I've been looking for just the right Corvette for 2 years and finally found it. I exchanged email with American Dream Machines and got the information I needed, made a call to be sure the car would be available and set up a time -- I drove from Denver to Des Moines to look at a specific Corvette. In the last 2 years I've looked at a lot of Gen 1 Corvettes and have been disappointed more times than want to say, so I'm always prepared to find a car that is "not exactly" as advertised. I have to say these guys at ADM are "car guys" and my experience was exceptional. If you are in the market for a classic car Chevy, Ford or MoPar you have to check this place out. American Dream Machines has an incredible selection of extremely interesting cars, a professional staff and friendly service. Lynn met me in the show room with a friendly smile and gave me the "quick tour", answered a few questions and introduced me to Tom. The car was out and ready for me to look at and it was just as stated on the website. While Tom and talked about the car (no pressure took my time), I was able to look at other cars in the shop and talk to the mechanics and get a feel for the organization -- these are very professional people that really know and love these cars. Tom listened to me (listening is a lost art these days) and we were able to work out a deal that I'm happy with. The hard part is waiting for delivery. All in all I had a great experience and now an the owner of the prettiest 1962 Corvette you ever see. Mo read more

Tried to get pictures of a 1967 Corvette for 4 weeks and they were too busy to wait on me. I was going to fly in to inspect and buy the car if it passed my inspection. Responding to customers needs is not their high point. Very disappointed read more

I bought a pig with lip stick from Tom Clarken, Lynn Nichols and the others at American Dream Machines! On June 27, 2022 I inspected and was given a ride in a 1967 Ford Mustang convertible Vin# 7T03A261637. I was not allowed to drive it for insurance purposes so I did not realize the zero room between my thighs and the oversized steering wheel. Tom Clarken the manager stated it had just been brought in and needed to be gone through completely from top to bottom. I took him at his word, put money down, got financing arranged through Boulevard Specialty Lending and insurance through Hagerty once I took position of the 67 white/blue Mustang on August 22, 2022 at 3:30 pm at their showroom on Locust in Des Moines, IA. He showed me the 4 new tires and rims, the work done on the AC system and that it worked fairly since the vehicle was a convertible. There was a newer three-year old battery in the car and I was led to believe everything had been gone through in the two months American Dream Machines had the Mustang. I was excited to pick up my new baby and take her on a casual site seeing drive from Des Moines IA to Hemmingway SC and on to Cocoa FL. Tom cautioned me that a car like this should only be driven locally. He also several times said the vehicle was mine once I signed the Buyers Guide, As Is - No Dealer Warranty which I did. I headed out of their lot realizing that 60s cars did not handle like a 2022 Accord which was my primary vehicle. Off I went maintaining a speed around 58-62 miles per hour. Once I hit the interstate it was getting a bit dark and windy so I closed the windows and immediately was overcome with exhaust fumes filling the passenger compartment, down went the windows in came the cool air for the next 3 hours. The seat was actually comfortable. I made it to a hotel for my first nights stay and checked the fluids, radiator way down, oil down 2/3 of a quart, washer fluid container broker and fluid drained to 50% full, trans fluid beautiful clear color but down 1/3 of a bottle. So off to an auto parts store when I noticed the Mustang would not go into Reverse without quite a bid of shift adjusting. I bought the auto fluids and hit the sack. Next day, windows down 50ish degrees I headed out, this time I got her up to about 65 and noticed the engine heat indicator was going on and so I had to stay between 55 and 62 mph or the engine would overheat. I was worried about the engine, Reverse and vehicle in general, so I took a break and stopped at a service station in Clyde TN for a one hour inspection. The mechanic pointed out 5 area where fluids were leaking two with the transmission and three on the bottom of the engine, he confirmed that the transmission was slipping, likely needed to be rebuild and that the paper components in a transmission of this era, were shot and fresh tranny fluid is a good way to cover a failing transmission! The mechanic showed me that the head gasket was leaking near the fire wall in two places and the carburetor needed to be rebuilt. These are things that Tom Clarken an honest upstanding classic car dealer should have look at when going over everything on a 67 Mustang newly taken in, or not? Made it to Hemmingway SC and ran the car for the first two mornings but did not drive it since my friend had a vehicle. On the third day did not start it, on the fourth day the car would not start so I checked the battery connections and nothing appeared to be wrong, it started later that day! Hurrah!! Day 5 I headed to my newly purchased home in Cocoa Florida and made it by night fall. The next morning I took the car to McDonalds for breakfast came home parked her in the garage and worked around the house, 6 hours later I wanted to go out for dinner but the car would not start, checked the connections again this time nothing happened to be wrong so the next morning AAA came out and tried to start the car, their service man stated the starter was dead, he towed to a local shop who replaced the starter, confirmed all the leaks, slipping transmission, window seals leaking and the seal where the convertible top meets the windshield was no going to keep water out. He stated for such a pricy collector car many things were in poor condition. I drove her home I called around to anyone near me in Florida who might like to buy The Pig from me and David M. Murry from the Orlando area said if it was in the condition, he expected he would likely offer me $41,000 and would come look at it the next morning. Since he knew Tom Clarken from a good reputation, he felt the car was something he would purchase. When David and his friend arrived, they did an inspection of the car, noticed the numerous leaks on the cardboard I had put down under the car and stated this vehicle was not in the condition he had known Tom to sell his cars in. He dropped his purchase to what I owed on the car which was $32,000 and by by Lip Stick Piggy! Do not trust Tom Clarken or Lynn Nic read more

