Checking a Car Over ?
Discussion
Ok, following on from the "What would put you off going to see a car" thread, assume you have found a vehicle in your budget, not too far away and that the seller has impeccable grammar and spelling, what do you check once you are there ?
I think I am probably more knowledgeable than the average person but have still managed to make some mistakes, usually down to the power of "shiny shiny" where my enthusiasm and eagerness is greater than my restraint, i.e. a Fiat Coupe from a dealer which was a bit knackered, never assume a car bough from a dealer means you cant get stung !
The last mistake was assumign a recent MOT with only 100 miles since then meant the car was roadworthy, just meant the seller had a tame MOT place, the Fiat badge, again should have been a warning.
So, to avoid dissapointment, bankruptcy and a divorce when I next go, how detailed can I go, the Fiat Coupe had blowby, i.e. knackered rings, is it acceptable to ask for a compression test to be done ?
With regards to checking for rust, can you have a good old prod under there ?
What other checks do you think should be done, how do you approach it, do you just hope for the best, what have you been caught out with ?
I think I am probably more knowledgeable than the average person but have still managed to make some mistakes, usually down to the power of "shiny shiny" where my enthusiasm and eagerness is greater than my restraint, i.e. a Fiat Coupe from a dealer which was a bit knackered, never assume a car bough from a dealer means you cant get stung !
The last mistake was assumign a recent MOT with only 100 miles since then meant the car was roadworthy, just meant the seller had a tame MOT place, the Fiat badge, again should have been a warning.
So, to avoid dissapointment, bankruptcy and a divorce when I next go, how detailed can I go, the Fiat Coupe had blowby, i.e. knackered rings, is it acceptable to ask for a compression test to be done ?
With regards to checking for rust, can you have a good old prod under there ?
What other checks do you think should be done, how do you approach it, do you just hope for the best, what have you been caught out with ?
I've bought fantastic cars without even seeing them and I've bought nails that I thought I'd checked over thoroughly! The perils of buying used...
Overall, I'd advise deciding what model you want and going to look at/drive several examples. It's much easier to tell a good one from a bad one when you've examined a few.
Overall, I'd advise deciding what model you want and going to look at/drive several examples. It's much easier to tell a good one from a bad one when you've examined a few.
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