OK you've found a guy whos selling a used muscle car you've dreamed about owning for years, now the price looks good, but what do you check, how do you know its a decent deal?
no mater how nice or honest the seller appears to be, verify EVERYTHING, and do the paperwork and inspection carefully
first ask questions and make it clear your going to need a test drive, a certified mechanic to inspect the car and you want to pull a car facts and DMV title report, if the seller objects ask why? but insist? and be prepared to walk away, and NEVER EVER ACCEPT ANYTHING YOU CAN,T VERIFY AS FACT that 383 may be a 327 or that killer deal on a 440 road runner may be a low performance 383 mopar,or a Pontiac 455 fire-bird may have a 326 v8, if you don,t know how to tell them apart!
know how to spot the correct VIN tags, differentials and transmissions, theres more than a few cars that are a collection of miss matched slapped together spare parts, being sold as all original cars
you look it over checking for strait body lines , look for rust, ask for repair receipts and maintenance records,but don,t assume they are true indications of whats been done as the seller may have worked on several cars and sold several to get those receipts. pull the dipstick on both the engine and transmission and look for indications the cars been well maintained, look for indications of body and frame repair work, and take the car for a test drive and get out on a freeway or interstate and drive at cruising speed for at least 10-15 minutes looking for the car to over heat, the transmission. rear differential,u-joints,brakes, or engine to over heat or make noise, does the car track strait or pull when you hit the brakes?
well the first step is to verify the title is valid, the VIN NUMBER is valid,verified with the local DMV and pull a CAR-FACTS report
then get (PAY FOR) a certified mechanic to put the car up on a lift and check for previous frame, body work and problems with the suspension, brakes, coolant system, electrical, exhaust system condition, etc. pull a few wheels inspect the brakes
its been my experience that most INTERNET car deals are SCAMS or cars that would never sell locally for the price being asked and that pictures posted are frequently deceptive, so NEVER BUY a car without PERSONALLY INSPECTING IT and having a title and car fax report!
[BASIC RULES
NEVER send a down payment to hold a car
(more than one guys sent a payment and never heard from the seller again)
never buy a car without having it professionally inspected
(you may not notice things a pro should spot easily)
verify the correct legal title transfer before driving or transferring, or towing the car
never pay for a car before its delivered unless YOU control
it physically before payments made
(guys pay for cars , the seller loads it on a trailer and you never see it again)
never pay for and get the seller to deliver a car unless you ride along
(guys pay for cars , the seller loads it on a trailer and you never see it again)
never let an unknown person transport your car
(guys pay for cars , the seller loads it on a trailer and you never see it again)
have any car FULLY insured before transport or driving it and have that in writing, take several pictures before transport or driving any car and its a good idea to trailer a new car home for careful detailed re-inspection before driving it
Checklist for Used Cars
Initially:
1. Any "bad" records in a VIN history report?
2. Any maintenance records, mileage proof?
3. How many previous owners?
4. Why do they sell a car - tired of fixing it?
5. Any accidents, engine, transmission repair?
6. Has the car passed last Emission Test?
Start with exterior. Indications of possible problem:
1. Are the exterior lines not straight? Ripples? Misaligned panels?
2. Driver's door has free play in the hinges? Troubles to close?
3. Are the gaps between panels too narrow (too wide) on one side of the car?
4. Lots of rusty spots?
5. Mismatched colors? Painting over spray?
6. Any panel of the car seems to be repainted?
7. Why? Accident? Corrosion?
8. Trailer hinge? The car was using for towing?
Indications of possible engine problem:
1. Any oil or coolant leaks from the engine?
2. Is the engine dirty or oily?
3. Is the oil level low? Is the oil on the dipstick too dark?
4. Any indication of poor quality repair work / lack of maintenance? (e.g. badly corroded battery terminals, very low oil level, etc.)
Start the engine:
1. Does it work unevenly?
2. Any knocking, pinging, whistling?
3. Any smoke? (slight water steam is OK)
4. Any warning lights come on while the engine is running?
5. "Check engine" light?
6. Is the engine oil pressure too low at idle?
7. Any hesitation on acceleration?
8. Is the engine enough powerful?
9. Does it look very dirty under the oil cap?
10. Smell of the burnt oil under the hood?
Possible automatic transmission problems:
1. Any previous transmission repair? Was it rebuilt?
2. Does the transmission fluid smell burnt?
3. Is the tranny fluid on the dipstick too dark/dirty?
Start the engine and try to switch from P to D and from P to R holding the brakes -
1. Is the time between shifting and the moment the transmission kicks in too long?
2. Any strong noises or jerks?
During a test drive:
1. Any delays or troubles shifting?
2. Any shudder? Does the transmission slip or jerk harshly?
3. The shifting seems to be delayed?
4. Does the kick-down function work?
The manual transmission:
1. Any leaks?
2. Any noises while driving?
3. Any troubles changing gears?
4. Is the clutch slipping?
5. Any trouble to shift into reverse?
The suspension problems:
