Gearhead Garden

Of LT1's, Arizona and NOx!

2020-01-19T11:15:00.001-07:00

1995 Firebird: Program replacement remote (The Formula Project)

2020-01-19T11:13:00.001-07:00

The Formula Project: Replacing an EGR Solenoid

2020-01-01T23:53:00.001-07:00

NOx, Arizona and the emissions Racket!

2019-12-07T22:27:00.001-07:00

The Formula Project: Cool it! (Thermostat and Coolant Level Sensor Part2)

2019-11-23T16:50:00.001-07:00

The Formula Project: Cool it! (Thermostat and Coolant Level Sensor) Part 1

2019-11-17T19:52:00.001-07:00

A Gearhead Quickie: A Tale of 2 Thermostats

2019-11-11T01:44:00.001-07:00

Own a car in Arizona? It's going to cost you $32 more per year and that's a problem

2018-11-30T06:24:00.005-07:00

So I get this email the other day. It's from the MVD...

I thought, well, wonder what this is about.   Here's what it said...

"Beginning Dec. 1, Arizona motorists expecting vehicle registration renewals will see a new Public Safety Fee. The fee was established by state law to support public safety and Highway Patrol operations. The fee goes into effect for registrations due in January which can be paid as early as Dec. 1, and immediately for newly registered vehicles.

The fee will be collected during the vehicle-registration process administered by the Arizona Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division. Arizona statute established the method for collecting the fee and sets the process for determining the amount based on a formula designed to support Highway Patrol operations.

Highway Patrol operations — among the most visible functions of the Arizona Department of Public Safety — include response to collisions on Arizona highways, enforcing state laws designed to keep the motoring public safe, arresting impaired drivers, assisting motorists in distress, air-rescue operations and patrolling more than 6,800 miles of highways.

Most motorists will pay $32 per vehicle, per year. Street-legal golf carts and primarily off-highway vehicles will pay $5. Those who register a vehicle annually or pay for a two- or five-year registration will pay the entire amount up front for each registered year.

The funds raised through the Public Safety Fee will not only provide necessary dollars for public safety, but will advance maintenance and construction of Arizona’s highway infrastructure, including the state’s Key Commerce Corridors that support economic development around the state.

Over the past decade, much of the Highway Patrol’s budget was considered part of the Arizona Highway User Revenue Fund, the gas-tax account that supports Arizona roadways, including law-enforcement support. The new $32 Public Safety Fee will allow gas-tax money to support roadway maintenance and construction, while providing a different source of funding for Highway Patrol operations."

This is literally the first I was hearing about this. So I did a little digging and found that Arizona Governor Doug " The Duce " Ducey signed a bill (HB 2166) into law allowing the assessment of this new fee on every street legal vehicle in Arizona.

The reason for this new tax...err...fee...is simple.

We're not buying enough gas. Since gas tax collections are down due to all those hybrids and light rail commuters, the money for public safety has to come from somewhere and Governor Ducey doesn't want it coming out of the state general fund anymore. He's too busy raiding that for our "business friendly" economy. You know, the one that suppresses wages and encourages employers to come here for the cheap labor.

Oh and you Tree Hugging Prius drivers out there...You're getting hit too. The VLT is going up from 1% of the value of your Green Machine to 30%. Apparently the State House didn't feel you were paying your "fair share."

I won't mince words here. This is in fact a TAX designed to set up a separate pool of money expressly for the use of the state's police force, the Department of Public Safety (DPS.) But hold on there, it's also supposed to provide money for highway construction and maintenance.   Something the Gas tax currently does and will continue to do.

What The F***?

So with the stroke of a pen we've effectively created a separate budget with a separate funding source with complete autonomy to do...what we were already doing.

What is this going to do for public safety anyway IS DPS going to buy more Ford Excursions to blast down I-17 gulping down gallons of gas per mile? Will it put more officer's on the road? Oh yeah and that bit about funding road improvements?

Last I heard DPS was recruiting more officers not laying them off. The last part really bothers me though. The one that says the extra money will also fund "maintenance and construction of the state's highway Infrastructure."

In the next paragraph we're told the gas tax will continue to fund those projects as well. Folks, the busiest highways in the Phoenix Metro area are I-10 and I-17, US 60 with ancillary freeways like Loop 202, 101, 303, 143 and so on. The busiest by far are the Interstates which receive FEDERAL FUNDING for their construction and maintenance!   That's also where the bulk of DPS enforcement occurs.

They expect to bring in around $150 million a year from this new fee with the money destined for " public safety and Highway Patrol Operations." *Note: That number was based on a fee of $18.06 not the $32 cited in the MVD notice...(somebody got greedy)

This is in addition to the standard VLT (based on valuation and slowly decreases over time) and the Air Quality Fee. Not to mention the fee for emissions testing that 90% of most daily driven vehicles must pay at the time of registration.

I could go into all the legalese and political justifications made for this but there are really two glaring issues as I see it.

The First is, Exactly WHAT public safety and Patrol operations are being paid for with this influx of revenue?   Are we going to stop all those wrong way drivers? Are we going to trade the Impalas and Crown Vics for Hellcats? Maybe bring back the freeway Photo Radar? I see nothing new here, nothing that justifies such a hefty price to effectively do what we're already doing now.

