Buying a used car can get to be a complicated task. Unless you know what to look for you can easily get scammed out of your hard earned cash. One of the biggest problem tuners have is buying a car that they've been searching for to start their projects, and transformation, because they find a car that's in their price range and end up having to postpone the project in order to get the car running or rolling right. That's why the tech team at Generation Imports has put this page together to give you tips on finding the right deal for your project car.
1. Set up a plan
-The first thing you need to do is look at what type of project you want to plan to tackle. Buy a car that is easier to work with in order to accomplish your goal sooner.
-Next, set a budget for your project. This will help you decide if restoring the car you're looking at will set your plans back.
-If you dont already have a specific car in mind, look into a car that's easy to work with. If your car is going to be specificly for show, then you don't need a speed demon but more of a clean, elegant vehicle. But if you're going towards the track-ready approach than you may want to look into a car that comes stock with a decent amount of horse power.
2. Means of Purchase
Besides choosing the right car to buy, the biggest decision is deciding where you going to buy it from. The three biggest means of purchasing a used vehicle are: Used Car Dealership, Private Party, Online.
-Used Car Dealership, can sometimes be the easiest way to find the car you're looking for around your town. The problem is that the Dealers normally like to overcharge as much as possible. Normally the only thing on their mind is getting more money. But on the other hand you can more than likely set up a payment plan, making it alot easier to afford that hard-to-find car you've set your sights on.
-Private Parties, unlike Used Car Dealers, may have the opposite thought on their mind. Often the only thing they're thinking of is how to get rid of the car that's yellowing the grass in front of their house. But they are also hard to pursuade if they've had the vehicle for long, and/or if they're the original owner. But there's also some shady people out there that are only trying to get top dollar out of a car that's on the brink of a blown motor, tranny, or some other major repair. Although not everybody is crooked, you might have a better chance of finding a great deal, being someone may have started a project already and invested some time and money that might have been difficult for you to achieve.
-The Internet may be the most accessable of the three, but also the most risky. Often you find the best deals online but sacrifice the ability to inspect and testdrive the car. But you can avoid purchasing faulty equipment by doing your homework and researching the vehicle and seller. Often, sites like Ebaymotors have information and reviews about the sellers. Another aspect that must be taken into consideration is the shipping costs. Sure you may find that 98' Supra you've been looking for and for a great price, but if you live in Ohio and the car's all the way over in Cali' then you either have to travel all the way across the country to get it or pay for it to be shipped.
3. Proper Tools
Having the proper equipment with you at the time can mean the difference of being scammed and getting the best deal.
-Magnet. Having a magnet on hand allows you to check for any body damage that has been repaired with body filler.
-Pen and paper, these items allow you to jot down any notes about the car, and also allows you to copy down V.I.N. code to check later for any record of vehicle damage or theft, and the Odometer and Liscense plate number.
-Also having a friend or family member that is familiar with cars come along helps. If you aren't familiar with vehicles, having someone with you that is can be very useful.
4. Inspecting the Vehicle
The Outside
-Using the magnet by running it along side the body of the car will help indicate any bodyfiller, meaning prior damage and possible frame damage due to accidents.
-By checking the tires for uneven wear and unusual baldness, you can identify the owner's driving habits and possibile suspension malfunction.
-Press down on all four corners of the vehicle to make sure the suspension is in good working condition.
-Look under the car for any liquids, meaning possible ecessive engine or tranny wear.
-Check for any rust spots on the body as well as under the vehicle. Especially in states like Michigan, as there are harsh winters that eat at the bottom of the vehicles. A car with a rusty undercarriage may be hard to work with later in your project. If the car is too rusty you should think of finding another vehicle instead, even if it's a good deal.
The Inside
-Check the miles on the odometer and compare them to the interior of the car. If the Odo says theres 15k miles on the car but the interior is totally beat up, that tells you the Odo is wrong or the owner didn't take care of the car at all.
-Check the fuses. Aftermarket feuses are often a different style than the stock. If the fuses are all mix matched, meaning if there's 4 different 10 amp fuses and they all look different then there's probably an electrical problem somewhere.
-Check to make sure all the windows and the sunroof, if equipted, open and close smoothly.
-Also check to make sure that all the locks and door handles work properly.
-If it's important to you, check to make sure the AC unit works properly as well as the Heater unit.
-Look at the interior upholstery for any wear and tear. Reupholstery can get quite expensive and can take alot of time.
-While you're in the car if it's a manual transmission, shift through the gears to make sure they shift easy.
-Also check to see if the Emergency brake works by having a friend push the vehicle with it engaged and disengaged.
-Pump the brakes a couple times and make sure the pedal holds its stiffness. If it starts to move towards the floor slowly that can mean possible hydrolic problems.
Under the Hood
-Check the oil level and viscosity. If the oil is low this could mean possible engine wear and oil pressure should be observed. If the oil is high, it could mean over pressurized oil lines and crank case, meaning possible engine damage. If the oil smells like gas the piston rings could possibly be bad.
