Classic American Car in Houston (Rosenberg, Mustang: for sale, coupons, 2013)

[olliemb]

Hi all,

I'm moving to Houston in September and looking to fulfill the childhood dream of purchasing a classic american muscle car.
Can someone please advise on the process in the USA?
How much would insurance be (ball park figure, I understand it varies greatly)?
Any recommended dealerships?
Anyone (either a business or an individual) who can come with me to check over a car before I purchase it? Is that a service you can find?

Sorry about all the questions, but any advice, positive or negative, would be helpful.

Thanks so much
Oliver

[PedroMartinez]

What is your budget?

Is there any particular mode you like?

[Schumacher713]

5K to 1million. It depends on what you want.

There is no process. You buy it just like any other car.

It costs about the same as any other car. It is based on the value you insure the car at.

Dealerships are not really the place to get classic cars. New Cars, Used Cars - Find Cars for Sale and Reviews at AutoTrader.com, Electronics, Cars, Fashion, Collectibles, Coupons and More | eBay

There are lots of services that will check out a car for you.

[jtothemak]

If it is a second car and not your daily driver you can get insurance from Haggerty or Grundy and it is a fraction of the cost and insurance is stated value. As far as price start looking on Ebay motors and auto trader, price for a classic ranges from 10k to 100k+ depending on the type of car you want and the condition it is in. There are also a few dealerships in town that specialize in collector cars.

[gwarnecke]

It doesn't sound like you're set on a particular model. That's actually a good mindset - most muscle cars drive about the same (good power, fairly soft ride by today's standards, poor handling and of course terrible gas mileage). If you're buying the car primarily to enjoy, rather than as an investment, you'll be a lot happier if you focus on getting the best-quality restoration possible, rather than a particular model.

Once you arrive in Houston, maybe you can join a classic car club and make some friends who could help you pick a particular model and test-drive different candidates.

I'm living not far from you (Netherlands) and always enjoy the few chances that I get to see classic American cars on the road here. They're not very practical, with tiny parking spots and $10/gallon gas, but they always get lots of attention.

[PedroMartinez]

Originally Posted by gwarnecke

$10/gallon gas

Then again, you probably have awesome public transportation.

[gwarnecke]

Eh. The trains and trams will get you most places, but they're filthy, crowded during rush hour, and often run late. On the other hand, biking here is great. Dedicated bike paths everywhere, and the whole country is as flat as Houston but without the heat. I hear Denmark is even better.

$10/gallon gas hurts, but most cars get great mileage so it partially cancels out.

[bluelion_ms3]

go to www.autotraderclassics.com to search for vehicles.... and you can hire an off premise inspection to inspect the vehicle for you while youre still out of the country. it's typically $200-$400.... insurance is roughly $25-$40 a month depending on coverage and cost of vehicle.

[haudi]

Depending on what kind of classic you are looking for, you might look into insurance that specializes in classic cars like Hagerty (Hagerty Insurance - Vintage, Collector and Antique Insurance). Traditional insurers aren't really sure what to make of classic cars.

[Chum731]

I have a 65 Fastback Mustang

I drive it about 1,000 to 1,200 miles a year

I have Hagerty's and they limit your mileage to 2,500 to 3,500 a year max (I would have to look at the policy). My insurance runs about 600.00 a year - but that is based on value and not driving it much. I have Tx Antique tags which also limit driving to the garage for repairs, parades, shows etc. They don't check any of that but if you daily drive it you are going to have to do a different route on the tag / insurance. It will be more to drive it 15,000 to 25,000 miles a year.

It is hot here (duh). My car is hot rodded up and the motor throws off crazy heat. The dark green with a black interior doesn't help. It has an AC but it only takes the edge off of those 100 degree days. So I roll down the windows and enjoy the noises from the engine.

It is almost a 50 year old car. It leaks, doesn't stop well and the steering floats on the highway at 75 miles an hour. It will cost crazy money to modernize it - so just keep all that in mind when you look and you drive them.

Autotraderclassics.com that was previously mentioned is where I bought my car back in 2004 in Georgia. They have dealers and individuals selling there. I have a couple of mechanics that work on my heap that I can steer you towards if you want an old car guy to look at it



Here is what body shop hell looks like - 3.5 years in the shop getting restored.



And when is was all finished. Here are some pictures of my car that we took down in Rosenberg, Tx



Some more pictures

1965 Ford Mustang by Seatonism! | AutoModia