how to check and test drive a car before buying.

[BeRad]

you can tell if the clutch is rooted by givin it a mighty good flogging ahha, if i was to sell a car id rather have someone punch it in the guts as to try and take off in 4th. one way ticket to destroying it. one take off in 5th will fuck most clutchs *not naming any names* hahahah, so even just trying would make me slap you upside the head.

[Draven]

Pull the oil cap of after a drive and see how fumey the engine is.

There is a lot of talk about cars being in acco's. I really am not one to mind too much if the car has had a bit of a hit, as long as it has been repaired properly.

random question.. what does fumey (petrol-smelling) oil mean?

[andy]

^^^^^^^^^^

1 - to smell for unburnt petrol (engine tuned very rich and/or rings are stuffed)

[Draven]

that'll learn me to read propa.

interestingly enough, my factory-managed 2j engine oil smells like petrol, uses no oil.

[SEXY 16]

firstly take your time to look at a car as it is not a race
always do a revs check
as owner how long thet have had the car for where they bought it and why are they selling it in a nice way
open all doors bonnet and boot area and check the bolts holding bonnet guards and doors if the paint is of the corners they have been off for a reason
check seam sealer in certain areas to see if is cracked or reapplyed usually in a front/rear ender
check all window moulds/rubbers for signs of overspray
check for hail as these cars are harder to insure/get bigger payout if you are unfortunate to have an accident
check for fish eyes/ bog streaks/fine lines/unmatched colour in the paint
if you feel uneasy walk away as it is better to trust your gut trust me
make sure you get all the keys
certain areas are good when buying a car like lakemba lol
check coolant and oil for colour and texture
test drive car for a good 20 minutes to get it up to working temp and allways get a second opinion from someone who knows
check and get a good feel of the car in every aspect of driving braking/steering/under load ect
avoid cars from little old ladies as these are never driven and tend to break from lack of driving and getting to operational temp
check wear on steering wheel/gear nob acc pedal/seats to the milage cars with 50k on the clock should have no wear
lift out the spare wheel and look for creases in the floor well and if in doubt lift up the rubbers
check panels for alignment and bonnet as the gaps bothside should be the same
manufactures use cheaper paint in the engine so if the colour is not the same be aware of this
certain manufacture use there own pot rivets to hold on chassis plate check these
if they have been of walk away
check odometer numbers to see if they line up "dont even bother if it is french lol"
when test driving car stand on the brakes and let go of the steering wheel
she should pull up straight "note do this at your own risk"

hope this helps as this is every day practice for me

sexy

[o_man_ra23]

I do think reality has to prevail tho, dont think you arre going to get all of the above perfect with a $2000 or even a $10000 car - it just isnt going to happen. Most problems with a car thats within most used car budgets a blind man could see. some helpful advice for the worried though!!!

A key also is to look for a car owned by someone that knows their shit - ie they did all the work on it, they know the problems it has etc...Car enthusiasts are also a bonus, as generally speaking they look after their cars.

However, IF you want a perfect ride with no problem/ scratches/ noises, go buy a new car!

Agreed that if you want to pay peanuts for a perfect car your dreamin... but I would hardly call a new car a perfect ride with no problems. Most new cars suffer from the current consumable society problem. Panels are thin and made to rust after 10 yrs. Wires are thin and made to have intermittent problems after 10 yrs. How could they sell new cars if they dont increase in maintenance costs with time?? They didnt have this attitude 30 yrs ago, and are generally quite good for 20 yrs with a resto.

Ranting about the poor build quality of new cars aside, finding problems with a used car is more about knowing what you will need to fix in it rather than knowing whether or not to buy. It is also a good tool for bargaining a price, but you need to know what you can fix yourself. Good thread though, +rep for positive contributers.

Cheers, Owen

[Robbos_Toyotas]

that'll learn me to read propa.

interestingly enough, my factory-managed 2j engine oil smells like petrol, uses no oil.

so do most motors ive ever smelt the oil of. touch and go there - smokey i believe is the only *real* way to tell the rings are gone

[o_man_ra23]

avoid cars from little old ladies as these are never driven and tend to break from lack of driving and getting to operational temp

check odometer numbers to see if they line up "dont even bother if it is french lol"

For a person like me, I dont buy cars for mechanical prowess. I buy for the body. Little old lady cars are often good for this, as they will get the car repaired properly if they have a scrape/dingle. And the windows are often less prone to scratching as they normally dont use the because of the air con, and the security keeping windows closed and doors locked while driving.

As for the odo reading, early cars had 99,999k clocks, so they are useless to determine use anyway.

Cheers, Owen

[BeRad]

i think all that needed to be said in this thread would be, use common sense and if you dont have any as most people dont these days, find someone who does and get them to have a look

[thechuckster]

that'll learn me to read propa.

interestingly enough, my factory-managed 2j engine oil smells like petrol, uses no oil.

most petrol in the oil evaporates as the oil warms up during normal operation (another need for a PCV system in a domestic car) - is important that you do this when engine is cold.

I think the smell test is useful for a daily-driver engine, particularly if the oil has long engine life and irregularly changed - bad maintenance plus dodgy oil means rebuild time sooner rather than later.

The oil in a turbo/highly-stressed engine is probably changed more frequently, thus the degredation of the oil from petrol contamination is mostly avoided.

The smell test would still be applicable if done as a comparison (check cold, go for a drive without a major flogging, check oil for petrol smell).