Car viewing etiquette??

ASBO

Hi, hoping to buy my first car so hope these questions don't make me seem too stupid. I'm arranging to view car tomorrow evening. It's a private seller. Sounds genuine from phone calls. What's the norm for test driving, (do you leave deposit, do they come with, is there insurance issues?).

Then all going well & we agree a price whats the norm to secure the deal. Should I hand over some cash (deposit) or is it a gentlemans agreement.

As i say, new to all this so appreciate your advice.

Thanks

jor el

Generally they would come with you. You should be insured to drive the car in question, which would mean you already have insurance and it covers you to drive other cars. The car itself should be insured too. If it isn't, you can't legally drive it on public roads.

If you're buying, leave a deposit. Don't be too quick though, if you leave it a day or two to say you're looking at others, and then make an offer over the phone, it might be better for you.

Meet at his place too. Make sure the car starts from cold, and there's no oil or anything on the ground under it when you move it. Have a look under the bonnet and make sure it looks OK. A sparkly clean engine is a bad sign and means he's cleaned it. The only reason to clean the engine would be to hide signs of leaking oil. Obviously filthy dirty and covered in oil would also be bad.

Johnny Utah

Fold your arms and subtly kick the front tyre a few times. Then, stroke your chin, mutter something under your breath, and offer him half what he's looking for............

bazz26

Ideally bring someone with you who is familiar with this sort of thing, they might spot things that you will not. Also check the documentation such as the car's VIN, registered owner's name and address, etc, to make sure they match. Also never view a car in the dark or rain as it may hide previous repair work.

If you really like the car after the test drive and agree a price with the seller, leave a small deposit to reserve it. Then arrange another day with the seller to come back with a mechanic to examin the car. Do not buy it without first having a qualified mechanic that you trust give it the thumbs up as you will have no comeback from a private sale.

ianflynn

Johnny Utah wrote: »

Fold your arms and subtly kick the front tyre a few times. Then, stroke your chin, mutter something under your breadth, and offer him half what he's looking for............

seems to be the way these days alright. although i disagree with going to his. some people dont like that as theres alot of theft's lately.

bazz26

Another thing btw, when test driving the car pay attention to the car itself i.e. the way it drives, sounds, etc. It is very easy to start chatting to the seller and miss something that might not sound or feel 100%.

Also look for the service history and take note of the details on each service stamp such as the garage's name, what was done and the mileage recorded at the time. When you get home then ring the garages in question to verify this.

Eoin

bazz26 wrote: »

Another thing btw, when test driving the car pay attention to the car itself i.e. the way it drives, sounds, etc. It is very easy to start chatting to the seller and miss something that might not sound or feel 100%.

Also look for the service history and take note of the details on each service stamp such as the garage's name, what was done and the mileage recorded at the time. When you get home then ring the garages in question to verify this.

As an extension of that, turn off the radio and the fans as well so they aren't covering up any other noises.

jor el wrote:

Meet at his place too.

This makes perfect sense from a buyer's point of view, but as a seller I don't know if I would want complete strangers meeting me outside my own home. Perhaps arrange to meet at the seller's house to pick up the car if you decide to buy it.

A deposit could be hard to recover if you find the service history doesn't match up and don't want to go ahead with it. If you really like the car, you could offer to pay €30 as a good will gesture on the condition that the car is removed from carzone etc. But let's face it - it's not a seller's market out there, so you have the upper hand either way.

ShadowHearth

Post above should give you really nice info.

Thought when i go to check out private sale, even if its on ather side of island, i newer take money with me.

If i really like car i give deposit of 100 eu max. And if i am doubting on it, it saves me from making spontanias purchase. ( try allways give a good day on thinking about car, dont grab it straith away even if you like it more then life it self). Its better to losse 100eu, then buying yourself a headacke m8.

Like it was mentioned: Be very carefull with shiny washed engines. It could be washed becouse owner really loves his car, or it could be washed becouse it was covered in oil.
If you see only alot of dust/mud on engine and no oil signs = 75% that engine is atleast in good working condition m8.

