I'm new to the classic car game and have found a 69 Cutlass I want to purchase. Can anyone recommend an pre purchase inspection service they've had luck with as the vehicle is not local

 

Where is the vehicle located and what is it?

 

It's located in Phoenix AZ, 1969 Cutlass S

 

I've never heard of any companies that specialize in inspecting older cars before someone buys them as a collector car. In most places, people who do this are referred to as "mechanics."

I would just take it to a trusted mechanic and have him look it over like you might do for any used car you might be thinking of buying. He can certainly go over the mechanicals, do compression test on the engine, etc. and give you a report on that as well as the brakes, suspension, drivetrain, etc. As far as the body, trim, and interior, ask the mechanic to check these as well, including the things that are easier to see when the car is up on a lift. Ask him to take and send you lots of photos, especially of any problem areas.

Since the car is not local, you could post a message on this site asking if anyone in the Phoenix area could recommend a good mechanic. There are a number of people who frequent this site who live in that area.

If you can't locate someone this way, you could check out the cartalk website or Angie's list to see what people have to say about mechanics in that area and arrange with one of them to take a look at the car.

 

First , welcome NtmyfthrsOlds , there are many ardent members in the Phoenix area . The first individual I would recommend Tony Serritella .
Owns a shop called Tony's Rocket Garage . I have met him twice , and had him evaluate my set of wire wheel covers for best restoration process.
I have seen his shop , and he would be exactly the person I would bring an Oldsmobile of any type to for evaluation . Tony formerly worked for
Oldsmobile as a factory service rep , and he is the real deal . The first time I met Tony he was ay the Pavillion's for the monthly AZ Old's Clubs meeting and I observed him interacting with many of the members .
Quality shop , and quality person . He advertises as " Muscle & Collector Car Service - Restoration - Performance Tuning " PH # 602-743-5217 .

Second , P.M. me if you would like me to give you simply an opinion .
I would be happy to do a quick drive by , and do a quick check list for you . Good luck with your investigation . I'm happy to help any way I can.
Thanks , Jim Tuma .

 

There are plenty of inspection services for the vintage car market, many are listed in Hemmings, try to find one listed in your area. I would certainly consider Jimi2much's offer, as having someone familiar with Olds is a big help, as is a recommended shop.

 

My two experiences were not good. About 10 years ago I bought a 40 Ford out of Minnisota and used an inspection service. Everything checked out good and it got here i had to redo 1/2 the car. it was a mess.

Last year when buying our 69 Camaro I was getting a loan so the bank had to send a apraiser / inspector before they would cut a check. Everything came back great and car appraised for 32K.
I drove you Memphis to pick it up and it was covered up piece of crap. Beautiful paint, interior, suspension and sounded killer but the paint was hiding all kinds of stuff that I know what to look for. I just got back in my truck and drove back home.

You need much more than a mechanic to look at an old car for you. Mechanicals is the easy part on these cars. You need someone who is an expert at spotting shotty paint , body, rust , bondo and cover up. There is a lot more bad cars than good out there.

 

I've used a company called American Appraisal Group 6 times in the past for cars I was interested in. All cars were out of state. There were 2 cars that I ended up buying, 4 cars that I didn't because I didn't like what I saw in the report. With AAG you get a detailed report with approx. 60 pictures of the car, 14 page report and you get to speak to one of the appraisal experts. If you do use them expect to pay approx. $300-$400.

 

Thats who the classic car finance bank sent out to look at the 69 Camaro last year. On paper the car looked perfect. in pictures the car looks perfect. In person walking around the car it looked perfect. Crawling all under the car, looking inside doors , under the back glass, inside the 1/4s and inside the fenders with a high power pen flash light not so perfect.

 

I had two cars I was interested in checked before I bought. The first inspection was a professional service. Cost me $300, but the guy was super thorough with a 6 page report and pictures. He even did a gas test and found combustion gas in the coolant. Expensive but saved me 10k on a car that needed more work than advertised.

The car I bought was inspected by a repair shop local to the car. Not nearly as professional, I had to give them a list of things I wanted checked and photographed, but it worked out. They charged me $75.

I found the shops on the web doing google searches in only a few minutes. So in my two experiences, it was well worth it.

Tim

 

I used this outfit and was very pleased.

http://www.automobileinspections.com/Index.asp

 

Hey Jim !

Thanks for the info, I'm reaching out to Tony to see if we can set something up. As it turns out the seller is traveling and won't be available until early December. I can find reasonable flights so will most likely fly to AZ and together with Tony will inspect the car. Appreciate your help !

 

I like looking at all cars I purchase myself. I also agree with taking someone with you that has the knowledge to help you make an educated decision.