With so many high profile car auctions featured in the news and on television these days, it’s not surprising that large numbers of vintage vehicle enthusiasts have been showing up at the auto auctions held in their own areas of the country. The big televised auctions like Barrett-Jackson have made the general public more familiar with the auction format and seem to have also provided auto fanatics with the incentive needed to get out and try their own luck at…
It was a sad day for the fans of all makes of classic and muscle cars when they heard the news that the Pontiac brand was going away as part of the government’s restructured plan for GM back in 2008. At the time, the Pontiac brand was signaling some signs of a resurgence and a return to the days of it's "We build excitement" motto. There were indications of new updates to existing vehicles like the GTO, the G8 and…
When fall rolls around, many car enthusiasts and especially those in the northern climes, begin thinking about putting their classic rides away for the winter. If you live in an area where it snows, sleets or hails in the colder months, retiring a restored vehicle for the season makes perfect sense. However, there are a number of things to do to prepare your car for hibernation before you lock the doors and walk away for a few months. If you…
As the number of new events, shows, businesses, and displays focused on classic cars continues to grow, it seems we learn about another new enterprise dedicated to vintage cars every week. Of course, the venues that spotlight GM-brand vehicles are always of particular interest to us, and although we documented over 40 historical vehicle venues in our “Classic Car History Lesson” posted on this blog a few months ago, we were pleased to recently learn of yet another new automotive…
No automotive restoration project can move forward without access to the parts needed to get the job done. Time, money, space, skill and tools are all important too, but the ability to get the parts you need can make or break any restoration project, especially when working on older classic cars that are no longer supported by original factory replacement parts. Granted, a lot of restorations are undertaken as long-term projects where a good deal of time will be spent…
[caption id="attachment_616" align="alignnone" width="550"] Nethercutt Museum[/caption] Back in June, this blog featured a post titled “Classic Car History Lessons” wherein we looked at some of the different car museums, manufacturer displays and other historical vehicle venues that would make sensible road trip destinations for fans of classic automobiles. Our list of viable venues included nine different stops in the state of California alone, with the most famous and familiar being the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles. In contrast, there…
Most classic car enthusiasts are familiar with the televised car auctions like the Barrett-Jackson and Mecum events that are held in larger cities across the country. Although many classic and vintage vehicles are sold successfully each year at the high profile televised auctions, plenty of old cars and light trucks also cross the block at the many smaller government and public auctions too. Interest in car auctions has risen in the current weak economy and the number of bargain hunters…
Auto theft is still a big problem in the U.S. even though advancements in modern technology have made it more difficult to steal a vehicle and easier to track down both the vehicle and the person who stole it. The newer the car, the more anti-theft technology it will have inside, and long gone are the days of crossing a few wires under the dashboard to “hot-wire” a car and drive off into the sunset. However, police departments across the…
When buying or selling a classic car, determining the fair market value is always an issue because the values can vary so greatly. Classic cars that are no longer in production are valued by calculating so many different factors that at times it can seem a bit mysterious. Publications like the NADA Appraisal Guide and the Old Car Buyers Guide along with websites like Hemmings and Hagerty can help car owners to understand how the values are calculated, and they…
Most people are aware that buying, selling, restoring and simply enjoying classic cars have become very popular activities in the U.S. today. Beyond the obvious emotional appeal of classic iron, there is also the potential of monetary reward when making the old new again, especially if you choose the right car. Muscle cars, sports cars and the most popular classics have been enjoying steadily rising values, a fact that has been underscored by the record-setting prices that auto auction houses…