1. Is any of shock absorbers leaking?
2. Is any of the shock absorber boots broken?
3. The steering has notable free play?
4. Does the car bounces too much when you push one of the corners down?
5. Tires have irregular wear? (alignment problem)
6. Does the car sit level?
During a driving test:
1. Any knocking or creaking noises when driving over bumps?
2. Does the car pull aside? Is the steering wheel out of center?
3. Does the vehicle feel unstable on a freeway?
4. Any humming or growling noise?
The brakes. Possible problem:
1. Is the brake fluid container leaky?
2. Is the brake fluid level too low?
3. Brake pedal goes down to the floor? Break pedal is too soft (spongy)? Too hard? Any brake fluid leaks under the car?
4. Badly corroded brake lines? Brake rotors appear corroded? During the test drive.
5. Any brake pedal or steering pulsation while braking?
6. Does the vehicle pull aside while braking?
7. Any grinding noise?
8. Does the brake warning light or ABS light come on while driving?
Tires:
1. Any cracks, bruises?
2. Tread appears low?
3. Mismatched tires?
4. Damaged rims?
5. Vibration at high speed?
6. Humming noise? (uneven tire wear?)
The interior:
1. Is the driver seat / steering wheel worn excessively?
2. Dampness under the carpet or in the trunk?
3. Does the Radio / CD / Tape work?
4. Has the odometer any evidences of being tampered?
5. Does the air conditioner provide really cold air?
6. Are the power locks, windows, mirrors, sunroof, etc. working?
7. Are the heater, rear window defogger working?
8. Wind noise while driving?
9. Any of warning lights come on while driving?
10. Do you feel comfortable in driver's place?
11. Seats, seat belts, mirrors, controls, steering, visibility?
12. Spare tire, jack, wheel wrench?
READ THE LINKED INFO CAREFULLY, because theres a great deal of detailed info, pictures and hints to prevent buying a lemon, included
viewtopic.php?f=87&t=4318&p=11380&hilit=state+trailer#p11380
http://www.carfax.com/cfm/general_check ... KNC-Google
http://www.samarins.com/check/index.html
http://www.edmunds.com/car-buying/vin-c ... ms56677776
http://autos.msn.com/advice/articles/aischecklist.aspx
http://www.samarins.com/buying/index.html
http://www.racingjunk.com/category
http://govdmvregistry.com/?id=dmvvinnum ... er%20check
http://www.samarins.com/check/simplecheck.html
viewtopic.php?f=87&t=3183&p=8477&hilit=salvage+inspect#p8477
viewtopic.php?f=27&t=845&p=12264&hilit=state+trailer#p12264
no mater how nice or honest the seller appears to be, verify EVERYTHING, and do the paperwork and inspection carefully
first ask questions and make it clear your going to need a test drive, a certified mechanic to inspect the car and you want to pull a car facts and DMV title report, if the seller objects ask why? but insist? and be prepared to walk away, and NEVER EVER ACCEPT ANYTHING YOU CAN,T VERIFY AS FACT that 383 may be a 327 or that killer deal on a 440 road runner may be a low performance 383 mopar,or a Pontiac 455 fire-bird may have a 326 v8, if you don,t know how to tell them apart!
know how to spot the correct VIN tags, differentials and transmissions, theres more than a few cars that are a collection of miss matched slapped together spare parts, being sold as all original cars
you look it over checking for strait body lines , look for rust, ask for repair receipts and maintenance records,but don,t assume they are true indications of whats been done as the seller may have worked on several cars and sold several to get those receipts. pull the dipstick on both the engine and transmission and look for indications the cars been well maintained, look for indications of body and frame repair work, and take the car for a test drive and get out on a freeway or interstate and drive at cruising speed for at least 10-15 minutes looking for the car to over heat, the transmission. rear differential,u-joints,brakes, or engine to over heat or make noise, does the car track strait or pull when you hit the brakes?
well the first step is to verify the title is valid, the VIN NUMBER is valid,verified with the local DMV and pull a CAR-FACTS report
then get (PAY FOR) a certified mechanic to put the car up on a lift and check for previous frame, body work and problems with the suspension, brakes, coolant system, electrical, exhaust system condition, etc. pull a few wheels inspect the brakes
its been my experience that most INTERNET car deals are SCAMS or cars that would never sell locally for the price being asked and that pictures posted are frequently deceptive, so NEVER BUY a car without PERSONALLY INSPECTING IT and having a title and car fax report!
