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The
first installment on this series
is about selecting the car you
want to buy. I'll be adding new
material each month so check
back often.
So
you want to buy a street rod. Do
you know what you're looking
for? Do you know what you're
looking at? Sorry, not trying to
insult anyone's intelligence but
it's amazing how many people are
buying street rods that aren't
sure what they want or how much
it should cost. If you're an
experienced street rodder and
have owned and sold many cars,
this section isn't for you. You
could probably tell me a thing
or two I'd bet. If you're
inexperienced, or not sure what
you want, then read on and I'll
try to ease the blues for you.
You
probably have a good idea of
what kind of car you want
already because a certain body
style or year model floats your
boat. So with that in mind, what
EXACTLY are you looking for.
Street rods come in all flavors
and styles. Do you want a resto
rod? Looks like an original but
has modern underpinnings? How
about Pro Street, like the big
tires and wheelie bar look?
Or...RAT ROD, those rough
looking cars that are just plain
fun? Whatever your flavor, look
at lots of different cars and
look them over good. Learn to
spot the differences in
workmanship and value.
Next,
do you want a car to keep or to
cruise for a while and resell or
trade? Keep this in mind...at
some time, EVERY CAR WILL BE
SOLD. They might have to wrap
your cold dead fingers from
around the steering wheel but
they will ALL BE SOLD
EVENTUALLY. You MUST keep this
in mind when buying a car. If
you want a car that holds it's
value and is easy to sell, stick
to the '32 - '34 Ford. Please,
no hate mail! I'm just stating a
fact. The '32 - '34 Ford will
sell faster than any other car.
But you'll also pay a higher
price for them at the beginning.
When it comes to a '34 Ford, make SURE you know
what you're looking at! There
are some one piece bodied cars
out there that look very similar
to a '34 Ford Coupe. The
resell value on these cars is
WAY lower than it is on a true
'34 Ford. I'm not saying
these are bad cars, they're
meant to be for the guy on a
budget and if that's what you
want, there's nothing wrong with
these cars. Just be sure you're
comparing apples to apples when
you're looking at a car to buy.
Next,
when you find that "I can't
live without it car", sleep
on it before plunking down the
cash. Is it really what you
want? I've seem many people that
buy a car for say...50K, then
spend another 30K making it like
they thought it should be, and
end up spending more than they
would have if they would have
had a new one built from the
beginning. Trust me...it happens
every day!
Now,
about Fit and Finish-->
Reid |
