“What are they like in the mornings?”
Here’s a big taboo; imagine teasing out the honest, detailed answer from an ex…before you decide to date a new person… because you never actually know someone properly until you get to… well… know them properly.
The same being said for cars, except as they are simply machines, there is no taboo.
It’s a scary thing buying a used car. An extensive collection of checks to make. Where do you begin?
And even if you can pin point where to start, do you know the one element in the used car buying equation that creates the most anxiety?
CAN. I. TRUST. YOU.
That is the single most defining answer we look for when parting with our hard earned cash to buy the car we want from a stranger. And then even if we feel we can trust them, we are faced with another dilemma.
CAN. I. TRUST. MY. JUDGEMENT.
Whether you a highly experienced or novice car buyer, it never matters how much research and analysis you have done, because standing in front of the car in question makes you feel aware of yourself. And when self awareness comes into play that sometimes mean we rush.
I usually squat down like a dog, moving my body and head at all angles to try and catch the light on different panels to assess the cars bodywork.
I have no shame in doing so. Nor do I feel sorry for someone sitting waiting while I spend ages reading through every bill with a car, only to then go back and check certain things again that I have just spent many moments messing about doing already.
But that is me. And it took me a long time to get there, with many mistakes under my belt, such as buying poor choice cars to many wasted trips viewing cars that were nowhere near the condition of the one advertised. And oh so inaccurately described on the phone.
Trying to assess the person selling the car, and the car itself, both at the same time, is no easy task, mainly due to the time and social etiquette pressure of the situation. Seller vs Buyer, Buyer vs Seller.
However, imagine if the advert for the car you so lovingly yearn for was honest, precise, highly detailed, told you everything you want and need to know without having to ask. Complete with impartial, expert-from-experience-of-ownership guidance.
And this information was viewable and digestible with no time pressure, anywhere you happen to be in the world, on any device that can accommodate the mighty being of the internet.
You could inspect the underside high resolution photos of the car. Make a cup of tea. Google library photographs to compare. Ponder a bit.
Zoom into the intricate details of the interior. Focus in on any age related marks the car has. Have dinner. Reflect. Sleep on it.
Pose the question that pops into your head in the early hours of the morning directly to helpful enthusiasts active in the comments area of the listing. And receive a good, solid and valid opinion; while you are still lying in bed. Putting off getting up to head to the office.
Reread the brake component life and assess what the brand, lifespan and age of the tyres fitted to the car mean to you. All done while you sip your morning coffee on the way to the bus stop.
The daily bus journey of thirty minutes. You browse the comments, being preventative and informative, asking any question you wish because no question is too small or insignificant to be answered within these communities.
You step off the bus. Inspired with confidence not only with buying your dream car, but running it too thanks to the guidance of like minded owners. The fear of owning an epic car disperses. The thought of daily driving the classic you planned on using sparingly pops into your head. You smile.
You have achieved hindsight before buying. From the random location you were, which could have been anywhere in the world.
In short, you can go over it with a fairly fine tooth comb whenever, wherever and as many times as you wish to make an informed, safe and comfortable decision, alongside knowledgeable folk.
Knowing that wherever you are, you can simply click a button and buy your dream car, because trust is a given and without time pressure together with safety in numbers, judgement naturally follows.
Trade Classics is making exactly this happen now.
Click here to discover if you might buy your dream car today. Sitting somewhere as ordinary as the bus.
Mike
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MIKE ATWAL
This article was written and published by Mike Atwal. Mike works for Trade Classics as an in-house journalist and copywriter and has many years’ experience in the classic car sector – for over 8 years he was the General Manager of the Classic Car Club in London and responsible for a fleet of over 100 cars worth multi-million pounds. So there’s not much Mike doesn’t know about makes, models, maintenance and idiosyncrasies of these old cars. Mike’s a true petrol head with a deep passion for the classics and he loves to talk cars all day, so why not write a reply on this article below. Google+
Categories: Classic Car Auctions, Classic Car Blog, Mike Atwal
Great article, the self awareness hits the nail on the head, so much pressure when you are viewing a car.