Tips on Buying a Classic Car

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

People who are into cars often have the desire to build or restore a classic car. The idea of bringing a car back to its former glory is something that is often on their mind so they often look for classic cars for sale.

Now most people looking for a classic car for sale is either looking for a complete wreck that needs a lot of working normally including getting welding done and treating rust, especially if the classic car is a UK classic car as the salt on our roads really does speed up the rotting process. However there is another kind of person that just likes the idea of buying a fully restored classic car these people enjoy tinkering with car but are just not up for doing any major work maybe they don't have the time or the patience but either way finding the right classic car for sale is going to be a long process.

So what is it you need to do to find the perfect classic car for sale? You need to decide which category you fall into, do you like "tinkering" or you up for doing a major overhaul restoration? I am a very hands on guy I am after perfection so I may start out just tinkering but in no time the whole car would be stripped an I will be starting from scratch again!

So what is the differences in prices when it comes to classic cars for sale? Well if you buy one that needs a full restoration then you can pick them up pretty cheaply and on the odd occasion you can pick them up for free I have done in the past! If you are looking just to tinker then I would suggest you take a peak at the bottom of this page.

The trouble with restoring a classic car is that you never have enough money they are complete money pits however you need to decide whether they are worth it or not. I would also have a budget the double it as more often than not you will find something that you didn't expect.

Finding a classic car for sale can be good fun and normally driving around you local area you may be able to find one in someone's garden or you might see a garage door open with a car in it. I did this and found some real bargains when I was younger. I am going to stereotype a bit here but here goes. Most males love classic cars and they buy them with every hope of restoring them but after a couple of years of them stuck in the garage the wife normally gets fed up and wants them gone so this is the time when to buy a classic car as the wife is bound to be nagging for the car to go and when you knock on the door and offer to take it away they rarely say no.

So when buying a classic car take all the above into account don't rush into it take your time remember if you buy one to tinker make sure that it is just a tinker car. Say for example you can drive it away once its been sold this is a tinker car in my books. If you want something a little more involved then you will need a garage a fair bit of knowledge and a good bit of money behind you, not just for buying parts but you may need some extra tools but I don't see tools as an expense.

But above all a classic car for sale can make a wife very happy and your wife very unhappy but still go out and enjoy it.

Tips on Buying a Classic Car

People who are into cars often have the desire to build or restore a classic car. The idea of bringing a car back to its former glory is something that is often on their mind so they often look for classic cars for sale.

Now most people looking for a classic car for sale is either looking for a complete wreck that needs a lot of working normally including getting welding done and treating rust, especially if the classic car is a UK classic car as the salt on our roads really does speed up the rotting process. However there is another kind of person that just likes the idea of buying a fully restored classic car these people enjoy tinkering with car but are just not up for doing any major work maybe they don't have the time or the patience but either way finding the right classic car for sale is going to be a long process.

So what is it you need to do to find the perfect classic car for sale? You need to decide which category you fall into, do you like "tinkering" or you up for doing a major overhaul restoration? I am a very hands on guy I am after perfection so I may start out just tinkering but in no time the whole car would be stripped an I will be starting from scratch again!

So what is the differences in prices when it comes to classic cars for sale? Well if you buy one that needs a full restoration then you can pick them up pretty cheaply and on the odd occasion you can pick them up for free I have done in the past! If you are looking just to tinker then I would suggest you take a peak at the bottom of this page.

The trouble with restoring a classic car is that you never have enough money they are complete money pits however you need to decide whether they are worth it or not. I would also have a budget the double it as more often than not you will find something that you didn't expect.

Finding a classic car for sale can be good fun and normally driving around you local area you may be able to find one in someone's garden or you might see a garage door open with a car in it. I did this and found some real bargains when I was younger. I am going to stereotype a bit here but here goes. Most males love classic cars and they buy them with every hope of restoring them but after a couple of years of them stuck in the garage the wife normally gets fed up and wants them gone so this is the time when to buy a classic car as the wife is bound to be nagging for the car to go and when you knock on the door and offer to take it away they rarely say no.

