I think this would make a good sticky:

[Rockenreno]

As someone who has never bought a car before in my life, it's tough to know exactly what to expect and what to do when purchasing a car, especially from a private party. Things such as how to transfer the title, registration and state used car taxes are all pretty confusing until you actually do it. It could be useful to first time buyers such as myself that our super-mods or anyone else take special note of what to do in the vehicle purchasing process once you have decided to buy the car. Things that we might forget to do that could later come back and bite us in the arse.

Also any basic haggling advice for dealers would be good. I have a feeling you guys will be explaining a lot of this quite frequently, so maybe start a sticky on it.

Oh, and I like the new forum! Congrats on your mod status Jayson!

[PalmerWMD]

Rock:

As answers pile up, forum moderators, may sticky it depending on content.

Fred..

[SDRonEbay]

Thanks Rock,

Haggling is an art. But the only way to do it successfully is to know your product. Study the vehicle you want to buy before you make any attempt to do so. Know average invoices. Know what options you want. Always check with your bank or credit union first. Don't be afraid to lease although to lease you need a beacon score of 680 or higher in most cases. Remember shopping around doesn't mean submitting your credit app at 20 different dealerships. Everytime your credit is pulled your score drops 3 points....INSTANTLY! Salesmen are groomed to keep control of a car deal. Try not to be offended by probing questions but make sure your answers are truthful. In many cases the "bad guy" is not the sales staff but the lenders they are trying to work with. Especially on first time buyers. Also, needing a co-signer is not a bad thing and most first time buyers will need one. Just remember that the co-signer is who the lender is going into business with so another first time buyer would not work.

The most important thing is to have fun and learn. The more you learn, the less likely you'll get hammered by a salesperson.

[Rockenreno]

ooo, thought up something else that could help: common abbreviations in car sales. Stuff like pw = power windows, pm = power mirrors, et al.

btw, I figured out what pp meant once but I forgot... any ideas on what it means?Thanks:D

[SDRonEbay]

pp to me would be power package which is power locks, windows and mirrors but we don't generally use abbreviations like those. (i.e. the 350Z- FLO is floor mats, TMA is trunk mat, SPG is splash guard, SPK is kick plates, etc.)

[pimpingurz]

these are all great advices. be sure to do your research on that specific car. rather it being used or new. my personal experience is with private sellers. withing the past 3 months i had to buy 2 cars from private sellers. they are usually easier to work with, but still becareful. check out everything before you buy. make a list (ie. shocks, tires alignment, windows...) i forgot everything when i got there. when you test drive, dont be afraid to tear it up. Pedal to the medal, but don't get to any trouble. definitely take on the freeway see how it rides, check a/c (smells funny?). things like that. you can check how much it is worth at http://www.carfax.com for a fee. i'm sure you can find it somewhere else for free. as a matter of fact post the VIN# here and ask around NICO, somone with an acct will help.

transfer of title here in Cali is really simple. once you pay the seller off, on the back of the pink slip they just fill in their info and yours than you take the pink slip to the DMV. they will charge you registration fees, few weeks later you will recieve the original pink slip in the mail with your name on it.

loan questions are pretty hard. the only one i can think of is what will happen if you pay extra on the monthly payment? the answer should be NO PENALTY. if there is one than try another company. depending on your credit history, try to shop around for a low interst rate!

good luck, i hope that helps alittle.

[Rockenreno]

pimpin-I was just about to ask a question about transfer of title stuff, but you answered it! Awesome!Should I decide to buy a car I check out from a private seller, is there anything else I need to do besides take the pink slip to the DMV? I also know I need to get insurance, I've got that covered (parents!!):D Do I need a contract of sale or any other funky thing? Thanks guys!

[Repo Man]

Should I decide to buy a car I check out from a private seller, is there anything else I need to do besides take the pink slip to the DMV? I also know I need to get insurance, I've got that covered (parents!!):D Do I need a contract of sale or any other funky thing? Thanks guys!

Getting a receipt of sale is always a good idea, but not absolutely necessary. At least not in the states I'm familiar with. Most states are just as pimpin stated, that is the seller signs off on the back of the title. Mileage and purchase price are also filled in. When I sign over a title, I generally leave the purchase price blank and let the buyer fill it in.

[Rockenreno]

thanks repo;)

[SDRonEbay]

What Repo said.

[pgt892]

You also have to understand what it takes to get the vehicle licensed and registered in your state. Take Indiana for example, because of a rediculous, un-necessary law stating that an out-of-state car must be inspected by an Indiana police officer or by an Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles employee before getting the OK to be titled. This very law has screwed me over on three separate occasions. Because the car must be in the inspected IN THE STATE before it can be titled and registered it makes for quite a headache when buying out of state. I.E. if you buy the car from a private party of out state you cannot legally drive the car back into Indiana because you need a license plate, but to get said license plate you must have the car in Indiana. Sound screwy? It is.

[SDRonEbay]

WOW! That's a new one, but you're right. The way states handle registration are completely different.

[Repo Man]

You also have to understand what it takes to get the vehicle licensed and registered in your state. Take Indiana for example, because of a rediculous, un-necessary law stating that an out-of-state car must be inspected by an Indiana police officer or by an Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles employee before getting the OK to be titled. This very law has screwed me over on three separate occasions. Because the car must be in the inspected IN THE STATE before it can be titled and registered it makes for quite a headache when buying out of state. I.E. if you buy the car from a private party of out state you cannot legally drive the car back into Indiana because you need a license plate, but to get said license plate you must have the car in Indiana. Sound screwy? It is.

Yes! I have been through this with my 240 and my '72 Camaro RS. The deal is, when you bring the car back from out of state, you put a plate from your last car on it. I got pulled over in friggin' Westfield, Indiana after having driven all the way from St. Charles, Illinois and was ticketed for having no plate. I thought that I couldn't have a plate from another car on it or it would go straight to impound. That assbag cop almost towed the car too, even though I was as cooperative as I could possibly be. At least it was a non-points violation.

[fiznat]

I bought my car in a different state too, and I just drove it home without plates.... heh I had my buddies driving right behind me though to help block the sight of any po-pos.

Here in connecticut, though, you can go to the DMV and get a temporary registration (plate) with just the title, bill of sale, and proof of insurance. they give you this paper licence plate thats good for 20 days and you can drive the car anywhere like it's already registered. nifty, eh?