What to check before you hand over money
A collector car is bought on its paperwork, its structure and its numbers, in that order. The checklist below applies to any car of any age; the model histories then cover the faults specific to the one you are looking at.
Before you travel
Stage oneRead the title before you read the advert
Ask for a photograph of the title, logbook or export certificate with the chassis number legible, and confirm the registered keeper is the person selling the car. Branded, salvage, bonded and lien-encumbered cars all sell legitimately. They are simply worth less, and an outstanding lien has to be paid off through the closing, not on assurance.
- Registered owner name matches the seller's ID, or there is a signed power of attorney explaining why it does not.
- Title status read in full: clean, salvage, rebuilt, bonded, flood, odometer-discrepant, or in transit from a lender.
- For a car outside its home market: the export document, the de-registration certificate, and whatever the destination country needs on arrival.
- No title at all on a pre-1970s car is common in some states and fatal in others. Establish what your DMV or licensing authority will register before you make an offer.
Verify the chassis number yourself
Decode the VIN or chassis number independently and check it against the model's build years, engine family, body style and assembly plant. Then order the title history and, where the marque runs an archive, the factory build record.
- 1981-and-newer VINs are 17 digits and decode free; earlier chassis numbers need a marque registry, a club archive or the factory.
- Factory records exist for many marques (build sheets, certificates of authenticity, heritage certificates) and are the only way to confirm original color, engine and options.
- A title-history report will show branding, mileage readings and past registrations across states. It will not show unreported accident damage.
Any 1981-or-newer VIN, free:Decode a VIN
Establish what the car has sold for, not what it is listed at
Price the car against completed sales of the same generation, specification and condition tier within the last eighteen months. Asking prices are an opening position; auction results are a record.
- Compare like for like: a matching-numbers car, a correct-color car and a restored shell are three different markets.
- Note the fees that sat on top of each comparable: buyer's premium at auction, sales tax and registration at home.
- Watch for a car that has been through several sales in quick succession. That pattern usually has a reason behind it.
Ask for the awkward documents up front
Request the service invoices with mileage printed on them, the inspection or roadworthiness records, receipts for the expensive scheduled work, and a walk-around video shot to your instructions rather than the seller's showreel.
- Invoices for the big scheduled items (cambelt, valve clearances, fuel system, brake overhaul) with dates and mileage.
- A cold start filmed from behind the car, the underside on a lift or ramps, the shut lines, and the areas the model is known to rot.
- A gap of several years with no paperwork is not proof of neglect, but it is the part of the story you should price.
Price the transaction, not the car
Add transport, sales tax and registration, agreed-value insurance, any auction premium, and the deferred maintenance visible in the invoices. Importing adds duty, compliance work and a customs broker on top of that.
- Enclosed transport costs multiples of open transport and is the cheaper option on anything with fresh paint or low ground clearance.
- Deferred maintenance is part of the purchase price. A due cambelt or a tired clutch is money you are spending whether or not you negotiate it.
Buying from another market:What importing actually costs
At the car
Stage twoNumbers first, paint second
Find and photograph every identifying number on the car: chassis plate, chassis stamping, engine number, gearbox number, body tag and any option or color code. Confirm they agree with each other and with the title.
- Compare the stamping style, depth and spacing with a known-original example. Restamped and re-plated numbers are a documented practice on valuable models.
- A replacement engine is not automatically a problem. An undisclosed one is, because matching-numbers cars are priced differently.
- Photograph the numbers on the day. They are the evidence if the car is later described differently.
Matching numbers, numbers-matching, correct: What the listing words mean
Structure before cosmetics
Rust in a structural member is bodyshop work measured in months; rust in a bolt-on panel is a panel. Get under the car and check the places the model corrodes rather than the places that are easy to reach.
- Floors, sills and rockers, jacking points, inner wings and strut towers, spring hangers, chassis rails and box sections.
- Water traps: screen surrounds, sunroof and scuttle drains, battery tray, bulkhead seams, boot floor and spare wheel well.
- A paint-depth gauge and a magnet are inexpensive. Readings several times the factory figure indicate filler or a repaint, both of which are worth understanding before you agree a price.
- Ripples in the roof and misaligned shut lines are structural news, not cosmetic news.
Insist on a cold start, and be there for it
Ask the seller not to run the car before you arrive, and arrive early enough to confirm the engine is stone cold. A pre-warmed engine hides hard starting, smoke, a weak battery and top-end noise.
- Watch the exhaust for the first thirty seconds: blue on start suggests valve stem seals, blue under load suggests bores, white that does not clear suggests coolant.
- Listen to the top end before oil pressure comes up, and listen again once warm.
- Note whether it starts on the key or on a trick. A car with a starting procedure has a fault someone has learned to live with.
Drive it further than the end of the road
Twenty minutes minimum, including a sustained high-speed run, so the coolant and transmission reach operating temperature and stay there. Most faults only appear once everything is hot.
- Temperature under load, oil pressure when hot at idle, and charging voltage.
- Gearbox synchromesh on a second-gear downshift, clutch bite point, and whether the car pulls out of gear on the overrun.
- Braking in a straight line, steering that self-centers, and no vibration that arrives at a particular speed.
- Drive it on a poor surface as well as a smooth one. Suspension and body noises need something to react to.
