Whether it’s a hobby being passed down by a parent, or just a product of old movie re-runs on TV, classic cars are no longer just for the older generation. But where do you find them? And, more importantly, for a good price. We’ll talk you through the main ways you can find your dream car and how you’ll need to take care of it.

Buying Tips

First off, you need to do some research into the type of car you want to buy. Consider what the most common problems are (because, unfortunately, there will be some) and how easy they are to fix. If you have no mechanical experience whatsoever, you might want to consider some kind of basic car maintenance course before you decide to buy as having to see a specialist every time something goes wrong will start to become costly

As your interest grows, consider joining a club or organisation. When it comes to finding rare cars, more contacts are never a bad thing. Not only is this one of the best ways of getting a good deal, it’s also a great way to meet like-minded individuals.

While the internet has generally made it easy to find just about anything, people selling older vehicles are likely of a generation not too tech-savvy so online auctions might not get you as many results as you’d imagined. There’s also the risk of the price rising to a premium with the increased viewer-base. When you do decide to buy, look into the average prices that the vehicle sells for (because sellers can ask whatever they want). What’s important is what people are actually paying for them.

Insurance Tips

Classic car ownership is a big enough industry for companies such as Autoline to offer specialist cover. The premium on a popular classic will typically be a few hundred pounds. Try and work out an “agreed value” policy as this will reflect the car’s value as a classic if the worst should happen. It’s also generally expected that the car be stored in a dry and secure garage. Classic cars don’t hold up well when left exposed to the elements so where you’ll store the car will have to be another consideration.

It won’t take long before you realise that, when you’re dealing with classic cars, expenses will start to add up in places you didn’t initially expect. This is why you’ll need to research your dream car thoroughly before committing to buy. You may even find it’s the hunt that’s half the fun of the car buying experience.