Buying a car - take a jack?
Discussion
depends on the car. Will take a lay down mat and LED light. May ask for ramp time (at any local place, I dont mind covering the cost if I don't buy it) if I feel the age/condition warrants it.
I also offer people a chance to view a car on ramps if they prefer, you are buying a piece of machinery, and its reasonable to want to inspect it fully.
I also offer people a chance to view a car on ramps if they prefer, you are buying a piece of machinery, and its reasonable to want to inspect it fully.
I'm buying a piece of complex machinery, its very easy to hide split CV boots and fluid weeps, and other labour-intensive annoying jobs.
Don't get me wrong, if its a £500 s
tter with 12 months MOT and it drives and stops ok, I don't care, but spending serious money, I want a proper look over it, no way am I pating with thousands without seeing it in the air.
Don't get me wrong, if its a £500 s
tter with 12 months MOT and it drives and stops ok, I don't care, but spending serious money, I want a proper look over it, no way am I pating with thousands without seeing it in the air.depends on the buyer, if genuine sensible person i'd help them
if rude boy chavs i'd tell them that they cannot
I'd probably meet in the middle and suggest they drive a wheel up onto a kerb and crawl under
of course if i was in the position to want to jack a car up i was buying i'd be a bit suspicious if the seller was having none of it, what have they got to hide
if rude boy chavs i'd tell them that they cannot
I'd probably meet in the middle and suggest they drive a wheel up onto a kerb and crawl under
of course if i was in the position to want to jack a car up i was buying i'd be a bit suspicious if the seller was having none of it, what have they got to hide
It wouldn't bother me and I can't see why it would bother anyone else. I'd keep a close eye to make sure they are jacking it from the correct place, other than that, it's a non issue. I wouldn't mind someone wanting to compression test or plug an OBD reader in either. If you've got nothing to hide it's not a problem.
JB! said:
I'm buying a piece of complex machinery, its very easy to hide split CV boots and fluid weeps, and other labour-intensive annoying jobs.
So budget it accordingly and make an offer.Spare tyre said:
of course if i was in the position to want to jack a car up i was buying i'd be a bit suspicious if the seller was having none of it, what have they got to hide
Your damage.I once had a buyer turn up to buy a classic with a lump of iron in his hand.
"What's that for?"
"Well the sills on these can be dodgy, so I'd like to stick this in the jacking point, then stand on the end it to make sure they're solid"
fk off! When the thing was new it probably couldn't have handled that. He was a fat bloke too.
"What's that for?"
"Well the sills on these can be dodgy, so I'd like to stick this in the jacking point, then stand on the end it to make sure they're solid"
f
k off! When the thing was new it probably couldn't have handled that. He was a fat bloke too.I took a jack when I went to look at my 944. Asked nicely if I could use it to get a good view of the underneath, the seller was a bit nervous but agreed, 'as long as I was careful'. I explained what I as doing and what I was looking for (rusty sills and floorpan) and went ahead and jacked it up.
Seller ended up crawling around underneath it with me and had a good look himself. He wasn't a practical type so had no idea what he was looking at, but I pointed out the areas of interest and that they looked fine to me, and made him an offer that he couldn't refuse.
Win-win situation.
Oli.
Seller ended up crawling around underneath it with me and had a good look himself. He wasn't a practical type so had no idea what he was looking at, but I pointed out the areas of interest and that they looked fine to me, and made him an offer that he couldn't refuse.
Win-win situation.
Oli.
Sump said:
So budget it accordingly and make an offer.
Right... "So you're asking for £1000, but there's possibly £1200 worth of repairs needed that I can't inspect. Tell you what, give me £100 and I'll take it off your hands".No, you'd just walk instead.
Obviously it depends on the car, the value, and the seller. But if they're willing to let you inspect underneath, there's a good chance there's nothing much to see.
Escy said:
It wouldn't bother me and I can't see why it would bother anyone else. I'd keep a close eye to make sure they are jacking it from the correct place, other than that, it's a non issue. I wouldn't mind someone wanting to compression test or plug an OBD reader in either. If you've got nothing to hide it's not a problem.
I fully expect to be able to code-read a potential purchase also.If you have nothing to hide, whats the problem? Gives me less barganing chips...
Surely if you want to look underneath it, a set of ramps would be better to take - less likely to damage the car & safer once under?
Unless the OP is simply thinking of turning up on the bus with a pump jack in his rucksack.
But as posted before, if it's a older car with 'claimed' work being carried out then yes, new car with good service history then probably not.
Unless the OP is simply thinking of turning up on the bus with a pump jack in his rucksack.
But as posted before, if it's a older car with 'claimed' work being carried out then yes, new car with good service history then probably not.
I have a set of ramps and a trolley jack and regularly offer to get the car off the ground so that they can inspect underneath.
Aside from me generally being quite proud of how my cars are kept, I'd like to think it also helps the buyer feel at ease that I'm not trying to hide anything.
People rarely haggle on the prices I advertise my cars for.
Aside from me generally being quite proud of how my cars are kept, I'd like to think it also helps the buyer feel at ease that I'm not trying to hide anything.
People rarely haggle on the prices I advertise my cars for.
JB! said:
I fully expect to be able to code-read a potential purchase also.
If you have nothing to hide, whats the problem? Gives me less barganing chips...
It's not that I have anything to hide. It's fear of the investigative potential buyer breaking something then walking away.If you have nothing to hide, whats the problem? Gives me less barganing chips...
You could damage my sills or worse if you jack it up in the wrong place, your fancy computer thing could fry my ECU etc etc. unlikely I know but I just like wouldn't risk it. If it lost me your bid on my car then so be it.
rallycross said:
The sort of cretins who turn up with a jack are the same people who end up not buying nothing as they keep finding things wrong (on crappy old cars, what a surprise).
I would be happy to jack a car up for someone but wouldn't let someone else do it, have you ever seen the damage a jack can do when put in the wrong place?
Not buying nothing........ So they bought something then...... Double negativeI would be happy to jack a car up for someone but wouldn't let someone else do it, have you ever seen the damage a jack can do when put in the wrong place?
Poopipe said:
I'd do it for you unless i had something to hide
The chap i bought my last one off jacked it up and handed me a service light without me even asking - i appreciated the gesture
I did that with my last sale, the lad & his dad knew what they were looking for so may aswell help them out.The chap i bought my last one off jacked it up and handed me a service light without me even asking - i appreciated the gesture
Wasn't an e36 328 by any chance?
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