That’s some of the obvious stuff out the way, here’s the not so obvious stuff we know, from experience, you should check for rust, wear and tear:Front axle tubes behind rubber mountings, bump-stop arms and shock-absorber supports.

• Floor-pan edges, around bolts and their load-spreading plates
• Inner sills and floorpan; lift carpets – clean and dry, or damp and rusty?
• Body flange where it mounts on floorpan edges
• Rear lower seat-belt mounting area
• Rear suspension cross-tube, side mounts and particularly upper body mounts
• Rear bumper mounts, and wheel arches

Other more visible problems could be the bumper mounts, any where on the front wings including the inner wings, spare wheel and the bottoms of all the removable panels. Never assume you’ve found all the rust, even after a good look. This means that if you can’t weld or money’s tight you might want to walk away.

Surprising, a bad paint job is probably good – it won’t hide faults as well as a pristeen paint job. Look for signs of a recent respray around the bonnet/hood and boot/trunk openings where they meet the outside paint. You might also consider peeling back window rubbes to check for signs of a respray.

Interiors don’t really affect the drive but they are expensive to replace. Cosmetics do matter when you’re buyin a classic car!

The mechanicals are also important – you don’t want a duff engine! Check for blue smoke, crunching gears, steering that pulss to one side and dead or flat brakes. We’d suggest always check when the engine is warm!

If you are paying top dollar for a car, you want to make sure it is a good one. If you’re not a mechanical whizzkid, consider paying a reputable organisation like the RAC in the UK who will give you a professional opinion. You may be £75 pounds out of pocket if the vehicle is a dud, but that’s better than losing thousands on a car that’s only fit for the junk yard!