Looking for the one . . . .

Buying a classic car, where would you go?

  • To a private seller regardless of location

    Votes: 3 60.0%
  • To a nationwide dealer of classics cars.

    Votes: 1 20.0%
  • To a local private sellers only.

    Votes: 1 20.0%

  • Total voters
    5
  • Poll closed .

imglocked

AK Subscriber
Subscriber
Hey Folks!

I find myself at that unavoidable milestone of the maturation process; mid-life crisis! :confused:

More accurate, really, is that I am now more ABLE to indulge myself beyond the occasional audio purchase costing a few hundreds of dollars and am looking to acquire some "heavy metal" in the range of 12-15K ducats- a car now considered classic, but at the time of my youth and early adulthood, merely 'unobtainable'.

I have been looking online, Autotrader Classics, Hemmings and dealer sites and have seen quite the range of price, style, oddity and commonality. And I have found more than a few candidates that I think would 'scratch the itch'.

So, my questions are :

Has anyone bought a car, turn-key only please, online from such sites I have mentioned?

I am open to a car from any part of the US, but as I am NOT able to just pick-up and leave to toe inspect said cars at will, are there firms that do classic car inspections/look arounds for potential buyers, or is that just asking for trouble?

Is it better to limit my hunting range, 25, 50, 100, 200 miles?

I thank you all in advance for your comment and input!

Jim
 
you could go to Hershey or Carlisle when the have the swap meets and see the cars in person
 
Craigslist is your friend, just like audio. But the difference is that you'll have to expand the search. You don't say what car you are looking for, so we can't help you, even if we have one in the driveway ...

So there are few options I would consider. You're in NY. Bad - rust :(

So plan some time off and fly out to LA after doing the search on the LA/Inland Empire/San Diego/Santa Barbara/Las Vegas Craigslists. A real nice version of whatever it is will not sell overnight. The price will be too high. So you have time to email back and forth, get a full slew of pictures. Have a copy of service records or build sheets sent, etc. If that all looks good, PayPal a deposit to hold until you get there.

Fly out, test drive, get serviced and drive home. Or, if it's too exotic to drive cross country, have it shipped. Cars on trucks are moving coast to coast all the time. Someone has room on their rig for yours :)

You do not want to buy rust under any conditions. Motors and trannies are not that hard to build, but extensive body work sux ... Replacing metal to make a body straight is one thing. But they will never be able to replace the full dipped rust protection from the factory, likely won't do the same sound deadening, etc. You want a 100% OEM body and that means the Southwest USA - Calif, NV, AZ, NM, TX, etc.
 
So, here is what I have found local...72 Grande Coupé, Mach 1 hood, 351Cleveland mildly cammed, auto (yes, shifting is better, but...), ProCar buckets (don't really like em, but good enuff for now), American Racing wheels....I have driven it several times and it is in terrific condition - from the south, no rust!.... I have driven it several times and no surprises for a 40+ year old car BUT I am going to take it to my mechanic for a look-over...originally was looking for 12,5K but we settled on 10K, contingent on a satisfactory inspection of course!....so, what ya'll think? ... Oh, also new A/C installed, blows cold! Car was built for owners gf, but she kinda, sorta, didn't like or drive it ...... image.jpeg image.jpeg image.jpeg image.jpeg
 
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Wellllll.....THIS ain't the one...upon inspection by my trusted wrenches, two potential major problems:

1.Front frame cross-member rusted thru on driver side
2.BOTH front shock towers are rusted thru at the bottom where they meet frame rail

:(

There were a few other "issues", but these are the deal breakers methinks. I did go to a bodyshop for at least a guesstimate of replace/repair cost, but he didn't wanna hazard an answer NOR take on such a job at this time of year.....so, the search goes on.

If anyone has experience in such repairs, I really would like to hear your opinion!
 
image.jpeg image.jpeg Okay, so I have a 72 Mach 1, Q code, 4 spd, ram air hood, green/green/silver striping, untouched/modified/restored, a true survivor.
Wheels are S/S's, but Magnums (real and repro) are available if I desire. Front spoiler, no rear wing or louvers.

Present owner got it in a car plus cash deal for monies owed him some twenty years ago. Turns out the owner previous to him is a guy I went to HS with; don't recall seeing it in the school lot, so prolly got it after graduation.

Car was registered/insured thru June of this year, but has been sitting in garage under a cover since then up until when I want to look at it. Started right up...Engine sounds good, no smoke out the back, feels strong, tranny shifted well with no odd noises, brakes work well w/ no issues,all gauges work, interior is 9.5 / 10- money borrower tried to put 6x9 speak in rear seat trim panel, but in the wrong spot; right where fender well is, so there is a nice oval cutout on the driver side (cutout was kept, so repair possible) , small hole in carpet right at driver sill and drive seat adjuster needs to be looked at- seat can't be locked in any position; springs up to the wheel but does move back easily.

23K
 
Now that's a nice car! The price seems reasonable if it's in as great of shape as it looks. We sold a '66 Mustang fastback through Hemming's Motor News and it went very smoothly.
 
