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The find-your-muscle-car News, Issue #001 -- Online Muscle Car
August 18, 2008

"Buying a Car Online" Seminar

New Information For Your Search

One of the highlights of our annual visit to the All-Chrysler Nationals event at Carlisle, Pennsylvania was the seminar on How to Protect Yourself When Buying a Mopar Online presented by Show Your Auto President/CEO Patrick Krook on July 12th. Even though the event is for Mopar fans, the info on buying a muscle car online applies to all makes.

Show Your Auto's goal is to provide a fun, safe buying experience for muscle car enthusiasts. (Sounds like us here at find-your-muscle-car, doesn't it?) Their inventory is mostly Mopars and Mustangs but there are a few GMs and exotics in the mix, too. The majority of the cars are what we consider investment quality, very expensive cars that wouldn't fit our budget. However, right now there is a 1972 Chevrolet Monte Carlo for sale in their virtual showroom at just over $13k.

Mr. Krook was informative and easy-going. He shared interesting stories of bad online purchases. The audience also shared their buying experiences, both good and bad, from online sites like eBay.

Most of his recommendations were similar to those we make at find-your-muscle-car. He advises you to personally inspect a car before you buy and recommends an expert appraisal for higher value cars. Show Your Auto can recommend appraisers who specialize in the make and model you want to purchase.

Here are some points made in the seminar that added to our knowledge and we want to pass on to you:

  • A vehicle certification is only as good as the day it was completed. No one can tell what happened the day after. So the Concours rating or Pontiac Historical Society certification that a seller shows you is really only good if it is re-verified at your time of purchase.

  • Values for completely original vehicles, including original motor, transmission, etc., are still high, but there is less of an impact to value if some mods have been made. As the number of original muscle cars declines, a base Challenger cloned to an R/T is a great option for a muscle car buyer.

  • Evidence of bodywork may not be a big concern. For example, Mopars are known for rotting out in the wheel wells. Mr. Krook wouldn't be surprised or upset to see these areas had been repaired or entire panels replaced, if the repair was done expertly and the seller didn't represent the car as "all original, rust-free metal."

    • We appreciated the entertaining and informative seminar led by Mr. Krook and suggest you check out the Show Your Auto website. Even if the muscle cars are out of your price range, they are fun to review. In addition, the whole site can give you ideas about what to look for when you find your muscle car!


    Muscle Car Search Terms


    Here are some important words to know when looking at used muscle cars for sale:

    clone - a car that has been modified to replicate a muscle car, an example muscle car clone would be a Plymouth Satellite modified to be a Plymouth Road Runner or a basic Pontiac made into a Pontiac GTO Judge; the modification can be as simple as using exterior details like badges, stripes and adding hood scoops or a complete re-build of the basic car to meet factory specs of the target classic car; these are also referred to as tribute cars

    NOM - not original motor, generally this indicates that the original motor was replaced with either a period correct motor from another car or a newer motor; some muscle car buyers would not pay as much for a car that was NOM

    NOS - new old stock, original equipment manufacturer parts that were made specifically for the vehicle but that are no longer available through the manufacturer; these can be found at car shows in the swap meet area or online through eBay and parts sites and are sought by people who are doing a restoration project

    resto-mod - a combination restoration and modification (or modernization) of a classic car, it typically means that the car has been modified to incorporate some of today's technologies in the areas of steering, braking, handling, and comfort/convenience such as improved guages or sound systems; it's not a muscle car clone or a survivor


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