Cool Classic Rides

Cool Classic Rides is a classic truck and car dealer in Sherwood, Oregon, a Portland suburb in Washington County. It is owned and operated by two friends, Kelly Koch and Jeff Lane, who say they spent more than 35 years running a nationwide cabinet company before handing it to their children and turning a lifelong interest in classic cars and trucks into a second business. The company says its aim is to sell "classic daily drivers at an affordable price."

Who they are and how they work

Cool Classic Rides is a dealer-stock business rather than a consignment lot or a broker. According to its About page, the owners search nationwide for clean, original vehicles and bring them back to what they call their original glory. The company operates from a 20,000 square foot shop in Sherwood and says it does the work in house, including metal fabrication and upholstery. It describes its approach as "old school," and it invites customers to call and talk to a person. We could not find a founding year, so we do not give one. The company sells through its own site and also lists cars on national classic car marketplaces, which gives buyers more than one place to compare a vehicle and its asking price.

What they sell

The focus is on trucks and everyday-usable classics, with Ford and Chevrolet well represented. The company's website sorts its inventory into categories that go beyond classic cars and trucks: pickup trucks, SUVs, coupes, wagons, convertibles, cargo vans, sedans, motorcycles and scooters, and RVs and campers. Testimonials posted on the dealer's own site mention an out-of-state buyer who found a Bronco through the company and another who received a 1974 J20. Those are the dealer's chosen examples, so treat them as a sample of what it sells instead of a measure of satisfaction. For a broader view of what is available around the state, browse classic trucks for sale in Oregon.

Buying from Cool Classic Rides

The website carries several offers that matter to buyers, although the terms were not detailed where we looked:

• Trade-ins: a banner invites visitors to trade in a vehicle for "the best value."
• Financing: the site advertises credit options through Collector Car Lending.
• Shipping: the site advertises free shipping in the lower 48 states, with a note that it is not available on sale items and that some restrictions apply. Call for details before you rely on it.

Because many buyers shop from a distance, ask for a walk-around video, detailed photographs of the underside and any restoration work, and the title status before you send a deposit. An independent inspection is worth the cost on any purchase you cannot make in person, and a list of what to check before you buy can help you decide what to ask the seller.

The in-house shop

The dealer's shop is a major part of its pitch. Doing fabrication and upholstery in house, the owners say, lets them keep prices reasonable while still delivering a finished vehicle. As with any restored vehicle, the quality of the work matters more than the claim, so ask what was repaired or replaced, whether receipts exist, and whether the car has been driven since the work was done.

Reputation

We did not find reliable review data we could confirm for this Sherwood business. Be careful when you search: a different business also called Cool Classic Rides appears in review sites with a Redmond, Oregon address, and its ratings and any Better Business Bureau record should not be attributed to the Sherwood dealer without confirming the location. Checking reviews, and asking the dealer for references from recent buyers, is a reasonable step before you commit to a purchase.

Visiting and contact

The dealership is at 15114 SW Arrow St, Sherwood, Oregon 97140. Its website and directory listings show more than one phone number, so confirm the number on the dealer's own website before you call. Hours were not available to us, so contact the dealer before visiting to see a specific vehicle.