So when buying a classic car take all the above into account don't rush into it take your time remember if you buy one to tinker make sure that it is just a tinker car. Say for example you can drive it away once its been sold this is a tinker car in my books. If you want something a little more involved then you will need a garage a fair bit of knowledge and a good bit of money behind you, not just for buying parts but you may need some extra tools but I don't see tools as an expense.

But above all a classic car for sale can make a wife very happy and your wife very unhappy but still go out and enjoy it.

The Many Benefits of Purchasing Project Classic Cars Online

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

There is something undeniably appealing about cars. While news cars have an unsurpassed level of design and engineering, there is a draw that older cars have that is difficult to explain but exists all over the world. Whether it is out of sheer nostalgia, or as an investment in a vehicle that you intend resell later, the why is not important. What is evident and important is the fact that classic cars from all over the world are a staple mark in the automotive industry. There are many classifications of classic cars today; however, one particular classification that is growing in popular is Project Classic cars.

There are many benefits to purchasing Project Classic cars as opposed to other classic cars. Perhaps the most important benefit is the price of the vehicle. By referring to it as a project classic suggests that the vehicle is a work in progress, which makes it a project. This means that purchasing a classic car in this classification is going to require work. The amount of work will largely vary and this is easy to determine by the price of the vehicle. Sometimes you will be purchasing a fully running vehicle that is in an advanced state of disrepair, in other cases, the vehicle is not running or it could be that you are simply purchasing the cars body and frame only. The bottom line is the less you pay, the more work you will need to invest in restoration.

Before you purchase a project car, it is important that you do a little homework first. Project Classic cars are commonly restored and resold for a pretty penny, however, knowing what the current resale prices are for a particular car you are interested in buying and restoring is important. You do not want to sink so much money into a classic car that you are unable to recoup the cost of the restoration. It is also important to know when a car is too far gone for restoration. With restoration techniques, this is rare, but in a few cases a vehicles condition is in such as state that any amount of money would be pointless. However, if your purpose for restoring a classic car is for your own personal enjoyment, and you have the money to do the work, then quite possibly it will not matter to you whether it will cost a fortune or not.

Regardless of what your intentions are when it comes to purchasing Project Classic cars, the fact still remains that this form of classic car buying is one of the hottest things going. Many classic cars are well outside the price range of an average car enthusiast; however, with these project cars anyone can get their hands on a classic car for a greatly reduced price. With a lot of work a project car can be the type of vehicle that could bring you a lot of money if resold or it could bring you great joy by just driving it around town.


Thinking of Renting a Classic Car For Your Wedding?

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Over the years people's tastes have changed considerably. The traditional view of a wedding car was a chauffeur driven limousine from Rolls-Royce, Bentley or similar. A whole new market then developed with people using chauffeur driven modern stretched limos both in the US and in Europe where the American limos have been imported in large numbers.

For those that think a white Rolls is too traditional and a stretched limo is too vulgar, a third alternative has developed over the past ten to fifteen years. Many people are now hiring classic cars for their weddings.

Renting a classic car for your wedding requires a lot more thought and planning than using a standard chauffeur driven hire car.

The most popular classic cars are open top sports cars which by their nature are virtually all two seaters, unless you are lucky enough to find one of the very few open topped four seaters: Triumph Stag, Alvis TE21 or Ferrari Mondial. This makes chauffeur drive impractical as normally it would be just the chauffeur and one passenger. The bride normally wants to travel with her father and maybe her bridesmaids so that wouldn't work. Part of the role of the best man is to make sure the groom arrives on time, difficult if they can't fit into the same car.

So whenever classic sports cars are used, a chauffeur isn't used and they are rented on a self drive basis. That way as a minimum a car can carry the groom and best man or the bride and her father. Self drive hire can impose a few restrictions on the use of the cars. Most insurers set the minimum age for the driver at 25 for standard classic cars but some set it at 30 for higher performance sports cars. Clearly the age of the groom isn't an issue if he is being chauffeured but I have had to turn away customers who want to marry before their 25th birthday.

