HARMONY — Owning a classic car can be a lot of fun.

Keeping it original and taking it to car cruises or modifying it to go faster and handle better than it did when it was new can be rewarding.

Selecting the right vehicle for its intended purpose and maintaining it are the keys to having an enjoyable relationship with a classic.

“Get a game plan of what you want out of a car,” said Nick Stein, a paint and body specialist at Hahn Auto Restoration in Harmony. “What are my goals for the car?”

A car that comes with a service history and documentation of sale and ownership is preferred if the goal is to buy a car in original condition.

“The more history you can get, the better. Anything you can document adds value to the car,” Stein said.

Looking for rust, evidence of accident repairs and overall condition are also important.

“It's worth it to get an experienced person to go with you if you're not sure what to look at,” he said.

There are certified professionals and services that will help people locate and buy classic cars.

“Get a professional to look at it with you,” Stein said.

Condition might not be important to someone shopping for a car to restore or customize, he said.

It is easy to get caught up in TV shows and Internet forums about making high performance modifications, but that kind of work isn't necessary if the car is going to be used for cruising around on weekends, he said.

Car clubs and online forums are helpful when selecting and maintaining a car.

Stein said people can join a car club before they buy the type of car championed by the club and there are clubs for just about every vehicle ever made.

Club members are happy to share their insights on common problems, value, places where rust tends to develop and finding parts, he said.

If the game plan is to buy an unmodified older car and keep it as original as possible, Stein recommends buying an owner's or shop manual and following the maintenance schedule recommended by the manufacturer.

“Do the same maintenance that was recommended when the car was built. If you want the car to perform the way it was designed, follow the maintenance schedule. It will last longer too,” he said.

Most parts needed for basic maintenance such as spark plugs, brake pads, oil filters, belts and hoses can be purchased at auto parts stores and manuals include part numbers for other parts that might need to be replaced, he said.

A restoration or major renovation is expensive and takes a lot of time. That type of work can keep the car off the road for a year or more while the work is being done and the cost can exceed the car's value.

“Unless it's a super rare car, it might not be worth restoration,” Stein said. “Restorations and major work take more time and money than most people think..”

He recommends that classic car buyers set realistic expectations about how much they can afford to spend to buy and maintain the car, and how they plan to use it.

Spending a pile of cash on a restoration and then not wanting to drive it or let people come near it at a show can be stressful and reduce owner enjoyment, Stein said. High-end restorations require a lot time to keep clean.

“Nothing's worse than going to a car show and being afraid to walk away from your car, but some people like that and value that,” Stein said. “There's a lot of work in upkeep. Figure out what you want and how you're going to use it.”

Someone with little or no automotive experience who attempts a renovation or major work at home can end up with a car laying in pieces in the garage for years, he said.