I-95 Muscle

I-95 Muscle is a muscle car, collector car and hot rod dealer at 4115 Legion Rd in Hope Mills, North Carolina, a few miles south of Fayetteville and about 10 minutes from Interstate 95, according to the company's own site. Business records list the company as starting up on June 28, 2016. It sells from its own stock and also takes cars on consignment, and its inventory runs from vintage Fords and Chevrolets to modern performance cars and trucks.

Who runs it

The company's About page names two owners, Mitch and Kalvin, who describe themselves as brothers-in-law. The site says Mitch has a background in automotive sales, including time as a general sales manager, and that Kalvin is a trained mechanic with custom fabrication certifications and military service. BBB's profile lists Mitchell Peterson and Kalvin Daniels as owners and partners, with Amber Daniels as administrative manager. The owners' favorite cars, as listed on the site, include a 1969 Pontiac GTO and a 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle.

How the business works

I-95 Muscle operates as a retail dealer with a consignment program. Cars on its floor are either dealer-owned or consigned by private owners. The company says its showroom is 20,000 square feet and climate controlled, with room for about 75 cars. Because the stock is mixed, ask which cars the dealership owns and which are consigned, and who holds the title, before you negotiate or arrange an inspection.

What it sells

The site describes a broad specialty list: muscle cars, resto-mods, antiques and classics, hot rods, rat rods, choppers and bobbers, tuners, high horsepower performance vehicles, and gas and diesel trucks. When we looked, the website showed roughly 59 vehicles, from a 1968 Ford Mustang hardtop and a 1968 Ford Bronco to a 1979 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 and a 1969 Chevelle SS. Listed prices ran from under $5,000 up to about $140,000, and the mix includes some late-model cars such as a 2012 Corvette, so it is not purely a vintage lot. Inventory changes often, and the dealer also lists on ClassicCars.com.

Buying from I-95 Muscle

The company advertises financing programs, including collector car lending through a partner it names on its site, with an online credit application. It also offers extended warranty and service contracts and says it will buy, sell and trade vehicles. Its site does not describe shipping or inspection terms, so ask about both, plus deposits and paperwork, before committing to a long-distance purchase. Useful questions include the car's title status, any known repairs or restoration work, whether service records exist, and whether the dealer will allow an outside mechanic to look the car over. To compare prices on similar cars, browse classic cars for sale in North Carolina.

Consigning a car

Owners who want to sell through the dealership can consign. The company says the vehicle must be titled in the owner's name and insured, and that it markets the car on more than 100 websites, handles buyer negotiations and manages the sale so the owner can "pick up the check." It says consigned cars are stored in the climate-controlled building, started weekly and driven on private property, with security cameras on site. The consignment page does not publish fees or commission rates, so ask for a written quote. To understand typical arrangements, read about selling a classic on consignment.

Reputation

I-95 Muscle has been in business for roughly a decade by the dates above. BBB lists it as a classic car dealer that is not BBB accredited and not rated, with no complaints closed in the past three years. BBB shows only one customer review, which is too few to draw conclusions from. The dealer also has a Yelp listing. As with any dealer, judge each purchase on the car in front of you: check the VIN, title and service history, and consider an independent inspection.

Visiting

The showroom is at 4115 Legion Rd, Hope Mills, NC 28348. The company's site lists hours of Monday to Friday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and closed Sundays. The phone number is (910) 429-0195. Call ahead to confirm that a specific car is on the premises.