How to own a retro, top tips.

[Killbill]

This is my only tip.
Sort out the rust before you start spending any money on super rare alloys/stainless exhaust/big brake upgrades/coilovers.
Old cars can be money pits if your not careful you need a solid base.
Please feel free to add to your top retro tips.
Chris

[nomad]

Decide what you want from a Retro before you buy one 

restored & ready to use?    (good points = no time "wasted" getting it sorted, bad points = an expensive option, beware buying a wreck that's just been tarted up and put up for sale)
a "rolling restoration"?        (good = you can drive it immediately, bad = lots of "when are you going to restore it?" comments)
a "restoration project"?      (good = cheap, bad = will take lots of time & effort to get it finished - might never get on the road, could end up as a money pit and/or sold as an "unfinished project")

Pick right and you'll have loads of fun, pick wrong and you will regret it!

[igor]

Here in New Zealand we don't salt the roads so almost rust free old cars are available. My view is that the best thing to do is to buy the most rust free example you can find of the car you like because everything else is a finite cost to fix while rust work is never ending as the more one pokes the screwdriver the more one finds.

[Deleted]

1. Its gonna cost money, no matter what
2. don't give up and sell it after finding more faults than you thought there were, persistance usually pays off.
3. If you're only in it for the money, go **** yourself

[79cord]

Be warned that once you own an old car in need a better/cheaper one will likely find you.

[darrenh]

May 19, 2015 23:01:09 GMT Killbill said:

This is my only tip.
Sort out the rust before you start spending any money on super rare alloys/stainless exhaust/big brake upgrades/coilovers.
Old cars can be money pits if your not careful you need a solid base.
Please feel free to add to your top retro tips.
Chris

+1 and for the same reasons don't buy a project for top dollar, with a knackered shell, where the vendors value is in those bolt on items.

[deanflowers]

Think of a what you think it will cost and double it

[THE_Liam]

Never, ever try to justify it as anything other than an extravagance, or work out what you've spent. This is the path to depression.

[rsmithy626]

Keep in mind that old cars need more maintenance than moderns. Like tappets, carbs etc rather than just a yearly service etc

[grifterkid]

Blimey, I wouldn't know what to suggest as I've not really been the most successful classic car owner... Having said that, I've enjoyed every second of it...!!!

With regards to the bodywork look beyond the surface... A car with a few rusty outer panels can be a better long-term runner than something that looks good on the outside but is rotten within!!!

With regards to maintenance please ensure you service whatever you buy as regularly as you can to ensure the smooth running of everything 'internal'as (much like old people) keeping the mechanics of things in tip-top condition can pay dividends later on in life...

What else?! Don't think about money but be prepared to spend it...!!! For the money you save on buying an older car that is less than a new car (if that is the case of course) you may very well end up spending so much more money on an older car to get thing up to scratch or running as you wish...

Classic car ownership is a big gamble but a gamble I've been happy to take over the years...

Just be wary and don't get too excited and you'll be alright(ish)...!!!

[SmokeEm]

A Classic/Retro is for life, not just for Christmas....

Oh, and be prepared to explain why you drive something different... every day!

[carledo]

GO MAD AS A FISH! Then the rest is easy!

Steve

[wolseley]

May 21, 2015 10:13:53 GMT SmokeEm said:

Oh, and be prepared to explain why you drive something different... every day!

And get used to people stopping and saying "My father (or grandfather) had one of those" or, if the car is something a bit out of the ordinary, "What is it?"

[SmokeEm]

May 21, 2015 12:13:34 GMT wolseley said:

May 21, 2015 10:13:53 GMT SmokeEm said:

Oh, and be prepared to explain why you drive something different... every day!

And get used to people stopping and saying "My father (or grandfather) had one of those" or, if the car is something a bit out of the ordinary, "What is it?"

And not forgetting of course when driving one's Capri Laser - "I had a brand new 3 Litre injection Ghia S" when they were new!

or when in Sierra - "I had a XR4x4i Cosworth Twin Turbo Injection..." Or other models that didn't exist but still better than yours........

[fordperv]

Be prepared to break out the spanners and get your hands dirty or you pockets will be empty because of garage costs.

[Killbill]

Some great tips.
I'll add another one,try and buy your pride and joy from a good forum i.e. retrorides,uksaabs,merc190uk,ect.

You can search the sellers previous post for any recurring problems with the car you like.
And to see if the seller is a genuine car guy,or just a trader.
Keep the tips coming if just one helps a new owner,it'll be wort it.
Cheers
Chris.

[HmmDK]

don't ever forget to have fun with it

[Seth]

First rule of owning a retro car. Own more than one retro car.

[Deleted]

Plus gas and some irwin bolt grip sockets will remove virtually any bolt even those totally rounded (never failed yet)

Very few others do "proper" servicing - be prepared to discover new forms of life or factory fitted air filters etc...(I once discovered a fuel filter on a 20 odd year car was the one fitted in the factory well over 100K before...the change interval was every 20K or 3 years...

Any fastener that you want to shear off won't and vice versa....

[skylinedave]

Be prepared to knuckle down and learn how things work and how to repair them yourselves unless you have bottomless money pit .

Persevere until you understand , and be prepared to invest in good new or secondhand tools .

Learn the right way to do things and don't cut corners or it will bite you in the ass .