How do you find an HONEST, & REPUTABLE classic car dealer these days ?

[model maker]

When it comes time to purchase your dream car,  OTHER than paying a good, honest vehicle inspector HOW do you find a true, reputable dealer/business that doesn't exist just to rip people off ? with all the halpag/BK crap going on and scammers constantly changing names only to be "caught again" & again, changing their names. What true & honest places are really out there, someone who you can trust when they say they are selling cars that have been "FULLY RESTORED" ? I know a lot of guys have been scammed for tens of thousands of dollars by believing what they have read or been told. When it comes to the term "FULLY RESTORED" Whose definition of "FULLY RESTORED" means " FULLY RESTORED" ?  A seller may THINK what he did counts as fully restored and so advertises as such. When i see cars for sale that claim to be fully restored I look at the pictures to see if there are any issues with panel/bumper alignment. I often see bumpers that sit to high or low to one side and i always look at panel gaps and sloppy work. I just don't understand how someone selling a car as "complete rotissorie restoration" then see misaligned bumpers, uneven panel gaps etc. on the 69 Chargers I look at the fit of the grille and the front & rear valances for uneven gaps. Are there ANY classic car dealers out there that people here have found to be REAL, and who do exceptional restorations and who sell what they claim it to be ? When I see pages of orange general lees out there on places like "AUTABUY.COM, type in 1969 Dodge Charger then see a lot of orange chargers ALL claiming full restoration, all selling for $39,999.00 or $29,999.00 it makes you wonder how many of these skimmed over rust buckets exist. I don't mind paying a premium for a classic car BUT expect it to be what it is represented to be.I guess the regular  repeat crooks & scammers who profit by this somehow manage to stay out of jail or  worse yet,a grave by shear luck or they have connections that get them restarted under a new name. when you are dealing with tens of thousands of dollars and in most cases, someones life savings or close TO that, it is a wonder how these crooks are able to stay around.  WHO CAN YOU TRUST when buying a dream car ?
 

[4 speed fish]

A restored car means every part on the car has been replaced or restored to new condition.It does not mean a paint job and painting the seat with a spray can.A lot of people use the word restored very loosely.For a car to be fully restored will cost thousands in parts.If a shop did the restoration it would cost at least 50k and probably a lot more to do it.A car dealer will tell you what the owner told him.If you want it done right do it yourself or have a high dollar restoration do it.To be done right it will cost tens of thousand of dollars.

[dutch]

"honest" and "car dealer"  in one sentence.... 
if you don`t know your stuff, you have a big chance you`ll get burned. 

[72rtchallenger]

Thats going to be hard to find , I have been working on these cars for 35yrs and restored a few and its a pain staking process to fully restore and expensive especially if its original parts that are used and even the aftermarket is high ,, but these days there are more scammers and people wanting to rob you blind , if you want it fully restored you best trust would be yourself  .
 I am sure there are a few dependable and reputable places but will be hard to find, I am sure there are a few on here that can recommend some places , but in the long run it will be your own knowledge and research that pays off when your looking at a classic car
 

[Fern]

It's hard to find a good classic car from a dealer.  They are in it to make money and most restorations will cost more than  the car is worth.  That's why most dealers just patch and paint.  Not to say there are no good dealers, some are good. Better to buy from an owner, you will have better luck.

[torredcuda]

Dealers buy and sell cars and fluff their ads to get buyers in and make money-it`ds just the business.Sure there are some good honest dealers out there but it doesn`t matter if it`s a classic or just a used car it`s up to the buyer to do check it out.

[model maker]

Thanks guys,i will be looking to buy an honest restored car and i think buying from an owner here is going to be the way to go. I see guys posting their cars from start to finish here and it is something you can actually see that was done. I know nothing about restoring a car plus lost the use of my arm & hand so i will be looking for a great quality car that i can own and keep and drive it. The last thing i would want is a car that falls apart with the first bump or pothole with body filler dropping off. I see where people claim to 'fully restore" a car & in their minds they did. The wiring is a fire waiting to happen on some of the cars i have seen posted for sale. I looked at a 69 charger R/T 2 years ago at a consignment place and fully restored was what you could see. I looked up under the dash and yep, RUST along the entire metal section with reusted wiring connections. I took a lot of pictures of it sticking the camera up into places it would fit and let the flash light up everything. the underside of the floors/rails etc. were undercoated black so no telling what was hidden under that. I saw the car going down the road to a show and the guy had to turn around & take it back with me following it as the  backup lights  were on constant and it was smelling of gas from the tailpipe. it was a 440 and advertised as a " TRI-POWER" the owner of the dealership knew the owner and could tell you only what he was told. a guy on who lived over on the east coast here asked me about it and was going to buy it the car was in nevada where i am. i sent him pictures and told him what i told you here but he put a deposit on it anyway. he was going to fly out here but the place said the next day they had sold it to someone in sweden. almost 50 grand for it. the body panels all lined up and looked straight however, the RUST under the entire metal dash convinced me that  the car was not what it was advertised to be. if someone is going to fully restore a car then FULLY RESTORE IT. leave no rust just because you cannot easily see it, it is still rusty. When i get ready for my car i will be back here for some help from you guys who KNOW a lot more than i do.
Model maker

[BIGSHCLUNK]

I just lower my standards ... then I'm never disappointed... 


seriously tho the term "restored" is soooo loose. And even when they are, down in the deep recess of some double walled channel  there's rust there some where. I've cut apart cars 4- 5 years old and found it. grante it wont show for years to come... but its still there...