Then check the faults specific to this model
Every model has a small number of expensive, well-documented weak points, and they are the ones worth a torch and ten minutes. Read the model history for the car you are looking at before you go.
- Know the one or two failures that are worth more than the car's margin before you travel.
- Know which parts are unobtainable rather than merely expensive. Availability sets the real repair cost.
Before you pay
Stage threeCommission an independent pre-purchase inspection
Have the car inspected by someone who works on that model, who is paid by you rather than the seller, and who will put a written report with photographs and a costed defect list in your hands. On a five- or six-figure car the fee is a rounding error against what it finds.
- Brief the inspector on what you want checked: compression or leak-down, a lift inspection, paint readings, and the model's known failure points.
- Ask for the raw photographs as well as the report.
- If a seller will not allow an inspection by an inspector of your choosing, that is itself a finding.
Directory of inspection specialists by location:Find an inspection specialist
Settle the paperwork before the money moves
Agree in writing what is being sold, by whom, and how the title is released. Any outstanding finance is cleared through the payment, not after it.
- A lien payoff letter with a per-diem figure, and payment made directly to the lender for that portion.
- A bill of sale carrying the chassis number, the date, the odometer reading and both parties' details, signed by the registered owner exactly as the title prints their name.
- Payment to an account in the name on the title, through escrow or a bank transfer you have confirmed by telephone on a number you looked up yourself.
- No payment to a third-party shipping agent, and no deposit before you or your inspector has seen the car.
Insure and move it as your own car
Cover has to be bound before the car is driven or loaded, not on arrival. Collector policies are written on an agreed value, which is settled at the outset rather than argued about after a loss.
- Agreed value, supported by the inspection report, the sale price and photographs taken on the day.
- Confirm the transporter's cargo cover limit in writing, and that it covers the car at your figure rather than a default.
- Photograph the car at loading and at delivery, including the underside and all four corners.
- Enclosed transport for low ground clearance, fresh paint, open bodywork or a value where a stone chip is expensive.
By model
Stage two, in detailThe general checklist stops where a model's own weak points begin. Each history below carries a full list of what to look for and the problems that model is known for, with sources.
Acura Integra Type R (DC2, US market)
1997–2001What to look for
Start with identity, because this is the car most often faked from a GS-R. Hagerty's specialists say to read the VIN stickers on the doors, hatch, hood and fenders, note that replica…
Read the rest, and the common problemsAcura NSX (NA1/NA2)
1990–2005What to look for
**Snap-ring transmission (early manual cars).** A narrow band of 1991 - early-1992 5-speed cars left the factory with an out-of-tolerance snap-ring groove that can let the ring walk and…
Read the rest, and the common problemsAlfa Romeo Spider (105/115 Series)
1966–1993What to look for
Structure first, everything else second. Check the sills, floors, chassis rails and - critically - the rear suspension mounting points, along with the front crossmember beneath the radiator…
Read the rest, and the common problemsAmphicar 770 (1961-1968)
1961–1968What to look for
Prioritize a hull and body that are genuinely rust-free - the steel unibody doubles as the boat hull, so corrosion in the floors, sills, seams and lower body is both a value-killer and a…
Read the rest, and the common problemsAston Martin DB9 (2008 six-speed manual, US market)
2005–2011What to look for
The first thing to establish on a 2008-titled US car is which car it is. Cars delivered from the second quarter of 2008 carry the 470 hp engine, Bilstein dampers and revised upper…
Read the rest, and the common problemsAudi Ur-Quattro (Original quattro coupe (B2 platform))
1980–1991What to look for
Establish which car it is before anything else. WR, MB and RR are three different propositions, and a 1989 car can be a late ten-valve or an early 20-valve depending on build date, so match…
Read the rest, and the common problemsAustin-Healey 3000 (Big Healey (3000, Mk I to Mk III))
1959–1967What to look for
The body shell is what separates a good car from a bad one, and the two places to start are the aluminum front and rear shrouds and the sills. The shrouds sit against steel and are prone to…
Read the rest, and the common problemsBMW 2002 (02 Series)
1968–1976What to look for
Structure first, and from underneath. The rear shock towers are the fault that ends cars: they rot from inside the trunk and take the upper spring perch with them. Check the front floors…
Read the rest, and the common problemsBMW 3.0 CS (E9 coupe)
1968–1975What to look for
Start with the metal, because the e9coupe.com FAQ is blunt that rust is a coupe killer and that body and interior parts are now mostly sourced from parts cars. Hagerty's Rob Siegel…
Read the rest, and the common problemsBMW Isetta (Isetta 250 / 300 and BMW 600)
1955–1962What to look for
Establish which car is in front of you first. A 250 and a 300 are not the same object to the market, the bubble-window and the October 1956 sliding-window cars are visually distinct, and a…
Read the rest, and the common problemsBMW M3 (E30)
1986–1991What to look for
