I've been asked to put a few words down to help those who are looking to buy a new car (particularly a performance car/ limited production car).
A little background about me. My name is Andrew Montgomery, I'm a car salesman at Keith White Ford Lincoln in McComb, MS. I am also very much a performance car enthusiast and a FiST owner. I created this account to provide a source of information for those with questions about the ordering process as well as to promote my business by building good-will in the community here.
This is a basic primer on buying a new performance/limited production car. I'll open up to questions and keep this rolling along as people inquire about further details.
What do you need to know when you walk in to buy a rare car?
First off is which dealership you will pick. Lets face it, there are a bunch of Ford Dealerships around the country, likely at least three or four within an hour of you regardless of where you are in the country. So whats important when picking a dealer? Pick a dealer/salesman who is passionate and knowledgeable about the car you are buying. Not only will you enjoy the experience more when you can talk about the car/industry during the process, but you will also have a good source of info and someone to fall back on when you have questions. Pick a dealership with a good service department, and, if you plan on buying a car to customize, one that is friendly to the motorsports industry. Some service departments are more strict than others with vehicle modifications, and if you pick one that is not very strict, they will likely be much more willing to help you out if you have a tuning issue in a grey area if you buy the car from that dealer. Establishing relationships with the departments is the name of the game. Most importantly, pick a dealer/salesman who you will be comfortable dealing with. If the whole deal feels slimy, move on to another dealer. You have choices.
What about the car itself? You need to know what you want when you go in. What happens next is determined by one thing, is the car you want available at that dealership or will you have to order it? With rare cars they typically are either immediately bought or they languish on the lot. Dealers want to move these cars quickly, you can get good deals in these cases. So if your local lot has the same Fiesta ST or GT500 on the lot for many months, you will probably be able to get a better deal on it than if it is fresh off the truck. The trouble is, limited production cars that are more desirable won't be on the lot long, and are typically special order.
Ordering the car: If you didn't luck out and find the car you wanted on a local lot you have two options. The quickest is for that dealer to search nearby lots and find the car you want if it is available. Remember what I said about establishing relationships with one dealer salesman? Pick the dealer/salesman that you really mesh with. They can get a vehicle from other dealers so you deal with the guy you are most comfortable with. If there is a case where the car is so rare that other dealers don't have the one you are looking for it may be time to order one. Good news!!! You get it EXACTLY how you want it. Want Recaros on an Oxford White FiST without a Sunroof? Order it exactly how you want. Any dealer can order a vehicle for you exactly to your specifications. If they tell you otherwise, go to someone who values your business at another dealership.
Ordering a special vehicle is a risk for the dealer. If it is a limited production vehicle that is in high demand, it's not that big of a deal, the dealer can move it quickly if the buyer backs out. If it's not, the dealer may want a guarantee that you will pick it up, otherwise, it will end up sitting on the dealer's lot for many months and that's not a good thing.
What do you need to do to order one? First, know exactly what you want when you go. Once the dealer places the order that car will be made to order, after the order is placed it is too late to change your mind. Next, be prepared to submit to a credit check. This is part of that guarantee that you will buy it when it comes in, if you aren't able to buy for credit reasons, the dealer needs to know. In most cases money down or a cosigner can tip the balance from not being able to get financing to getting an approval, but that information is nice to have ahead of time. Lastly, be prepared to put down some earnest money for the order, especially in cases of rare cars that are not in high demand, how much depends on a few factors, but have the money available before you go in.
Paying for the car: If you plan on financing know this ahead of time. Be prepared to give personal information, and be able to prove what you say (particularly with regards to residency and income). Getting financed is a very easy process, but it is still by its very nature, a company lending you $20000+ for a vehicle. If you plan on paying cash, this really isn't important. However, sometimes financing at a low rate with rebates then paying off in a few months will save you some money. Money that can be put into something like an AccessPort or Exhaust.
I'm planning on typing more of these tips as I think of them, but in the meantime, if you have particular questions regarding anything on this matter, please ask it here and I'll answer it here. This helps build a good base of knowledge for the community to reference.