When you doing a test drive make sure to use all gears. I know stories, when cars were tested in car parks only on first and second gear, and when they actually buy a car and go on streets, they find out that those 2 gears are the only one that work! ( not this country thought )

Make sure that you start car from cold, and from hot engine aswell! Check smoke:

1) Pure black smoke - engine is "eating" oil
2) White/blueish - oil is mixing with cooling liquid. ( headgasket gone)

Open radiator cap and container for filling in water for radiator. Make sure theres no mud in it. Turn on the engine, then check water again in there. If its bubling, just walk away.

I personally newer rang mine insurance for test drive... I just take car and have a spin it it. No point changing car on cover, if you will check it and newer come back to it... Waste of call in mine opinion.

Log book... If you decided to buy that car, ask for salesman an ID and check Name on logbook. And dont trust owner to send it out. Do it together! fill in, put it in to envelope, and make sure you see it go to mailbox!

Ill try to think a few more things m8. Hope it will help. Il be looking for one more car now aswell, so need to remember stuff again

ASBO

Cheers for the info folks. All very helpful. The car is old but has very low mileage, (less than 35k for a 02 but the reason i believe is genuine), am I wrong to assume that's a good thing, or can idle cars develop big problems through relative inactivity?

Seller is happy to meet at his, and I aint a thief but I know where you're coming from.

That's good advice about starting her from cold. I have a basic knowledge of car engine but I'm probably putting a lot of faith in the seller who I feel is genuine. I told him my situation (first time buyer) and he told me his. Might bring a mechanic I know though after leaving deposit.

Will defo check for service history, but in saying that I don't have one for the car I share with my sister & it has been serviced regularly!

Anan1

ShadowHearth wrote: »

I personally newer rang mine insurance for test drive... I just take car and have a spin it it. No point changing car on cover, if you will check it and newer come back to it... Waste of call in mine opinion.

If the seller doesn't have open driving on their policy then your own policy will cover you third party at best in the event that you crash the car.

Eoin

ShadowHearth wrote: »

I personally newer rang mine insurance for test drive... I just take car and have a spin it it. No point changing car on cover, if you will check it and newer come back to it... Waste of call in mine opinion.

Most insurance policies would only cover you third party on the car you're testing, so the seller would be quite entitled not to let you drive unless you've got full cover.

stealthyspeeder

Te guys have mostly covered them all, I would add

Dont drive with the radio on (but check it works!)

listen for engine note smoothness and check for "clunking" between gear changes

check all all lights, ask the seller to turn them on while you observe from the outside

check spare wheel is there, and jack, if it has alloys, check the lock nut is there!

mumblin deaf ro

If you're concerned, and if you don't mind the expense, the AA will inspect the car and do a report for you - costs about €300 I think.

bazz26

mumblin deaf ro wrote: »

If you're concerned, and if you don't mind the expense, the AA will inspect the car and do a report for you - costs about €300 I think.

There are independant companies providing this service for alot less.

Eoin

bazz26 wrote: »

There are independant companies providing this service for alot less.

Yep, and for some cars it might be worth bringing it to a specialist for that make in case there are issues specific to that model that need to be looked for.

Guy:Incognito

jor el wrote: »

A sparkly clean engine is a bad sign and means he's cleaned it. The only reason to clean the engine would be to hide signs of leaking oil. Obviously filthy dirty and covered in oil would also be bad.

Not always in fairness. Some people just like to keep their car clean. If the engine is clean and the rest of the car manky then maybe.

When I bought my Xantia in the UK, the Engine bay was immaculate and I've kept it the same. There hasnt been a drop of any fluid spilled on it or leakign from it.

vincenzolorenzo

mumblin deaf ro wrote: »

If you're concerned, and if you don't mind the expense, the AA will inspect the car and do a report for you - costs about €300 I think.

That is daylight robbery!!!

mumblin deaf ro

I just paid almost €300 (not to the AA) for a classic car inspection in the Uk and it was well worth it in my view - lower risk for newer cars obviously.

Seth Brundle

vincenzolorenzo wrote: »

That is daylight robbery!!!

My father got his car checked out years ago. The level of detail they went into was unreal! Well worth the money IMO!

pcardin

I think that all depends for what amount you are going to buy a car. If it will be 500euro max then Johnny Utah version will be the only one.

pcardin

sorry