**Provenance over everything.** The single best predictor of a good E30 M3 is a thick file of service history. These were motorsport cars; many were tracked or driven hard. Receipts from a…
Read the rest, and the common problemsBMW M3 (E36)
1992–1999What to look for
Establish which car it actually is before anything else. European S50B30 and S50B32 cars, North American S50B30US and S52B32US cars, UK GT Individual cars wearing GT bodywork on standard…
Read the rest, and the common problemsBMW M3
2001–2006What to look for
Start with the rod bearings. The owner-community rule, repeated by the Carolinas BMW MOA site and a specialist buyer's guide, is replacement every 60,000 to 80,000 miles; E46 Fanatics…
Read the rest, and the common problemsBMW M5 (E28)
1985–1988What to look for
Establish which engine the car has and whether it is the one it left the factory with. An M88/3 car and an S38B35 car are different propositions, and conversion of a US car to European…
Read the rest, and the common problemsChevrolet Bel Air (Tri-Five, 1955-1957)
1955–1957What to look for
Start with which Bel Air it is. The 1955 to 1957 Chevrolets are sold in huge numbers as 150, 210 and Bel Air, and the Bel Air is the top trim, so trim and body style should be confirmed…
Read the rest, and the common problemsChevrolet C10
1967–1972What to look for
Rust first, and the places are consistent. The lower body has cup-shaped pockets that fill with dirt and hold water, so the outer rockers, the inner rockers formed by the floor edge, the…
Read the rest, and the common problemsChevrolet C10 (Square body, third generation)
1973–1987What to look for
The first question on a square body is what year it is, because the years look alike and the drivetrains changed. One parts-supplier guide gives a grille key: a recessed egg-crate grille…
Read the rest, and the common problemsChevrolet Camaro (First generation)
1967–1969What to look for
Identity comes first, because the Camaro is among the most copied cars in the American hobby and the parts to build a convincing fake are all reproduced. The cowl tag and VIN together…
Read the rest, and the common problemsChevrolet Chevelle SS (Second generation)
1968–1972What to look for
Identification comes before condition on this car. In 1968 the SS 396 was its own series and the VIN says so. From 1969 to 1971 it was an option code and no part of the VIN records it, so a…
Read the rest, and the common problemsChevrolet Corvette (C1)
1953–1962What to look for
Get the car on a lift. The steel frame rusts, and specialists single out the section where it kicks up over the rear axle; the light steel inner structure the body panels bond to rots in…
Read the rest, and the common problemsChevrolet Corvette (C2 Sting Ray)
1963–1967What to look for
The structure is steel and it is hidden. The birdcage - the welded cage around the screen and door hinges - rots from the inside at the base of the windshield pillars, where nothing above…
Read the rest, and the common problemsChevrolet Corvette (C3)
1968–1982What to look for
Inspect the steel structure, not the fiberglass. The 'birdcage' - the welded steel frame around the windshield and door hinges - rots from the inside at the base of the A-pillars and under…
Read the rest, and the common problemsChevrolet Corvette (C5)
1997–2004What to look for
Start with the steering column lock. NHTSA campaign 04V060000 (GM recall 04006) covers 1997-2004 cars: on automatics the dealer removed the column lock plate, and on manuals the dealer…
Read the rest, and the common problemsChevrolet Corvette (C6)
2005–2013What to look for
On a Z06 or 427 Convertible, the LS7 valve guides come first. Vette Vues says some production runs wore exhaust-side guides early; Vettes of Atlanta describes the wiggle test, a dial…
Read the rest, and the common problemsChevrolet Corvette ZR-1 (C4)
1990–1995What to look for
Establish which engine is in the car before anything else: 375 hp cars are 1990 to 1992, 405 hp cars 1993 to 1995, and the later engine carries four-bolt main caps as well as the reworked…
Read the rest, and the common problemsCitroen DS (D-Series)
1955–1975What to look for
Structure first, because the D-series hides its corrosion behind bolt-on panels that come off easily and tell you little until they do. Classics World singles out sills, trunk floor, roof…
Read the rest, and the common problemsDatsun 240Z (S30)
1969–1973What to look for
**Rust is the number-one issue - assume it until proven otherwise.** These unibody cars rot in well-known places: the floor pans, frame rails, rocker/sill panels, the battery tray area…
Read the rest, and the common problemsDatsun 280Z (S30, US market)
1975–1978What to look for
Start with the chassis number on the firewall and dash. HLS30 is the two-seater and GHLS30 the 2+2, and the sequence number places the car in its model year; ZRegistry's build windows run…
Read the rest, and the common problemsDatsun 510 (Third-generation Bluebird (510))
1968–1973What to look for
Structure before everything. The bodyshell is thin-gauge steel with no rust-inhibiting alloy or coating, and the parts supply shows where the risk sits: exterior panels and floor pans are…
Read the rest, and the common problemsDe Tomaso Pantera (Pantera)
1971–1992What to look for
Structure before everything. The Pantera is a steel monocoque with generous cavities, factory rustproofing that barely existed and, on early cars, thick lead loading over panel…
Read the rest, and the common problemsDeLorean DMC-12 (1981-1983)
1981–1983What to look for
Inspect the steel backbone chassis carefully: the original frame was epoxy-coated mild steel, and where that coating has cracked, rust can form despite the rust-proof stainless skin. Check…
Read the rest, and the common problemsDodge Challenger (First generation (E-body))
1970–1974What to look for
