Nothing turns heads like showing up in a classic car. The older cars definitely have their own style, and that style is appreciated by almost everyone. Because the lines were made more with style in mind than mere aerodynamics they have a classic beauty that newer cars just cannot touch. However, there are a number of features that ensure that people will gather for mutual support and appreciation.
Why Guilds Are Important
While classic cars are works of art, they do carry with them a number of issues. Because of this fans of those vehicles have pulled together in order to share resources when it comes to maintaining the vehicles; three great reasons that guilds work is that the members can share sources for parts, keep each other to maintenance schedules, and share mechanics. This alone is well worth the price of admission.
Finding The Right Parts
Classic cars are notorious for having hard to find parts. A good part of a collector’s time is spent just looking for car parts; for some, this is a full-time job. This can mean hours on bidding sites and exploring junkyards as well as purchasing cars just for the parts. The collector also needs a lot of space to maintain that collection of parts, but usually, the larger problem is just finding the parts in the first place.
Where To Get Them Fixed
Another issue is that mechanics for older cars are a dying breed. Newer mechanics are more interested in newer cars, and those newer cars are almost entirely different animals, especially with all of the electronics that are inside of them. There are also entirely different systems that just do not have analogues with older cars; while the cars are essentially the same animals there are enough substantial differences between the older and newer makes that mechanics of one may not be great with the other. As such, finding a mechanic is not as easy as it sounds.
Maintenance Help
Lastly, the vehicles take a lot of maintenance. This means that a collector will either spend a lot of time doing maintenance or money making sure it is maintained. Some guilds get together specifically to maintain their vehicles, and they can be major events or at least circumstances for some great barbecue. Between the maintenance checks and sharing information on parts and mechanics, guilds provide a number of advantages to their members looking for ways to keep their cherished vehicles going and looking great.
Appreciation, Help, and Information
People use any number of services to find guilds. Some even use services such as Automoda to find specific types of guilds, such as for Italian cars or 1950s vehicles. Obviously, this is in part to better find parts and mechanics, but there are some great options as well. At the very least, it means a mutual appreciation society where everyone can appreciate the vehicles everyone has collected. It also means a way to discuss the benefits and disadvantages of owning classic cars and how to get around those limitations. This also means that the collectors can create publications and websites devoted to collecting and dispersing all of this information as needed.
The Market
Guilds also act as a great place to find vehicles for sale as well as to sell those vehicles. While negotiating can get interesting as everyone knows the value of the cars in question, the guild does provide a way to find buyers and sellers within the network, ensuring that the vehicles are kept in circulation and among those most interested in keeping them running. In that regard Guilds help keep the tradition of fine automobiles alive; by providing ways for collectors to get together and enjoy their vehicles as well as keeping them on the road and in circulation, they keep the cars alive and ensure that they will be around for a long, long time.