In short I don't buy it. Arizona has a long history of "misplacing" public funds to private pockets. This looks like another opportunity for such hi jinx. State Route 51 almost didn't get built because of such shenanigans.

That or it's just another opportunity to set up a funding source for more corporate tax breaks.

Remember that part about Hybrid owners paying their "fair share?" That term doesn't appear to apply to big business in Arizona. 74% of corporations in the state paid $50 or less in corporate taxes as of January 2018. My personal income tax bill is higher than that and I haven't made anywhere near the millions these companies do.

The second is a little more fringe but worth mentioning. I'm always suspicious when a separate and distinct pool of taxpayer money is set up exclusively for a police force. It's another step toward an autonomous police entity with weakened oversight and ultimately the first stepping stone toward a literal "police state."

In the current political climate that's not as big a stretch as it used to be.

And while I'm at it...Where the hell are the Trump supporters and TEA party people on this? This is a TAX levied without a vote, without referendum and without consent.

This is another attack on "the little guy" and more of them are Red than Blue in this state.

You guys are OK with that?

I'm not.

At worst this is a chilling political development and at best another example of ignoring classical conservative values of smaller government and less bureaucracy.

But then the last "classical" Republican in the state was John McCain and Trumpies didn't like him no matter how many medals he had or how far right he blew from moderate.

We have highway funds mixed in with DPS funds now and nothing but the standard "public safety" tagline for its reason for being.

Finally, you may not care about an extra $32 bucks a year but for those on the lower end of the income spectrum who have to drive to work that increase effectively doubles the cost of vehicle registration.

It is in practice a regressive tax affecting those who can afford it least.

I suppose you're OK with that too.

This kind of crap needs to stop. This is literally taxation without representation which can be found in that other of most treasured American Historical Documents, The Declaration of Independence.

Or have you forgotten that too....

This may seem like a petty gripe over a local fee but remember that all politics are indeed local. It's small steps that lead to tyranny.

69 Firebird 350

2018-11-19T15:02:00.000-07:00

Hey Folks,

I know it's been awhile since I posted anything. Reason being basic survival and lack of resources. Some major things have happened over the past few months which changed priorities. I wish I could say it was along the lines of a change for the better but I can't.

Seems things keep coming up that test my resolve to stay on the sunny side of the street. One of those things has brought about an opportunity for someone else.

"Black Ice" Is a 1969 Firebird 350 that was built about 10 years ago and lovingly cared for since by my folks. It's a great Resto Mod with reliability, performance and safety upgrades that make it a great boulevard cruiser, highway brawler and car show king. Speaking of which if you follow GoodGuys you may have seen it at the Scottsdale, AZ fall meetup a few times.

Check out the video below for details. The bird needs a good home, maybe it's yours!

c-ya!

Old Cars, Bad luck, Bad times....So what!

2018-10-15T00:36:00.001-07:00

Sometimes things just go wrong. Other times a whole lotta things go wrong. With old cars it's inevitable that you're going to have some tribulations.

I'd just rather they didn't come all at once!

Watch to see what I'm going on about.

The story of the Formula and a 2018 update

2018-08-22T01:53:00.001-07:00

You've seen a lot about the Formula in this blog and even more so on my YouTube Channel. The Video above is simply a kind of "State of the Union" for the car and as a bonus gives a little backstory.

So kick back, enjoy the views and a little storytelling.

My friends often kid me about my stories.

I should just "strike up a campfire and start spinning yarns they say."

Well, here's one for ya!

Car culture - Getting out and about

2018-05-20T18:58:00.000-07:00

Lately it's come to my attention that I spend entirely too much of my free time hanging around my house. A condition I decided to rectify a couple of weeks ago.

I ventured out to (or more correctly went BACK to) one of Arizona's best known weekly car meetups. The McDonald's Car show at the Scottsdale Pavilions. I hadn't been out there in about 10 years so I didn't know what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised to see a strong representation of the Phoenix car culture.

For over 20 years people have been coming from all over the metro Phoenix area to show off rides of every conceivable permutation of the car hobby.

I was there back when it started as an informal event in a relatively unused parking lot in a far corner of Scottsdale. A friend of mine actually grew a thriving auto body and paint business from customers met there that exists to this day. That's the power of the community this event fosters.

From 57 Chevy's to Teslas and even bikes you're bound to find something that meets your fancy and someone to trade tall tales and memories.

You never know what you're going to find but be sure to show up early (starts at 4PM every Saturday) and wear your most comfortable shoes because there's usually 250 to 400 cars to see not counting the periphery of late comers and motorcycles.

Check out the video below for a taste of the action. If you love cars, do yourself a favor and check it out yourself every Saturday from 4PM to 11PM at the McDonalds at the Scottsdale Pavilions ( also known as Talking Stick) off the 101 Freeway and Indian Bend Road. Admission is free and parking is abundant.

The Firebird Project - New Front Shocks...and more!

2018-05-01T23:33:00.000-07:00

Once again we come to a crossroads.

Fix it or ditch it.

Is it good money after bad or is it an investment in the future. Only you can answer that but if you extend your best foot forward every time at least you can be confident that you didn't cheat the process.

So it went with the latest project on the Formula. Do we ignore obvious problems and just stick to the original plan or do we dig a little deeper and see if we can't advance toward our ultimate goal.