Paperwork decides the price on this car, because the cheap versions and the expensive versions look alike from ten feet. The fifth character of the VIN carries the engine: R for the 426…
Read the rest, and the common problemsDodge Charger (Second generation)
1968–1970What to look for
Read the car's identity before you read anything else. The VIN plate sits on the left side of the instrument panel and runs 13 characters: position 1 is the car line, position 2 the price…
Read the rest, and the common problemsFerrari 250 GT Lusso (Tipo 168/U (Berlinetta Lusso))
1962–1964What to look for
The Lusso market rewards documentation over almost everything else, because nearly all of the 350-odd cars are mechanically alike. Marcel Massini's chassis histories appear in the catalog…
Read the rest, and the common problemsFerrari 250 Testa Rossa
1957–1961What to look for
On a 250 Testa Rossa the paperwork is the car. The works cars were rebuilt, rebodied and sometimes renumbered between seasons, and the customer cars were commonly re-engined once they…
Read the rest, and the common problemsFerrari 275 GTB (275 GTB and GTB/4)
1964–1968What to look for
Identity comes first, because the value spread between configurations is wide and conversions are old and well executed. Ferrari Classiche certification, available to road cars over twenty…
Read the rest, and the common problemsFerrari 288 GTO
1984–1987What to look for
Ferrari Classiche certification and a Marcel Massini history report are now close to standard at the top of the market; every 2026 headline result carried a Red Book confirming matching…
Read the rest, and the common problemsFerrari 308 GTB/GTS
1975–1985What to look for
**The belt service is the whole ballgame.** The 308’s timing belts must be changed on schedule; a snapped belt on these interference engines means serious internal damage. Demand documented…
Read the rest, and the common problemsFerrari 328 GTB / GTS (328)
1985–1989What to look for
Belt-service history is the dominant document. The interval is quoted at five years or 30,000 miles, and unlike most later mid-engined Ferraris the job is done with the engine in the car…
Read the rest, and the common problemsFerrari 330 GTC (330 GTC and GTS)
1966–1968What to look for
Identity comes first on this model because a GTC is worth a fraction of a GTS and the two share every mechanical part. The genuine spiders are the 99 or 100 original chassis numbers; coupes…
Read the rest, and the common problemsFerrari 348 (TB/TS, GTB/GTS, Spider)
1989–1995What to look for
The single most useful thing a 348 can have is a service file from a marque specialist showing that the factory's running updates were applied, because Ferrari issued a great many of them…
Read the rest, and the common problemsFerrari 360 (Modena, Spider, Challenge Stradale)
1999–2005What to look for
The transmission defines the car, so establish which it is and whether it is original: manual conversions of F1 cars exist and classic.com tracks them as a separate category. On an F1 car…
Read the rest, and the common problemsFerrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona (Berlinetta and GTS/4 Spider)
1968–1973What to look for
Documentation and originality carry the price. Ferrari Classiche certification confirms matching engine, transaxle and body numbers, and RM Sotheby's catalog entries lean on it heavily; the…
Read the rest, and the common problemsFerrari 456 (456 GT, GTA, 456M)
1992–2003What to look for
The gearbox decides the price band before anything else, so establishing that a car is a genuine factory manual, and for a 456M whether it is one of the small number of right-hand-drive…
Read the rest, and the common problemsFerrari 458
2010–2015What to look for
The first check on any 2010 Italia is the September 2010 fire recall, campaign 10V389000: the adhesive-bonded rear wheelhouse heat shields on both sides should have been removed and…
Read the rest, and the common problemsFerrari 512 BB (512 BB and BBi)
1976–1984What to look for
Service history is the first question, because the belts run inside an engine that has to come out to reach them. Hagerty quotes restoration specialist Dave Helms to the effect that history…
Read the rest, and the common problemsFerrari 550 Maranello (550 Maranello and Barchetta)
1996–2001What to look for
Service history carries more weight on this car than on most, because the maintenance items are predictable and the record shows whether they were done. Cam belts are quoted at three-year…
Read the rest, and the common problemsFerrari 575M Maranello
2002–2006What to look for
The first check on any 575M is which gearbox it has, because that alone moves the price by a factor of two and a half as of September 2026. A manual car should carry the gated shifter and a…
Read the rest, and the common problemsFerrari 599
2007–2012What to look for
The gearbox is the first question and the build sheet is the answer. A gated manual 599 trades at more than four times an F1 car as of September 2026, so the car's Ferrari build record, its…
Read the rest, and the common problemsFerrari Dino 246 (Dino 246 GT and GTS)
1969–1974What to look for
Structure before anything else. The 246 is a steel body on a steel semi-monocoque and it rusts comprehensively: sills, floorpan, front luggage compartment, wheel arches, lower doors, the…
Read the rest, and the common problemsFerrari Enzo
2002–2004What to look for
Documentation carries more weight on an Enzo than on almost any other modern Ferrari, because so much of the 2026 price spread is explained by mileage and originality rather than by…
Read the rest, and the common problemsFerrari F355 (F355)
1994–1999What to look for
Two documents matter more than the car's appearance. The first is the belt service record: the factory procedure on every F355 is engine and gearbox out, so an invoice itemizing cam belts…
