|
The market in classic cars is booming like never before. Paul Hardiman, a former deputy editor of Classic & Sports Car magazine and one of the sector's most experienced journalists, picks five of the very best Click to view Top 5 Classic Cars.
|
Buyers Guide and Overview |
|
| While all classics are different, there are some basic rules to follow - Do the panels line up? Does the hood fit? Does the paperwork all match up to tell a story? – but the crucial piece of advice when viewing a car is: take an expert who knows the model intimately. |
| |
| First stop to finding one is through the owners’ clubs, most of which have websites. If you buy the car, you’ll want to join anyway, as an invaluable source of information plus deals on insurance cover and parts. Rust is the biggest enemy on all but a few older cars; almost invariably, the most expensive part to put right is the bodyshell, and many cars rust where you can’t see it. If you can’t take an expert with you, at least bone up on your preferred model in the classic press and on the internet. |
| |
 As a general rule, any rust bubble on the outside means impending trouble within the nearest structural section. See if you can lift the carpets to make sure the floors are in good shape. It’s much easier to do this on old cars than new ones, which appear moulded in one piece and hermetically sealed. Complete new bodyshells are available for MGBs, Midgets and Minis, but if the car has been rebuilt this way, make sure it’s been well rust-protected.
Other faults to make you walk away are excessive smoke after start-up, overheating (take at least a 15-minute test drive) and pulling to one side, especially when combined with uneven tyre wear. But don’t expect throw-you-though the windscreen brakes or feather-light steering on any classic.
|
HPI data |
| An HPI check is always worthwhile when buying any second-hand car to make sure it’s not nicked, written off or on the never-never. Do it online (www.hpicheck.com) for £39.95, or on the phone (017222 422422) for £42.95. |
Unleaded |
 Finally, check whether or not the car has been converted to run on unleaded fuel – on some this is just a simple adjustment to the ignition timing, on others it means several hundred pounds to fit hard valve seat inserts into the cylinder head – because Lead Replacement Petrol is no more. Many classics have been converted by now but if not, unless you’re lucky enough to live near a station selling real leaded fuel (see www.leadedpetrol.co.uk) you’ll need to tip in an additive whenever you fill up. For some, that’s part of the charm: for others, it’s a pain. But who knows – buy a DIY manual for your car, and you might come to enjoy the tinkering. |
|
Other great reviews in Driving:
|
|
RELATED PAGES
|
Could this