Main Menu:
OK, there are lots of car buying guides out there, some better than others but they've all got their merits. They'll state things like 'look for signs of over-spray' or 'check for a mayonnaise like substance in the oil filler cap', but what does over-spray look like? and does a bit of mayo always mean the head-gasket has gone?
In this guide, I'll go into more detail and give examples of what to look for in a general sense. This information has been gathered over years of car hunting and is therefore exhaustive. However, there are links to 'Quick Checks' for those who want a quick, less detailed summary.
I've broken this down into the steps involved in buying a used car, each heading will take you to that specific page:
- Different sites can have different kinds of cars.
- Time of year can help or hinder you.
- Where and why certain cars are sold privately or through the trade.
- Where the cars come from, generally.
- How to best refine your search
- What should an advert contain? and what does it mean?
- Spotting sellers you'd rather not waste time with.
- Information you can obtain before even calling.
- The right questions to ask.
- Setting up the negotiation before leaving your house.
- Things to look for before even knocking the front door.
- Signs that the car may have had an accident or repair.
- General mechanical items to look for.
- What should the paperwork contain.