Carlex Restomod of the Jaguar XJ-C - dailycarblog
How To Find A Classic Car To Restore
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If you are a car enthusiast then restoring an old beat-up car to look like it did the day it rolled off of the production line decades ago is a thrill that is hard to beat. The feeling of accomplishment and pride is second to none. Part of the thrill, however, lies in finding the car, to begin with. It’s like grinding a treasure chest right under the ground.

There are thousands of old cars rotting away in fields, or collecting layers of dust in an old barn all over the country. Sleuthing them out and finding them is as exciting as finding a long-lost civilization is to an archeologist. If you get a thrill from the hunt, then it pays to know how to do it. In this article, we will go over several ways that you can find a vintage classic that has been overlooked and is ready for you to restore.

Barn finds

One of the most exciting ways to find a classic car is to look around for a barn find. These are cars that were put away in a barn decades ago for various reasons. It might have been that the owner bought a more reliable car and put that one away to fix it up at a later time that never came around. Or, it could have been that the old owner couldn’t drive anymore and put it away to be used later and it got forgotten for whatever reason.

5-Car-Barn-finds

The fact is that there are likely thousands of old Ford trucks hidden all over the country since they would be used by farmers so this is a good place to look if that is your favorite type of vintage vehicle. If it is then you should head out to the country and look for some dilapidated barns.

The reason they should be dilapidated is that it likely is owned by an old-timer. They are likely the ones that had the car new and stored it away. They are likely not advertising it for sale so you can usually get a very good deal out of it.

It will take some boldness to do this, but when you find an old barn then you should go knock on the door. Ask the owner if they have an old car stored in the barn and tell them that if they do you are a classic car restorer and wouldn’t mind taking a look if they want to get rid of it.

Many will think you’re crazy, but you may find a grandson or granddaughter who would be more than happy to get a few extra dollars from something they have no interest in, and their granddad is long gone.

If they don’t have one or are not interested in selling if they do, then they may know others who have an old car and would tell you where to find one.

Ask a mechanic

Mechanics know just about everybody in a community and they often know the people that have classic cars. They may have even done some work on them, too. This gives them an intimate knowledge of the car and can give you a lot of details about them.

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Your best bet is to head to a rural area where there are a lot of old timers. Rural areas are the best place to look because that is where these cars are usually hidden away and forgotten about since the young people all moved to the city. The ones left behind are not restoring old cars as they don’t have it in them usually.

Find a mechanic in this area, preferably an older guy, and ask him if he knows anybody who has an old car lying around that could be bought cheaply and restored. The same theory holds true for a barbershop. If you find one where the seniors get their haircut then this is a goldmine of information.

Estate sales

Take a look online and in local newspapers for estate sales. These are often great places to find old cars and many will be in better condition than barn finds.

When a senior citizen passes away, the children or grandchildren are looking to get rid of much of the stuff left behind. Putting on an estate sale is very easy and things usually go for very cheap.

You may get lucky and find one with an old car stored in the garage for years since they stopped driving it a while back.

Carlex Restomod of the Jaguar XJ-C - dailycarblog
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