We all have our own personal "dream cars" when we are younger. Many kids dream of owning that valuable car show quality classic car when they get older, and many of them are able to make that dream come true. If you're reading this article, changes are you are searching for a project car right now, and that means there are a couple things you should be aware of before you drop the cash on something that will just never become what you want it to.

How much Time Do You Have for a Project Car?

One of the first things you need to think about when purchasing a project car on ebay is time. It's a busy world out there, and many of use are pretty short on time. If you are serious about purchasing a project or salvage vehicle, make sure that your life will allow you enough time to give your car the time it really deserves. If you are short on free time, that doesn't necessarily mean you should give up on the idea, it just means you should either plan for a very long restoration process, or think about buying a car which needs less work (maybe one that is already mechanically sound, and just needs some body work!).

You are going the hardcore project car route, where you plan on replacing the engine, body panels, or other major components, then be warned that you are signing up for a very long process. Depending on how dedicated you are, and how quickly you want to complete the project, you may find yourself working on the car in every free moment you have. This isn't necessarily a bad thing because working on, and more importantly completing a project car can be a very enjoyable and rewarding experience. The point is to make sure your project doesn't get lost in your busy schedule, plan for it!

How much money can you spend on a Project Car?

Project cars are expensive, there is no getting around it. Sure you could pick up a nice shell for $50 or $100, but that doesn't mean the project as a whole is going to be cheap. There are inevitably going to be unforeseen problems and issues that will eat up a budget pretty quickly. Even little things like hoses and gaskets can add up over time.

There is a huge variance in the prices of project cars. They can run from literally free, to hundreds of thousands of dollars! Many classic project cars can get up to the $50,000 range depending on how rare the car is, or what the current condition of the car is. One thing that you can be sure about is that no matter what condition you buy our car in, if you are planning a full restoration, you can plan on spending pretty close to the amount of a fully restored car.

Make sure you set a budget for your project before you start. This can be sometimes easier said than done because as stated previously there are often unforeseen circumstances which present themselves. When you set your budget, a good rule of thumb is to set it fairly conservatively (that is, a bit more than you really expect to spend), and then plan for 10% above that to account for anything that might go wrong during the project. This is especially important with very old vehicles because often times the parts are rare and expensive to replace.

Taking the First Steps to Buying a Project Car

Once you have committed to the idea of starting a project car, its time for the fun part, searching for the right one! There are a few places you can start searching for a project car, but one of the most efficient ways to do so is to use the Internet. The Internet can expose you to an inventory of vehicles from across the country (or even the world!). Ebay Motors ultimately takes the award for largest selection. At any given time, there are literally thousands and thousands of junk, project, and otherwise restorabe cars on ebay, for extremely reasonable prices. If you can't find a project car on ebay, then you are probably in for a long, tedious road ahead.

Perform a Thorough Inspection on the Project Car

This is a very important part of the project car buying process. Once you find a car that you think would make a good candidate for your needs, its time to have the car inspected. Unfortunately there are people both online and off who will try to sell you a car that isn't what it appears to be. They might paint the outside to look decent, but underneath the car is a rotted, useless chassis. Its best to make the inspection yourself, and you should look for things like unacceptable amounts of body rot, poor engines (unless you plan to replace it!), worn suspension parts, interior condition and more. If you are looking to buy a rare project car, it would also be a good idea to verify that all of the parts are original and authentic, as this can really reduce the project cars value!

Of course, when buying a car on the internet, it is not always possible to inspect the car in person, but this does not mean you shouldn't think about buying the car! There are many mechanics who will perform inspections for you and provide a full report. You can simply find a mechanics shop in the vicinity of the cars location, and ask if they would be willing to do a thorough inspection of the car for a small price (which will be well worth it).

Project Cars For Sale was created to help you browse ebay for your new project car. Ebay does not have a seperate category for "project" or "salvage" cars, so they are all intermixed with new and used cars that are probably not of interest to you. The cars listed here on Project Cars For Sale are often hand selected for you! Our goal is to cut down on the amount of time you spend searching for a car, and increase the time you spend actually doing the restoration!