My first is rust, followed by crash damage, shoddy repairs etc. What original parts are missing? Are they hard to find, are they expensive? Some vehicles aren’t worth the time needed no matter how low the price.
I always tell my customers that all your money is buying is a body. Don’t matter if it has new interior, brand new engine, driveline, mags and tyres or any of that shit if it’s a crap body full of bog with 20 different layers of paint on it. All that crap is bolt on stuff and ain’t worth anything if attached to a wreck. I always buy factory paint cars, even if they have rust, it’s original rust……..you can see exactly what you are getting. If you pay big dollars for a freshly painted eBay special……who knows what lays beneath:o Give it 12 months and could be looking at a chokito looking wreck that’s good for nothing but the scrap yard or a $30 000 rebuild:o
That’s exactly it too. It makes or breaks a car. When I bought my ’69 Road Runner the body was beat to hell, the paint was original. Palm Springs car with very little rust so I knew exactly what I was restoring, no surprises. Lots and lots of bodywork, but very little rust repair.
8 Responses to “Simple Steps to Inspecting A Classic Car before you buy”
Looks-like, a Corvair!
this guy has no idea what he should be looking for
My first is rust, followed by crash damage, shoddy repairs etc. What original parts are missing? Are they hard to find, are they expensive? Some vehicles aren’t worth the time needed no matter how low the price.
I always tell my customers that all your money is buying is a body. Don’t matter if it has new interior, brand new engine, driveline, mags and tyres or any of that shit if it’s a crap body full of bog with 20 different layers of paint on it. All that crap is bolt on stuff and ain’t worth anything if attached to a wreck. I always buy factory paint cars, even if they have rust, it’s original rust……..you can see exactly what you are getting. If you pay big dollars for a freshly painted eBay special……who knows what lays beneath:o Give it 12 months and could be looking at a chokito looking wreck that’s good for nothing but the scrap yard or a $30 000 rebuild:o
That’s exactly it too. It makes or breaks a car. When I bought my ’69 Road Runner the body was beat to hell, the paint was original. Palm Springs car with very little rust so I knew exactly what I was restoring, no surprises. Lots and lots of bodywork, but very little rust repair.
Spot on Robert.
Speaking from experience, once rust starts, it’s like a cancer. I chased it every spring and finally gave up.
That’s right I was a body man for 35 years