ORIGINAL: johndglynn
Tim, there were a few previous threads on buying SC's, will try to find some links for you - does your buyer want a coupe or targa and do you know what the budget is? Our own Tim (AirCooledExcellence) has a
nice Targa up for grabs, thought he would come in on this thread to be honest - all the hard work done, body just refurbed, bilsteins, best wheels & SSI exhaust fitted and wants offers only just into 5 figures for it, sounds like a good deal to me and I'm a tight-fisted motor trade anorak. Beautiful car throughout and well worth looking at.
Things to avoid - all commonsense: rust, clunky gearboxes (dodgy synchros in second and third), cars with little or no history/bills/receipts, shredded tyres etc.
Places to look for rot; round window edges, by headlamps, particularly in leading edge of wings, filler flap, bonnet, front panel (lift bonnet and look under slam panel), A posts - open doors and look at hinge mounting points: sills (jacking points), b posts - look where door latches fitted and where sill curves up to meet door slam panel, rot here can mean kidney bowls and that is a big job.
There are lots of cars out there, the untidy ones outnumber the almost minters by minimum 7 to 3 in my experience. Personally I would set a spec to find first and then start looking. Detailed telephone conversations with sellers in advance, travel as far as you have to to find a good one as the best are worth travelling for, I went miles and miles for mine and it's absolutely ace.
PPI's; Peter as mentioned (he is not too far from you; Wiltshire) or just take it to the best person local to where the car is. For the older cars (including SC's) I recommend Tuthills up here, Bones uses Chris Turner (London), others might say Machtech etc etc, you have to find a car somewhere first though. If you see something you like up this way (Northants/Warks/Oxon borders), I will have a spin out and look at it for you if you like.
Good luck mate, JG
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