The desired result was to replace the front shocks, that was going to happen regardless. However, experience has taught me that we weren't going to get away that easily. The end result was not so much a surprise as an inevitability.

In the videos below you'll learn what it takes to tackle this project as well as learn about what you should be watching for.

Remember, you're dealing with a primary safety system here. Shortcuts only invite disaster.

I'm hopeful the following is helpful in your project!

Car Maintenance 101: The oil change

2018-02-17T01:23:00.000-07:00

Cars don't fix themselves and they don't maintain themselves either no matter what the dealer told you.

To that end I went through my car repair videos on my YouTube channel and discovered that I had no videos of the most basic of car repairs. The oil change. It's simple and usually the first thing the budding enthusiasts learns to do. To that end I tried to cover the topic comprehensively from draining the old oil to getting rid of it and of course safety.

So enjoy this latest installment of The Firebird Project!

Happy Holidays from Gearhead Garden!

2017-12-19T12:06:00.002-07:00

The annual cruise around the neighborhood is ready! Enjoy a Christmastime wonderland seen through the windshield of the Formula!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Shocking! - The El Camino needs some attention

2017-09-05T23:37:00.000-07:00

Seems the Formula has gotten all the attention but I have 2 project cars and the other one wanted some attention.

How did I know?

Well, I was a bit dense. Any car guy with a project will tell you that it's sometimes a game of denial. We simply can't accept that something we already fixed may need attention again.

So it goes with my shocks. I had changed them but it had been so long that I didn't realize just how many miles they've soaked up holding up the front end of 4000 pound car.

So it was with the El Camino. Now I should know better having changed the transmission 3 times, carburetor at least 5 times not to mention a myriad of other things.

But the shocks, I thought they had plenty of time left.

Well, truth be told the shocks were one of the first things I ever replaced on the El Camino which puts the timeframe somewhere around 1992. Before the engine change, before the new paint job and of course before 80,000 miles had passed under the third set of tires.

Yeah, it was time. More accurately, it was overdue.

The signs were there just not obvious to my rose colored perspective.

The front end sat too low, so low in fact that I could no longer get a jack under the front of the car.

Hard stops became a bit scary with the car diving to one side or the other.

Then the handling... Any imperfection in the road caused varied degrees of drama.

Yes, time to do something. So I did and the video below shows the adventure. Take a look.

The Formula Project: Back under the hood

2017-08-18T23:56:00.000-07:00

It's been close to 4 years since I brought the Formula home. 4 years and 18000 miles later it's been a tale of love. But not that sweet unconditional love beaming from your dog's eyes when she looks up at you. No, no, no. This is the kind of love that demands all of your attention, a few pounds of flesh and most of the contents of your wallet if you don't put the brakes on every once in awhile.

Love hurts....

One way or another it always does.

Considering my ownership of this family heirloom began with $500 worth of parts and the front of the engine in pieces within 24 hours of delivery the tone was set.

BUT!

Opportunities abound if your eyes are open. Which led to a new YouTube channel and more relevant content in this blog.

I've been busy trying to make a living doing something other than turning a wrench or saving somebody's server so time's short and so is the money. That means projects fall into 2 camps; Things I want to do to the Formula and things I HAVE to do.

Seems there's lots of things I've HAD to do in the past 6 months. Luckily, every one of them has been documented with a video.

Speaking of which, the 3 videos below show what I've been up to. To sum it up: The car doesn't sound like an old rocking chair anymore, the transmission stopped hitting the floorboards and starts easier now that the PCM has some clue as to what the engine termperature is.

Check it out!

Back on the Road: Formula VS Smog Check - Epilogue

2017-05-29T23:42:00.000-07:00

A lot can happen in 5 months...

Back in December when I posted my last entry to this blog I wasn't sure what my future held. All I had was hope and a belief that if I didn't give up things would eventually work out.

Which is exactly how I approached getting the Formula back on the road.

I'm not especially religious but I do believe the old adage that the good Lord doesn't give you anything you can't handle.

December is a pretty long time between posts but I haven't posted anything about the Formula since October of 2015! That's because, well, honestly there was nothing to post about.

That changed recently. I picked up some work in March which improved my fortunes. Now the Formula was always at the top of my priority list but it became even more so as the weeks wore on and it became apparent that what I was driving to work was not ideal for the purpose.

The Formula needed to be back on the road...Fast!

Of course that meant getting rid of the demons that had kept it chained to the garage for 2 years.

Recall that we had already dealt with the Fuel Pressure regulator, EGR, got a new intake elbow and ran a few tanks of the proper octane fuel. Sadly it wasn't enough.

The emissions testing results from 2015 while less than helpful at diagnosing the problem still pointed to a likely culprit. A high HC reading, that's raw fuel. High CO? sloppy ignition system. High NOx? Combustion chamber temps too high. All of them too high? That points to a bad catalytic converter plain and simple.

Lot's of things can go wrong with modern emissions control systems on cars but the symptoms would show up long before a failing smog test. As in the car literally wouldn't run if you could get it to start at all if it was anything but the Cat.

1995 was an interesting year for auto makers. It was the last year before they formally adopted the new ODB2 standard in emissions controls. 20 years later it's a pain in the ass. For example, the Formula has a diagnostic port identical to an OBD2 connector but it isn't. It's OBD1 which means you have a lot fewer codes to help point you in the direction of what's wrong. Not to mention finding a scan tool that you can actually plug into it!

