Hey guys,

I tried searching a bit, and came up with a couple things.. but thought maybe I should start a thread anyways, it might be a good idea to have a sticky about this regardless, as I've seen them before on countless other automotive forums

What are some things to look out for when buying used? What simple things do you inspect or examine? What about on the test drive, how do you guys handle it? What are good signs for the stability of the car, or what throws up a warning sign for you?

Any help would be great, and maybe other potential used buyers could benefit too

thanks

 

Make sure the turbo wasn't put in backwards. Another guy on here had that problem and it launched him every time he let off the gas. When he floored it the car slowed down. Be careful of this.

Also, probably want to look for clutch problems and peeling paint around the brake calipers and/or wing. Know the mods that were in the car before you buy it. Oh yeah, ignore that backwards turbo thing.

 

Here is something related I wrote for my site a long time ago:

First off, don't fall in love with the car until it is yours. Too many people make the mistake of being blinded with love for a vehicle and over-looking it's flaws and value. This is a pretty touchy subject, but always remember to be sensible.... it is only a car and there are others out there.

Get all documents on the car, do a car-fax/VIN search. Does the current owner have a history of maintenance? Can he prove what has been done to the car and can he explain whatever faults are present on the vehicle as you see it? Is the car fully insured by the present owner? What kind of character does the current owner have? Is he the first owner? Second owner? Does he know anything about the previous owner?..... all these questions and more should be rumbling through your mind as you look at the vehicle. You need to be focused and very business like, never assume or take anything for granted. Check everything on the car, make sure all little things work, for example the windows, tape player, hood latch etc. Think of it this way, the current owner wants as much as he can for the car, he doesn't know you and probably doesn't care about you. Always assume that he is a crook until proven otherwise.

Take the car for a test drive and let the owner drive it first, observe how he drives the car. Try to make him feel comfortable with you so he can drive the car naturally. Does he "get on it" before the engine is warmed up? Does he let the car cool off after displaying its power or does he just shut it off? These are two major signs of how the car has been treated. Remember that turbo charged cars are very temperamental and need extra care, it is not healthy to step on the throttle before all oils are hot, this causes a tremendous amount of load on the engine. The turbo system gets extremely hot while driving the car hard and if you turn the car off suddenly without doing any "cool-off" driving it could leave you with oil issues and or damaged turbos, usually 2-3 minutes at regular throttle would be sufficient to cool the turbo's down. Now you can take the car for a test spin, make sure to feel how it drives, don't be shy to step on the throttle but be careful you don't wreck the car.

Don't try to look for body repair work, that is way too hard. Instead run your fingers along all creases of the car, it is way easier to feel bondo than it is to see it. If car is wreck free it should always be smooth and not have any small bumps, cracks or other imperfections. Look in the engine bay and look for "over-spray", sometimes body shops get sloppy and forget to mask certain areas.

Take the car to a car technician, make sure you take it to someone you trust. Have them go over the car completely, do a cylinder compression check and make sure it is to factory standards. It might cost more to do this but it is cheaper than having to rebuild your engine a year from now. If you are buying a vehicle that already has after market modifications/parts on it make sure you have done your homework in that field. You would be surprised how stupid some car owners are when it comes to choosing after market parts for their cars. For example, if you see a big after market turbo on the car with stock fuel system and stock intercooler then something will blow up sooner or later, probably sooner.

When buying a car out-of-state, try to get as much info as possible before traveling to see the car. This is very dangerous because the seller will assume that you will buy the car no matter what because you have already made a commitment by flying over there to see the car. Good luck.

There are some things you wont find out about the car and you have to live with that, those are the consequences of buying a used vehicle. As long as the car has had sensible owner(s) it should last a long time. We all learn from our own experiences so it would be hard for us to answer all possible scenarios but this is a good starting point. Remember, it is more of a mentality than anything.

n

 

sureshot was thinking of selling my car

were do you live?

 

thanks for the good advice so far,

i live in buffalo

 

Wish I came across this before I bought my car. I rushed buying my car cause I wanted this car really bad. Should also check the tires and tire thread. Look under the body, might find signs of abuse like i did. Always bring a friend, they may find something you don't and may stop you from rushing a decision.