Given what has become a rather ambiguous and inconsistent timeframe used to measure what qualifies as a classic car, for clarity purposes we’re referring to those kinds of cars which define a particular time in the history of cars when there were hardly any restrictions with regards to things like emissions and even mandatory safety features such as seatbelts. So sure, while your 1997 Honda Ballade could technically be classified as a classic car, really what we’re talking about in reference to classics would be something like a 1966 Chevrolet Impala or perhaps even a Ford Mustang from around the same era.
That brings into focus the discussion we want to get going around the dynamics of owning such a classic car.
It’s going to be an expensive exercise
If you think the top dollar you had to pay to convince someone to part with something they attach sentimental value to is the height of what you’ll be spending on your classic baby, you’re in for quite the surprise. It’s very expensive maintaining a classic car, even in places like Las Vegas where there is a really big market around the classics, with the ready availability of spares and specialist mechanics who deal only in these types of vehicles.
It’s probably not suitable for everyday use
As a result of how expensive maintaining and operating a classic inevitably proves to be, this makes it less than ideal for daily use. They’re known to be heavy on the fuel amongst other expensive up-keep dynamics, so you’ll probably only drive it around once in a while or down to the classic car show grounds when such an event is in town. This however is precisely how the novelty associated with the classics just never seems to wear off. It’s always a kind of “new” experience of the old.
Your protection will likely be very limited
The protection we’re talking about, which is likely going to be limited, goes beyond the physical protection offered by your car as part of the safety standards we’ve seen worked into the manufacture of cars over the years. So it’s about more than just the fact that your classic probably doesn’t have backseat seatbelts, if it has any at all and if it’s in mint-condition, of course. The protection which will be limited to you also takes the form of something like the insurance you can (or likely can’t) get for your “old” car.
It will probably break down too many times and need a specialist mechanic to have it up and running again, something which insurance companies are clearly not willing to put up with as it sort of upsets their volume-dependent business model.
So you’ll have to make alternative plans as far as the protection of your car and yourself go, like making use of the services of a whiplash injury lawyer who takes on cases involving motorists who aren’t necessarily affiliated with any legal insurance companies. That’s only if it ever comes to that, of course.