Still, there are basic emission codes that can be set if something was really going wrong and luckily none of them were set. Although that's not definitive either since OBD1 has a far shallower pool of data to draw from. That means things have to be really going sideways before you get any information out of that port. By that time the code probably doesn't mean much to you.

So...

Fast forward to the solution to my problem and we open on me in the parking lot of Mesa Muffler early on a Saturday morning.

For less than $200 I was able to drive out with a new catalytic converter an hour later. I immediately took the car out on the freeway to warm up the converter and then held my breath and got off on the exit that led to the emissions testing station.

As I pulled into the station, took my ticket and waited in a long line for my turn at the indignity of an Arizona emissions test my time had finally come.

I pulled up onto the rollers, turned off the car and dutifully retired to a cramped booth while the technician did his best to ruin my day...

He didn't. At the end of it all I actually shook his hand and thanked him! The Formula was finally legal after 2 years and all it took was a catalytic converter....

Oh yeah, and a MAP sensor, EGR, Fuel Pressure Regulator, Intake Elbow...

I documented the whole thing in the video below. I'd have liked to get more of the actual test but I was rather forcefully discouraged by the technician.

There was still work to do before the Formula started commuting duty, however.

We needed tires, badly. We also needed a new belt tensioner pulley and weirdly a new gear for the headlight pop-up motor.

So what's left?

I still need to deal with the fuel injectors as at least one is still leaking. I still need to fix the headliner, get the hatch repainted. All the normal stuff that a 20+ year old car would need.

In case you're interested, I've also included a few videos below of the new tires and how I fixed the headlight motor. I've been posting regular videos of my adventures with the Formula on my YouTube channel. Check it out as I tend to update it more than this blog...obviously.

More as it happens!

Triple A Motor Club - Full Price, partial membership UPDATED!

2016-12-27T22:56:00.003-07:00

See that thing up there? That's a Triple A Motor club card. A representation of just one of dozens of associated motorist clubs in the nation under the Triple A banner.

An organization over 100 years old built on serving the needs of an increasingly mobile nation.

Providing everything from road maps and travel planning services to car insurance and of course what everybody joins up for.... The towing.

Drive anything with a few miles on it and you'll soon see the benefit of carrying that little gold card the first time you don't have to pay that $200+ towing bill for getting ol' reliable hauled back home from Grandma's house somewhere over the river and through the woods.

For your annual dues you get varying levels of benefits. I'm only concerned with the road service as I've found most of Triple A's so-called discounts to be anything but. A quick flip through their bi-monthly glossy magazine reveals stunning photography of places you can't afford to go and discounts that won't help you get there any faster.

With your membership you'll get the added benefit of constant junk mail and offers for overpriced and under performing auto and life insurance.

Their Triple A certified auto repair? One of those vaulted establishments cost my cousin a transmission.

So yeah, it's pretty much for the towing.

Somewhere along the line, however, it seems Triple A is more about those glossy pages than service.

A belief evidenced by my recent contact with their membership department.

As I've said before, 2016 hasn't been a great year so when it came down to paying the $97 renewal or the light bill, the light bill won.

That was roughly 2 months ago but as I said at the beginning of this article, you just don't drive an old car without having something to help with the inevitable towing bill.

Now I can excuse the organization's push into more areas of revenue generation. People have less to spend so you better give them more options to spend with you rather than somewhere else.

But when you compromise your core service offering there's a problem.

It all started with a phone call early this morning. One that yielded a recording telling me to call back during "business hours" which might as well be "banker's hours."

OK, at least I wasn't calling for a tow truck.

Their "business hours" are 8 to 5 and I called at 9. I figured I'd let the poor cubicle dweller who got to suffer me at least get his first cup of coffee.

I have a soft spot for inbound call center workers. Imagine working 8 to 12 hours a day fielding phone calls from people who rarely just call to express their love and admiration.

With that in mind I called primarily to follow-up on my renewal which I completed online. It seems the Arizona Triple A website is less than accurate when it comes to membership status. Even when payment was tendered the site still insisted that my membership had expired.

Worse both the website and my paperwork had insisted that I'd received a new membership card.

I hadn't.

The friendly representative on the other end of the line answered my queries, ensured that I was indeed covered with my recently paid renewal and all was well.

Ah, but you know I just had to screw it up.

I made the mistake of asking a probing question. My membership expired October 31st this was December 27th, almost 2 full months had passed.

I asked if my expiration date would now change due to my renewal being 2 months tardy. It was supposed to be a rhetorical question...

It wasn't.

I was informed that my membership would still expire on October 31st of the following year. That didn't seem right.

When questioned further I was told that I was within a "grace period" for renewal which allowed me to avoid an extra "reactivation fee."

That's nice, except when I asked if that meant my benefits were extended through that "grace period" as well I was told a firm....No.

Uh, something's wrong here...

I told the friendly cubicle dweller on the phone that it didn't seem quite right that I was paying for a year's worth of service and getting only 10 months. I verified that this was indeed the case with him and reluctantly, said representative confirmed my conclusion.