While chauffeured cars are available by the hour or half day, most classic cars are hired out for a full day at a time, and are normally collected from, and returned to the hire company by the hirer. Clearly for a wedding the groom is not going to return a car during the evening while everybody else is at the reception. He probably also won't be able to return it first thing the following morning as he could be either on honeymoon or drunk, or both.

There are a couple of easy solutions to this conundrum. Most classic car hire companies will allow more than one driver to be added to the insurance allowing the car to be returned by the best man or another friend or family member after the wedding. Alternatively some hire companies will arrange for the car to be collected from the wedding venue. Often their insurance will cover them to drive customer's cars, so the best man, or groom can leave a car with the rental company. They then drive that to the wedding venue and swap it for their own car.

There are other things to consider when renting a classic for a wedding. The men normally take the 'boys and their toys' approach and look for something fast or stylish or both.

The ladies take the more sensible approach and two things are much more important to them than either speed or style: colour and practicality.

The car must not clash with the colour scheme chosen for the bride and bridesmaids and some people consider particular colours to be unlucky, green among them. Arriving in a British Racing Green sports car as a surprise may not be a brilliant idea!

A man in a suit, even a morning suit, can generally get in any car and drive it, but a bride in heels and a full meringue may well struggle.

Most British and European classic sports cars are relatively small, but not necessarily American classics like the Corvette, Ford Mustang or Thunderbird, which while described as compact are easily big enough for the average bride in all her finery. The problem here is when the groom comes up with the brilliant idea of him and the best man arriving at the church in something fast and stylish like a Jaguar E-Type, and then the groom expects to drive the bride from the church to the wedding reception. Most people tend to think that an E-Type is a large car mainly because of the length of the bonnet. Certainly it is bigger than the two seaters from MG and Triumph and it is longer that Porsches and Alfa Romeos. But park it next to a modern car, even a modern sports coupe and you will see just how low and narrow it is.

Tradition dictates of course that the groom won't know what the bride will be wearing, therefore he cannot know whether or not she will even fit into the car. Therefore a groom should not arrange this as a surprise for the bride and should involve her in the decision as to which car to rent. Some companies, my own included, offer what we term a 'wedding fitting' service. No we won't make the dress for her, but we will certainly allow them to come and inspect the car and make sure they will both be able to enter and leave the car, elegantly and then drive it comfortably.

Having said that the groom should not surprise the bride with such a car, we regularly have brides booking cars as surprises for the groom.

The next practical aspect that will concern the bride, that the groom probably will not have thought about at all, is her hair and headgear. The bride will probably spend more on her hair than the groom will on his suit, so she may not be impressed with the idea of driving away from the church in an open topped car, even if the weather is perfect.

The solution for this is easy. Whatever car is chosen, the object of the exercise is to be seen by everyone and look good in the photos afterwards. So drive away from the church with the hood down by all means, but if the reception is some distance away, just drive around the corner, stop and raise the hood again. Then stop around the corner from the reception and drop the hood and be seen to arrive in style with expensive hairdo intact.

If this approach is planned then you need to make sure the car has a hood that is fairy easy to erect. Some of the early British sports cars including Austin Healeys, MGs and Triumphs had hood kits which were a set of stays and what seemed like a sheet of canvas that would take a couple of minutes to erect, if you know what you are doing and much longer if you don't.

Two more practical points which are potentially of more concern to the rental companies and car owners than the hirers, but may affect the day.

Many of these cars were manufactured in the days of cellulose paint, which is much softer than modern lacquered paint finishes, and wedding ribbon will scratch and wear away the paint. Most hire companies have some restrictions on what decorations if any can be used.

And finally, after arriving at the reception and having all the photographs taken, remember to raise the hood, wind up the windows and secure the car before the revelries commence. This is important for two reasons:
1) You won't notice when it starts raining.
2) You don't want the car hire company to charge you for drying out the car, cleaning up the mess, re-treating the leather seats etc.

