Where should I get my car from

**Bimmerbuster** · 08-12-2010, 10:15 AM

I`ve heard that you should never buy an "old school" in MI because of rust and water damage to the under carriage. If so then where should I get it from because having it transported from a southern state could be expensive couldn`t it? And what are some alternative to having it transported?

**Accumulator** · 08-12-2010, 12:01 PM

Originally Posted by Bimmerbuster

I`ve heard that you should never buy an "old school" in MI because of rust and water damage to the under carriage. If so then where should I get it from because having it transported from a southern state could be expensive couldn`t it? And what are some alternative to having it transported?

Noting that I just bought a vehicle that`s in Florida (and was in Nevada before that), IMO any transportation costs are worth it because once rust starts it`s a huge chore to arrest/correct it. So I myself try to find vehicles from rust-free areas.

The shipping costs can vary dramatically depending on who you use, from a few hundred to a few thousand, but IMO it`s money well-spent. You should be able to get something from the South shipped up to MI for $1500 or less, and I`d just budget that into the cost. See what a google of Central Dispatch brings up, they often have cheap rates if you`re flexible about the date.

But OTOH, you can sometimes luck out and find a vehicle from a rusty-car state that`s still just fine. Just depends on the individual car...but don`t be surprised if you have to pay a hefty premium for that rust-free condition anyhow.

The way I see it, buying a vehicle is all about condition, and you gotta pay for something nice. Trying to save money in the wrong way is simply a bad idea. Sorta like buying vehicles sight-unseen; sometimes you can get lucky and everything turns out fine, but other times the money you save is a very expensive mistake.

**David Fermani** · 08-12-2010, 12:26 PM

Buy Classic Cars: The Truth About ``Rust-Free`` California Cars!

**imported_Ivan Rajic** · 08-12-2010, 12:59 PM

Originally Posted by Accumulator

Noting that I just bought a vehicle that`s in Florida (and was in Nevada before that), IMO any transportation costs are worth it because once rust starts it`s a huge chore to arrest/correct it. So I myself try to find vehicles from rust-free areas.

The shipping costs can vary dramatically depending on who you use, from a few hundred to a few thousand, but IMO it`s money well-spent. You should be able to get something from the South shipped up to MI for $1500 or less, and I`d just budget that into the cost. See what a google of Central Dispatch brings up, they often have cheap rates if you`re flexible about the date.

But OTOH, you can sometimes luck out and find a vehicle from a rusty-car state that`s still just fine. Just depends on the individual car...but don`t be surprised if you have to pay a hefty premium for that rust-free condition anyhow.

The way I see it, buying a vehicle is all about condition, and you gotta pay for something nice. Trying to save money in the wrong way is simply a bad idea. Sorta like buying vehicles sight-unseen; sometimes you can get lucky and everything turns out fine, but other times the money you save is a very expensive mistake.

Agree 100%. If you`re shopping for "the car" and looking for a rust-free car, I think you are to budget in the extra $1000-2000 that you`re going to spend on transportation, premium for a car in great condition, etc.

I got extremely lucky and found my M3 in Michigan. It was a Michigan, Indiana and now Illinois car it`s whole life, but garaged every winter (usually year-round) and doesn`t have a spec of rust. I would suggest searching for cars instead of searching for best places to buy cars. As the article above says, many cars have moved around the country so unless you know the exact history, you`re still playing guessing games.

Spend the time to thoroughly research a car you find, ask for photos of the underside and all around if buying out of state, and be sure to make it clear to the seller that you don`t want to waste time on any small issues.

**Accumulator** · 08-12-2010, 01:23 PM

Originally Posted by LUSTR

... I got extremely lucky and found my M3 in Michigan. It was a Michigan, Indiana and now Illinois car it`s whole life, but garaged every winter (usually year-round) and doesn`t have a spec of rust. I would suggest searching for cars instead of searching for best places to buy cars..

Yeah, that M3 reminds me of my Crown Vic- NJ car that I wouldn`t have know was driven any in the winter had the owner not told me (!).

And OTOH, when I was shopping for my Yukon, I saw a *LOT* of Southern Suburbans/etc. that had rust starting in places it`d be hard to fix.

Funny where you find the rust-free ones sometimes, but I think the type of vehicle can factor in too (e.g., SUVs in wintery states vs. sportscars).

Heh heh, Accumulatorette can tease me a bit about how I need to factor in all the travel/transportation when considering my projects, but she`s right- the most expensive plane tickets were the ones I didn`t buy. (Oh sheesh, I`m posting this right after buying something sight-unseen

But at least she liked it too and said "just buy it". )