If you are going to buy used classic cars, the most important thing you can have at your disposal is knowledge of them. Purchasing a classic car is much different than purchasing a typical car and even for the most experienced buyers it can be a tricky feat. The last thing you want is to spend big money on a lemon. Here is a look at helpful steps that can help you find a quality classic car that you’ll enjoy for years to come.

Step #1 – Decide What You Want in a Classic Automobile

First, you must decide what you want in a classic car. Do you want to buy used classic cars to enter in competitions or do you want to drive your classic car on a regular basis for pleasure? For those who plan to use the car all the time, going with a vehicle in “show condition” is not the best choice. However, if you plan to compete, then spending a bit more on a classic car in better condition will be worth your money.

» Read more: How to Buy Used Classic Cars

There isn’t a word in the car enthusiast’s vocabulary that evokes more emotion than the word “rust”. It’s the automotive equivalent to “cancer”. Rust is bad news, no question. It’s also a very misunderstood problem, one that can be easily dealt with or at least controlled to preserve an otherwise good ‘ol rig.

Preservation and Maintenance:

The most serious type of rust is deep panel rot. The metal actually disintegrates causing holes and other damage. This requires new sheet metal to be grafted into the panel, or complete panel replacement. Why does this happen in certain areas and not others? Prolonged exposure to moisture.

» Read more: Classic Car Rust – A Misunderstood Topic

When it comes to real classic cars, there’s always the question of functionality versus antique authenticity. If you have a classic car and you modify it in any way other than to manufacturing specs then it is no longer factory original. At a classic car show you will be judged by originality and you will lose points, and there isn’t a chance you can’t with the show. Everything matters, the tires you use, the paint, and even the instruments in the dashboard including any entertainment devices such as stereos, GPS, or CD players.

If you have a docking station for your iPad in your 1959 stingray then obviously it is “out of time” and you probably can’t win best of show, even at the small local car shows. Just as if you can’t put the latest model steel belted radials, drive your car to the car show, and get the ultimate of accolades, no matter how cool your car is.

The real classic cars have eight track players, they do not have cassette players, as those didn’t happen until much later. The radios were AM/FM with pushbuttons, not XM radio with the satellite antenna on the back trunk.

» Read more: Real Classic Cars Have 8-Track Tapes – Remember Those?