They sold me a 1964 Corvette last year that was not as advertised. The chassis had major rust damage and there were no pictures of the rust damage or the undercarriage on their website prior to my purchase of the car. And there were numerous defects with the engine and transmission that would have cost me over $6000. Plus a few days after receiving the car I had to have a new fuel pump installed. They did refund my money (less $900 for what I paid) but I had to pay the transportation fee to have the car returned. Terrible experience! read more

Purchased my second car from ADM. The first was a beautiful 71 k5 blazer. Unfortunately it barely ran. Long story short took me a lot of money to get the blazer right. I purchased a second Blazer from ADM recently. The staff is very responsive. The photos are by far the best you'll ever see of vehicles. Problem is this company is a "lipstick" kind of restoration company. They paint items silver and black to show great in pictures. I highly recommend that you pay to fly or drive in and view the vehicles before buying them. Trust me when I say they are not what the photos show. I made this mistake twice. You need to see what they're selling in person. The second blazer purchased recently has been repainted on the passenger side. Fish eyes and dust in the paint. Tape lines in the paint. It's a 3/10 on the repaint. The pretty pictures failed to show that. All in all fixable, but not worth it after the premium price you pay from ADM. I'm sure not every vehicle is like this, but unfortunately my 2 have been. read more

American Dream Machines - 73 Blazer purchased from ADM - Car Dealers Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

I had inquired about a vehicle and had respectfully requested information on a vehicle which they had marketed as a total restoration. I was told the pictures speak for themselves therefore I with drew my request and wish them well on selling this unit. I was surprised by the arrogant reply. If an individual is contemplating a purchase on a restored car, one who have the right to request documents. This sent up a red flag. There are many businesses that are in this business and have such documentations, this is not one of them. Before anyone considers a purchase on restored classics I would recommend you just don't rely on pictures or a condescending response that taint an opportunity to own a classic. read more

I bought a 1968 GTO from ADM and I'm happy with the purchase and the follow up provided to address some mechanical issues with the vehicle that needed to be addressed after it was delivered to me in Carlsbad, CA. Tom, Lynn, and Glen were very helpful throughout the entire process and provided timely follow up and a fair resolution to address unexpected issues with the vehicle. I completely understand a 52 year old vehicle will have some problems that will surface unexpectedly but overall I'm satisfied with the GTO and my experience working with ADM. I highly recommend ADM to anyone looking to purchase a classic car! read more

American Dream Machines - Car Dealers Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

Check out Matt R review. I had a similar experience. 1970 Chevelle SS convertible that AMD purchased in Ohio for $57500.00. They changed out the shifter and flipped the Chevelle for $79999.00 two weeks later. Really need to make $22K profit read more

We received Excellent Service with our new purchase a Emerald Green 1950 Chevrolet pickup especially coming from Kansas City,Mo. Tom and Lynn were great help ,Tom help load the truck on the trailer to haul to its new home in KC . We would highly recommend your company and thank you again for making this purchase a great experience . Dean & Toni read more