[BASIC RULES
NEVER send a down payment to hold a car
(more than one guys sent a payment and never heard from the seller again)
never buy a car without having it professionally inspected
(you may not notice things a pro should spot easily)
verify the correct legal title transfer before driving or transferring, or towing the car
never pay for a car before its delivered unless YOU control
it physically before payments made
(guys pay for cars , the seller loads it on a trailer and you never see it again)
never pay for and get the seller to deliver a car unless you ride along
(guys pay for cars , the seller loads it on a trailer and you never see it again)
never let an unknown person transport your car
(guys pay for cars , the seller loads it on a trailer and you never see it again)
have any car FULLY insured before transport or driving it and have that in writing, take several pictures before transport or driving any car and its a good idea to trailer a new car home for careful detailed re-inspection before driving it
Checklist for Used Cars
Initially:
1. Any "bad" records in a VIN history report?
2. Any maintenance records, mileage proof?
3. How many previous owners?
4. Why do they sell a car - tired of fixing it?
5. Any accidents, engine, transmission repair?
6. Has the car passed last Emission Test?
Start with exterior. Indications of possible problem:
1. Are the exterior lines not straight? Ripples? Misaligned panels?
2. Driver's door has free play in the hinges? Troubles to close?
3. Are the gaps between panels too narrow (too wide) on one side of the car?
4. Lots of rusty spots?
5. Mismatched colors? Painting over spray?
6. Any panel of the car seems to be repainted?
7. Why? Accident? Corrosion?
8. Trailer hinge? The car was using for towing?
Indications of possible engine problem:
1. Any oil or coolant leaks from the engine?
2. Is the engine dirty or oily?
3. Is the oil level low? Is the oil on the dipstick too dark?
4. Any indication of poor quality repair work / lack of maintenance? (e.g. badly corroded battery terminals, very low oil level, etc.)
Start the engine:
1. Does it work unevenly?
2. Any knocking, pinging, whistling?
3. Any smoke? (slight water steam is OK)
4. Any warning lights come on while the engine is running?
5. "Check engine" light?
6. Is the engine oil pressure too low at idle?
7. Any hesitation on acceleration?
8. Is the engine enough powerful?
9. Does it look very dirty under the oil cap?
10. Smell of the burnt oil under the hood?
Possible automatic transmission problems:
1. Any previous transmission repair? Was it rebuilt?
2. Does the transmission fluid smell burnt?
3. Is the tranny fluid on the dipstick too dark/dirty?
Start the engine and try to switch from P to D and from P to R holding the brakes -
1. Is the time between shifting and the moment the transmission kicks in too long?
2. Any strong noises or jerks?
During a test drive:
1. Any delays or troubles shifting?
2. Any shudder? Does the transmission slip or jerk harshly?
3. The shifting seems to be delayed?
4. Does the kick-down function work?
The manual transmission:
1. Any leaks?
2. Any noises while driving?
3. Any troubles changing gears?
4. Is the clutch slipping?
5. Any trouble to shift into reverse?
The suspension problems:
1. Is any of shock absorbers leaking?
2. Is any of the shock absorber boots broken?
3. The steering has notable free play?
4. Does the car bounces too much when you push one of the corners down?
5. Tires have irregular wear? (alignment problem)
6. Does the car sit level?
During a driving test:
1. Any knocking or creaking noises when driving over bumps?
2. Does the car pull aside? Is the steering wheel out of center?
3. Does the vehicle feel unstable on a freeway?
4. Any humming or growling noise?
The brakes. Possible problem:
1. Is the brake fluid container leaky?
2. Is the brake fluid level too low?
3. Brake pedal goes down to the floor? Break pedal is too soft (spongy)? Too hard? Any brake fluid leaks under the car?
4. Badly corroded brake lines? Brake rotors appear corroded? During the test drive.
5. Any brake pedal or steering pulsation while braking?
6. Does the vehicle pull aside while braking?
7. Any grinding noise?
8. Does the brake warning light or ABS light come on while driving?
Tires:
1. Any cracks, bruises?
2. Tread appears low?
3. Mismatched tires?
4. Damaged rims?
5. Vibration at high speed?
6. Humming noise? (uneven tire wear?)
The interior:
1. Is the driver seat / steering wheel worn excessively?
2. Dampness under the carpet or in the trunk?
3. Does the Radio / CD / Tape work?
4. Has the odometer any evidences of being tampered?
5. Does the air conditioner provide really cold air?
6. Are the power locks, windows, mirrors, sunroof, etc. working?
7. Are the heater, rear window defogger working?
8. Wind noise while driving?
9. Any of warning lights come on while driving?
10. Do you feel comfortable in driver's place?
11. Seats, seat belts, mirrors, controls, steering, visibility?
12. Spare tire, jack, wheel wrench?
READ THE LINKED INFO CAREFULLY, because theres a great deal of detailed info, pictures and hints to prevent buying a lemon, included
viewtopic.php?f=87&t=4318&p=11380&hilit=state+trailer#p11380
http://www.carfax.com/cfm/general_check ... KNC-Google
http://www.samarins.com/check/index.html
http://www.edmunds.com/car-buying/vin-c ... ms56677776
http://autos.msn.com/advice/articles/aischecklist.aspx
http://www.samarins.com/buying/index.html
http://www.racingjunk.com/category
http://govdmvregistry.com/?id=dmvvinnum ... er%20check
http://www.samarins.com/check/simplecheck.html
viewtopic.php?f=87&t=3183&p=8477&hilit=salvage+inspect#p8477
viewtopic.php?f=27&t=845&p=12264&hilit=state+trailer#p12264