So by all means pick something different from a traditional white Rolls and better taste than a stretched Hummer. Treat yourselves to a classic car for your wedding day, just put a little effort into the planning, pick the right colour and make sure the bride, in all her finery will fit.

Is the Recession a Good Time to Start Up a Classic Car Hire Company?

Saturday, February 11, 2012

I have been running a classic car hire company in the UK since 1997 and continually receive calls from people asking about setting up a similar company. These reached such a level that I developed and run a 1½ day course telling people how to do this.

Despite the current recession (now official and not just a weirdly named 'credit crunch') people are still asking me the same questions. So is it a good idea to launch a Classic or Sports Car Hire Company in a Recession?

The answer is inevitably both long and complex and it depends on what sort of cars are being considered, the target market and how the business is funded.

Taking these in turn:

Cars being considered

The majority of classic car hire companies have concentrated on classics from the 1960s and 1970s. Anything earlier than that and customers have to cope with non-synchro gearboxes and even cable or rod operated brakes. Classics from the 60s and 70s are a fairly safe bet, easy to drive and easy and relatively cheap to maintain.

Prices of these went crazy at the end of 1980s and early 1990s but then fell when that economic bubble burst and have been fairly sensible ever since. Only a few rare specialist cars (DB5 and DB6 etc ) have seen large increases in price.

Now with the current Recession, the prices are being squeezed a bit and it is actually quite a good time to buy a classic.

There are a few companies adding 'modern classics' - Aston DB7s, Jaguar XK8s etc to their hire fleets. Prices of some of these have fallen more than the older classics, XK8s are surprisingly cheap and DB7s very good value for money. So again now is a good time to buy.

What about Modern Sports cars? There are an increasing number of companies renting out modern high performance or exotic cars but these are a different proposition. These tend to appeal more to the 'boy racer' marketplace than the 'nostalgic' appeal of classics. They are also subject to large chunks of depreciation in the first few years of ownership, so won't hold their value if purchased. Some companies source these on a lease basis where they don't actually take full ownership so theoretically don't bear the depreciation, but then all the lease charges become a cost to the business.

Target marketplace

Whether the cars are classics or modern sports, hire of them is very much a luxury item, whether as a birthday or anniversary present, a treat or for a wedding. As such the market is fairly immune to fluctuations in earnings at the lower end of the market (what used to be called C2 and D). However if your target market was city bankers on large bonuses, a chunk of this market has evaporated.

Funding the business

Along with choice of cars - classic v modern, this is the most crucial aspect of starting a company. If you have your own capital then this is probably a good bet. Interest rates are almost at zero, so the return on leaving money in the back isn't worthwhile. As long as you can pick a set of cars, which will hire out, but whose values aren't decreasing, and aren't likely to decrease over the next year or so, then you should be able to get your investment back if you were to sell up.

Using your own funds also puts you in a a powerful position when buying cars. Some of the dealers are experiencing a downturn and will always be willing to negotiate for ready cash. If you don't have your own capital then you will either be borrowing the capital or arranging some form of lease financing.

Borrowing the money obviously puts you in the position of a cash buyer, but while the cost of many home mortgages has dropped significantly, particularly if based on tracking rates, normal business loans are much more expensive. Although you do end up owning the cars.

Lease financing, if you can get it, goes through the books as a straight cost and you have no equity in the cars at the end of the day. So it all depends on the robustness of your business plan and whether or not you can rent the cars out enough to cover your finance costs and make a profit.

Summary

So having picked the right cars, sorted out the financing and you are confident that there is sufficient demand in your target market, what next?

Setting up a business does not happen overnight. Identifying your target market, producing a marketing plan, designing and printing brochures, designing, building ad running a website all take time. In my view to plan and setup a classic or sports car hire properly, takes somewhere between 6 and 12 months, particularly if you have to find the cars in the first place.

