Been there, done that. I bought my TR6 at the Carlisle Import Car Show back
in May of '89 (my brother-in-law bought one that day, too!). It was EASY - the
PA DMV has a booth there, where, if the original owner has ALL the relevant pa-
perwork, they will issue you a temporary registration and temporary plates and
send you on your way. There are also representatives of banks and places like
Western Union from whom you can get gobs of money via an advance on your credit
card (usually for a rather hefty fee). Bring as much ca$h as you think you'll
need - few people will be willing to take a check.
A few hints - as has already been suggested, if you are not VERY knowledg-
able about the car you're looking to buy, BRING SOMEBODY WITH YOU WHO IS. If
I'd not had a mechanic along with me to check out the cars, I might have ended
up with a gorgeous yellow TR250 with a frame so rusty it might not have even
made it home. Also, be ready to haggle - my experience has been that the prices
go up at events like these, but most are willing to 'make a deal' (I got my TR6
for $1900 less than the asking price). One more thing - if you find what you
believe to be a real bargain, BUY IT (or at least put a down payment on it to
hold it). Bargains don't last long at Carlisle - if you wait and go back, it'll
probably be gone (my brother-in-law missed out on a maple brown TR6 in excel-
lent condition for under $5K because he thought he could talk the owner down
if he went back later - 20 minutes later, it had been sold).
Dennis
|