How to Really Know the Value of Your Classic Car

If you really want to know the real value of classic cars, the best persons you can ask are car thieves. It is a sad but true fact that these thieves know which ones can line their pockets with more cash. But instead of endangering yourself by going to the black market of stolen vehicles just to know how much they're worth, just research on what cars are stolen most often.

In a weird way, the vehicles that are stolen most often are the most in demand cars out there. After all, these car thieves won't be risking their necks stealing them if they have no chance on earth of selling them afterwards. But what cars are the most targeted by thieves? And where can you get information regarding these? Insurance companies for one are a good source of info regarding stolen cars; it's their job to know which one is more at risk of being stolen. And according to them these are the top ten most stolen classic cars in America:

1. 1966 to 1982 Chevrolet Corvette
2. 1964 to 1969 Ford Mustang
3. 1958 to 1967 Impala
4. 1968 to 1969 Camaro
5. 1963 to 1972 Nova
6. 1966 to 1973 Chevelle
7. 1970 to 1978 Monte Carlo
8. 1955 to 1965 Cadillac DeVille
9. 1950 to 1971 Chevy Pickups
10. 1975 to 1979 Mercedes Benz SL450

Some people may argue that most of the cars on this list are too new to be considered as classic cars, but it depends on what constitutes a true "classic" car. Normally classic cars are more than 25 years old, but you can also call a car a classic if it has an impact on pop culture.

If you have a car that is on the list, you can either be proud that your car is valuable enough to be stolen, or be scared to death because your car is worth stealing. Whatever the case may be, you should start considering what security measures you should take to avoid your car from being stolen. In these days normal car alarms are easily bypassed by really skilled car thieves, so having more than just that is really recommended.

Finding Parts For Your Classic Car Now Easier Than Ever

The collection and restoration of classic cars has been a hobby that more and more people have shown an interest in over the years. However, even though these hobbyists enjoy the restoration process, one of the most frustrating parts about restoring a classic car is the difficulty involved in finding parts.

By definition, classic cars are rare. And, by extension, this means that classic car parts are rare as well. As a result, to find an essential part for your car often involves a combination of detective work, perseverance, and luck.

When searching for a classic car part, one of the first sources that a hobbyist might first try to find is a specialty parts store. If you live in or near a large municipal area, you will usually have no trouble finding such a store. Most of the times, however, if the car is out of production, they won't have your part. But, they are still an excellent first place to contact. Because, while they may not have your automobile part, they can usually point you to a place in your area that may have exactly what you are looking for.

A second place to search for used car parts might be one of the many auto parts shops that now have internet sites. Prior to the flourishing of Internet, every town or city had one or more automobile junk yards where people either dumped their cars or sold their car parts to. The good thing is that many of these places now have posted much of their inventory on Internet sites where you can search for parts. The bad thing is that there are so many of these sites, and most of them are local, that you could still spend a huge amount of time searching though the various sites in an attempt to locate the part you need.

Fortunately, however, the Internet has also resulted in a growth boom among classic car clubs. Many of these car clubs specialize in certain makes and models making it easier to find the perfect one for yourself. In addition, the many social networking sites that have sprung up, has resulted in hobbyist finding it much easier to interconnect with one another and provide resources to one another. And, although it can still be a challenge to find rare car parts, these new forms of communication have resulted in making the entire process of finding rare car parts easier than it has ever been before.

Finding Classic Car Parts For Your Vintage Ford Mustang

If you are the proud owner of a vintage Ford Mustang, you might think that finding classic car parts is more difficult than it really is. While it is true that it can be difficult to locate the authentic or the original components for the earliest models of 1960's Ford Mustangs, you have to keep in mind that it is one of the few "muscle cars" that have been in production for five decades. For this reason, finding classic car parts for your vintage Ford Mustang might be easier than locating parts for other original classics.

Of course, the Internet makes finding classic car parts much easier because there are websites for parts suppliers that offer the original and aftermarket parts, products and enhancement kits for the interior and exterior of your "pony car." If you really want to save time and money, this is probably the easiest way to do it. While there might have been changes made to this original street-racing sports car over the years, it is still possible to take advantage of resources that make finding classic car parts an easier task, unlike some other models of collector autos that were taken out of production, many years ago.

This doesn't necessarily mean that you can run down to the local auto supply store and find what you are looking for because there is an exclusivity to finding classic car parts, when it comes to some of these older models of America's popular "muscle car". What many of the vintage Ford enthusiasts are doing is upgrading their vintage vehicle with turbochargers and superchargers, besides making modifications to turn it into a more radical street-rod.

There are some expert restoration specialists that can give you pointers on the types of performance upgrades you might want to consider and there are all kinds of aftermarket seats, trim packages, wheels, tires and more. Depending on the types of enhancements you wish to make, you can find interior and exterior kits to transform your vehicle into a unique, limited edition and customized Mustang, with better performance and power.

It does not really matter whether you invested into a vintage specimen for a restoration project, an investment-quality collector item or you just want to start racing other classic "muscle cars" at local events, finding classic car parts might be necessary, at some point. Depending on the purpose for your investment, there might be different kinds of components you will find yourself searching for. If you are able to find a resource that offers information about everything you need to know, it could make finding classic car parts much easier, regardless of whether you need original replacement parts or performance enhancement parts.