When it comes to buying a house, a proper inspection from an impartial inspector is mandatory. When it comes to buying a used car for a daily driver you would likely have it inspected before you bought it too, right?
Then why is it that so many people lay down their hard earned cash for classic cars without having a proper inspection done by a third party independent expert? We think we know why…
You have saved and saved for your dream machine that now costs thousands more than it did when you drooled over it as a teenager. Now that you can finally afford it you really don’t want to let anything get in your way of achieving your dream. Not even good judgment.
You have finally found the perfect deal! This car has matching numbers, is all original and the model year you have been looking for! It is selling for a fair market value. How can you lose? Trust us when we tell you that it is easier than you think!
There are many a lot of really impressive fakes out there! Both American made and foreign classic cars and trucks. It can sometimes take a really keen eye and an extensive amount of knowledge to tell the real deal from the phonies.
The seller may be very convincing that they have an authentic original and that is likely because they believe they do. It is possible however that they were duped as well when they purchased the vehicle. This is why it is imperative that you hire an expert to thoroughly go over the collector car you are buying to make sure it is what it claims to be.
Far too often buyers will not get an inspection and will take a gamble and roll the dice when making a purchase. They want to believe that everything is legit and they are getting a fair deal. Bad deals happen more often when the price seems fair or even overinflated. If a deal seems to good to be true and you still believe it, well then it sounds like you need to invest in common sense.
Even at auctions you are likely to hear them say a disclaimer that they are not liable for the authenticity of the car’s description. And again, you just cannot take the word of the seller as they may either be the hustler or have been hustled themselves. Clones are just too easy to pass off as the real thing.
Can it be expensive to hire an expert inspector? Possibly yes depending on the make and model, but with as much as it costs to get your hands on an authentic prized possession, we can’t see how you would want to risk it!
Some of you might think that you could sue a fraudulent seller, but remember you need to prove that it is a fake in the first place. You might go years before someone shows you how you have been tricked. At that point it might be too late or not cost effective to chase down a seller through court.
Do yourself a favor and hire an expert before making the final purchase. You will rest easy knowing you have the real thing sitting in your garage. If you are having trouble finding an expert simply give us a call at (972) 271-3579 and we will try to help point you in the right direction.