Classic CarsInteresting News and Tips

How to spot a classic car bargain

By in Classic Cars, Interesting News and Tips

Let’s face it; buying, restoring and maintaining a classic car can be an expensive endeavour. So attempting to find a bargain is at the forefront of every vintage car enthusiasts mind when they begin searching for the perfect vehicle. And it’s not off the cards, either. There are plenty of places where you can catch a real steal for a classic car; you just need to know where to look, and what to look for.

Finding the sweet spot price

Flicking through carsales.com or gumtree, it always seems obvious when a classic car isn’t worth your time because of the horrifically low price-point that it’s being sold at. Chances are if it’s only going for a few grand, you’re going to spend one hundred times more fixing it up. What you really need to look out for are the prices that are low enough to be a bargain, but high enough not to be ludicrous. Always have a good look around and suss out what the typical selling price is for the model of vehicle that you’re after, then start searching for those that are a few hundred to a few thousand under that.

Looks can be deceiving

Some people just aren’t good at taking photos and don’t really know how to work the internet. That’s why you often see vintage car ads online that have one or two blurry pictures attached. Now we know that nobody likes wasting time driving out to look at a car that isn’t worth its salt, but if you want to grab a bargain, you’re going to have to do the hard yards. And you might get lucky. That blurry, front-on-only photo of a vintage Holden EH that everyone else is ignoring? It could actually be a doozy of a bargain in fantastic condition! Don’t completely ignore amateur sellers with bad photography skills. They could be hiding something of real value.

That car way out whoop-whoop

Often classic cars that are situated in hard-to-reach, remote places will be sold for a reduced price. The owner knows that there aren’t many people that will justify the time and cost of driving out to get it. Especially if it isn’t running. But if you’re willing to fork out a little extra cash up front, you could land yourself with a fantastic deal that will save you a lot of money in the long run. When you weigh it up, if a vintage car is free of rust and in incredibly good nick, it’s worth the expense to have it transported from way out whoop-whoop to your home. Looking at the situation practically, you know the price that the car transportation company are going to quote. If you choose instead to spend money fixing up a bombshell car that you found closer to your place of residence, you have no idea how much it’s going to cost in the long run to completely gut and re-fit.

Unwanted family heirlooms

We know it’s a little depressing to think about, but when classic car enthusiasts pass away, their possessions are often left to their remaining family members. And if their next of kin aren’t particularly fond of vintage vehicles or if they don’t have the space to keep the car, the next practical step is to sell it. It’s typical that a classic car that’s been in the family for decades will sit in the backyard for some time before anyone gets around to doing something about it, though. And by this time, it may have depreciated quite a lot from the price quoted regarding its worth in the deceased owner’s will. In most situations like this, people just want the car off their hands and are happy to sell it for a bargain on Gumtree to get rid of it. If the vehicle has been covered during its time of disuse, and the previous owner kept her in good nick, you could be looking at a very good deal indeed. Just don’t go being dishonest. If you know what the car is worth but the owner doesn’t, it’s only polite to make them aware. Nine times out of ten, the convenience of you taking it off their hands is more valuable to them than money anyway.

Door to Door are specialists in classic car transport. If you find a vintage vehicle for a bargain price in a remote location, we can transport it right to your door! Contact us today for a quote.