When you call a call center these days you usually get a recorded message saying something along the lines of, " This call may be recorded for Quality Control purposes..."

I reminded my hapless cubicle compadre of that and said I was pleased that this call was indeed being recorded because this was not a good policy nor proper treatment of a member.

I also informed him ( for the sake of Quality Control of course) that there are other similar competing services out there and perhaps next year I'll investigate their offerings instead of renewing my membership.

It seems to me there may even be a potential FTC issue here. A grace period is fine if you're waiving late fees but if you're going to charge me full price for something I'm not getting that's at the least bad business.

At worst, fraud.

So for the time being I at least have some level of roadside assistance from Triple A but I have to wonder if I wouldn't be better served elsewhere.

Maybe I'd have gotten better treatment If I booked a cruise...

UPDATE: I wrote this article on December 27th. My replacement Membership card just showed up today January 12th. 16 DAYS! and yes, it still has the October expiration date.

Merry Spin around the Neighborhood - Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

2016-12-22T13:24:00.002-07:00

Fix It: Misfires, long cranks, bad mileage? Take a deep dive with me into a Tune Up!

2016-12-13T02:49:00.001-07:00

Fuel, Air and Spark...

What does it really mean to do a tune-up on your car? Regardless of what you may drive, if it has an internal combustion engine it's going to need 3 things: Fuel, Air and Spark. When most people think tune-up they think ignition system ( SPARK ) At least with a gasoline powered vehicle. Yes Diesel's are different but it's still Fuel, Air and BOOM!.

We're going to be dealing with the BOOM! in your gas powered engine today. I'll show you the basics and try to answer the how and why's in the video below.

Fix It: Finishing the Carter AFB Carburetor rebuild

2016-11-18T22:37:00.001-07:00

No need for a lot of verbiage. This is the conclusion of the carb rebuild series featuring the Carter AFB. The Second video picks up where the first left off and shows you how to reassemble the Carter AFB carb and covers important topics like how to set float level, float drop, and initial setup. There's also a bonus section on testing the fuel pump.

So enjoy and if you learned something, let me know! I'm here to help!

Without further ado....

Fix It: Rebuilding a carburetor

2016-11-17T21:34:00.002-07:00

It's been a rough couple of months and after over a year of picking up the slack for the Formula, the El Camino is starting to show the strain. It started with the brakes getting a little noisy, then 3 of 4 tires developed sidewall bulges. From there we had battery, alternator and wiring issues. Most recently I went on the hunt for the cause of some poor performance issues that led me to a bad vacuum advance unit that was doing little more than providing a huge vacuum leak through a ruptured internal diaphragm.

On the bright side it's provided excellent material for my videos over the past few months...

It was successful completion of that last project that provided the catalyst for the latest round of underhood gymnastics. While we may have succeeded in restoring additional timing to the engine when it needed it via the new advance unit we uncovered other problems with the ignition system. Problems that led to ripping it apart down to the spark plugs to chase down a mysterious misfire that was cropping up under part throttle loads.

Add in a tired carburetor assembled in desperation from the best bits of 2 used examples and things get even more interesting. When that carburetor stops responding to the input of the go pedal we have to address it. Issues with the fuel system were also making it harder to diagnosis our mysterious misfire. If the carb is starving the engine for fuel, it could be causing a lean misfire but now we're straying dangerously close to grasping at straws. We need a baseline.

Time for a rebuild.

That's the thing about classic cars. No matter how much money you put into them, the more you drive the more work you have to do.

We want to continue driving and to do that we need to fix what's broke. We can't if we're trying to herd too many cats.

Once we straighten out the fuel system we'll have a better idea of where our misfire problem is coming from. It's a process of elimination and honestly something that should have been done a long time ago.

Below is the first of 2 videos documenting the process of rebuilding the Carter AFB carburetor currently living on top of my El Camino's engine.

How to buy a classic car and live with the consequences: Part 2 - Buying the car and living with it.

2016-11-04T08:10:00.000-07:00

Last time we left off with some homework...

You had some hard questions to answer. To answer them, you needed to get realistic about your expectations. Owning a classic car is much like taking on another family member. It's not some knickknack you admire on your shelf. There's care and feeding involved.

So after your own personal reality check if the answer to: "Do I really want to do this?" is an unequivocal and emphatic "Yes!" then read on. I've got more to tell you...

Research, research, research.

In the last article I went over how important it was to research any car you're planning on buying using all the online and offline sources available to you. Those same resources are going to come into play in your purchase and ownership of the car.

You'll find a dizzying array of resources to get that sweet ride. Ebay Motors, Auto Trader classics, auctions, private sales and even specialty dealerships to name a few.

The thing to remember is that you don't always get what you pay for especially if you don't know exactly what you're buying.

This is where research pays off.

Classics are valued by their popularity in the market plain and simple. Factors like rarity, options and provenance all play a part but emotion has a lot to do with it. This is why it's never a good idea to buy a classic car for investment purposes.

Yeah, Shelby Cobra's went up in value after Carroll Shelby's passing but Shelby Chargers from the 80's will never reach such lofty heights.

That's an important point. Just because something SEEMS collectible doesn't mean it is. There have been countless "special" options and packages available over the years but most of them aren't that "special."

A "Boss" Mustang is special. A "Pony edition" is not.

