KEY POINTS:
Labour Day weekend saw an increasing number of classic, and in some instances, vintage cars on the road. And as always the thought of owning one appeals but there are a number of pitfalls to be aware of.
It's no good going in like a bull in a china shop to realise you've bought a lemon or you're going to have to sell the house to pay for repairs.
If buying from the local newspaper or a website, always get the car checked by a qualified mechanic, preferably one who knows classic and vintage cars.
When you find a potential car, take care. As with buying any used car, purchasing an old one is a risk. Determine a fair value in its present condition and double check with clubs that take special interest in the model. This will provide some assurance of the car's status and collectability, if any, and it will also give you handy contacts for sourcing hard-to-find replacement parts.
If any significant components have been altered or replaced with different ones, or if body panels don't meet properly, pass the car up even if it's extremely cheap. Shoddy body repair work or a poor paint job indicates that the last owner cut corners on restoration.
Once the car has been purchased, ensure there is a place to store the car properly. Make sure you have a spot that's warm and dry. Ordinary home garages often suffer from moisture build-up so make sure you have adequate ventilation. Sometimes local car clubs arrange for group car storage at reasonable rates in dust-free, dry environments.
If the car is worth something as a collectable, insure your investment. Remember you need to arrange for full-coverage insurance, valued for what the car is currently worth.
Be prepared for repair bills and maintenance. Routine repairs can cost quite a bit, especially on older European cars. Ask the experts or your local car club what the car's weak design points are and also which parts are hard to find.
Restoring, or just keeping, an old car can be taxing on your personal time and your wallet. If you find you don't have enough hours in the day for family time and social obligations, don't buy it. If you don't think you're ready for that big investment but have the garage space, start with something less risky but fun.
And one final point - don't plan to make money on the car because you probably won't. Buy a car you like and have fun with it.
Below are some tips for caring and maintaining your new purchase.
Maintenance
Materials such as leather, rubber and even metal need extra TLC to keep them from wearing out and cracking from age and sunlight damage. All soft materials need moisturising now and again. Leather interiors in old cars need special care and cleaning. Hoses and all rubber parts need lubricants and moisturisers to keep them supple, strong and intact.
Storage
Keeping it protected from the elements is essential. Freezing temperatures and sunlight do the most damage. Keep the car covered and closed up in the garage to reduce dust build-up and to keep bugs out. If you live in a cold climate, you may want to connect it to an engine warmer - especially if you plan on starting it up - to keep the battery alive.
The right parts
Replacing vintage parts is not as easy as it sounds. While you may think finding any new replacement part will work, keeping it in line with the make, model and year of your car keeps the vehicle's value higher than if you replace your parts with other dissimilar car parts.
The engine
The new levels of ethanol in petrol may have adverse effects on your car's older engine. More mature engines were designed to run on leaded fuel and using ethanol without protection may lead to the corrosion of some metals in the engine. It could also damage the rubber and cork parts of the engine.
Fuel
Run a non-alcohol-based fuel stabiliser like STA-BIL all year-round. Install a water separation filter and fuel filter - keep spare filters on hand. Replace fuel lines and gaskets, or o-rings, with new ethanol-resistant materials. Repair or replace the fuel tank if it has been damaged.
Exercise
Many old cars owners tend to baby their vehicle and don't take it out as often as they should.
While it's good to keep the kilometres low, it's important to keep the engine ticking over. This cleans out the carburettor and valves and also circulates oil and helps the engine run better and longer.
