Scuba Diving

If you go to a car show, expect to be impressed. After all, that is the whole point of putting on the show in the first place. Having said that, you will also see fantastic, if not the best, examples of four-wheeled vehicles. However, the issue is: should you purchase a car at a car show?

Well, that is not a simple question to answer, because it depends on you and the conditions. It is never a wise idea to purchase on a whim, but if you see something that you have really been looking for for some time, then you may have to purchase it there and then or wait a long time to get another opportunity.

What do they say? Never go shopping whilst you are hungry? The same maxim could be applied to this case and the outlay will definitely be hundreds if not thousands of times more than a cart full of shopping.

Basically, the criterion is: do you really know what the car is worth? The owner of the car will know what the car is worth and he or she will also know that you are seeing the car in the best light. The owner will also have paid to enter the show, the cost of which will also be added to the price of the car.

Therefore, if you are buying something special like a custom car, then you will almost certainly be paying a premium at a car show, but if you are purchasing a stock car, you may be more likely to get a discount. So in general, a car show is likely to be more expensive, the more specialized the car.

This means that you have to have more knowledge, the more specialized the car is that you want to buy. Anyone with enough money can purchase a Ford Prius straight off the production line, you just have to look in the Ford catalogue and look up the list price, but who knows the price or value of a personalized, hand-made 1968 Morgan 2-Plus-2?

There will be other concerns at a car show as well. The owner of the car may be actually busy talking to people about the car. Enthusiasts will have lots of questions about the car's engine capacity, coachwork and age et cetera, so you might find it hard to get any attention. The other thing is that you will not be able to take the car for a test drive whilst it is at the exhibition.

You might find that the owner does not actually take you seriously. This is probably because he or she meet dozens of 'tyre kickers' each month. Everybody wants to know the answers to questions such as: how long did it take to do that? How much did it cost to do that? How much is the car worth? Is the car for sale?

You will absolutely not be the first to ask these questions. The owner has heard it all before. If you are serious, ask for some contact details, take some photos and promise to get in touch after the show. Use the time you have left to do some research and find out whether you have a good deal on your hands or whether you just had a narrow escape.