Even the most rabid of car enthusiast isn't going to get excited over a pinstripe. Unless, of course, that pinstripe is proof of something far more interesting like a more powerful engine.

Knowledge is power so time to go on the hunt but where to look?

Auctions

The most obvious places are classic car auctions. You may get a deal but after the auction house has taken their percentage you may have immediate buyer's remorse.

Auctions like Barrett-Jackson run for multiple days with the first day usually offering the least expensive cars. These will be examples that need a little work, aren't popular or may not have their documentation. Title issues have to be disclosed but it's up to you to investigate the veracity of the owner's claims about the actual car for yourself.

Some auctions will provide a VIN number or a CarFax if the vehicle is new enough ( 1981 on) and may even have services on site to help you evaluate the car.

Barrett-Jackson doesn't call itself an auction anymore, they call themselves "events." Which is to say that attending one is more like a trip to the circus than a car lot. There's the auction of course but it's just the big top in the circus. Auto related services, parts, nostalgia and accessory vendors are all over the place. It literally looks like an automotive products convention. In short, lots of neat stuff to look at but you're going to pay for all that "lifestyle" kitsch one way or another. It's usually in the bidder fees and of course the 20% buyer's commission.

Many of the more popular auctions have copied the format to some degree to draw more of an audience but none approach the carnival atmosphere that is Barrett-Jackson.

Silver, Russo and Steele and Mecum are some of the more popular and less "circus" auctions.

I won't go into the whole bidding process. It's an auction meaning the seller and the auctioneer are trying to get the most money for themselves. The best advice I'd give is to know the real value of the car you're interested in and set a hard limit. Especially with Day 1 auction cars, you need to be cautious as you don't want to end up buying a LeMans priced like a GTO.

Private Sales

This is where the Auto Trader Classics and Hemmings come in....

Same rules apply here. Do your research, bring along someone knowledgeable that knows the model you're looking at and don't take the seller's word for anything that isn't obvious. The nice thing about private sales is that you can get much more up close and personal with the car without fighting a crowd or the distractions of an auction like Barrett-Jackson. My best advice here is #1 Research, #2 Skepticism.

That said,, be reasonable. Protect your interests but don't be an ass. This is a negotiation not a death match. Put yourself in the owner's shoes and figure out how you'd want to be treated. If you know a car is worth 25K don't make an offer of $500 you're just wasting everyone's time. It's insulting and actually makes it less likely to get a good deal. Once you've made that deal, however, make sure everything is on the up and up. The seller is not going to take a personal check so either have cash or take a ride down to your bank and draw a cashier's check.

You can also set up private sales through online services like Ebay that will hold the money in escrow. No matter what, the seller is rightly going to want to know he's getting paid. As for you, you need to be sure the ownership documents are in order. It used to be a paper title was enough but these days most states have moved to Electronic titles. That makes it easier for dealers to transfer ownership and for any liens against the car to be recorded. You may have a clear paper title but if someone filed a lien electronically against it you won't know till you try to transfer ownership and have to pay off that lien and ruin your day.

There's usually an online mechanism offered by a state's DMV to check the status of a car's title. All you need to provide is a VIN and a small fee to find out. You should be able to get this information ahead of time from the seller and know what's up before you go meet him/her. You could do it on a smartphone when you're there but unless a deal has just dropped out of the sky on your lunch break, I wouldn't recommend this. You should have as much information on the car as possible before going to see it. Research, research, research!

Ebay and online ( Not local ).

We've touched on this angle in the last section when we talked about escrow. Consider these services nothing more than classified ads ( like Auto Trader ) with escrow. They're just a middleman and most of the same rules apply as the straight private sale. The thing to watch out for is the fee these services charge. Sellers are more disadvantaged than the buyer in this transaction but there other factors like taxes and escrow fees that have to be accounted for.

Specialty dealerships like this particular angle when they have a vehicle that may be harder for them to sell or want to draw in buyers from a wider area. They've also got a better chance of getting an inflated price for a lemon since many buyers base their purchase on emotion without doing any research. All it takes is some good photos. The perfect sucker bet. See the next section for why I'm not a fan. It is an option but in my opinion a bad one most of the time.

Getting it home

Regardless, a lot of these cars won't be local meaning you have to factor in travel, transport and if you're smart inspection costs. That could make a great deal more expensive than you bargained for. I can tell you that transport costs alone can be in the thousands.

When I had my 1995 Formula transported from Colorado to Arizona in 2013 using Reliable Carriers (a specialty auto transporter) it cost $1100. With a distance of 800 miles that's about $1.37 a mile. Oh and it took 3 weeks to get the car to me...

By the way, I wouldn't try driving a classic car home if it has to go more than 100 miles from where you bought it. It's an old car, things happen and that tow truck isn't going to be much cheaper than the transport if the worst happens. That and specialty transporters use enclosed trailers keeping your new baby safe from the elements and thieves.

I have to stop for a moment and say this. While the idea of driving a classic car home seems attractive know that it's not the brightest option.

Classic cars tend to be less fuel efficient, more temperamental and less reliable than your daily driver. Why would you want to do that to yourself? You don't know the car and you don't know its quirks. Finding out for the first time in the middle of nowhere isn't fun. I know from experience. Save the road trip for the big cruise when other people are around that can help out if need be.

