Many of us dream of cruising down the road in a classic sports car or maybe a something a little more elegant and luxurious. Whatever our dreams may tempt us with, when it comes to reality of buying and owning a classic car, sometimes it a long way from our dreams.

When considering a purchase of a classic car there are many common mistakes made by naïve people when buying for the first time. Unless you have mechanical knowledge or expertise, it’s well worth doing some homework before you jump in to that all important purchase.

Researching online, through books and magazines is a good start, but it would be advisable to speak with some experts too. Whether it’s a motoring organisation or local car club members, as the more information you are armed with when you start to look around at what is on offer to you, the better it will be for making informed decisions about a purchase.

Next, make a short list of the make or models you are particularly interested in and set a realistic budget. Because unlike new or nearly new cars, older classical or sports cars will need annual care and attention mechanically. It depends on what car you are looking to buy, how much you intend to spend, plus the age and condition of the vehicle you eventually purchase.

Don’t purchase the first car you see, try not to be impulsive, get a second opinion, even better take a friend or pay a mechanic for impartial buying advice and try to get the vehicle inspected mechanically. This will defiantly save you time and money in the long run, as weeding out the problem cars at this stage will be an asset.

While you are having the car inspected, make sure both you and the mechanic take the car for a drive, this will help make sure there are no negative aspects to the way the vehicle drives & the performance is as it should be for that vehicle of the given age and mileage. Make sure you check all the paperwork and any bills that are present at time of sale, this will give you a glimpse into how the car has been cared for and potentially what the annual running or servicing costs are likely to be.

This could also be useful for a bargaining chip when making a purchase, as if your designated mechanic or vehicle inspection specialist finds any issues or potential problems and there is work that needs to be carried before or straight after a potential purchase, this could be something to use for negotiation of the car’s price.