So should you launch a classic or sports car hire business at this stage of the current recession, in January 2009? Maybe not.

However if you are thinking about starting up, this is going to take you about a year. During this time you should be able to buy in cars at sensible prices from dealers that need the cash flow, negotiate good prices on design, printing, advertising and websites.

By the time you launch hopefully things will have improved. Not being a crystal ball gazer I can't say for sure that January 2010 will be better than the last few months, but if the recovery actions from all the relevant governments take effect, then hopefully the current recession will ,at worst have bottomed out and at best be on the upward curve.

Some classic and car hire companies have seen a bit of dip during 2008 and this is likely to continue through at least part of 2009. During this period, It is possible that some existing companies may cease trading, leaving the fitter stronger ones to survive, but also leaving a few extra gaps in the market.

So should you launch a new classic or sports car hire company at the end of 2008 or early 2009? Maybe not. But carry on with your planning, source the cars, build the website and be ready to launch the company at the first signs of an upswing.

Classic Cars Are Not the Same As Antiques

Friday, February 10, 2012

Classic cars are a popular collectible that appeals to car enthusiasts and antique dealers. There are many things that factor in to making a car a classic. The definition of a true classic remains one of those things that many people constantly disagree on. You can ask a dozen different people what they feel defines a car as classic and you will likely get that many different answers. An antique car is not the same as a classic though so it's best to gather as much information as you can when determining what makes a classic a classic.

The term "classic" is a very broad term that differs among resources. Even dictionaries have different answers for this definition. Of course, that can make it incredibly difficult to form your own opinion when all of the reliable sources can't agree. We all know that a classic is something that has earned a certain level of status. Age often plays into this as well.

According to the Classic Car Club of America, a classic automobile is one that was manufactured between 1925 and 1948. However, there are other groups and websites that refer to these cars as vintage so you may need to seek out more than one opinion. Many insurance companies define a classic car as one that is at least twenty years old or older. The insurance company's definition might be your best bet for getting a straight answer.

A classic car rarely has anything to do with the make and model of the car. It is often based solely on age. Any car can be a classic if it is old enough and maintained in a way that retains some of its original value. Age is the primary point when it comes to classic, antique or vintage cars. If you are interested in buying a classic car, have the age and all other necessary information proven with the appropriate legal documents.

There are some states that consider a car to be a classic if it is fifteen years old. Many automotive enthusiasts do not agree with this definition citing that fifteen years is not enough to make a car a classic. This is something that could be controversial when it comes to insuring a car of that age. This is another reason why you should take the time to consult an expert in classic cars before purchasing or insuring one.

Because of the sticky situation involved in defining a classic car, many enthusiasts believe they should be separated into two different categories. A modern classic is not at all the same as a true classic. A car that is almost one hundred years old certainly is not the same class of classic that a car twenty-five years old would be. There needs to be better clarification regarding these details.

Seeking out an expert on classic cars is a good idea when it comes to investing in one. You need to know exactly what you are getting. The advice that you can get from an expert is priceless and could save you plenty of money and hassle in the long run.


Classic Cars - What Makes A Vehicle Attain Vintage Status?

Monday, February 6, 2012

The makings of 'classic cars' is often a source of debate. Oftentimes, a car is considered to be classic if the public deems it to be 'collectable.' Some, however, may seem to contend that there is only a certain period for classic cars--that the 'real classics' were only up to 1940's for example.

Still, some may even try to categorize car models into eras. Thus, we have the muscle car era, the bullet era, the box-type era, and so on. A more precise classification is one which sets up three categories according to which year the cars were manufactured. These are the antique cars, manufactured from 1880 up to the start of WWI; vintage cars, made between 1916 to 1924, and was the start of the real 'automobiles;' and classic cars, from 1925 up to the near past.

If you are confused on whether that old hunk o' junk in your dad's garage could be worth something, here are some easy guidelines which you can use.

