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Muscle Car Restoration 101 - By: Jason Tarasi Restoring muscle cars is a hobby for some and a profession for others. There’s just something about the classic high-performance cars that collectors, racers and general car enthusiasts find fascinating. If you are a hobbyist who is interested in restoring a muscle car, you will probably benefit from a few restoration tips. The restoration of muscle cars begins with shopping for a muscle car that can be restored. Prior to buying a car for the purpose of restoring it you need to make sure that the parts needed for the restoration are available and you can get your hands on them, and that you can afford to complete the project once you start it. Before going shopping for a muscle car to restore, decide what your purpose is for restoring a car. Do you just want a great muscle car to drive? Will you be racing? Are you restoring the car so you can participate and compete in classic car shows? Do you intend to sell the totally restored muscle car for a profit? Once you’ve determined the purpose behind your muscle car restoration you’ll have a better idea about what type of muscle car you want to get. Before you go shopping, read up on different muscle cars and learn all about their performance, their value and so forth to make sure that the car you choose is appropriate for you intentions. To make sure that you don’t get ripped off in a muscle car transaction, find out what the muscle cars you are looking for are worth “as is” and what they are worth once they are restored. Having this information at your fingertips will help you to determine whether or not you are really getting a “great deal” when you begin to negotiate to buy a muscle car. Before you buy one, make sure that the parts needed to restore your muscle car are available and affordable. Set your budget and your timeline for restoring the car so you know how much you can afford to spend for the muscle car itself and for the parts and other expenses that will be incurred in the process of the restoration. Following these simple suggestions at the beginning of your muscle car restoration project will prevent you from starting a project you can’t finish and will ensure that your muscle car restoration project is enjoyable and that you meet your goals for muscle car restoration, whatever those goals may be. Restoring muscle cars is a hobby for some and a profession for others. There’s just something about the classic high-performance cars that collectors, racers and general car enthusiasts find fascinating. If you are a hobbyist who is interested in restoring a muscle car, you will probably benefit from a few restoration tips. The restoration of muscle cars begins with shopping for a muscle car that can be restored. Prior to buying a car for the purpose of restoring it you need ... Jason Tarasi is a muscle car enthusiast who runs the Muscle Car Monster Website, where members can buy and sell muscle cars for free through the site's online classifieds. Muscle Car Ads

One of the biggest moments in many people's lives is driving off in their brand-spanking-new automobile. It's an exhilarating feeling. It's also a big moment because in that very instant, that brand-spanking-new car loses a big chunk of its value-the difference between the retail price you paid and the car's wholesale value. That's typically thousands gone in an instant.

That's why some car buyers choose to shop around for a used car. You save yourself that steep initial drop-off in value. More importantly, you get a car that runs just as well, is just as dependable, and looks and feels as good as that new car-that is, if you play your cards right.

For if there is one pitfall of buying a used car, it's the risk of buying a lemon, a junker-call it what you want, you get the point: the wrong car. Used car dealers, after all, have nearly as bad a reputation, if not worse, than lawyers do. This holds true for individual people selling their cars through newspapers, Web auctions and classified sites, or with the old-fashioned signs in their car windows. The saying, "Buyer Beware," no where has more meaning than with cars.

The opposite to that, of course, is that there are some real steals out there in used cars. We're talking about quality vehicles that will perform beyond your expectations at a low price. Here's how to find these perfect used vehicles, and avoid the top 10 scams that used car dealers everywhere try to pull on you.

1. Get a second opinion for the hype.
Used car dealers will bombard you with every adjective under the book to sell you on a car-sporty, thrifty, fast, and etc. Don't take their word for it. Instead, find someone you know, whether a neighbor, a colleague, a family member, or a friend, who owns the same make and model of the vehicle, and ask them for their opinion.

2. Do a background check.
One of the most unethical, but legal, things someone can do to you is sell you a used car that's been in a flood (and sort of repaired), or one that's had 10 previous owners (none of whom repaired it). To be sure you don't fall victim to this, track down a history report, including a clearance check on the vehicle title. You can even get some of this information from the seller, simply by asking why they are selling it. You'd be surprised what beans people may spill.

3. Examine for past damage.
Used car dealers may also try to peddle a vehicle that was wrecked in a major accident. It's amazing what autobody experts can do to repair a car's exterior. So don't go by the outer appearances of a vehicle. Before you buy it, make sure that it does not have serious damage to its frame, which it would have if it was involved in a crash.

4. Call up your trusted mechanic.
Used car dealers, especially the big lots, will say they put their used cars through a "100 point inspection," or something like that. Once again, a second opinion is in order. Get this one from your own mechanic. He'll be able to tell how good a shape the car actually is in. Also be sure to ask him or her how often the car had been serviced. A good mechanic can even gauge that.

5. Research for recalls.
Needless to say, a used car dealer may sell you a car that's actually under recall in his mad rush to get the car off his lot. So be sure to call the car manufacturer, or visit their Web site, to see if the vehicle has any active recalls.

6. Avoid the leftover lemon.
Along with recalled vehicles, dealers may even perpetrate something much worse on you-sell you a lemon. (By definition, a lemon is a car that's still under warranty, which has such major problems that, warranty or not, it still cannot be fixed in a reasonable way.) The best way to avoid this is to research in Consumer Reports or the various automobile magazines, which all have yearly reviews of every make and model on the market. They'll tell you whether a kind of car is known for being a lemon and prone to breakdowns.

7. See through the old paint and bait.
Along with performing their "100 point inspection," car dealers may shine and wax a used car-even repaint it-to hide dents, dings, and rust spots. A keen eye, though, can see right through this.

8. Take the test drive.
Once you've done all your research, homework, extra credit, and everything else called for in the first seven steps, then comes the fun-the test drive. Drive the car for as long as its owner or dealer will allow you. Then you'll get a better feel for how the vehicle handles, accelerates, brakes, and otherwise suits your tastes (or doesn't).

9. Be wary of the pushy seller.
At any stage of the game-from the moment you first talk to the seller to the test drive-be careful if the seller gets pushy. Any dealer or seller who is in a rush to move a vehicle should set off bells and whistles. Why the rush? Are they hiding something? In some cases the seller may just be excited to sell you the car-and actually happy for you-but in many other cases, they may be up to something. Better be safe than sorry.

Follow these 9 simple steps to avoid the scams and pitfalls of used car deals, and you could get the car of your dreams-for far less than you'd pay if it was brand-new. Plus, you get that same high when you drive your new used car home, without losing thousands of dollars.

Author Bio
Donald Lee is the public relations manager for Buysellcommunity.com. Buysellcommunity provides free classified listing services. Buy, Sell and trade: auto, computers, household items, real estate, pets and much more. For global and localized classifieds, please visit http://www.buysellcommunity.com - Free Buy & Sell Classifieds

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