Want to own a race car driven by Dale Earnhardt Sr.? Maybe a Junior Dragster Pro is on your list of cars to own. You can find used race cars for sale on many different websites including eBay Motors and Used Race Car Sales. You can find others at on-site auctions, trade shows, and NASCAR racing teams. Some used race cars are in mint condition with minimal race hours while others need some work. If you're interested in purchasing a used race car, here are some great websites and tips to make sure you get a good buy.
Where to Find Used Race Cars for Sale
On the Internet
- eBay Motors - At eBay Motors you can search for the year, make and model of the race car you want. On the home page, click on the tab for "Other Vehicles" where you'll find lots of used race cars for sale. Choose from hundreds, like a Super Rod Chevy Vega, a Merlin Vintage MK or a Chevy Nova Drag Car. Almost every race car for sale on eBay Motors comes with their $50,000 free buyer protection plan. Keep in mind that the buyer protection plan does not cover items like right to rescind or buyer's remorse, normal wear and tear, or damage after purchase. What it does cover are issues such as undisclosed damage, reimbursement for vehicles not received once payment was made, and vehicles with a different make, model or year from what was described in the listing. Before you buy a used race car from an eBay seller, ask as many questions as you can and if you live close enough to where the car sits, go see it.
- AutoTrader Classics - A division of AutoTrader, the classic car page has a link to race cars in the middle of the page. Classic race cars available range from the Plymouth Barracuda to the Alfa Romeo Giulia to the Shelby Cobra. This website also offers owner information for each race car for sale. Because these are custom built classic race cars, expect to pay a hefty price for these.
- Racing Junk - Here you can find lower priced, ready-to-race cars. Choose from dragsters, funny cars, exhibition or modified race cars. Race car owners utilize Racing Junk's website to place advertisements. You can call or email the owner of the car to ask questions or request additional photographs.
On-Site Auctions
- Barrett-Jackson - This vehicle auction house travels the country and offers many race cars. Visit their website for auction dates in Scottsdale, Arizona, Palm Beach, Florida, and Las Vegas, Nevada. You can also pre-order a bidding catalog and find out what race cars will be in each show. They also have an online bidding option that coincides with the live auction.
- Mecum Performance Auctions - If street rods, hot rods or muscle cars are for you, Mecum also travels the US offering race cars for sale. Check out auction dates for St. Paul, Minnesota, St. Charles, Illinois, Des Moines, Iowa, or Monterey, California. The Mecum family works with race car owners to sell their vehicles. Many of these vehicles have a reserve price, or a price the seller will accept to part with the car. Often reserves are not met as race cars offered by Mecum are top of the line; however, you can find some great deals if you make a trek to one of their auctions.
- Alliance Motor Sports - Visit this website for trade shows, swap meets, and race car auctions. Find auction and trade show dates, locations, and websites along with their easy to use map finder. This one-stop website has it all when it comes to visiting on-site auctions where you can see, feel, and touch used race cars before you buy.
Buy from a Racing Team
You can also purchase cars from various racing teams such as Waltrip Racing, Hendrick MotorSports or Roush Racing. The best time to begin your search for a used race car is two to three months prior to the end of the racing season. If you're a racing fan, visit racing team websites and ask to speak to their public relations department. Try and meet in person with the owners and drivers of each car. Top race teams often sell their cars to supplement their income and, because of their notoriety, if there is a problem with the deal you can usually find the seller pretty easily. Finally, because racing teams buy the parts and bodies of their cars at discounted prices to begin with, you can often find good deals on used race cars for sale. You can get a complete list of racing teams on NASCAR.com.