Read the rest, and the common problemsFerrari F40 (F40)
1987–1992What to look for
Documentation first. Ferrari Classiche certification verifies the original chassis and matching engine, transaxle and bodywork, and Ferrari issues a Certificate of Authenticity signed by…
Read the rest, and the common problemsFerrari F430 (Berlinetta, Spider, 430 Scuderia, Scuderia Spider 16M)
2004–2009What to look for
Establish the gearbox first and whether it is original, because classic.com tracks factory manuals and later conversions as separate categories with a six-figure gap between them. On an F1…
Read the rest, and the common problemsFerrari F50
1995–1997What to look for
Start with the number. Each car carries a plaque giving its place in the run, and the auction catalogs quote it (060/349, 079/349, 239/349); it should agree with the chassis number and with…
Read the rest, and the common problemsFerrari LaFerrari
2013–2018What to look for
Ferrari sold these to screened repeat customers, so a coupe that has changed hands more than twice in ten years is the exception and the chain of ownership is usually short and documented…
Read the rest, and the common problemsFerrari Testarossa (Testarossa)
1984–1991What to look for
Establish the specification first, because the market prices it precisely. The engine type stamped on the block distinguishes the European F113 A and F113 B from the US-Japanese F113 A 040…
Read the rest, and the common problemsFiat 124 Sport Spider (1966-1985, US market)
1966–1985What to look for
Rust is the first and last question. In 1981 Fiat filed a recall covering 1970-1974 US 124 models for heavy corrosion in structurally significant areas: the front upper control arm mounts…
Read the rest, and the common problemsFord Bronco (1966-1977 (First Generation))
1966–1977What to look for
Prioritize a rust-free frame, floors, rockers and body seams over cosmetics - rust is the make-or-break issue. Check for cut or flared fenders, homemade lifts and hacked wiring, which are…
Read the rest, and the common problemsFord F-100 (Fifth generation (‘bumpside’))
1967–1972What to look for
Structure before anything else. Owners name the same places repeatedly: the cab corners where they drop away beside the frame rails, the floor pans and cab mounts, the battery tray, the…
Read the rest, and the common problemsFord GT40 (Mk I / Mk II / Mk III / Mk IV)
1964–1969What to look for
The first question on any GT40 is which car is actually being offered, because most cars sold under the name were built after 1980. Safir Engineering completed forty Mk V continuations…
Read the rest, and the common problemsFord Model A (1928-1931 model years)
1928–1931What to look for
Start with the body, because the body sets the value and the chassis is shared. MAFCA's production table and its body style codes identify what a car should be: a 1931-only Convertible…
Read the rest, and the common problemsFord Mustang (1965-1968 (First Generation))
1965–1968What to look for
Rust is the dominant concern: inspect floorpans, frame rails, torque boxes, lower doors, trunk floor, the cowl/vent area below the windshield, the rear-window channel, under the battery…
Read the rest, and the common problemsFord Thunderbird (First generation (the two-seat 'Baby Bird' or 'Classic Thunderbird'))
1955–1957What to look for
Start with the body and the frame, because that is where the money is. CTCI's worked restoration example and owners on the Ford Thunderbird Forum name the same places: rocker panels and the…
Read the rest, and the common problemsHonda S2000 (AP1 / AP2)
1999–2009What to look for
Establish which car it is before anything else. AP1 and AP2 are separate propositions, the European AP2 keeps the 2.0-liter while North American and Japanese AP2s do not, and Type V, Type S…
Read the rest, and the common problemsInternational Harvester Scout (Scout 80, 800, II)
1961–1980What to look for
Rust decides everything on a Scout. Corsetti Cruisers says Scout IIs were never fully galvanized and that corrosion is close to certain; the frame near the rear spring mounts, body mounts…
Read the rest, and the common problemsJaguar E-Type (Series 1)
1961–1968What to look for
Structure decides the price, and on a monocoque with a bolted-on front subframe the structure is most of the car. The front bulkhead and the mountings for the engine frame rails are the…
Read the rest, and the common problemsJeep Grand Wagoneer (SJ, 1984-1991 Grand Wagoneer)
1963–1991What to look for
Rust is the first conversation. A Hagerty buyer's guide puts the typical rust in the fenders, particularly the dog-leg areas, and in the rocker panels, with some rust developing under the…
Read the rest, and the common problemsLamborghini Countach (Countach (LP400 to 25th Anniversary))
1974–1990What to look for
The spaceframe is the car. Floors, bulkheads and the spare-wheel well are bonded to it, so corrosion in the steel tubes and evidence of past accident damage are the first things an…
Read the rest, and the common problemsLamborghini Diablo (Diablo, 1990-2001)
1990–2001What to look for
The checks below come from owner-side sources and are single-source in places. The clutch is the first one: a FerrariChat contributor notes that clutch wear is an engine-out service and…
Read the rest, and the common problemsLamborghini Miura (Miura)
1966–1973What to look for
Start with identity rather than condition. A large proportion of P400 and P400 S cars were upgraded towards S or SV specification over sixty years, and the Goodwood guide is blunt that…
Read the rest, and the common problemsLancia Delta (HF Integrale (1987–1994))
1987–1994What to look for