1. Year Manufactured

This is the easiest measure of whether a car is classic or not. You can easily know what year the car is manufactured by checking the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). Several sites on the Internet could produce all a car's details simply by entering its VIN.

If you are new to the concept of classic cars and would want to simply start your own collection, deal with the year loosely. What I mean is, don't listen to those uptight talks from car enthusiasts about the 'real' era for classics. If you find a sweet-looking 10-year old car, you might as well treat it as a vintage vehicle. The reason for this is simple: car values appreciate over time. Well, that is, if you find a right car.

2. Number of Units

An important measure of a car's "classic-ness" is the number of units that were manufactured and are still in existence. An 80's to 90's Corolla could hardly be defined as a classic, since it was mass produced and proliferated all over the globe. But a first-generation Corolla could have some value somehow, since very few people still have it.

A '55 T-bird is an example of a high-valued classic car, both for the year in which it is manufactured and the number of units released. Ford released only a little more than 10,000 models.

3. Relevance

Not all old cars could be considered as vintage. I personally believe that the title of 'classic' could only be conferred to those cars that have represented a generation. A Volkswagen Beetle, though many people may have it, is a good classic car simply because it carries so much history with it. Along with the Type 2 (the VW Van), it represented the hippie generation. And in contrast to that, the Beetle was also the most popular car for the Nazi elite. Those two contradicting layers simply create a very historic vehicle.

Cars could also be considered relevant if they are seen in TV and movies, as they tend to carry some fond memories of a generation. An 80's Pontiac Trans-Am is not just another high-performance car--it will always be seen as KITT in Knight Rider.

If you have an old car in your garage, you might want to research a bit about its history. You might be holding a valuable gem, and you're just letting it rust away. And if you just love vehicles and automobiles, maybe you ought to go retro and collect classic cars. Not only do they appreciate in value, they also carry great pieces of history.

Qatar Classic Cars, A Classic Love

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Classic car lovers in Doha the capital of Qatar are willing to face the bumps to go after their passion. Classic, Antique or some may call vintage cars until very recently appeared to be a territory only the rich royalties and the VIPs are allowed to enter. However, this perception has gradually changed, and now the market holds possibilities for even the enthusiasts that are willing to spare a bit over a hundred-thousand Qatari Riyals the equivalent to twenty-thousands US Dollars. This became possible due to the economic boom the area is witnessing, efficient communications with classic car dealers in Houston, along with the superior supply chain management allowed cars in Houston to be transported at low costs.

It now became possible for a knowledgeable enthusiast, with patience, and time at their disposal to buy classic car in Qatar, or an antique car in Dubai, or even a classic car to be shipped from Houston. It became possible to start the process with the equivalent of three thousand US dollars, or in other words for less than the ca was worth in the seventies or eighties.

This however sometimes holds true, and sometimes does not. For instance, Morris Minors was valued in Dubai and Qatar at about QR 15,000 in the eighties. It is very difficult to sell such a car for QR 10,000 in 2007 according to a car dealer. Cars that were easy on the pocket back in their peaking days are unlikely to hold value over the years. Hence, exceptions always pop up, for instance this fact doesn't hold true with the iconic mini.

I respect, and always reflect my articles with both mine and the apposing; however I do not see a Qatar classic car dealer's opinion holding true. He said "The classic car market, if it can be called that, will flourish because people have bought [these cars] for nostalgia and recreation -- not for financial gain," says a dealer in classic cars. "Most people, who have bought a classic car in the last ten years, knew their cars would have seen a rise on the value." To contradict, According to Classic Car magazine, the US has seen a growth in the market for classic cars, particularly American sports cars of the 1960s and 1970s. Cars, such as Chevrolet Corvettes and Camaros, Ford Thunderbirds and Pontiacs, are said to have doubled in value over the past three years.

As I have been promising throughout the article series dedicated to Qatar classic car, the research journey has not stopped, rather the more research I make, the more I am interested to learn about the differences in tastes and markets. To get up-to-date research results, visit the section I dedicated to Qatar classic cars
 
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