Going to see a used car tonight. Tips?
 

Im going to look at a car tonight. Im bringing a flashlight to do some checking. What should I look for guys/girls?

Since I dont drive manual, my dad will take it for a spin, but when we are looking around the car, what are some things to look at?

thanks.

Don't look at it at night....

Look to see if any panels are out of whack...

Check the panel gap...

Don't look at it during the rain...

Miscoloured body panels...

:D

What about engine wise or anythign like that? Or listen to things to see how they sound?

Check to see what the fluids look like, this will be a good indication of how well it was maintained. If fluids were changed at the proper intervels then they should look pretty clean.

Take a magnet with you to move over the body panels, this will tell you if there is any bondo on the car.

Check the exhaust, the newer it looks the better. These are some of the things I would look at.

Good luck and enjoy shopping!

FAQ here...

:thumbup:

Matt, make sure you don't get overly excited.. The dude will obviously try and unload it as quick as possibly.. Always take a night to sleep on the car and see how you feel about it the next morning before you purchase it..

That's my biggest advice to you. Besides that, drive it and ask as many questions as you want, don't be afraid of the seller.

Best of luck!
Shokker

Don't be afraid to floor it either on the test drive...

If the owner complains...

Just say you are testing for any hesitation in the motor or tranny slip...

Yeh. Maybe he wont come for the test drive with us, if we give him the keys to our van.

Dude, if it's a later model, get underneath it and inspect the floors and rocker panels. Poke them, check for rust, patch jobs etc. If this guy is straight-up about selling the car, he won't mind if you take it to your mechanic.. (which you should do BTW, just for a quick inspection). Get the VIN and spend 20 bucks at the ministry for a used car kit, it's always good to check for leans, how many owners, etc. It's better to spend a couple bucks to protect yourself, then to spend thousands to get screwed.. right? Good luck, Terry.

Ok just got back.

Heres the scoop. I used the magnet, and found that he had done a patch job on both rear 1/4 panels, (typical hondas), it wasn't that bad but after inspection i could see that it had been patched from inside the wheel well in both 1/4 panels.

Car has 162,000 km's on it, mint interior, very clean. No rust on the doors, or anywhere else besides the rear 1/4 panels.

Car has ZC engine (checked the block and saw the Cam censor for DOHC). Guy put a brand new exhaust on (from headers back, inc. cat converter and all new pipeing etc).

It has intake, with k&n filter. New windshield, clutch, pain job etc.

Comes with 16" rims, with low profile tires, with lotsa rubber left.

Were goign back tomorro for a test drive and better inspection in the day light.

He wants $4400 for it, we might work it down.

its e-tested and i think he said he will get it certified.

I hope this might help you:

Umm dont give up when barging the price! He wants to sell the car but also wants the most money. Somewhere there is a medium and then you find it and you get a deal. You say xxx and he says no and you say xxx.....keep doing it but be serious about it and he will break down and suggest a medium, but keep YOUR price firm dont give in.

$4000 even if the e-test works out...

Scare him into the deal with a $1000 cash deposit..

Go get em if its the car for you....

But make sure you've shoppped around and know EXACTLY what your buying???

Yeh thanks guys. I know I really wanted a CRX before a 4th gen, but would take one too. For the price, I think its a really nice car, with lower km's on it, because most crx's are like 88' and have over 200,000 on th ebody alone.

Thanks everyone for your help, but i went again today, and noticed alot more body work had been done to the car. Bumper didn't line up properly, doors stuck out, and i noticed alot of bondo int he rear fender, and in the corner of the doors that I didn't last night.

I decided to walk away. It was hard but I didn't want to buy a car that would have rust come back after a year or so, then spend major cash to do it right.

:thumbup: Walking away from a deal is a really hard thing to do.

I think the most important thing at looking at a car, is finding one with a good body.

Thats alright many more where that one came from...

Good eye...

:thumbup:

Let me ask you something, are you buying this car for transportation, or are you buying this car for speed??

If i was going for speed and had a 5000 budget, i would pick up a used V6 protege/323 for that price range..

OUt of the box it will run high 13's... and will cost you no where near as much for a used honda!

I miss my protege so much, but once i slam the gas on my new 2k2, my feelings tend to disappear!

ED
Low 14's STOCK!! Baby

I dont like the quality of Mazda.

Interesting comment..

Quality of mazda??

Case in fact, my old protege sported a 1.8L BPD motor.. it was far superior over any civic engine possibly including the DOHC B16a..

Although it may not have the horsepower to match, the torque is all there, and if you get down to specs, it will blow the cans off the honda motor..

Case in point, civic motors are all open deck. 1.8L mazda motors are closed, and are turbo ready motors.. I know many miata guys running 15psi stock all day all night.. You try that on a honda motor that is not build and lets talk about quality..

Mazda 1.8BP motor is a closed deck, oil cooled pistons, and one hell of a strong bottom end.

Unfortunately the 2.0L pos mazda engine in the newer proteges are more comparable in quality to your civic motors... They can't take that much boost..

I redlined my 1.8L mazda engine everyday at 7200rpms, and after 220,000kms, still no problems. Engine never burned oil and the compression tested out perfectly.

I don't know where you get the comment that mazda has poor quality, because in actual fact, in know may civics with much poorer quality that mazdas.. In fact my girlfriends civic si 1996 is a POS and the car isn't even driven hard..

TO be honest, mazda is just as good if not better than honda in quality. In the styling department i am leaning more towards mazda now because honda seems to be blind on how ugly their newer cars are becoming, CASE IN POINT (CIVIC SIR, 7th GEN ACCORD etc..)

ED

I still dont like mazda. From experiences I have heard about and from some people I know, they have had troubles with their cars, with the engines and such, Im not leaning towards mazda. If you like it thats fine, but not me.