Thanks for the support guys!
A little background about me. My name is Andrew Montgomery, I'm a car salesman at Keith White Ford Lincoln in McComb, MS. I am also very much a performance car enthusiast and a FiST owner. I created this account to provide a source of information for those with questions about the ordering process as well as to promote my business by building good-will in the community here.
This is a basic primer on buying a new performance/limited production car. I'll open up to questions and keep this rolling along as people inquire about further details.
What do you need to know when you walk in to buy a rare car?
First off is which dealership you will pick. Lets face it, there are a bunch of Ford Dealerships around the country, likely at least three or four within an hour of you regardless of where you are in the country. So whats important when picking a dealer? Pick a dealer/salesman who is passionate and knowledgeable about the car you are buying. Not only will you enjoy the experience more when you can talk about the car/industry during the process, but you will also have a good source of info and someone to fall back on when you have questions. Pick a dealership with a good service department, and, if you plan on buying a car to customize, one that is friendly to the motorsports industry. Some service departments are more strict than others with vehicle modifications, and if you pick one that is not very strict, they will likely be much more willing to help you out if you have a tuning issue in a grey area if you buy the car from that dealer. Establishing relationships with the departments is the name of the game. Most importantly, pick a dealer/salesman who you will be comfortable dealing with. If the whole deal feels slimy, move on to another dealer. You have choices.
What about the car itself? You need to know what you want when you go in. What happens next is determined by one thing, is the car you want available at that dealership or will you have to order it? With rare cars they typically are either immediately bought or they languish on the lot. Dealers want to move these cars quickly, you can get good deals in these cases. So if your local lot has the same Fiesta ST or GT500 on the lot for many months, you will probably be able to get a better deal on it than if it is fresh off the truck. The trouble is, limited production cars that are more desirable won't be on the lot long, and are typically special order.
Ordering the car: If you didn't luck out and find the car you wanted on a local lot you have two options. The quickest is for that dealer to search nearby lots and find the car you want if it is available. Remember what I said about establishing relationships with one dealer salesman? Pick the dealer/salesman that you really mesh with. They can get a vehicle from other dealers so you deal with the guy you are most comfortable with. If there is a case where the car is so rare that other dealers don't have the one you are looking for it may be time to order one. Good news!!! You get it EXACTLY how you want it. Want Recaros on an Oxford White FiST without a Sunroof? Order it exactly how you want. Any dealer can order a vehicle for you exactly to your specifications. If they tell you otherwise, go to someone who values your business at another dealership.
Ordering a special vehicle is a risk for the dealer. If it is a limited production vehicle that is in high demand, it's not that big of a deal, the dealer can move it quickly if the buyer backs out. If it's not, the dealer may want a guarantee that you will pick it up, otherwise, it will end up sitting on the dealer's lot for many months and that's not a good thing.
What do you need to do to order one? First, know exactly what you want when you go. Once the dealer places the order that car will be made to order, after the order is placed it is too late to change your mind. Next, be prepared to submit to a credit check. This is part of that guarantee that you will buy it when it comes in, if you aren't able to buy for credit reasons, the dealer needs to know. In most cases money down or a cosigner can tip the balance from not being able to get financing to getting an approval, but that information is nice to have ahead of time. Lastly, be prepared to put down some earnest money for the order, especially in cases of rare cars that are not in high demand, how much depends on a few factors, but have the money available before you go in.
Paying for the car: If you plan on financing know this ahead of time. Be prepared to give personal information, and be able to prove what you say (particularly with regards to residency and income). Getting financed is a very easy process, but it is still by its very nature, a company lending you $20000+ for a vehicle. If you plan on paying cash, this really isn't important. However, sometimes financing at a low rate with rebates then paying off in a few months will save you some money. Money that can be put into something like an AccessPort or Exhaust.
I'm planning on typing more of these tips as I think of them, but in the meantime, if you have particular questions regarding anything on this matter, please ask it here and I'll answer it here. This helps build a good base of knowledge for the community to reference.
Thanks for the support guys!
