A beginners guide to classics- share your advice,experience
Discussion
benjj said:
1) Drive the living s
t out of it as regularly as possible. The engine, drivetrain, suspension and tyres will thank you and you'll really get to know the car. Then drive it more.
OP, buy with your heart, get the best example you can afford in the best condition and with the best maintained history and then...do as Ben says.t out of it as regularly as possible. The engine, drivetrain, suspension and tyres will thank you and you'll really get to know the car. Then drive it more.You'll have more laughs, more fun per mile, make more friends than possibly imaginable [read: like minded idiots] and generally have a great time. Plus, you'll learn so many new skills. Whatever you choose, just do it and have fun. Keep us all posted as to your chosen Jalopy...
Like has been said you will have lots of fun and make new friends but if you don't want to do bodywork buy the best rust free car you can as bodywork and paint are far more expensive than any mechanical repairs.
You may also want to consider the availability of spares which are abundant and cheap for some cars and either expensive or not available for others.
You may also want to consider the availability of spares which are abundant and cheap for some cars and either expensive or not available for others.
Eagletower said:
Really good to read all your views and experiences. Up until now I always though engine work , running gear would have been more expensive than body work due to parts etc! That will save an expensive mistake! Would you buy a classic without a garage? I only have a drive.
As above, always buy the car with best condition bodywork. Mechanicals, interior and trim are much lower cost by comparison. Don't worry too much about a garage for your first classic car foray...if drive permits, build a car port and definitely but a good quality outdoor car cover.davepoth said:
Buy on body condition. I can't think of a single car where the drivetrain can't be replaced for 10% of the price of properly fixing a rusty shell.
From a purely financial point of view I'd agree, but I think your first classic has to be reliable above all else. When I bought my first classic, I knew that nothing would put me off (and even more importantly put off my better half) faster than being dumped at the roadside every time I went out, or never trusting the car to get you home. So look for a car that is regularly used, well maintained, and has had all the basics attended to. I carefully chose a car that had had the money spent on reliability not cosmetics, and it has paid off. Later, I spent a lot on new paint and chrome, but only once we had all come to love and trust our old car.
Oh and another thing. It's hard sometimes to distinguish between a car you like the idea of, and a car you actually like driving. So, for example, the car that appeals because your Dad had one, or it was your first car, may actually be too noisy, too slow or too uncomfortable for you now. Buy something you think you will actually like driving more than your lovely comfortable fast modern car, and you will get years of pleasure.
davepoth said:
Buy on body condition. I can't think of a single car where the drivetrain can't be replaced for 10% of the price of properly fixing a rusty shell.
This, without a doubt. And get one with easily available spares. And rustproof it like your life depended on it. And keep it in a ventilated garage. And use it.Try to enhance your mechanical sympathy, so that you will know how to coax the thing to start on cold or wet or very hot days, or when its engine is very hot, how to avoid flooding it, how to use enough choke but not too much, how to warm it up, cool it down, brake early and gently, and all that. Try to become adept at fault diagnosis by looking and listening and making connections between one thing and another, even if you can't fix faults (although that takes time and experience unless you already have lots of mech knowledge).
Assume that it WILL break down, not that it might, and be chilled out when it does. Join a breakdown service (many of those dudes like fixing old cars and are often able to). Drive the car often, don't leave it standing. Yes, it can live outside if it has to, but maybe see if you can rent a garage or indoor car parking space near where you live.
When you buy it try to find out how recently it had its cam belt done if it has one or more of those, when its water pump was last changed, and consider renewing almost anything on it that is made of rubber (seals, gaskets, pipes, hoses, etc). Don't rely on tyres that are very old even if they look OK.
Get underneath the car and into its nooks and crannies and coat it with as much gunk of your favoured brand as you can. Look underneath carpets and boot liners and check drain holes.
If you can't fix it yourself, find a good indy garage that works for other local classic owners. Avoid marque specialists in most cases (there are exceptions).
Prowl eBay and buy every spare part that comes up cheap, even if you don't need it right now.
Buy the handbook, the workshop book, and the all important proper key ring! Have fun. All old cars are fab (yes, even MGBs).
