You ask some questions about finding and buying a car long distance:
> But there are some problems. First, how do I find the car? I have no
Hemmings is a good place to start. I would also look at newsletters of
clubs in the areas of the country you are interested in looking, possibly
newspapers as well.
> problem taking a day trip (a couple hundred miles) to see a car, but I
> don't want to have to take a week's vacation to travel to see a car I
> may not want anyways. I've talked to sellers who have told me "no
> rust", only to find that the floor is gone and I could put a
> screwdriver through the frame.
This list is a great source of unbiased observers that can give you an
advance opinion on a car, probably anywhere in the nation. Having a
third party look it over first might tell you whether it's worth that
weekend trip.
> Importantly, (and here's where I would really appreciate some advice),
> how do I get the car back home? I assume that many of the cars I'd
Again, Hemmings is a good place to start. I found a guy in Hemmings (Greg
Criswell) who hauled my car from Georgia to Nebraska for $550. The car
would roll but not run so he was able to winch it on. I gave him time to
work delivery of the car into his schedule so he was able to work with me
on the price. If you want it Right Now, it will be more. As it was, I
only had to wait 2 weeks or so. He picked it up at the impound lot and
stored it inside until he made the trip west. Delivery was to my door.
If you are lucky, you might find someone on this list making a trip and
willing to pick up the car for you.
Good luck with the search, and hope this helps.
Mike
mburdick@unmc.edu
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