Top Tips when viewing a car

[Fabergé Greggs]

Personally I would never buy a car unless it was being sold on behalf of the vendors father who bought it from their neighbour who was a doctor and had it since nearly new, the first owner being the manufacturer. 
 

Hugely simplifies the buying experience because with lineage like that the condition of the car is completely irrelevant. 

[HMC]

I would only ever buy an accident damaged car if it had been in “excellent pre accident condition” as quoted in the advert.
 

Check that 11 of the 12 photos are pretty ones of it before hand, with only the last photo showing it wrapped around a tree, that isn’t that important - look how nice it looked before hand.

[sdkrc]

PROTIP: Keep an eye out for ads which say 'future classic' or 'prices are only going one way'. This is trader lingo and means that it's likely a bargain and will probably appreciate in value

[Kiltox]

Always find a car as far away from your home as possible and then negotiate a discount because you’ll need to travel to get it. The seller will ALWAYS understand that it being hundreds of miles away is THEIR problem, not yours. 

[Rust Collector]

‘Always buy a silver car, it will be much easier to sell later down the line; even though Autotrader will be flooded with identical cars of the same spec, mileage and colour because everyone else also bought silver. Don’t worry about the fact it’s dull, a car is supposed to be a reflection of your personality’

Had a few customers sat the other side of the desk who’ve said ‘we really prefer the green/yellow/red/blue/black’ but silver is easier to keep clean and easier to sell later down the line so we will have that instead’. Sure mr customer, silver is in stock and I get paid either way. Why have the car you want for the next 3 years, you’re only spending £18,000 in cash after all. Resale Silver it is.

See also at the other end of the scale, the man who will only consider buying a secondhand pre-facelift Jazz EX manual in pale yellow with less than 10,000 miles on the clock, and rings every few days to ask if you’ve found one yet… no mr customer, the only other person in the country with identical taste* as you is still keeping his one.

I’ll add that I have a resale silver personality car, in case there’s any silver enthusiasts out there 😁

[cort16]

Turn up to see the car by being dropped of by a friend and wear dark glasses, hold a white stick in one hand and a labrador in the other.

Assess the car by commenting the body work feels rough while running your hand along any near by wall. Also comment on the condition and smell of the upholstery while rubbing the top of your labrador.

Insist on a test drive and if the seller refuses this indicates they're a bad person and probably haven't looked after the car properly. Walk away.

[captain_70s]

Don't.

Always buy a car blind, it's a fun and legal thrill.

[Rust Collector]

7 minutes ago, Kiltox said:

Always find a car as far away from your home as possible and then negotiate a discount because you’ll need to travel to get it. The seller will ALWAYS understand that it being hundreds of miles away is THEIR problem, not yours. 

In a similar vein:

‘Be sure to point out that there’s one cheaper nearby. The seller won’t be clever enough to ask why you didn’t buy that one and are looking at the more expensive option, so they’ll never know that it wasn’t the right colour, spec or mileage and you wouldn’t consider buying it. Instead, they’ll be so panicked that they will give you a hefty discount to avoid you buying this other better* car!’

[cort16]

The last couple of cars I've been to see it's almost like the people are totally unprepared to sell them. Short MOTs, filthy inside and out, bonnets not opening, documents still half lost and having to be dug out while you're there. 

[sierraman]

2 hours ago, RoverFolkUs said:

Make sure to ask as many frivolous questions as possible, especially with cheap cars as they're most likely to have hidden problems

Check the air con works, ask the seller when it was last regassed

Check the MOT history, if it ever gets an advisory twice in a row then that definitely means it hasn't been looked after (🙄)

Make sure all the accessories work like radio, heated screen

Spend £150 on an AA inspection

Once you're happy with all the above points, ensure to make an insulting offer. If the seller is asking £500, they probably only want £400 so be sure to waste your time and theirs by opening negotiations at around £250

Deduct £450 if the vehicle has not got four new cross climates fitted. 

[Kiltox]

3 minutes ago, sierraman said:

Deduct £450 if the vehicle has not got four new cross climates fitted. 

Refuse to test drive it unless they’re changed there and then, can’t take the risk. 

[vaughant]

I went to look at a Z4 before with my uncles 2nd wife. 

It was ok, nothing really wrong with it to be fair but the salesmans bollox about a FSH did make me chuckle. 

