Are you knowledgable when it comes to vintage cars? If so...please help!

[Italiahaircolor]

My DH is turning the big 3-0 this year...and accordingly, I have planned vacation to Las Vegas for us as well as some friends and family. The trip was supposed to be my big "happy birthday!!" to him...but I''m not feeling like it really does the job. Sure, it''s a vacation...but we''d be taking one anyway, you know? So where is the "wow" factor in that?

So....

I''ve decided to fulfill one of my DH''s dreams and buy him a vintage car! But...unlike Vegas I really, really want this to be a surprise. So I''m flying solo here--scary.

Over the past few weeks I''ve joined classic car/vintage car forums...and I''ve learned a lot...but not nearly enough to pull the trigger. Then, yesterday, Lamborghinigirl posted her thread on cars and suddenly you all came out with this amazing car knowledge--I had a "who knew" moment...so, I figured I''d ask and see if anyone here knows any good websites or companies that sell vintage cars? What is it that I should be looking for? Any sure fire signs that it''s a scam or a lemon?

I''m really into Corvette Stringrays from the early 1960''s...but welcome other cars, too. I''d like for it to be "cool"...something sporty, shiny and fun. I don''t want to have to much to much money into repairs...but understand that I will probably have to fork some out initally. Other than that, I am open...

So please, if you know anything about this stuff...help a novice out....thanks!

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

Two years ago FI purchased a '71 MG Midget off of eBay. It's a fantastic car and we've had lots of fun. The seller inherited it from his father who had bought it new in '71. The father did minor work on it to keep it in like new condition and it's considered one step down from "mint" or showroom condition. He added a few minor things like the roll bar. FI picked it up for about $8k.

We call her "Stuart" after the Stuart Little

 

[MommaBear]

First, you need to decide on the make...
meaning: Foreign or domestic.
if it''s foreign, does he want euro or japanese...
Domestics are fun but can be menacing (a lot of chrome = weight = $$ for fuel, etc.)
euro.. may be difficult to maintain in the long run. parts may not be easy to come by (except for mini coopers)
japanese classics are my favorite. They are fun and sporty. They are reliable. I have 2 japanese nostalgia cars. one is a 1970''s honda (started right up after sitting for 30+yrs.) and my other one is a 1969 Datsun roadster (i bought it on EBAY!!!) LOL

It sounds like you are leaning more towards a roadster (stingray) LOL
if that is the case and he likes japanese cars, I would highly suggest a Fairlady by Datsun.
this little car can take almost ANY modern japanese engine if, for some reason the original engine goes caput. I''m thinking of putting in a modern Z engine in mine. it will be strong and reliable like a modern car but have the look of a bygone era.

Hope this helps. Good luck on your search and keep us posted

 

[Italiahaircolor]

Ha! It''s so cute!

I cannot believe that was only 8k...I''ve only seen many of the Corvette Stingrays at around 60k+!

I''m so jealous!

 

[Italiahaircolor]

Date: 5/5/2009 3:44:59 PM
Author: MommaBear
First, you need to decide on the make...
meaning: Foreign or domestic.
if it''s foreign, does he want euro or japanese...
Domestics are fun but can be menacing (a lot of chrome = weight = $$ for fuel, etc.)
euro.. may be difficult to maintain in the long run. parts may not be easy to come by (except for mini coopers)
japanese classics are my favorite. They are fun and sporty. They are reliable. I have 2 japanese nostalgia cars. one is a 1970''s honda (started right up after sitting for 30+yrs.) and my other one is a 1969 Datsun roadster (i bought it on EBAY!!!) LOL

It sounds like you are leaning more towards a roadster (stingray) LOL
if that is the case and he likes japanese cars, I would highly suggest a Fairlady by Datsun.
this little car can take almost ANY modern japanese engine if, for some reason the original engine goes caput. I''m thinking of putting in a modern Z engine in mine. it will be strong and reliable like a modern car but have the look of a bygone era.

Hope this helps. Good luck on your search and keep us posted

I love the look...I am off to do some research!

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

Well, it''s no Stingray(dream car of mine BTW). One thing to be cautious of in your search is people selling "kit" cars as authentic vintage vehicles.

MGs are great because the parts are readily accessible. Triumphs and MGs are basically the same car and a lot of the parts are interchangeable if they''re from the same time period. FI had an AMC Rambler (sedan) before the MG and it was a PITA because the parts were hard to come by.

If you practice safe buying, like you do for jewelry, you can definitely pick up cars on eBay.

 

[Italiahaircolor]

Date: 5/5/2009 3:48:43 PM
Author: Hudson_Hawk
Well, it''s no Stingray(dream car of mine BTW). One thing to be cautious of in your search is people selling ''kit'' cars as authentic vintage vehicles.

