Melvin Benzaquen of Classic Restoration Enterprises Offers Tips on How to Find the Rare Car of Your Dreams

 - Figure Out Exactly What You Want

The first thing people need to do is figure out exactly what vehicle they are looking for. Is it a rare vehicle that only a few were produced or is it a specific model of a very popular vehicle? Make a list, think about what's important and special, think about what really is appealing and go from there. While there are challenges to finding either type of vehicle, finding rare models of a popular makes tend to be a little easier than a rare, one-off vehicle. Once the exact make, model, trim, engine, etc, it is time to start the process of finding it.

- Set An Acceptable Time Frame

"One important thing people have to understand is, it will take a long time to track down the vehicle they are seeking,  "Even if you look for years, you might never find it, but then you just might and that's half the fun. Just be realistic in your expectations and you won't be disappointed."

- Check Your Online Resources

"There are so many sources online today, people who spend hours looking online can save days, weeks or even years searching by phone and in person. "When you know the specific vehicle you are looking for, you first need to do a search to see if anyone is selling it. EBay, Hemmings, Autotrader, Deals On Wheels and any other classified/auctions provide great resources to finding what is for sale. The nice thing about some of these services are, you can actually check what has sold or been listed in the past 60 days. So, not only are you looking at what is for sale now, but for the past few months."

- Locate Common Places For The Specific Vehicle

After completed a basic online check, try locating the last known or commonly known places where those vehicles were. Talk to car club members. They are a great place to start. Many people in car clubs are die-hard car people with a particular interest in a given make, model, whatever vehicle the club was formed to represent. Since it is best to look for knowledgeable people, it only makes since to start with die hard enthusiasts. Car club members are usually willing to talk about their particular vehicles and generally who the key people in the market are, for that particular type of vehicle.

- Post An Ad, Check Chat Rooms And Forums

If the vehicle is so rare there are no car clubs, try conducting searches online for references or photos of the vehicle you are looking for. Then it is just a matter of tracking the vehicle from that point to now. Post wanted ads in the classified sections in all the major publications, as well as in chat rooms and forums. Get the word out you're looking for the vehicle. This will generally start to create a "buzz" about the vehicle which may cause the price of the vehicle to increase, but people who think they can make money, are generally willing to find the person who wants to pay them for that rare vehicle.

- Hit The Salvage Or Junk Yards

Another great resource are salvage or junk yards. Doing a quick search will reveal companies like Classic Cars Rotting (www.classiccarsrotting.com ) who have the largest collection of classic cars with over 4,000. There are yards to specialize in certain years and models. Like Classic Mustang Parts of Oklahoma who have over 700 mustangs between 64 ½ and 73. Who has the largest supply of 641/2 to 73 mustang parts.

- Verify The Vehicle

Once you believe have found the vehicle, the best way to verify it's authenticity, is to conduct a search on the vehicle. Find any and all id tags, chassis numbers, etc. These generally tell the true story behind the vehicle. Best practice is get as many numbers as possible, so completely verify the vehicle is indeed what you are looking for. Over the years, parts tend to break and get replaced. If you pull an id tag off a part that has been replaced, you may be looking up a vehicle that isn't what you are interested in purchasing. There are numerous sources online and in print, as well as some companies, that can tell what vehicle number it is and how many were built. These are excellent resources to find out how rare the vehicle you are considering purchasing is.

- Purchase The Most Complete Vehicle As Possible

If fortunate enough to find a couple of the vehicles, we recommend purchasing the most complete vehicle. Rare vehicles have rare parts, which are hard to track down and usually expensive. Generally speaking, it is much cheaper to restore a complete vehicle than a shell.