I looked through the book and at 7 years old it had been serviced twice. 

I said to him "thought this one was FSH mannie" (as he was fae BUCKIE KENNNN??), "Aye it is, they're every 2 years now and 25k miles". 

Are they really? 

Car was bang on though so she bought it anyway despite trying to knock £2k off for cash, he was at least honest about that and said he'd rather she financed it 🤣🤣🤣. 

I buy a car as a car, not from the person selling it,been to plenty of old boys houses in nice areas and bought a pile of shit and conversely met dodgy as fuck boys in petrol stations turning up with 4 mates driving round endless roads to turn up at a rough as fuck garage in some sink estate only to buy a cracker of a car. 

Not very auotoshite but be prepared to walk away. 

I see so many folk on here put onus on a car having all round Michelins as a "sign it's been cared for" but I'd be more interested in a receipt for a clutch or timing belt. Often those same folk seem to find a few hidden nasties soon after that end up costing them dear, but surely the seller didn't know it was fucked as he lived in a nice house in the Cotswolds? 

Be aware that sometimes really well off people have kept their cars going on a shoestring each year until mot man says "get rid" as they don't see the point of spending £60k on a car every year when the volvo estate just keeps on going. 

 Now if they've done that for 20 years, why have they suddenly decided to buy a brand new one? 

I've found decent sellers are usually those who are just honest about the car and it's faults, the Partner I just bought is a good example, it wasn't perfect but they did undersell it a bit IMO however he was very honest and said despite the low miles they've put on it, it hasn't had a belt done and needed a few bits for the mot they got done as part of a service beforehand. 

He didn't ask for a deposit, just a good old fashioned handshake. 

Can't fault it. 

 

[sierraman]

2 minutes ago, Kiltox said:

Refuse to test drive it unless they’re changed there and then, can’t take the risk. 

Ring the ADAC at once and get it trailered to Dusseldorf for inspection. 

[Kiltox]

3 minutes ago, sierraman said:

Ring the ADAC at once and get it trailered to Dusseldorf for inspection. 

Especially if your kids r gonna b in dat kar, can’t be too careful 

[Bren]

Seller says " getting rare now"

Because they aren't worth saving.

[MJK 24]

29 minutes ago, sierraman said:

Deduct £450 if the vehicle has not got four new cross climates fitted. 

I don’t know why people think Cross Climates are expensive / not worth the money?

The Queen signed off every batch, personally.

 

[sdkrc]

I only get tyres recommended and approved by Harry Redknapp

[timolloyd]

I make a beeline for any ad that begins with ‘just testing the water’.

That’s a sure sign the vehicle is a under valued and you can be assured of a quick and efficient sale.

Even more so if the owner is a member of the relevant model-specific club.

[Ohdearme]

Make sure to check the underside of the car by lying underneath it. In case they are using shadows to hide rust, ask them to move forward whilst you observe the floor.

lying parallel to the wheels is generally advised.

[DavidB]

Ask seller if he knows where the OBD port is. If he knows exactly where it is and answers immediately, assume he’s cleared error codes before you’ve arrived.
 

Ask if the EML light comes on. This will add extra excitement when it does eventually come on after two minutes of starting and seller can say ‘it’s never done that before’.

 

[maxxo]

you mean........people actually go and view a car?

wow

i've always just immeditately transferred the asking price then worked out how to get it

[Rust Collector]

‘Never buy the first car you see. However, make sure that the first car you see is the one you definitely want to buy. Even though it’s exactly what you want, and you have absolutely no objection to the car or deal, refuse to buy it on the grounds it’s the first car you’ve looked at. The salesman will likely suggest a holding deposit so that you have first refusal and avoid disappointment as he can’t hold it without a level of commitment from you, don’t pay this though as it’s a scam to trap you!

Now go and look at several cars you don’t want to buy, ideally taking 2-3 days with no contact to the original seller.

When you finally come back unannounced to the first car you saw, and find that it’s been sold whilst you were dithering, be sure to get angry and shout at the salesman. ‘You knew I was going to buy it!’, ‘you sold it from underneath me!’ and ‘you should have called me when someone else decided to buy it’ are all ideal things to shout at him and will definitely result in the deal being cancelled and the car being sold to you instead of the person who saw it, liked it and dealt straight up.’