MGs are great because the parts are readily accessible. Triumphs and MGs are basically the same car and a lot of the parts are interchangeable if they''re from the same time period. FI had an AMC Rambler (sedan) before the MG and it was a PITA because the parts were hard to come by.

If you practice safe buying, like you do for jewelry, you can definitely pick up cars on eBay.

Funny, my FIL has a Triumph...but I''m not really comfortable going to him for advice.

I will keep an eye out for the "kit" cars as opposed to authentic vintage.

This is a lot of work...thank God I have till the end of August!

 

[LaurenThePartier]

Italia, how wonderful of you to buy a surprise car for your husband! A corvette of any year in any decent shape is going to be a bit pricey.

I think all of the fun roadster suggestions have been great, MGs and Triumphs especially, though you''ll need a specialized shop for maintenance. Perhaps a VW Karman Ghia (although those are starting to go for up to $10k+) or even a Datsun 510. I''ve been seeing tons of people squeezing incredibly high powered motors into them, and they can be menacingly quick.

I''m not sure where you live, but everytime I''m in Reno, I visit this place - http://www.sporthausinc.com/al/gallery.php

They always have tons of older 911s and vintage cars hanging around, and it''s the only place I''ve ever been where you can get sick of looking at 356s (which I love!)

I would just give them a call since prices aren''t listed, but I wouldn''t worry about that - their pricing has been very fair in the past.

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

FI says that kit cars are authentic (they''re auth corvette parts), but they''re not vintage.

 

[Dancing Fire]

Date: 5/5/2009 3:16:41 PM
Author:Italiahaircolor
or companies that sell vintage cars? What is it that I should be looking for? Any sure fire signs that it''s a scam or a lemon?

I''m really into Corvette Stringrays from the early 1960''s...but welcome other cars, too. I''d like for it to be ''cool''...something sporty, shiny and fun. I don''t want to have to much to much money into repairs...but understand that I will probably have to fork some out initally. Other than that, I am open...

So please, if you know anything about this stuff...help a novice out....thanks!

DON''T DO IT!!..if you don''t know what you are looking at. i wouldn''t try to surprise him with a classic Corvette,too many fakes out there.

i''ll reply after lunch.

 

[Italiahaircolor]

Date: 5/5/2009 3:59:42 PM
Author: LaurenThePartier
Italia, how wonderful of you to buy a surprise car for your husband! A corvette of any year in any decent shape is going to be a bit pricey.

I think all of the fun roadster suggestions have been great, MGs and Triumphs especially, though you''ll need a specialized shop for maintenance. Perhaps a VW Karman Ghia (although those are starting to go for up to $10k+) or even a Datsun 510. I''ve been seeing tons of people squeezing incredibly high powered motors into them, and they can be menacingly quick.

I''m not sure where you live, but everytime I''m in Reno, I visit this place - http://www.sporthausinc.com/al/gallery.php

They always have tons of older 911s and vintage cars hanging around, and it''s the only place I''ve ever been where you can get sick of looking at 356s (which I love!)

I would just give them a call since prices aren''t listed, but I wouldn''t worry about that - their pricing has been very fair in the past.

Thanks! I thought it was kind of a neat surprise.

When I ran my numbers, budget-wise, I could comfortably spend a decent amount...I just want the car to be really nice for him, money has to come second to that. Pay now, or pay later...right?

I am going to them a call later this evening on my way home...thank you so, so, so much for the site! I really appreciate it!

 

[purrfectpear]

I''ve owned two Datsun Fairlady roadsters, a ''67 and a ''69.

Sweet cars but not for the power enthusiast. I should say that my boyfriend at the time was a former Porsche mechanic. It was a damn good thing, as they were being worked on practically every time I came home from a drive

and they were only 12 years old then. I shudder to think of the maintenance now.

I also had a 75 MGB (probably the only one in history that was trouble free). They don''t call Lucas the Prince of Electrical Darkness for nothing. If you have a British car you will likely get to know your mechanic quite well.

For fun and exceedingly low maintenance I have to vote for the Miata. I''ve owned three. Two ''95''s and a ''91. Cheap, trackable, and easy to work on (though they rarely need it).

A Vette is an entirely different animal. It''s about the horsepower baby.

My first choice would be a Porsche 911. I had a ''69 and a ''71. Does require maintenance and you probably won''t be doing it yourself. Porsche uses some proprietary tools.

 

[PaulaW]

hey Italia, I''m not that knowledgable when it comes to classics, but you''re in the northeast, right?
There''s an awesome classified paper that has a website too - it''s http://www.specialinterest.com/
I''m a HUGE fan of Stingrays. I hope you can get one!

 

[iheartscience]

Awesome present, Italia! Your husband is going to freak out when you give it to him!

