Why trust Dan to find your car?

Many American cars are coming into New Zealand; some OK and some not-so-OK. You may have heard the stories of cars being inspected upon arrival to NZ and the buyers discover huge holes in the floors and chassis and worse.  They were misled and taken advantage of.  Once the car is in New Zealand, there is no going back. Unfortunately, this goes on a lot. “The thousand dollar paint job is covering up ten thousand dollars needed in rust repairs. It is absolutely soul-destroying for the buyer.”

I look for solid foundation cars:

• Chasis rails
• Welding modifications, new front clip, etc.
• Floors
• Sils
• Wheel wells
• Trunk pan

I ask the right questions:

• When was it painted?
• How has it been stored?
• How many owners?
• Modifications?
• Numbers matching? (engine/body)
• Original running gear?
• Receipts?

I check suspect bodywork with a magnet. I remove backseat to check for rust, I lift carpets to inspect for dampness on floors, I physically climb under the car and inspect the floors and chassis.

I inspect engine and running gear:

• After a visual inspection, I check for slop in wheel bearings, slop in steering rack.
• I check oil levels and I look for oil on the ground: is it transmission oil, engine oil or other?  Is it milky oil?
• I listen to the engine running and listen for noisy valves or nocks.
• Are there holes in the exhaust and manifold?
• Water leaks?

I test drive all running vehicles: 

• Check: Lights inside and out, indicators, horn.
• Does it go into gear easily?
• Do all the gears work?
• Any transmission slip?
• Smooth shift?
• Kickdown working?
• Vibrations in driveline?
• Wheel bearing droning?
• Power steering working?
• Brakes working?
• Pulling left or right?

When it comes to buying these classics and getting a good deal these factors come into play:

• What time of year it is?
• Where is the car located? Do they use salt on the roads?
• What is the demand in that area?
• How long the car has been listed? Am I dealing with a motivated seller?

Why Colorado?

• Centrally located
• Easy to access neighbouring states that are known to have classics (Utah, Wyoming, Idaho, Kansas, Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma)
• Dry air climate means better bodies and chassis (less rust)
• Unlike California, Colorado is not monopolized by overseas buyers
• More barn finds
• Less demand, cheaper prices

 ”I am not thrown off by a shiny new paint jobs. I look past this and see whats underneath.”

Now that you have a better understanding of DansFinds search and inspection processes, visit our “Get Started” page.