Guide to Shopping for Hot Rods
So you want to buy a Hot Rod, but don't know where to start your search. One of the first things you have to decide is if you have a certain model in mind, or will you simply know the right car when you see it? There are advantages to both. If you know what you want, it certainly narrows your search parameters, but also reduces the number of potential vehicles to consider. If you are just looking for something cool, but are open minded about which particular model, you have far more options available to you. Decide if you want a fixer-upper, or one in pristine condition you can just buy and drive.
There was a time when your options were limited to newspaper and Auto Trader ads, some car magazines had ads, and aside from that it was a case of drive around and see what you saw with a for sale sign in the window. Sometimes even cars without signs are for sale if the right offer is made. If you see something you like, stop and ask if it might be for sale, but expect to pay more in this case. It's the old law of supply and demand. He has it, and you obviously want it or you wouldn't have asked if it was for sale. The seller has you over a barrel at this point, but in the end the choice to buy or not is still yours. For those of you with a specific vehicle in mind, this may be your best option, and in some cases your only one.
If the seller realizes he has you where he wants you, he might decide that he just couldn't possibly let it go as cheap as what you're offering. Unless this is a car you just have to have, walk away, but leave your number in case he changes his mind. Even though he wasn't advertising the car, and possibly hadn't even thought of selling it, you have put that thought in his mind. Cruise by the car periodically and see if a For Sale sign appears in the window. Then have a friend go by and offer to purchase it for even lower than your offer. Now the seller may think your offer wasn't so bad after all, and he may call you. If he doesn't, drop by again the next day and see if he might be willing to come down some on his price. At this point you can probably work out a compromise.
There is a chance that the current owner just isn't willing to sell. Perhaps the car has sentimental value and if this is the case, don't count on that person letting it go. I regularly get people wanting to buy my autographed General Lee, but I'm not selling. I answered my door one day a few summers ago to find a man standing there, with his truck and car trailer parked on the road at the end of my driveway. He said "I want to buy your General Lee". I told him it wasn't for sale, and proceeded to tell him the story of how I wanted that car when I first saw it on TV when I was 15, and that it took 17 years before I got it. He said "You don't understand" and he pulled a roll of bills out of his pocket. He showed me the money and continued "I'm serious, I want to buy your car". I didn't even ask him how much money was in that roll of hundreds, I assured him it wasn't for sale. I imagine if someone offered me a hundred grand for it, I might reconsider, but in realistic terms, it's not for sale, and you may encounter that when you try to purchase a car that isn't listed as for sale. We've all heard that money talks and BS walks, but in my case (BS being my initials), money walked and BS still drives his General Lee!
As times change, so does technology and one of the mostly widely used examples of modern technology is the internet. There are many sites that have postings for cars for sale, such as E-Bay and autotrader.com. These are great places to begin your search, but another option is to "Google" the type of vehicle you want. Simply type in the model of car and click search. Be prepared to spend hours looking at the various offerings online. In many cases you can begin looking in your local area by specifying that in your search. Who wants to travel across the country for a car if the guy on the next street has one tucked away in his garage? If you don't find what you are looking for nearby, expand your search parameters to include your entire state or even the whole country. If you live in a northern state, perhaps a trip into Canada might be worthwhile.
As a general rule, southern vehicles are less likely to be as rusty as ones from areas where snow is common. Whenever you get involved with older vehicles you can expect some rust or other damage that will have to be taken care of, unless the previous owner has already done that.
Once you have found the car that you think just might be "The One", a thorough inspection of the vehicle is highly recommended so you know up front what you are getting into. If the only thing you know about old cars is that you want one, bring along someone with more automotive knowledge to look at the car. I have looked at numerous vehicles that some friend or relative was considering buying. If you don't know someone who can do this for you, ask the seller if they would object to you taking it to a garage to have a mechanic inspect it. If they say no, chances are that they are trying to hide something, so this may be a deal you want to avoid. Most sellers will allow an inspection, and if you manage to get a mechanic to put it up on a hoist, you can look at it from underneath, a perspective most people don't get to see.
Possibly the best advice I can give is to not let your excitement cloud your judgment. A hot rod is something you will likely have for a long time, so make sure it's the right one for you.