Corrosion is the first, second and third thing to check: suspension turrets, door bottoms, wings, windscreen pillars and the rear roof section, and be aware that a repaint can hide a great…
Read the rest, and the common problemsLancia Delta (HF Integrale (Type 831))
1987–1994What to look for
Verify the car is what it is sold as. Every Integrale left the factory left-hand drive, so right-hand-drive cars are conversions, some using unsuitable Regata steering racks; converted cars…
Read the rest, and the common problemsLancia Flaminia
1957–1970What to look for
Engine specification first. The 2.8 3C is the configuration the market pays for, and the chassis and engine type numbers say which car you have: RM Sotheby's and Gooding convertibles carry…
Read the rest, and the common problemsLancia Stratos HF (Stratos HF)
1973–1978What to look for
Identity first. Every road car is left-hand drive and carries a chassis number prefixed 829AR0, an engine number in the 829A series and a separate body or scocca number - Girardo's March…
Read the rest, and the common problemsLand Rover Defender (Coil-sprung Ninety / One Ten / Defender)
1983–2016What to look for
Start with identity, not condition. For a US buyer this is the single highest-risk purchase in the classic 4x4 market. Confirm the vehicle is legally in the country: either an original NAS…
Read the rest, and the common problemsLand Rover Range Rover Classic (First generation)
1970–1996What to look for
Structure before everything. The aluminum panels do not rust and distract from a steel body frame and steel ladder chassis that do. Kingsley Cars describes the bodyshell as bolted to the…
Read the rest, and the common problemsLotus Elise (Series 2, US market (Toyota-engined))
2005–2011What to look for
Chassis first. The tub is extruded and bonded aluminum, and US owners report that a bent chassis or a torn suspension pickup is treated as a total loss and fixed by swapping the whole…
Read the rest, and the common problemsMG MGB (MGB (Roadster and GT))
1962–1980What to look for
Structure decides everything here, because the monocoque is the chassis. The sills are not a cosmetic panel but a multi-part assembly with inner, outer and castle sections, and Classics…
Read the rest, and the common problemsMazda MX-5 (NA (Miata / MX-5 / Eunos Roadster))
1989–1997What to look for
Structure first. The rocker panels are double-skinned and spot-welded and corrode from the inside, where trapped moisture cannot escape, so a clean-looking rocker proves very little…
Read the rest, and the common problemsMazda RX-7 (Second generation)
1986–1992What to look for
Start with a warm compression test read per rotor face rather than as one number. Specialist guidance puts a healthy 13B above 100 psi per face with the faces even; below about 85 psi…
Read the rest, and the common problemsMazda RX-7 (FD (FD3S))
1992–2002What to look for
Prioritize a documented compression test using rotary-specific equipment (healthy chambers near ~100 psi; readings below ~85 psi flag worn apex/side seals and a likely rebuild). Seek full…
Read the rest, and the common problemsMercedes-Benz 190E Cosworth (190 E 16-valve (2.3-16, 2.5-16, Evolution I, Evolution II))
1984–1993What to look for
Establish which car is in front of you before anything else, because the four specifications are separated by large sums. An Evolution I without its AMG Power Pack is a materially different…
Read the rest, and the common problemsMercedes-Benz 190SL (W121 BII)
1955–1963What to look for
Structure first, because everything else on a 190SL can be bought. The car is a steel unit body with aluminum doors, hood and trunk lid, and a US restorer notes it was rust-prone from the…
Read the rest, and the common problemsMercedes-Benz 300 SL (W198)
1954–1963What to look for
Verify identity first. Chassis prefixes are 198040 for the steel coupe, 198043 for the alloy coupe and 198042 for the roadster, with M198 engine prefixes throughout; a factory build record…
Read the rest, and the common problemsMercedes-Benz SL (W113 'Pagoda')
1963–1971What to look for
Prioritize a rust-free, honest body: check unibody box sections, floors, sills, trunk/spare-well and wheel arches, as proper metalwork is very expensive. Confirm matching numbers and a…
Read the rest, and the common problemsMercedes-Benz SL (R107)
1971–1989What to look for
Corrosion first, and in the places the R107 hides it. The Car Classic guide lists sills and lower skirts, the panel above the headlamps, hood, doors, boot, floors, wheel arches - rear…
Read the rest, and the common problemsMini Classic Mini (Classic Mini (Mk I-Mk VII))
1959–2000What to look for
Structure before anything else. Get the car on a lift and look at the front and rear subframes and their mounting points: corroded rear subframe mounts are an immediate MOT failure and the…
Read the rest, and the common problemsNissan 300ZX (Z32 (fourth-generation Z))
1989–2000What to look for
Documented cam-belt history comes first. The interval is 60,000 miles or 48 months, the engine is an interference design, and the job is deep enough that owners defer it; a car without…
Read the rest, and the common problemsNissan 350Z
2003–2009What to look for
Start with the engine, because it decides the model year's risk. On a 2005 Track or 35th Anniversary manual, or any 2006 six-speed, CarScout suggests asking how often oil was added between…
Read the rest, and the common problemsNissan Skyline GT-R (R32)
1989–1994What to look for
Rust is the first check on any Japanese-market car: rear quarter panels, the base of the C-pillars where weatherstripping shrinks and traps water, strut-tower tops in the engine bay, and…
Read the rest, and the common problemsNissan Skyline GT-R (R34 (BNR34))
1999–2002What to look for
Verify matching numbers and documented service history, especially on the RB26 (timing belt replacement records, no signs of a blown or hastily rebuilt engine). Inspect carefully for rust…
