In addition to selling classic cars and trucks, Old Town Automobile also BUYS them! We’re routinely on the look-out for high quality vehicles that are reasonably-priced. Here are some of the things we look for when purchasing a vehicle:
1. Well-Preserved
We don’t buy vehicles with rust or obvious attempts to hide rust. Lots of older cars have tiny spots here and there and we’re willing to look at what you have and see whether it’s detrimental to the quality of the car.
2. Ready or Nearly Ready
Old Town Automobile has all the necessary knowledge and experience to completely restore any vehicle. That being said, restoring a project-level vehicle can be a VERY lengthy and expensive process. We generally try to find vehicles that are already in excellent shape with features most buyers want. Then we thoroughly inspect and service the car, addressing any final issues such as anything non-functioning, interior tears or style of wheels, etc.
3. Documented
Always a great thing if we come across a car that has a numbers-matching engine and/or transmission, has PHS documents (Pontiacs), build sheets, original window stickers, maintenance logs, ownership history or other documentation that helps prove the origin and preservation of the car.
4. Right Year & Model
There are some vehicles we are interested in more than others. Generally we are interested in American-made street rods, classics and muscle cars and trucks such as:
- Buick Skylarks, Rivieras, Grand National, LeSabres
- Chevrolet Camaros, Chevelles, Corvettes, Novas, Tri-5s, Impalas, 3 and 5 Window Sedans, pickup trucks
- Dodge Challenger, Charger, Dart, Super Bee
- Ford Mustang, Roadster
- GMC pickup truck
- Oldsmobile Cutlass, 442
- Plymouth Road Runner, Belvedere, Barracuda, Duster, GTX
- Pontiac Trans Am, GTO, Firebird, Grand Prix, LeMan, Catalina
5. Close Enough
We prefer to see vehicles in person whenever possible to ensure quality. If you are within driving distance of our southern Maryland dealership or one of our trusted partners, we’d like to come out and see the car or have you bring the car to us. Distance is also an important factor in deciding cost. Obviously, shipping a car across the country is a lot more expensive than if we can pick the car up ourselves.
6. Room for Profit
When we buy a car, we have to keep in mind whether we think there is enough margin for profit. Each car we buy has to have enough room to cover costs such as advertising as well as addressing any problems with the car and preparing it for sale, PLUS enough for a fair profit on top. Obviously, if we break even or lose money on a car, we won’t be in business long.
7. Let’s Get Started
If you’ve read the information above and think your vehicle might be something we’d be interested in, please send the following via email to sales@oldtownautomobile.com:
- Basic information on the vehicle, including any highlights you think we’d like to know about
- A few photos of the car, showing the interior, exterior and engine
- Your asking price
- Your contact information, including a phone # so we can reach you with follow-up questions. We will NOT add you to any kind of texting list nor do we sell or share your information with anyone else. We do occasionally send emails with inventory updates – perhaps one every month or so. If you receive one and you’d rather not, simply click unsubscribe.
8. Getting Paid
Once we’ve decided to buy your vehicle and agree upon a price, we may send you an agreement to sign, confirming that you commit to sell us your vehicle. We honor our offers to our buyers and we ask you to do the same. Often we can pick up the car and title the same day and pay you on the spot.
Note that if we haven’t been able to see the car in person before purchase and the car is not as you represented it, we reserve the right to leave the vehicle with you and not purchase it.
