Before You Buy…

It’s that time of year when a collector’s mind drifts into daydreams of buying and driving a historic military vehicle. Whether the object of that fantasy is a jeep, deuce-and-a-half or maybe even a tank, there are few things to keep in mind when buying your first historic military vehicle.

TWO KINDS OF BUYERS

While there may be many subsets, there are essentially two approaches to buying an historic military vehicle: “Impulse” or “Methodical.” Neither is “correct.” Both have merits and both have pitfalls. I will guarantee, though, if you have read this far, you have already moved from the category of “impulse buyer” to that of “methodical” buyer.

To recap, however, an impulse buyer is the guy who wakes up not realizing that by the end of the day, he will be a historic military vehicle owner. The impetus of the impulse might be as simple as driving by a vehicle with a “For Sale” in the window or just browsing eBay during lunch.

Regardless, the impulse buyer doesn’t put a lot of thought up front in the decision making process. He tends to believe, “It will all turn out okay.” The impulse buyer is a good guy to know, because sooner or later, his impulses will drive him to a new interest. That historic military vehicle that he just had to have will become so much clutter to him. You may be able to buy it for a song, just to get it out of the way for the next product of his impulse response.

If you have read this far, you can already call yourself a “methodical” buyer, because you have slowed down your searching for a vehicle to see if there is something more you should consider. But just calling yourself a methodical buyer, doesn’t mean you are automatically a “smart” buyer. To earn that precarious title, there are a few basic things you should do before you hand over the check.

MVM’s 20 PRE-PURCHASES POINTS TO CONSIDER

Military Vehicles Magazine has worked out a list of things an informed buyer should consider when examining a vehicle. Our technical editor, Steve Turchet, is to be credited for establishing this historic military vehicle (HMV) checklist, something that has become a hobby standard.

1 TIME OF DAY: Never inspect a vehicle at night, even in a lighted garage. Darkness has a way of making things appear better than they really are. (Remember Ben Franklin’s famous quote, “All cats are gray in the dark?” He wasn’t talking about military vehicles, but the same principal applies!) Daylight is always best.

Ask if the seller has a clear title or all of the documents necessary to legally transfer and register/ license the vehicle, and ask to see them. Check that the vehicle’s I.D. number on its data plate matches the number on the paperwork. Nothing will cause you more grief as a