I have been scouring Hemmings religiously I must admit! This car is local, got a tip from a friend that it might be available. Lo and behold it is!

Owner stated he was firm at 23K, and I think it's a good price (seems to be at the ground floor of Q-code Mach's I've seen on Hemmings and Autotrader Classics) but the Gas Monkey in me wants to see just how firm he is; what do you think would happen if I showed up with a 20K cashiers check in his name.....or yes, even a brick of cash (not worried about carrying big money-see avatar) .... would I be driving home in the green machine or the Outback?!? It is said cash talks, but how loudly I wonder? Btw- he has no monetary need to sell, but DOES want the garage space back for his CORVETTE ...we should all have his problems!
 
My friend has the same years mach1 or maybe 73.mildly built 351 auto.Interior great body great with the exception of a couple of small minor spots.Ive convinced him to keep it and enjoy it even though I could of bought it a couple of years ago for under 10 grand.Zero rust underneath.Believe it has 98000 miles on of but a lot less on redone motor.Their one of my fav years even though they were fairly gutless stock.
 
Let me offer a bit of advice if I may. Whatever you are considering buying have a thorough inspection done, even it it costs a few hundred bucks. More often than not cars in the 10 to 20 thousand dollar range are not what they appear to be. Especially older hot-rods on the auction site. I've seen too many horror stories first hand.
Good luck!
 
Fastbacks or Convertibles are worth more than the the coupe. Yes, do get it really checked out with a fine tooth comb as rust/accidents can be hidden/hard to see unless you know what to look for!
 
A few thoughts:

It seems you have an attraction to the '71-3 "big" Mustangs, so best to do some reading on them to identify trouble areas to be aware of. Hemmings may have something helpful in their archive, but at a minimum you now know you need to look out for rusty shock towers (which were a caveat in ALL pre-Pinto Mustangs).

Are there any other cars that particularly appeal to you? There are probably people on here familiar with them who can give you tips -- I'm pretty good with GM A-bodies, for instance. Another thing you might consider is joining a few marque-specific forums and making inquiries there. There will be lots of folks who can tell you what to look out for and maybe even steer you toward a winner.

As far as the poll goes, I have purchased cars successfully from all of those sources. Another source not mentioned is auctions -- not the big glitzy ones like Barrett-Jackson, but smaller, less well-attended ones like Silver or McCormick.
 
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Personally, I'd suggest the 69 or 70 Mach 1, Boss 302, or similar (68 looked good too). Smaller, more nimble, lots of aftermarket support, and yes, get it really inspected, and from DRY areas (south has too much humidity). I always felt the 71-73 looked too big, sort of built more on a Maverick-Torino platform. But your choice on what appeals to you.

And yes, come to California to look for them.

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HMMM how about a 2017 gt 500 super snake?You need fear no dodge with over 850 hp.Looks great also.Actually on my pathetic budget maybe the focus 350 hp rs would be fun fun fun!
 
Personally, I'd suggest the 69 or 70 Mach 1, Boss 302, or similar (68 looked good too). Smaller, more nimble, lots of aftermarket support, and yes, get it really inspected, and from DRY areas (south has too much humidity). I always felt the 71-73 looked too big, sort of built more on a Maverick-Torino platform. But your choice on what appeals to you.

And yes, come to California to look for them.
No matter how much muscle car prices have fallen in the last few years, this is unlikely to happen within OP's $12-15K budget.

HMMM how about a 2017 gt 500 super snake?You need fear no dodge with over 850 hp.Looks great also.
Now we're really talking silly money. Why don't you buy one? :D
 
If and I mean if some extra coin dropped into my lap I wouldn't hesitate.But to be totally practical a raptor would be more useful in my neck of the woods.My city streets would chew up (insert dream car of choice).
 
yes, bad roads and pavement make owning dream cars difficult. I always chuckle when I see a stiffly sprung and lowered rice rocket zoom right up to a speed bump or dip, then gingerly roll over it, sometimes on a diagonal, to avoid damage. Whether in my Sienna minivan, or my Boxster S, ground clearance and suspension for the real world makes driving a pleasure.
 
Oh, another option for the OP would be any decently kept up 2004-2009 (or for that matter 2000-2004) Porsche Boxster S or possibly the early Cayman. Porsche sold a ton of these in the day, and the resale market for them has been soft. The cars have enough power (250-300HP) and function very well in the real world, while the handling in the twisty bits would put most vintage muscle cars to shame. The prices even for 8-10 year old ones hover around 15-20K, and before that, in the 10-14K range. I always recommend to go out and look at some, and drive a few in an area where you can wring it out a little (watch that the tires are less than 5 years old, properly inflated, and have decent tread). I have always felt that the mid-engine Porsches are just a joy to drive, and I always come back from a drive with a grin on my face. No, they are not the last word in blinding acceleration or bling, but they are fun, practical cars, with good fit and finish, good aftermarket and factory support, and still have that Porsche cachet. Going up the ladder can land some of the 996 water cooled 911's but as always, the 911's still command a premium on pricing, even used versions.

If you go the Boxster or Cayman route, be sure to check that the intermediate main shaft bearings have held up or been replaced, they were a known issue on earlier models.

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