Pre-purchase inspection?

[AyBee]

I'm currently looking at buying my next car which is likely to be in the £12-15k range with c.50-60k miles (Scirocco R, M135i, etc). For private purchases, do people generally bother with pre-purchase inspections or do you just back yourself? I'm reasonably mechanically minded and have been researching what to look out for but I'm still not sure whether it would be sensible to get an independent to check it over before I commit. If you do get an inspection, who would you get to do it (AA, RAC, independent dealer, main dealer)?

Thanks.

[AyBee]

Useful list, thanks, was just curious whether the majority of people spending this much money privately would get the car checked over by someone who properly knows what they're looking for as opposed to someone just going on basic mechanical knowledge and the mk1 eyeball with a little bit of common sense...

[AyBee]

steve-5snwi said:

Are you buying privately or from a dealer ?

The one I have my eye on is a private sale right now but if I miss that one, it could be from a dealer. Found a local specialist who will do a check for £100 so seems pointless not to get one done at that price in order to get it up on the ramps and checked over for any crash damage or immediate mechanical issues. Also gives me the chance to use anything found as a bargaining tool on the price I think.

[AyBee]

So my original plan of taking it somewhere doesn't work - the buyer is too far away to ask them to do that. I went to see the car on Friday and it all checks out to me, but I'd like to get it checked over independently - who do I use? AA? RAC? Someone else?

Thanks!

[AyBee]

Who did you use please? I think the benefit comes in agreeing a sensible price knowing the issues as well as being able to present it when I come to sell so worthwhile I reckon.