Specialty Dealers

Unless there's no other option I'd stay away from these guys. They usually don't stick around for more than a couple of years and won't deal. They'll stick to the highest market price for the vehicle and all cars are sold As/Is. This is where you're most likely to find the LeMans prettied up as a fake GTO. I'm not going to say much about these guys. Plain and Simple it's a used car lot with a better profit margin. I've seen more overpriced, bondo Betty's at these places than anywhere else and once someone's on to them they're gone like the wind.

It's all yours....

OK, so you did all the research, you're on a first name basis with the car club president and can decode VIN codes and cowl tags better than the guys that built it.

It's yours.

Now what?

Well, hopefully you're basking in the glow but wait. I hope you called up your insurance company.

Chances are, however, that it won't end up being the same one that's covering the Kia in the driveway. A lot of insurance companies have divisions that offer coverage for collector vehicles but you're actually better off looking elsewhere. I've talked to a lot of classic car owners who were actually paying 10x as much to insure their vehicle while getting a fraction of the coverage.

Companies like Hagerty and Grundy are far better options offering features tailored to classic vehicles like agreed value coverage, parts location and premium roadside assistance. Another nice bonus to using these specialty providers is that the premiums are much lower. The trade off is that you're going to be far more limited on your use of the car.

So don't expect to be driving it to work every day. Part of the reason the coverage is so much cheaper is that you're not exposing the car to as much risk as your daily driver. Most policies require you own another car for daily use. Yes, there are policies out there that will limit mileage but for the most part specialty insurance companies know their owners are a fussy and protective bunch.

Besides, this is a "classic" car.

Do you really want to sit there on some frigid morning for 15 minutes on ice cold vinyl waiting for the engine to warm up? Does is sound like fun to jump into morning rush hour in a car with a longer braking distance than the average school bus?

That's another "reality check." Even with safety upgrades be aware that you're not buying a new car no matter how well preserved or restored. What you are buying is an old car with old technology that will ALWAYS respond accordingly.

Talk to anyone who actually drove that 69 Roadrunner to work everyday and they'll tell you stories about constantly pulling over to dry off the distributor every time they hit a puddle.

That may be charming for the cruise night but it's intolerable in a world of gridlock and Hybrid cars.

There is no argument. Classic cars are cool to drive but they're absolute garbage as daily drivers unless all your driving happens on a racetrack.

HERESY AGAIN!

Nope, reality check and I know. I've owned A LOT of classic cars and met A LOT of tow truck drivers.

Long Term Relationship

So baby's in the garage, All your weekends are taken up with car shows and meetups and your significant other has already banned the words: Horsepower and New Old Stock from the house.

A classic car is a family member. Care and feeding includes things like regularly taking it out for a spin and maintenance. I've known "car guys" who buy a car and never drive it thinking they'll ruin it's value if another tenth of a mile rolls over on the odometer.

Trouble is, cars are meant to be driven not just looked at. Unless you own a museum piece, part of keeping it maintained is actually one of the best parts of owning a classic. That being actually driving it. Tires get flat spots, batteries go bad (even on chargers) grease dries out and seals start to leak if a car is left to sit.

You didn't buy it to be the next guy's "barn find" did you?

That's another tip. Yes, you can buy those ultra-rare low mileage cars but they're not much fun. They are literally the automotive equivalent of a time capsule and even driving it around the block can decrease their value.

Leave them to the museums.

I like nice "driver quality" car. One that I may fuss over but don't' fear taking on a leisurely weekend road trip. Among classic and collector circles this is becoming the most popular group since owners can actually enjoy the car as it was intended.

Jay Leno is a great example of this type of owner. There are few cars in his collection that haven't been driven both before and after restoration. In fact it's probably a large factor in the rise of the "driver quality" classic.

Look, cars are meant to move, statues are meant to be looked at.

Besides, it's kind of cool to actually know how to start a carbureted engine properly. It's almost like knowing a secret handshake. Hey, fuel injection is great but there's something about knowing just how much to crack the throttle to get a warm engine to start without flooding it.

So if you've taken the plunge congratulations! It's a special experience to be the caretaker of a classic and one no Prius could ever match. There'll be highs and lows in the course of your stewardship and surprises along the way to keep things interesting.

Thanks for allowing me to share the experience with you. Take a look at some of the articles on the sidebar too. They're all bout the gearhead lifestyle and can give you valuable information about owing and loving a classic car.

Drive on!

How to buy a classic car and live with the consequences: Part 1 - Do you really want to do this?

2016-11-02T01:26:00.002-07:00

WHAT? WHY? HOW?

It's a given.

Even for the Millennial generation classic vehicles are alluring. Sometimes the definition of a "classic" becomes a bit blurred with the younger set but so long as they're enthusiastic about something other than smartphones and Instagram there's still hope.

Yeah, I was around when the Honda CRX was just another weird Civic with 2 seats. Now it's a holy grail akin to my reverence for 70 454 Chevelle with factory Cowl induction.

At least to some.

Here's the reality. Any car over 25 years old can by law (in most states) be considered a classic car. Meaning that CRX would technically qualify; of course your mom's 81 Caprice would too.

However, that doesn't mean every car is destined to become a classic just because it's old. Some cars, no matter how "vintage" will never attain the lofty heights of being considered a "classic."