Read the rest, and the common problemsOldsmobile 4-4-2 (A-body, option to series and back)
1964–1972What to look for
The first question on any 4-4-2 is which kind of 4-4-2 it is, and the answer changes by year. For 1964 through 1967 the 4-4-2 was an option on the F-85 and Cutlass, so the VIN alone cannot…
Read the rest, and the common problemsPlymouth Barracuda (Third generation (E-body))
1970–1974What to look for
The paperwork is the car. A 'Cuda is a separate series rather than an option package, so the first two characters of a genuine one read BS: BS23 for the hardtop, BS27 for the convertible…
Read the rest, and the common problemsPlymouth Road Runner Superbird (Superbird)
1970What to look for
Identity first. The VIN carries the model code RM23 and an engine letter - U for the 440 four-barrel, V for the 440 Six Barrel, R for the Hemi - and the number should be corroborated by the…
Read the rest, and the common problemsPontiac Firebird Trans Am (Second generation, 1970-1981)
1970–1981What to look for
Most second-generation Trans Ams can be identified from paper, because the production tables are detailed enough to test a claim. A 1977 Special Edition should be a Y81 hardtop or a Y82…
Read the rest, and the common problemsPontiac GTO
1964–1974What to look for
Start with what the car can prove. The 1964 and 1965 GTO was an option on the LeMans, so the VIN carries only the LeMans series and nothing separates a real car from a converted Tempest…
Read the rest, and the common problemsPorsche 356 (356 (all series))
1948–1965What to look for
Structure before everything else. The 356 is a unitary steel car with the body welded to the platform, so corrosion in the longitudinals, floorpans, battery box and torsion tube housings is…
Read the rest, and the common problemsPorsche 911 (Long-hood (incl. 2.7 RS))
1964–1973What to look for
The steel decides everything on a long-hood. Classic & Sports Car's guide says rust protection was limited and body condition is paramount, and Renndriver names the longitudinal chassis…
Read the rest, and the common problemsPorsche 911 (964)
1989–1994What to look for
**Buy the car, not the spec.** A sorted, well-documented C4 beats a tired "better-spec" C2 every time. Service history and receipts from a known Porsche specialist matter enormously on…
Read the rest, and the common problemsPorsche 911 (993)
1994–1998What to look for
**Documentation and specialist history matter enormously.** A sorted, fully documented car beats a "better-spec" neglected one. Receipts from a recognized air-cooled Porsche specialist are…
Read the rest, and the common problemsPorsche 911 (996 Carrera)
1999–2004What to look for
The first question on any M96 car is what has been done about the intermediate shaft bearing. A 1999 car has the dual row; a 2002-2004 car the single row; a 2000 or 2001 car could have…
Read the rest, and the common problemsPorsche 911
2005–2012What to look for
The model year answers the first question, which engine. A 2005-2008 car has the port-injected M96/M97 with an intermediate shaft on a ball bearing; a 2009-2012 car has the direct-injection…
Read the rest, and the common problemsPorsche 911 Carrera 3.2 (G-Series)
1984–1989What to look for
Establish the gearbox first: 915 cars (1984-1986) and G50 cars (1987-1989) are priced differently and drive differently, and a car advertised on year alone should be confirmed by the shift…
Read the rest, and the common problemsPorsche 911 GT3 (996)
2004–2005What to look for
Start with the engine's history rather than its reputation. The Mezger flat-six does not have the intermediate-shaft bearing, but it does have coolant fittings held in with adhesive, and…
Read the rest, and the common problemsPorsche 911 GT3 (997)
2007–2011What to look for
Start with which car it is. A 2011 GT3 and a 2011 GT3 RS share the 3.8 but not the body: the RS uses the wide shell with a wider front and rear track, 9-inch and 12-inch wheels, shorter…
Read the rest, and the common problemsPorsche 911 SC (G-series (impact bumper))
1978–1983What to look for
Structure first. SC shells are galvanized but less thoroughly than the later Carrera 3.2, and the areas that matter are the sills, the bottom rear corners of the door apertures, the…
Read the rest, and the common problemsPorsche 911 Turbo (930)
1975–1989What to look for
Documented service history and matching-numbers engine/gearbox; the 3.3 top-end and intercooler condition; evidence of proper turbo and boost-system health. Confirm originality of…
Read the rest, and the common problemsPorsche 912 (912 and 912E)
1965–1969What to look for
The body is the car. Renndriver lists the floors, the front trunk, the battery box and the areas around the windshield and headlights as the primary rust sites, and none of the 1965-1969…
Read the rest, and the common problemsPorsche 914 (914/4 and 914/6)
1969–1976What to look for
The 914 is a unitary steel body whose strength lives in the boxed longitudinal sills, and every specialist guide starts there. The battery sits on a tray in the engine bay above the…
Read the rest, and the common problemsPorsche 924 (924, Turbo, Carrera GT)
1976–1988What to look for
Year and shell first. Porsche Club GB records zinc coating of specific areas for the 1977 model year and the entire bodyshell from 1978, while Classics World says pre-1981 cars were…
Read the rest, and the common problemsPorsche 928 (928 (front-engine transaxle V8))
1978–1995What to look for
Documentation of the cambelt and water pump service is the first thing to establish, in writing and with dates, because the interval is time-based as much as mileage-based and a low-mileage…
Read the rest, and the common problemsPorsche 944 (944, S, S2 (naturally aspirated))
