Welcome to Part 4 of our 4-part series: A Beginner’s Guide to Buying a Muscle Car! Congratulations, you’ve made it to the end!
As stated in our previous entries, this series is designed for the person new to the world of muscle cars. You know you would like to have one, but until now you didn’t know where to start. This series will correct that minor problem! We’ll assume you’ll like the car a lot, too, even if you’re buying it as an investment.
Our series has covered the following topics so far, and this post will be the conclusion. After reading this article, you’ll be ready to drive your new vehicle! (Be sure to budget a bit more for high-octane fuel and extra rear tires…because you’ll need it.)
1) Determine the make and model you want
2) Determine how you want to use the car (drive often, just show the car, etc.)
3) Determine your price range and payment method
Since we have already covered Topic #1, #2 and #3, we can now move on to the next and final step.
Today’s topic: Evaluate the car, take out insurance and buy
The big day is finally here! Now you’ve narrowed down the make/model you want, you know how you plan to use the car, you have a fantastic idea of what it’s worth (and you have the money to pay for it)…so now you just need to pick a few lucky candidates, test them, configure your insurance and carry out the transaction. Then it’s time to drop the hammer, Cole Trickle style.
Rate the car:
After you’ve selected a few lucky automotive candidates that fit your criteria, it’s time to see if the cars are really as advertised. Now is the time to be picky. If the car is advertised as a “number matching” car, it really should be verified as such and it’s not out of place to ask the seller to give you a test drive. In fact, you can ask the seller for all the relevant information ahead of time and verify it using some helpful resources like Year One’s Vehicle Information and Decoding page. Better yet, ask for the ORIGINAL documentation that came with the car (such as a build sheet) .
If the car is advertised as “good driver” or “recently restored,” ask for more details on what that specifically means. Often times, the phrase “good driver” means that the car runs and drives well, but may have a few (or many) other issues to deal with, from simple wiring issues to major body work. The phrase “newly restored” can honestly mean anything from a new paint job to a coucours off-frame body rotisserie restoration, so get the details here.
When you go to see the car in person, come prepared with all the information we’ve discussed in the previous articles. If you feel a little embarrassed about going it alone, take a car buddy with you. You can also hire a broker to appraise the car and purchase it on your behalf (they usually charge a flat fee or a small percentage of the car’s sales price). You may suspect that the pictures of the car hide some things, such as previous bad body work. Now it’s time to see if that’s true. A handy pocket magnet is a great way to check for excessive amounts of body filler that may have been used to repair large holes. Take the car out for a test drive too. Try the brakes. Try all the gears. Open and close all doors. Do they close solidly or open again? Check everything and include it in your offer price. Remember, the car doesn’t need to be perfect if it’s just a fun mobile weekender!
If you buy the car site blindfolded (which is happening more and more in the internet age), make sure you get as many photos upfront as possible, as well as a clear understanding of how issues would be handled if problems are found in the car after. delivery. Investment cars are bought on the site unseen quite often now, and it’s quite safe to do so, especially from a reputable, high-end dealer. Doug Klein of American Dream Machines in Des Moines stated that they are able to sell 70-80% of their cars this way.
Regardless of whether you examine the car firsthand or just order it and have it delivered, consider its condition, paperwork and the like when negotiating the price. It really is that simple!
Set up insurance:
Arrrgh! One more little problem in your vertigo before taking the car home! Sure! Fortunately, since you already know how you plan to use the car, getting the right kind of insurance for your car will be a piece of cake. We have a full post available on the subject here at Ezine called How to Insure a Muscle Car. Read it and set up your insurance. That is all!
Purchase:
This is the last step in the process… and you may have already completed this step after the evaluation phase. It’s okay. If you haven’t already, now is when you actually pay for the car and take it home (or get it delivered)! As mentioned in previous posts, most dealerships have access to financing as a courtesy, but nothing works better than good old-fashioned cash when doing an automotive deal. If you buy the car in person, take the cash with you, sign the title and bill of sale, give the money to the seller, and take it home. If you don’t see the site of purchase, you’ll probably mail the title and bill of sale and wire money to them (or send a certified check). In either case, you’ll need to register the car as soon as possible, and you’ll need to provide the title, proof of insurance, and (usually) a bill of sale to do so. That’s it – our Beginner’s Guide to Buying a Sports Car Series is now complete. Go burn some rubber!