I have no useful advice, but my ex-boyfriend''s dad was a big classic car collector and he had the sickest Corvette Stingray. He let me drive it every now and then (he was very gruff but he secretly loved me, and it blew my boyfriend and his brothers'' minds that he let me drive his Corvette!

) and it was AWESOME. So I hope you can find your husband one of those! My ex-boyf''s dad''s Corvette was silver with red and white leather seats and a T top. I think it was late 70s but I could be totally wrong-it''s been a while. Ooooh it was so sweet! And SO fun to drive, especially on summer nights with the top off!

Good luck and I hope you keep us posted!

 

[MommaBear]

Just be careful with rust on the body!
if you can, find a trustworthy mechanic near your area..
once you find a car your interested in, have the sellers meet you at the mechanics shop for an inspection.

 

[Italiahaircolor]

Date: 5/5/2009 4:14:23 PM
Author: PaulaW
hey Italia, I''m not that knowledgable when it comes to classics, but you''re in the northeast, right?
There''s an awesome classified paper that has a website too - it''s http://www.specialinterest.com/
I''m a HUGE fan of Stingrays. I hope you can get one!

I am actually in Chicago...but, I love the website. I am more than willing to fly out to see a car--anywhere really. Regardless of where it''s located I''d have it looked over by a mechanic--so if fine if travel is involved. And, of course, I''m willing to have the car privately transported to Chicago as well. So although it''s not a local mag, it''s totally helpful! Thank you!!

 

[MustangGal]

I believe that Barrett-Jackson can help with procurement services if you know what you''re looking for. We go to the auction in Scottsdale every year to drool.

I more of a Mustang girl (thus the screen name

), so not much help on vetts, sorry!

 

[Dancing Fire]

IHC

if you gonna buy him a 60's Corvette be sure it is all original (with no modification). the drive train must be thee original,engine,trans,rear end,etc,etc...the most popular model of that era would be the 327cid with a 350 hp engine. remember the key words here...must be "ALL ORIGINAL" for the car to bring the big bucks.

the classic car market has also gone down with the economy in the past couple of years. you can google Barrett Jackson car auction and see what a car like that would fetch these days.

IMO...i still say let him pick the car,cuz there's 90% chance that you'll get screw


i love classic muscle cars from the 60's to early 70's. i use to own couple of 1970 Camaro RS Z28. they came with a factory 350 CID/360 HP engine. the green one is an automatic with 58k original miles. the copper color one is a 4 speed with 9,800 original miles on it. the car has been on a couple of magazine. i sold it (too cheap) to a gentlemen whom flew in from new york just to look at the car he then bought it after checking it over for 2 hrs with his buddy.

 

[LostSapphire]

Here''s some eye candy for you: My dad''s 1961 all original Corvette Convertible. He has a hard top for it too.

Bought it almost as a wreck, and he restored it completely. I LOVE it.

LS

 

[Italiahaircolor]

Date: 5/5/2009 6:29:06 PM
Author: MustangGal
I believe that Barrett-Jackson can help with procurement services if you know what you''re looking for. We go to the auction in Scottsdale every year to drool.

I more of a Mustang girl (thus the screen name

), so not much help on vetts, sorry!

Thanks so much for the info...I am going to look Barret-Jackson up!

 

[Italiahaircolor]

Date: 5/5/2009 7:42:33 PM
Author: LostSapphire
Here''s some eye candy for you: My dad''s 1961 all original Corvette Convertible. He has a hard top for it too.

Bought it almost as a wreck, and he restored it completely. I LOVE it.

LS

That is exactly what I want for my DH! I am in love with it...you dad is a lucky man!

 

[Skippy123]

Well in Las Vegas at the Imperial Palace is a GIANT car collection and sometimes some of the cars are for sale so you should check it out.
http://www.autocollections.com/

 

[Italiahaircolor]

Date: 5/5/2009 7:19:56 PM
Author: Dancing Fire
IHC

if you gonna buy him a 60''s Corvette be sure it is all original (with no modification). the drive train must be thee original,engine,trans,rear end,etc,etc...the most popular model of that era would be the 327cid with a 350 hp engine. remember the key words here...must be ''ALL ORIGINAL'' for the car to bring the big bucks.

the classic car market has also gone down with the economy in the past couple of years. you can google Barrett Jackson car auction and see what a car like that would fetch these days.

IMO...i still say let him pick the car,cuz there''s 90% chance that you''ll get screw


i love classic muscle cars from the 60''s to early 70''s. i use to own couple of 1970 Camaro RS Z28. they came with a factory 350 CID/360 HP engine. the green one is an automatic with 58k original miles. the copper color one is a 4 speed with 9,800 original miles on it. the car has been on a couple of magazine. i sold it (too cheap) to a gentlemen whom flew in from new york just to look at the car he then bought it after checking it over for 2 hrs with his buddy.