Simply put; cars become classics because a lot of people consider them to be that way. It's the purest expression of a free market. For better or worse.

For example; did you know that in 1969 you could buy an Oldsmobile station wagon with the same engine as it's muscle car cousin the 442?

Believe it or not the famed 400 V8 (one of the 4's in 4-4-2) was available along with a number of other stout poweplants.

To which I say, So what....

It's a perfect example of what you need to understand about the classic car market. For one thing while age is important, it has to be desired by someone to have value and to most of the market A Vista Cruiser with a 400 is just dad's old station wagon.

Meaning you won't be getting much interest (or $$$) from the 442 faithful but that 442 bloodline may peak the interest of the Vista Cruiser crowd, if there is such a thing. Which is an important factor in getting involved with a classic car. The halo effect or depending on your perspective; guilt by association.

Buying a classic car is no different than a Sci-Fi nerd paying 100's of dollars for a vintage 1977 Star Wars action figure in it's original packaging. It's a kind of time capsule. A door open to the memory of happier times unspoiled by the ravages of reality.

It's like any other collectible market driven by irrational motivations fueled exclusively by the intoxication of rose colored glasses.

All collector markets are built on this. If we were really being honest all these old cars and action figures would be of more use ground up and recycled for raw materials for a half a dozen Hyundai's. .

HERESY!

Hey, I'm just putting it out there. I don't believe it and honestly I wouldn't want to live in such a plain vanilla world. That would be like using the Mona Lisa as a door mat or living on cup-o-noodles for the rest of your life. Yuk...

Here's the "How"part...

Your first step toward owning a classic car is to answer the question, " Why do you want to do this?"

If you look at a classic car like a retirement account you can expect the same return as that IRA you took out in 2007. Don't believe the hype over someone's "barn find" 70 Hemi Challenger with 23 original miles going for a million dollars. Chances are you're going to end up owning a Fury with a 318 and a lot of Bondo. You can pump 50K into it and not get back half the money

Remember the Vista Cruiser?

It's a market and markets are not only picky but fickle. Fickle equals volatile which translates into yo-yo valuations only a day trader would tolerate.

Don't believe the reality TV car shows either.

Those wrench monkeys have got resources and
expertise available at their fingertips that you'd have to pay extra for.

The words "cheap" and "restoration" don't go together unless you're aiming to own a "beater" not a "classic."

Older vehicles are going to have problems that need attention and the cost of dealing with them will vary depending on what they are and how much of the work you can do yourself. Not to mention HOW you choose to deal with them.

Even if you're Chip Foose it can be expensive if you happen to be working on a vehicle with sparse parts availability or serious rust issues.

So yeah, don't buy a 1974 El Camino....

By the way, be honest and know what you're capable of. A couple of rattle can paint jobs and a few oil changes does not make you an automotive restoration expert.

Playing the Field

From here you have to take a hard look at the car's market and determine what it (and you) will bear.

Paying 442 prices for a run of the mill Cutlass does nobody any favors. Meaning you need to do some research. That doesn't stop at just looking up prices on Hemmings or the latest auction either. You need to connect with people who've already made the leap not only to see what they paid but the cost of upkeep.

Check the more mundane sources like Auto Trader or the classifieds. See what's available locally before heading into a nationwide or even worldwide search. Often the cost of transport of a "perfect" car is trumped by one that needs a little more love found in your hometown. Only after exhausting local resources should you expand your search outward. Even sites like Ebay motors can be filtered to listings in your local area and by default Auto Trader sites (including classic) do the same.

Know what you're looking at!

Too much of the word "new" can be the death knell of a classic car's value. Find out what your chosen model originally came with. Tires and batteries are irrelevant by the way. We're interested in things like drivetrain and available options. Some cars demand original everything while others known for unreliability will offer more latitude in modifications.
For example, nobody is going to ding you for swapping drum brakes for disc brakes on a classic that's actually driven. Safety upgrades are acceptable in all but the most rare of classics and nobody is driving those very often.

Be aware of "tribute cars" and fakes.

What's a Tribute car?

Simply put, a tribute car is a model upgraded to a more desirable model after the fact. The only difference between a fake and a tribute is how honest the seller is about it. Don't be fooled into paying 50K for a fake 67 GTO that's really a 30K LeMans.

That research thing again....

If you really want to get to know a car you're interested in get to know the people who own one. A quick Internet search can yield dozens of resources and forums where you can learn about a car you're considering. Use multiple sources and treat it the same way you would as if you were buying a house. Ask questions like: What are the problem areas? What are the parts availability? What's it cost to fix?

Speaking of fixes. Don't buy someone else's failed project. Rust buckets will continue to be rust buckets AKA money pits. Protect yourself and learn what to look for so you don't buy one. It's never a bad idea to bring along someone who knows what they're looking at.

Don't limit yourself to one information source either. Online car forums are wealth of information but realize that not everyone in them is an expert. Don't just rely on online either. If there's a regular car show or meetup near you go check it out. One thing about the classic car hobby is that owners love nothing more than talking about their cars. It's a great source for finding things like car clubs and good local shops too.

Buying the car is just the beginning. Living with it is more than just Sunday blasts along the coast. You've essentially purchased another mouth to feed much more demanding than the Kia now displaced in your driveway.

We'll get into that next time....