Warranty and paperwork
What you actually get in writing
Classic cars are sold as-is almost everywhere in the country. Here is what that means, what we do beyond it, and what to ask before you pay.
What you get
As-is or warranty
People mix these up, and it costs them
Factory warranty
Expired decades ago on every car we sell. A 1968 Camaro has no manufacturer left to call. Anyone implying otherwise is guessing.
Dealer warranty
What the dealer himself promises to fix, in writing, for a set time. If a dealer offers one, it must be written on the Buyers Guide — not said on the phone.
Service contract
A third-party product you buy separately. It is insurance rather than a warranty, and only as good as the company behind it.
The window sticker
The Buyers Guide overrules everything said out loud
Federal law requires a Buyers Guide in the window of every used car a dealer sells. It says either As-Is — No Dealer Warranty or it lists exactly what is covered and for how long. That sticker is the deal.
Ask for a photograph of it before you pay. We send it without being asked, along with the title and the history report.
If a promise is not on that sticker, it does not exist. That is true of us and of every other dealer in the country. Get it in writing or treat it as talk.
A few states change this. New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Minnesota and several others limit how far a dealer can disclaim implied warranties. Where you live matters, and we will tell you what applies rather than pretend it is uniform.
Before it ships
What we check, and what we hand you
A car does not get a price until it has been over the lift and driven. Whatever we find goes into the listing — the good, and the parts you would rather know about before wiring money.
That is not a warranty and we do not dress it up as one. It is the reason a buyer two thousand miles away can decide without guessing.
The same four checks below happen on every car we buy, whether it is the cheapest one on the lot or the most expensive. Nothing is skipped because a car looks clean in the photographs.
Ask us
Ask what is on the sticker, not the sales talk
Every promise that matters is written on the Buyers Guide in the window. We send you a photograph of it before you pay — along with the title and the history report.
Questions
What buyers ask before they pay
Do you offer a warranty on these cars?
Ask us on the specific car and we will tell you plainly what is on its Buyers Guide. We do not print a blanket promise on this page, because it would have to be true of all current cars, and the honest answer differs by car.
Can I have it inspected by my own mechanic?
Yes, and we encourage it. Tell us the shop, we deliver it there or hold the car while your inspector comes to us. Nobody who is confident in a car refuses this.
What if something breaks a week after it arrives?
Call us. On an as-is sale we are not legally required to fix it, and we will still tell you what we know about the car, what we did to it, and who we would use for the repair. Cars this age need an owner who expects to maintain them.
What is a service contract worth on a classic?
Less than people hope. Most exclude pre-1990 vehicles or the exact parts that fail on them. If you want one, read what it excludes before you read what it covers, and check that the provider is licensed in your state.
Is the title clean?
We tell you the title status on every car before you pay, and we send a photograph of the title itself. If a car has a branded title, it says so in the listing — that is not something you should learn at delivery.
On the show field
Get in touch
Ask about the car you are looking at
We will tell you what is on its window sticker and what we found on the lift.
- A photograph of the Buyers Guide before you pay
- The full history report on the VIN
- What we would want to know if we were buying it