1982–1991What to look for
The belt history comes first. Every source consulted puts the timing and balance-shaft belts on a four-year or 30,000 to 48,000-mile cycle depending on who is asked, and on the 16-valve S…
Read the rest, and the common problemsPorsche 944 Turbo (944)
1986–1991What to look for
Service history is the single most valuable document on a 951. Ask for dated evidence of timing belt, balance shaft belt, water pump, rollers and tensioner replacement; the engine is an…
Read the rest, and the common problemsPorsche 968 (968, CS, Turbo S)
1991–1995What to look for
The belts come first. The exhaust camshaft is belt driven and the balance shafts have their own belt; PistonHeads gives four years or 40,000 miles, Octane five years or 60,000, and a car…
Read the rest, and the common problemsPorsche Boxster
1997–2004What to look for
The record matters more than the model year. Renndriver's inspection order is paperwork, cold start, engine bay, underside on a lift, roof and drains, then a road test. On paperwork, the…
Read the rest, and the common problemsShelby Cobra (CSX2000 leaf-spring and CSX3000 coil-spring cars)
1962–1967What to look for
Identity comes before condition here. The SAAC World Registry of Cobras and GT40s holds documentation on every serial number built, and a car whose history does not match its registry entry…
Read the rest, and the common problemsShelby GT350 (Shelby Mustang GT350)
1965–1970What to look for
Identity comes before condition here. The Shelby serial appears on a plate riveted to the inner wing, and the SAAC Shelby Registry carries a serial-by-serial history for every 1965, 1966…
Read the rest, and the common problemsToyota Corolla AE86 (E80 rear-drive coupes, US market)
1984–1987What to look for
Start by confirming which car it is. The GT-S has the DOHC 4A-GE with GT-S Twin Cam 16 decals, four-wheel disc brakes and 14-inch wheels; the SR5 has the carbureted 4A-C, rear drums, black…
Read the rest, and the common problemsToyota Land Cruiser (FJ40 (40 Series))
1960–1984What to look for
Rust is the number-one issue: inspect floors and footwells, rear quarters and wheel arches, tailgate, door bottoms, windshield frame, body mounts and especially the frame and rear…
Read the rest, and the common problemsToyota Land Cruiser (60 Series)
1980–1990What to look for
Corrosion decides the purchase. Check the rear quarter panels and inner wheel arches, the tailgate, the door sills, the cargo floor beneath the carpet, the rain gutters and window frames…
Read the rest, and the common problemsToyota Land Cruiser 80 Series (80 Series)
1990–1997What to look for
Start underneath and stay there. The frame is the vehicle: surface scale is normal on any 80 that has seen winter, but perforation at the rear sections, the crossmembers and the body mounts…
Read the rest, and the common problemsToyota MR2
1991–1995What to look for
Rust starts where it cannot be seen. Grassroots Motorsports reports that a foam sound insulator low in the body pocket behind the seats holds water and rots the sills and rockers from the…
Read the rest, and the common problemsToyota Supra (A80 (Mk4))
1993–2002What to look for
**Originality is the whole game.** Because so many were modified, a genuinely stock, well-documented Turbo 6-speed is the most valuable configuration - and the easiest thing to get wrong…
Read the rest, and the common problemsTriumph Spitfire
1963–1980What to look for
Rust decides the car, and it can be anywhere. Hagerty lists sills, fender arches, trunk floors, main floors, the cowl, the windshield frame and the backbone frame. Classic Motorsports adds…
Read the rest, and the common problemsTriumph TR6 (TR6)
1968–1976What to look for
The chassis decides the car. The frame is spot-welded from sheet steel pressings and rots from the inside, so surface condition tells you little. The rear trailing arm mounting brackets…
Read the rest, and the common problemsVolkswagen Beetle (Type 1)
1949–1979What to look for
Structure comes first. The sills on a Beetle body are also the heater ducts, so the heater channels are both the strength of the body and a moisture trap for warm engine air; Hagerty names…
Read the rest, and the common problemsVolkswagen Golf GTI (Mk1)
1976–1983What to look for
Structure before everything. The inner front wings decide whether a car is worth pursuing: corrosion there is expensive, often hidden behind the arch liner on later cars, and buying guides…
Read the rest, and the common problemsVolkswagen Karmann Ghia (Type 14, coupe and convertible)
1955–1974What to look for
Start with the metal, because everything else on a Karmann Ghia is cheap by comparison. A UK parts supplier calls rust the biggest killer of these cars and lists the headlamp surrounds…
Read the rest, and the common problemsVolkswagen Type 2 (T1 Split-Screen / T2 Bay Window)
1950–1979What to look for
Treat the structure first and everything else second. This is a unitary vehicle, so the chassis rails, outriggers, jacking points, cross members and heater tubes are the vehicle, and…
Read the rest, and the common problems
Alongside this
- GlossaryMatching numbers, bonded title, concours, survivor: what the terms in this checklist and in a listing actually mean.
- Model historiesProduction numbers, specification, market context and the faults specific to each generation, with sources.
- ImportingThe 25-year rule, the agencies involved, and the duty and compliance costs that sit on top of a foreign purchase.
- Cars for saleWork the checklist against a car that is actually on the market.
This checklist is general guidance for buyers. It is not a substitute for an independent pre-purchase inspection of the specific car, or for advice from a registration or customs authority.