A Guide to Buying Your First Classic Car

Buying a classic car is different to purchasing a regular vehicle. Firstly because most cars that are considered to be classic will not have an agreed upon market value. Therefore it’s important to do research and get a good idea of what you should be paying.

There are a few important things to consider when buying your first classic car, not least of which is where to buy…

Where to buy 

You have a few options when it comes to buying a classic car. Below are a few of the most common –

• Online – In addition to sites like eBay and AutoTrader, there are also quite a few specialist websites where people can buy and sell classic cars. The upside to looking for classic cars online is that you’re usually able to narrow down what you’re looking for using very specific criteria such as make, model, colour, engine size, year etc.
• Car auction – Another option for buying a classic car is to go to a car auction. It’s really only recommended that you buy at a car auction if you know exactly what you’re looking for and how to spot any problems quickly. The upside to buying from an auction is you can get a bargain quite easily.
• Private seller – You can also buy from a private seller. Private sellers of classic cars are usually going to have a passion for them, which is very helpful if you’re not entirely certain about certain aspects of owning a classic car, such as how much insurance costs. Just be sure to check over the car for any obvious signs of damage or technical faults.
• Garage – Some garages will sell classic cars too. A big upside to buying from a garage is that often you’ll get some sort of guarantee if the vehicle were to fail within a certain amount of time. Typically you’re not going to get this with a private seller.

Maintenance/security 

If you own a classic car then maintenance is extremely important. You want to take any steps you can to prevent things like rust and damage to the car’s body as well as checking things like oil levels and the state of the battery.

You should also consider insurance for your classic car – if you have previously had a drink driving conviction it can be more expensive to insure your vehicle but if you shop around you can find cheap car insurance for drink drivers online with minimal effort.

Below are a few things you can do to make your classic car much more secure –

• Install a GPS tracking device
• Use and immobilizer
• Keep it in a securely locked garage
• Get a specialized classic car insurance policy.