Regardless of your choice of classic car, it is essential that you identify what you are buying or selling before placing a bid or listing it for an auction. I know that sounds incredibly obvious, but even after years of buying and selling bits for our big boys toys, mistakes will happen. A few basic rules which may have escaped you in the past when the red haze of auction fever descends over your eyes - Will it fit my car (Does it or was it ever designed to go on my specific car)? Is it the correct version (i.e. Is it an upgrade or was there a model change)? Is it legal in this country (Is it from an export model and not legal in this country)? Do you know the correct part number (This can save hours of pain and grief in e-mails, bad feedback, loss of credibility etc., to both parties)? Does it work (It looks good and it seems to work but why is it for sale if it is so good in the first place)? There is nothing more guaranteed to get someone angry than spending several hours removing a part and only to find out the bit they have bought is incorrect or broken!

There are guides detailing the interchange of common parts between various makes and models of cars. It is practical when it comes to bulbs, wipers, some switches, spark plugs, and a few other components, but rest assured that the original designer of that car did not have you in mind when he passed his plans to the engineering department. He wanted to make his car an original and in most cases he achieved that! Please remember I am not advocating the purist view of everything must be original but the practical ones of does it fit, is it legal and does it work.

Some cars are oddbins on their own. These can have left over parts form various defunct models, but again not many people would write a sales pamphlet stating that the door handles came from a Cortina and the lights are from an Escort etc.. Think it through. A little time spent now can make a bigger saving in the future.

The best thing to do is to join a club where the enthusiasts, and those with the expertise to answer your question, lurk. Okay they may be branded 'anoraks' etc., but be assured when that moment comes when you are debating whether to give in and let the next person who walks past take the wretched thing away, that is the moment you will be glad of the 'anorak'. As one who spent three days reshaping the end of a ball joint with a two pound hammer trying to extract it, I was amazed when my club 'anorak' announced - "Common problem - just insert a jack here, piece of wood there and ... hey presto the bloomin' thing dropped out!" These guys also can help where parts are no longer available or in limited supply. If you are selling they may want to buy what you have if it is rare or difficult to obtain.

To conclude, this buying and selling on e-bay is an onerous task if you let it become so, or it can be the greatest way of meeting and swapping information with people who share your enthusiasm. I know which I would chose.