DF...thank you so much for the information, I am going to put it to good use!

I probably should let my DH in on the deal...since I don''t want to get screwed...but I was sooooooooo hoping to just hand him some keys!

 

[Italiahaircolor]

Date: 5/5/2009 4:00:44 PM
Author: Hudson_Hawk
FI says that kit cars are authentic (they''re auth corvette parts), but they''re not vintage.

Ahhhh...thank your FI for me...this is all Greek to me, so I appreciate the insight very much!

 

[risingsun]

A Jaguar XKE is a very nice vintage car. Like most British cars...sorry...they need a lot of mechanical upkeep. I had an Austin-Healey, which I loved, but needed a mechanic on call

The Medical Director of our practice bought a vintage Jag convertible and has had no problems with it. I''ve always loved the look of the XKE

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

Ooooh I love Austin Healeys. FI was considering one when he bought the MG.

FI is very handy with cars, so he does all of the maintenance work on the MG himself. Vintage cars are actually a lot easier to work on than modern cars. The mechanics of the engine etc are so much more straight forward.

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 5/6/2009 12:23:31 AM
Author: risingsun
A Jaguar XKE is a very nice vintage car. Like most British cars...sorry...they need a lot of mechanical upkeep. I had an Austin-Healey, which I loved, but needed a mechanic on call

The Medical Director of our practice bought a vintage Jag convertible and has had no problems with it. I''ve always loved the look of the XKE

AKA the E Type Jag in the UK, wonderful cars!!!!!!

 

[kama_s]

Italie, I know ZERO about cars, but I just wanted to say what an awesome gift it''s going to make! Mark is going to be jumping off the walls!!

 

[bebe]

Date: 5/5/2009 3:16:41 PM
Author:Italiahaircolor
My DH is turning the big 3-0 this year...and accordingly, I have planned vacation to Las Vegas for us as well as some friends and family. The trip was supposed to be my big ''happy birthday!!'' to him...but I''m not feeling like it really does the job. Sure, it''s a vacation...but we''d be taking one anyway, you know? So where is the ''wow'' factor in that?

So....

I''ve decided to fulfill one of my DH''s dreams and buy him a vintage car! But...unlike Vegas I really, really want this to be a surprise. So I''m flying solo here--scary.

Over the past few weeks I''ve joined classic car/vintage car forums...and I''ve learned a lot...but not nearly enough to pull the trigger. Then, yesterday, Lamborghinigirl posted her thread on cars and suddenly you all came out with this amazing car knowledge--I had a ''who knew'' moment...so, I figured I''d ask and see if anyone here knows any good websites or companies that sell vintage cars? What is it that I should be looking for? Any sure fire signs that it''s a scam or a lemon?

I''m really into Corvette Stringrays from the early 1960''s...but welcome other cars, too. I''d like for it to be ''cool''...something sporty, shiny and fun. I don''t want to have to much to much money into repairs...but understand that I will probably have to fork some out initally. Other than that, I am open...

So please, if you know anything about this stuff...help a novice out....thanks!

Ooooh, a splitback Vette would be on my list for sure!!

 

[Irishgrrrl]

Date: 5/6/2009 7:44:31 PM
Author: bebe

Date: 5/5/2009 3:16:41 PM
Author:Italiahaircolor
My DH is turning the big 3-0 this year...and accordingly, I have planned vacation to Las Vegas for us as well as some friends and family. The trip was supposed to be my big ''happy birthday!!'' to him...but I''m not feeling like it really does the job. Sure, it''s a vacation...but we''d be taking one anyway, you know? So where is the ''wow'' factor in that?

So....

I''ve decided to fulfill one of my DH''s dreams and buy him a vintage car! But...unlike Vegas I really, really want this to be a surprise. So I''m flying solo here--scary.

Over the past few weeks I''ve joined classic car/vintage car forums...and I''ve learned a lot...but not nearly enough to pull the trigger. Then, yesterday, Lamborghinigirl posted her thread on cars and suddenly you all came out with this amazing car knowledge--I had a ''who knew'' moment...so, I figured I''d ask and see if anyone here knows any good websites or companies that sell vintage cars? What is it that I should be looking for? Any sure fire signs that it''s a scam or a lemon?

I''m really into Corvette Stringrays from the early 1960''s...but welcome other cars, too. I''d like for it to be ''cool''...something sporty, shiny and fun. I don''t want to have to much to much money into repairs...but understand that I will probably have to fork some out initally. Other than that, I am open...

So please, if you know anything about this stuff...help a novice out....thanks!

Ooooh, a splitback Vette would be on my list for sure!!

Ahhhh, yes . . . that would be the ''63 Stingray, a/k/a my Holy Grail Car!