See all

I bought my '69 Dodge Super Bee from American Dream machines in April of 2016. I drove down from my home in Wisconsin to visit and inspect the car and was very imprrssed with the operation. Tom Clarken my sales rep, was very straightforward throughout the process and Jim the mechanic, was also very helpful during the inspection and test drive. After working on the negotiation process we reached a deal and I drove home that day an owner of a rare classic Mopar!! Nancy Blunck,the business manager, was also very helpful with arrainging financing and coordinating all the necessary paperwork as well as scheduling the delivery of my car to my home. Overall, I had a great experience for someone who went through buying a classic muscle car for the first time through an operation like ADM. Mark S. Waukesha,WI read more

Nice selection of cars from what I could see online. Talked over the phone about 2 different cars and was told "there's no room for negotiation" and "we make just the tiniest amount on these cars after expenses so we can't move from our quoted price". A little online searching later I find the exact same 67 Chevelle SS that is currently listed at $59,900 being purchased by ADM at the Mecum Kansas auction at the start of December for $38,500. Wow - that's some markup. Might be time to look at your "expenses" if you need to put $15,000+ on top of a car you've had on the books for less than 2 weeks. read more

My experience here was AMAZING. Doug and Julie are incredibly nice and the variety of cars they have will leave you breathless. The care they put into their restorations is unbelievable! You could spend hours looking at them all and trying to decide which one you want. One of my most favorite places to visit in Des Moines - hands down! read more

We had a great experience buying a classic car. Tom and Lynn were extremely helpful before, during and after the sale. We drove from Madison WI and the car was just what we were looking for and exactly as described over the phone. Everyone at the company was friendly and were genuinely excited for us. We highly recommend American Dream Machines. Thank you for all your help. Larry and Sarita read more

The best classic car dealer ship in Iowa and maybe even the country! Fun place to go even if you aren't looking to buy a car. They give amazing tours and have an amazing family friendly environment read more

One of the harder classic cars dealers to work with. They seem very proud of their cars and while they advertise a car for sale, actually told me they didn't want to sell it and didn't need the money! I was surprised by their total lack of tact and customer service. Look elsewhere! read more

Doug, Tom, Lynn and the whole crew at American Dream Machines made our experience doing business with them a great one. After seeing a '57 wagon listed on E-Bay and making the 8 hour trip to Des Moines see it, we were met with such hospitality and taken on a tour of their fabulous facility including the showroom, paint room, photo room, shop, lounge and even the restrooms are a must see at ADM! Doug explained that the car had not been thru their prep procedure yet and pointed out some issues with the car that they intended to address. Along with a few minor concerns that we had with the car, he agreed to address all of the issues before shipping the car to us. We were a bit hesitant to write a check on the promise that things would be taken care of but those concerns quickly went away when the car was delivered 5 weeks later. ADM had done everything that they said they would do and more! ADM was great to work with during the sale and they have been very helpful to work with after the sale. We have a 3 car garage and when we decide to add the 3rd vehicle to our '58 Corvette and the '57 Nomad, American Dream Machines will be the first call we make! Thanks again Doug, Tom, Lynn and everyone at ADM! Jeff and Becky read more

Dont buy a car from this place. I went there looking for a Chevelle. I walk into the place and every one act like I was bothering them. They will not let you test drive the car. I seen a oil leak on the floor under the car.I ask if they would fix it. They told me as is. I told them what I would pay for the car and said there is no negotiation. So if you want to get rip off then go see them they will take your money and give you a crap car. read more

My 12 year old son and his friend love anything to do with cars especially classic cars and muscle cars. Last week, we e-mailed American Dream Machines and asked if it would be ok to bring the boys in on the weekend to take a look around and learn. They were very kind and gracious and allowed us to bring them in on Saturday morning. Tom took his time with the boys and really gave them a lot of great information about the cars. They dealt with the boys' questions with patience and we were grateful I'm sure they were busy with actual paying customers but it was so nice of them to take a moment to help develop the boys' interest in these cars! My son had a smile on his face for the rest of the day. Thank you so much for your time and energy Saturday morning! read more