-Check the coolant level and characteristics. If it's foamy or contains oil you probably have a bad head gasket. Also check the condition of the coolant hoses, make sure they aren't too soft to where they collapse under pressure and also make sure they aren't stiff and flaky.
-Make sure all the vaccumm hoses are connected and present.
-Check the air filter. If it's stock or extremely dirty, chances are the engine hasn't been maintained and serviced regularly.
The Testdrive
-When cranking the car over, listen for any improper cranking rythms. If the engine turns over faster at certain parts than others, the vehicle may have some serious compression problems. Also listen for any tapping sounds, that could possibly mean broken internal parts. As well as any pinging, leading to engine detonation.
-While the engine is running, take the oilfiller cap off and feel over top of the filler spout for any pulsation of air coming from the crankcase. Also take a piece of paper and place it about a inch away from the tail pipe and listen for any improper taping rythm on the paper. If accessable take the intake piping off of the throttle body and feel just outside the throttle for any backpressure, or gust of air, exiting the throttle. These may help you find any compression loss in the cylinder.
-While driving, feel for any vibrations in the steering wheel. This could possibly mean a loose steering rack or unbalanced tires.
-Drive straight with a friend watching from outside the vehicle. If you're driving straight and the car looks like its turning then the frame may be messed up. Also they can observe any vibrations of the wheels.
-Check the car's acceleration from a dead stop. Make sure it shifts through all gears smoothly, as well as downshifts. Check the braking force, of both the pedal brakes as well as the Emergency brakes.
-Also while you're driving have your friend check around inside the car to make sure everything's in tact and in working order.
-Check to make sure the gauges are working properly. Oil pressure should read around 30psi at idle and about 60psi while driving. Coolant temp should rise slightly during your test drive, if it doesn't it could possibly be a bad sensor unit or gauge. Watch the gas gauge, this could provide information of poor gas mileage, or a faulty gauge.
-Make sure sometime in the test drive you take the car on the highway. Driving at 70 mph you can observe any vibrations or suspension problems. If the car pulls to a certain direction substansually, than the alignment may be out of tune.
5. Getting the best deal
-Remember the golden rule: "If it sounds to good to be true, it probably is." Don't just go for the first cheap car you see.
-Never buy a car at the asking price. Always negotiate the price, chances are the seller set the price a little higher than what he expects in order to set standards of negotiation.
-Dont forget, you can walk away. This can also be a good negotiating tool as well. If you start to walk away the seller may crack under pressure of needing money or having to get rid of car. If not, either make the choice to pay his price or look for another car.
-Always leave your name and number with the seller of the car if you're walking away from the buy. If later he decides he needs the money and will go down in price, he knows where to find you.
-Always write a receipt of purchase, and have the seller sign it. This makes so the seller can't accuse you of stealing the car.
Other Tips
-Keep in mind what your plans for your project is when your looking for the car. If you're planning on getting a Honda Civic and putting an Integra motor in it, you don't need to buy the Si version because you can spend less money on the Dx version. Basically if you're looking to do an engine swap, or replace all the internals of the engine, you don't need to find a car that's in perfect running condition, or even in running condition at all.
-Along with the tip above, look for ways to lower the price of the car. Just don't sacrifice overlooking something that you may need. Let's say you're going to put a body kit on the car and the front and rear bumpers are cracked. Use that to lower the price. If you're looking to get a custom interior, then you don't need the best looking interior already in the car. Take all that into consideration when finding the car. As long as it has the essentials that you need for your project.
-Make sure you check the V.I.N. codes. Compare the V.I.N. on the dash to the V.I.N. stamped on the engine. If they're different then that means that the original engine was probably damaged and this is a different engine. If you check the V.I.N. online you can find out what car this engine came out of and how it was aquired.
Turbocharged Tips
-Stay away from high mileage Turbocharged cars unless you plan on rebuilding both the turbo and engine. You dont know how much the turbo has been beaten on. Also poor maintenance can lead to premature damage to the turbo.
-Check for oil leaks around the turbo. Warm the car up and observe the color of the smoke. If it has a blue tint to it, chances are that theres a leak at the turbo shaft seals. Another way to find any internal leaks is to disconnect the pipeing and wipe inside.
-Check the oil from the crankcase. If it looks old and worn, this could be a sign of poor maintnence, and possible damage.
-Remove the inlet piping and check the blades for any foreign objects. If the air filter has been removed, dirt and rocks may be in the turbo, and possibly in the engine.
-While the inlet piping is removed spin the turbine and make sure it spins smooth and freely. Also pull back and forth and up and down on the shaft to make sure that the bearings are still in healthy working order.
-If the turbo is water cooled, check around the water inlet for rust. If any rust gets into the turbohousing it could damage the turbo.
-White hair-line cracks on the exhaust manifold is a red light to showing any overheating and lean mixtures. This can be a big sign on how the car was treated, and the internal characteristics of the turbo and the engine.
-Try and find a car to where the previous owner had already put the money into a new turbo. This means less money out of your pocket, and therefore more money to your project.