Book does not publish its results online for these particular car as it does for later model automobiles.

2. The Old Car Buyer's Guide

3. The Gold Book - This is a free website which is considered by many to be the best authority for antique car values.

4. NADA which is the abbreviation for the National Automobile Dealers Association.

5. Kruse International Auctioneers

Each of these publications uses a numerical system to rate the condition of a particular car which ranges from one to six. One being the best possible condition and six obviously being the worst.

In order to rate the car you're considering to be able to compare its condition to the criteria which is presented in these publications you'll have to do a "bumper to bumper" inspection of the car in question.

Your inspection should begin with the body of the car. The most important issue you should be looking for are signs of rust, and your inspection should include looking in unlikely places such as the trunk and rear wheel wells. By standing in front of the car you'll be able to look down both sides of the car which will allow you to see surface irregularities which are a sure sign of previous body work.

Of equal importance is the need to inspect the trim, glass, and condition of the existing paint. What condition is the bright metal trim in? For any restoration project this is a part of the process which you'll want to address early on because any parts that are in need of re-plating should be sent out as early as possible. Re-plating can take many months to accomplish. Also, finding replacement trim for antique cars can be extremely challenging and time-consuming at the very least.

Checking the glass has three points of importance and they include looking for factory markings which authenticates the originality of the car. Imperfections in the glass such as chips or discoloration which will have to be corrected. Lastly, it is important to evaluate how well the window seals have held up over the years to evaluate if there is water leakage.

What you should be most interested when checking the paint is in determining if the paint is original, or if in fact the body has been painted over at some point in the past history of the car.

The next step in your inspection should be the interior, and this involves looking at the condition of the headliner, door panels, seats, and dashboard.

Finally, no "bumper to bumper inspection is complete until the mechanics of the car have been evaluated. In order to get a feel for how the drive train is functioning, it would be highly advisable to take the car out for a test drive. During the drive, you'll get a feel for how the engine is working and what condition the clutch is in if the car has a manual transmission. Most older cars do, so the drive is important in that respect. Furthermore, during the drive it would be a good idea to stop occasionally, and write down a few notes about your observations. Also, check the oil pressure, which will give you a good idea about the state of the engine. If the car will not start, this is a strong indication of worse things to come especially in regard to your budget.

By following the above mentioned suggestions, the process of selecting the right car for your restoration process should go much smoother.

John Burgess I has been involved in vintage car restoration for over two decades, and enjoys sharing the knowledge he has acquired about this amazing pastime with others. For more information about antique car values you can visit his newest website at http://www.vintagecarrestorationinfo.com/.

Original article