Hey all, just reaching out to see if anyone would be interested in this becoming a reality??? I am in the process currently of building a vintage vehicle platform that can verify any problems with the car before purchase. Pretty much a built in pre purchase inspection. I know as an amateur vintage car restoration company myself, the hardest part is purchasing a car, finding one on FBMP or Craigslist just to find when I’m about to buy it, that something completely different (and usually more expensive) is wrong than what was in the description. This is what I want this site to be, a safe and secure way to buy vintage cars without having to spend $75,000 on a vehicle. The target vehicles will be most anything, but focusing on vehicles below $20,000, so that it appeals to vintage car newcomers as well. I want to be able to completely circumvent 90% of potential scams when buying an intro-level vintage vehicle, and make peoples dreams into reality. I am in the works of making this a reality, I’d love any feedback you can think of below. Thanks!!!
Exactly how do propose to verify some random vintage vehicle’s problems in an app?
What do you call “vintage”? More than 20 years old back to… when?
How would that be better than having a vintage Mopar or Chevy or Honda expert asses the actual car before purchase?
I cannot judge my interest without understanding this better.
The verification would be through local to the listers area, reputable mechanics that specialized in the individuals car. Vintage is any car up until 20 years ago. The reason I believe it would be better than a Mopar or a Hemmings is because they focus on a lot of high dollar and value cars. Whereas maybe if you’re just looking to get into cars, you want something a little lower value but still nice. The website would contract with local mechanics for this verification and do a case by case basis.
I think we’re having a problem with terminology here, imo . . .
[quote=“joe.lorfam_193115, post:3, topic:199454”]
Vintage is any car up until 20 years ago . . .
that’s not what most of us would call a vintage car, afaik
No offense, but those are pretty much “used cars”
If you persist in using the term vintage cars, you might confuse visitors to your website, imo
If I have a Vintage vehicle for 20000.00 or less I am not letting some unknown to me mechanic come and inspect it. I will tell the prospective buyers to either buy it or go away . Plus most people are going to use an Internet search for a inspection mechanic near where the vehicle is providing the seller agrees to let someone look at it.
Hemmings does have lower priced vehicles .
I’m not paying a middle man to find me a vehicle inspector.
Thats a good point, I think getting consistent terminology would help, thank you!
Do you think that a seller would pay me(the site) for both the connection to the reputable shops, as well as buyers who are specifically looking for what they have and willing to pay more? Versus just anyone browsing FBMP? I think your point about an unknown mechanic is solid, I appreciate it!
My 21 year old truck isn’t vintage… it is just old and used…well used!
Vintage is 20 to 25 years and older.
FBMP is the swamp as far as car sellers. Much better to search AutoTrader CarGurus, Cars and Bids, Bring a Trailer or other more established sites.
No I don’t. Have you not looked at ( Bring a Trailer ). Or even use collector auction and no inspection fees involved .
In Virginia, if you own a passenger vehicle, trailer, semi-trailer or motorcycle with a model year that is more than 25 model years old before January 1 of the current calendar year, you’ve got an antique!
Your proposal of building a "Vin"tage Automobile Website for vehicles at least 20-years old would seem to fly in the face of how most, it not all states allow their vehicles to be registered. Considering all the other comments you have received, if you decide to continue with your proposal, I would suggest, “you get with the program…”
In NJ (and very likely in other states), once your vehicle is 25 years old, you can get special “QQ” license plates, and this exempts the owner from vehicle inspections. But, you have to go to an inspection station each year in order to verify that it was driven no more than 3,000 miles since the previous year. And, registration renewals are provided gratis once you have obtained those QQ plates. However, driving more than 3k miles per year will remoke your QQ status.
There are similar benefits for street rods of a certain age if special plates are obtained.
In the automotive world, “classic cars” will tend to be pre-1980’s and “vintage cars” will be pre-war. World War 2 that is. Anyone that is interested in these cars doesn’t need any help with pre-purchase inspection. They either know what they’re looking at or will learn very quickly.
I’m still not sure what age of cars you’re talking about. Sounds like just typical used cars?
Any hot rodder will just either unhook the speedo cable or simply swap out the instrument cluster with a spare (backup) instrument cluster with hardly any miles on it… A simple drill will run the miles up as wanted on the spare cluster for the inspection… lol
But yeah, anything 25 years or older can have an antique tag on it in TN…
I abused mine before and during covid, but the LEO’s knew I was driving it about 3 days a week, could only afford one tank a week most of the time, but it equals out being it has only seen pavement for about 10 miles the last 3 years… lol
I don’t think Minnesota has a mileage limit, and we=don’t do annual inspections, but cars with the classic plates are restricted by where they can go and how they are used. Parades are fine but not shopping etc. how or if they enforce it who knows? Just seems like if you have a collector car that you drive, just get regular plates without restrictions. Once the get that old, the plate fee is minimal.
Wow. Covid = cheap gas, around here anyway. Do you drive just once a week these days? I mean, you gotta satisfy that hot rod Jones.
In conclusion, develop your business plan then see what a banker has to say. Many many issues, like identifying the clients, identifying the providers around the country with no real knowledge of them, and finally where does th3 money come from and why would anyone pay for what is being offered. Like they say ideas are a dime a dozen. Not to be cruel but may test it in a very small geographical area like a city or county. Partner with a local restorer fo4 @ 10% referral or something.
Naw, I haven’t driven it in a while, I need to change the oil, been awhile, but I also have plans to replace the cam and a lot of other parts that will require an oil change, so just really waiting to do the upgrades, after I get the garage finished…
Now, my son is recovering from a very bad wreck (on 3-8-25, very lucky to be alive) with 3 broken bones, and he has to do all the stuff I just can’t do anymore, like most everything, basically, he is my hands now-a-days…