And when you are looking at old vehicles, find one that’s in good condition but then don’t concentrate on what’s nice, but look at everything that might need repair.
Front end, brakes, minor leaks like axle and driveshaft seals.
Engine oil leaks are typically minor unless they’re front or rear main seals.
U joints. Original with plastic retainers on an old truck = may not last long.
Hoses and belts (minor, but still $)
Fluids
PS fluid clean red and no leaks (some GMs still use power steering fluid most are atf though)
Brake fluid. Look decent or like yesterday’s coffee. Old fluid = corrosion = more issues with calipers and master cyl
Trans. If not clean and mostly red, assume at min a service but it often gets neglected because people are lazy and trans fluid changes aren’t quite as easy or cheap as oil changes.
Tune up? Most vehicles are cheap and easy. The wrong cord Triton engines = high likelihood of stripping or breaking old spark plugs when changed.
Any electrical “modifications”. Shoddy old shadetree electrical work is a huge turn off to me due to the complexity of diagnosing some electrical issues.
Some more things to consider when looking.
