Hidden meanings behind phrases when used car buying.

[Jamaica]

List some of your favourites and the real meaning, I will start.


Car runs and drives - real meaning, the car starts and drives but will probably blow its headgasket on the motorway. However, I hope to have covered my self sufficiently to stop you towing the car back to my house.



Your turn

Edited by Jamaica on Monday 20th April 13:29

Just found this gem

Edited by Jamaica on Monday 1st June 09:15

Edited by Jamaica on Thursday 4th June 21:52

[Jamaica]

List some of your favourites and the real meaning, I will start.


Car runs and drives - real meaning, the car starts and drives but will probably blow its headgasket on the motorway. However, I hope to have covered my self sufficiently to stop you towing the car back to my house.



Your turn

Edited by Jamaica on Monday 20th April 13:29

Just found these gems

Edited by Jamaica on Monday 1st June 09:15

Edited by Jamaica on Thursday 4th June 21:52

[Dimebars]

One doctor owner

Meaning it's been parked in hospital car parks all its life and is scraped and dented from ar$e to elbow

[Muzzer79]

Good runner - it starts and goes but everything else is fubar'd

Needs a little tlc - it's shagged

First to see will buy - I think it's a better car than it is and won't negotiate

One of a kind/unique car - it's barry'd

One-off colour - it's painted some god-awful colour that nobody else wanted

[nickfrog]

FSH means it probably doesn't have a FSH.

[nick1871]

“Airbag light is on but it probably just needs resetting, if I get time I’ll sort it”

Means...

“I’ve no idea what’s wrong with it but it’s going to be expensive, that’s why I haven’t fixed it”

[nick1871]

Nearly forgot this one...

“Usual age related dents and scratches”

Yeah cos after a certain period of time these just appear overnight as if by magic..

[RazerSauber]

"Motorway miles"

- Approx 500 of this cars 250,000 miles were done on a motorway. The others were done between my kebab shop and various houses.

"Just had new tyres/brakes/consumables all round"

- Ditch finders/2nd hand pads sourced at scrapyard

"Runs and drives lovely........................................... Sold as Spares or Repair"

- Totally f****d and don't want any come back when you discover that too

"Fully Loaded"

- SE spec with out of date sat nav and leather seats

"X owners from new"

- As opposed to when, exactly?

[Drezza]

"Pulls like a train" - Some chav has ragged it to within an inch of it's life.

[Johnnytheboy]

Lovely condition = way, way outside the bounds of the traditional good, very good and excellent ratings.

Probably means "looks lovely but about to die"

[XJSJohn]

One Lady Owner - wheel rims like nibbled hob-nobs

[anonymous-user]

One careful lady owner - and six boy racers.

[IanJ9375]

XJSJohn said:

One Lady Owner - wheel rims like nibbled hob-nobs

Did laugh at that one!

[Trevor555]

"No timewasters"

I always used to get a return train ticket when going to see these.

And more often than not I see why the last buyer didn't buy it.

Towards the end of my buying career I simply sailed past any adverts that said this.

"Selling for a friend"

Nearly always spells trouble.

[caiss4]

Thanks guys. You're helping me draft the advert for my old driving school car "One careful owner from new (but 140 learner drivers)"

[FK]

"Mint Condition": Looks exactly the same as every other half decent car on Autotrader...

"Just Serviced": I've had a quick walk round, kicked the tyres and yes they do all have air in them...

"Average Bodywork": Held together with duct tape

[Trevor555]

"Selling on behalf of a customer"

Sometimes dealers try to use this so as not to put their own name to a car, and to get out of their legal obligations as a dealer.

My advice is to be cautious.

Print the advert off and make a traceable payment.

[MorganP104]

My absolute favourite is "easy/cheap fix", followed by a link to an eBay auction for the "easy/cheap" part the car supposedly needs.

If it's an "easy/cheap fix", why haven't you done it easily and cheaply, my good man?

[Ian Geary]

Just seen this one on an ebay advert from the "what classic thread

ebay ad said:

Vin tag is present but was removed by previous owner for paint

Real meaning? It's dodgy as fk.

Plus the full house of "it starts runs and stops", "will fly through an mot", and intriguingly, the underneath is coated in "black". Which obviously means "the underneath has terminal rust which I have ignored because everyone knows black paint is as good as steel."

[anonymous-user]

Aircon just needs a regas = Compressor is knackered and the condenser has a hole in it.

Usual age related marks = repeatedly driven up and down bushes, every panel is dented and scratched.

nickfrog said:

FSH means it probably doesn't have a FSH.

First couple of services were main dealer, next couple were some random garage/Halfords and there is no history of an oil change in the last 20k Miles.

Edited by anonymous-user on Tuesday 21st April 09:28