Assume that it WILL break down, not that it might, and be chilled out when it does. Join a breakdown service (many of those dudes like fixing old cars and are often able to). Drive the car often, don't leave it standing. Yes, it can live outside if it has to, but maybe see if you can rent a garage or indoor car parking space near where you live.
When you buy it try to find out how recently it had its cam belt done if it has one or more of those, when its water pump was last changed, and consider renewing almost anything on it that is made of rubber (seals, gaskets, pipes, hoses, etc). Don't rely on tyres that are very old even if they look OK.
Get underneath the car and into its nooks and crannies and coat it with as much gunk of your favoured brand as you can. Look underneath carpets and boot liners and check drain holes.
If you can't fix it yourself, find a good indy garage that works for other local classic owners. Avoid marque specialists in most cases (there are exceptions).
Prowl eBay and buy every spare part that comes up cheap, even if you don't need it right now.
Buy the handbook, the workshop book, and the all important proper key ring! Have fun. All old cars are fab (yes, even MGBs).
Shortlist cars from your heart. Then reduce the list to 2 or 3 with your head! - Why do you want a classic and how do you intend to use it? What era excites you? Are running costs important to you?
How much do you want to spend?
In my experience some people get the car of their dreams for less then a grand whilst others spend over 20K and are still disappointed!
Think hard about how you want to enjoy the hobby. Will you get someone to do all the work or are you thinking DIY? For example, I have loads of patience for fixing bodywork, I'll weld and mend and spray so I could sort out a 'fixer upper' from the side of an old fridge but my fuse is pretty short when it comes to mechanical work.
In spite of my enthusiasm I also learned that it often costs less to buy a car that someone else has restored than do the work yourself from scratch.
How much do you want to spend?
In my experience some people get the car of their dreams for less then a grand whilst others spend over 20K and are still disappointed!
Think hard about how you want to enjoy the hobby. Will you get someone to do all the work or are you thinking DIY? For example, I have loads of patience for fixing bodywork, I'll weld and mend and spray so I could sort out a 'fixer upper' from the side of an old fridge but my fuse is pretty short when it comes to mechanical work.
In spite of my enthusiasm I also learned that it often costs less to buy a car that someone else has restored than do the work yourself from scratch.
Never assume that you will make money unless the car is a super rare and exotic collectible. ALL cars are money pits, whether new or old. People who claim that they sold on an ordinary classic and made a profit tend to be fibbing to themselves about how much money they sunk into the car while they owned it. It's a hobby, not an investment.
Breadvan72 said:
(yes, even MGBs)
Do it! I was in a similar situation not long ago, armed with nothing but a buyers guide and enthusiasm! As others have said, check mainly for rust, if you can see some, there's probably far more lurking behind. Also be wary of any thick, recent looking underseal!
Test drive as many examples as you can, they will vary a lot!
If you do go for one, get some basic tools, socket sets, spanners, feeler gauges etc so you can carry out basic servicing, it's fairly straightforward and satisfying. Many breakdowns can be prevented by just checking the thing over and keeping an eye on things such as hose condition, fluid levels, electrics etc.
Finally use it and enjoy it, too many people have old cars and wrap them in cotton wool, yes they need more regular maintenance but almost all are perfectly capable on the roads and dare I say it, can even be reliable!
Eagletower said:
Would you buy a classic without a garage? I only have a drive.
I tend to associate classic car ownership with an enthusiasm for cars and all the associated clutter that goes with the hobby, trolly jacks, ramps, axle stands, tools, spare parts, oil drums etc. etc. so no I wouldn't get into classic car ownership until I had a garage if I were you. I disagree. I have neither the time nor the skills to fix my own cars, but that doesn't make me other than enthusiastic about them. A garage is best, but you can get by without one. Attention to rust proofing and the use of a good quality cover can keep the car going even if it has to live outdoors.
Also, if you live in the country, ask around for barn space on local farms. In town ask around or use an agency to find a lock up garage or a space in an underground car park attached to a block of flats.
Also, if you live in the country, ask around for barn space on local farms. In town ask around or use an agency to find a lock up garage or a space in an underground car park attached to a block of flats.
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