[RoverFolkUs]

1 hour ago, cort16 said:

The last couple of cars I've been to see it's almost like the people are totally unprepared to sell them. Short MOTs, filthy inside and out, bonnets not opening, documents still half lost and having to be dug out while you're there. 

There's a bloke near me who is a serial private trader operating with various fake Facebook profiles and is always punting on quick flips

There was an Alto up for £250 yesterday morning, he'd bagged it and marked it up to £875 by the afternoon. Fair play to him. 

But in the advert ...

"Needs a good clean inside but I don't have the time to do that"

The lazy bastard! 

Although a seller like you describe is how I bagged my Xsara Picasso, it was used to carry dogs around, full of junk in the back, filthy + smelly inside, filthy outside, lost paperwork (the V5, which turned up in the end) and the battery was flat on viewing. But it was low mileage and had a decent length of MOT so I took a punt and it actually came up brilliant. Filthy rich owners, they also have a lambo (!) They clearly just didn't care, it was very cheap though so saw past all those natural alarm bells in an Autoshite way!

[NorfolkNWeigh]

Always text the seller as Sarah wanting a safe little runabout for taking the kids to school.

Then when you arrive mob handed in a foreign plated , but RHD Passat they’ll be so intimidated they’ll give you the car for nothing.

[Kiltox]

2 minutes ago, RoverFolkUs said:

There's a bloke near me who is a serial private trader operating with various fake Facebook profiles and is always punting on quick flips

There was an Alto up for £250 yesterday morning, he'd bagged it and marked it up to £875 by the afternoon. Fair play to him. 

But in the advert ...

"Needs a good clean inside but I don't have the time to do that"

The lazy bastard! 

This kinda shit really boils my piss - I don't mind people making a few quid flipping cars but at least clean the cunt!

[Low Horatio gearbox]

Some sellers are unscrupulous and wild bodge with filler and paint  over it.

A pro tip is to use a magnet to find any less than  brilliant repairs... you dont need to take your own if the car is decent it will have a stereo - if it doesnt have a stereo just  walkaway. Take one if the speakers out door/dash/parcel shelf  and slide it over all the panels - no point picking it up and plonking it down here and there you will never find all the filler that way.

Be careful the speaker magnets are a bit heavy and you may drop it on the ground a few times- dont worry if it picks up some road crap this just shows the magnet is working.

[groovyboovy]

er,  do not use any of the advice above, unless its me selling you a car

[Mrcento]

Always seek out a car a little further away than ideal, then inform the seller their asking price is too high and you can buy a better one much closer to home for far less.

Of course, the seller will be grateful say 'oh my gosh, you are correct, i will undercut that seller AND compensate you for the journey if you buy mine and will never tell you.... 'Well go fucking buy that one then, save yourself a journey and cash, and get a better example, problem solved'.

[HMC]

Itemising a list of expenditure is essential. Tyres, cam belt, re spray, detailing and maybe a few choice upgrades and accessories. 

Make sure the vendor knows it’s gonna cost. If the amount doesn’t exceed the value of the car try adding travel expenses and sustinence. 

At this stage it should be then explained that as all this exceeds the asking price THEY should pay YOU to complete the transaction, by that amount. Use of a spreadsheet could help to settle the matter.

[Split_Pin]

1 hour ago, RoverFolkUs said:

There's a bloke near me who is a serial private trader operating with various fake Facebook profiles and is always punting on quick flips

There was an Alto up for £250 yesterday morning, he'd bagged it and marked it up to £875 by the afternoon. Fair play to him. 

But in the advert ...

"Needs a good clean inside but I don't have the time to do that"

The lazy bastard! 

Although a seller like you describe is how I bagged my Xsara Picasso, it was used to carry dogs around, full of junk in the back, filthy + smelly inside, filthy outside, lost paperwork (the V5, which turned up in the end) and the battery was flat on viewing. But it was low mileage and had a decent length of MOT so I took a punt and it actually came up brilliant. Filthy rich owners, they also have a lambo (!) They clearly just didn't care, it was very cheap though so saw past all those natural alarm bells in an Autoshite way!

Unless it's literally scrap money, never buy a car that's dirty.  If they are too fucking lazy to clean it they are a) Too lazy to do anything else to the car  that may be necessary b) Insulting your intelligence.