The truth about buying a car

[240Knightrider]

Everyone hates when they have to buy a car and they feel they are getting ripped off. Or when they do buy a car for what they thought they were getting a good deal really didnt

1st Rule: Always ALWAYS check carfax. Carfax is not always accurate but you might just learn something about the car the the previous owner either did not want to inform you of, or didnt know themselves.

2. NEVER buy the car at night, daytime is great for looking at the body and paint, make sure it is dry because if the car is wet it will make the paint and the body look great.

3. ALWAYS drive the car once or twice before buying it. check the clutch for slipping and floor it if its an automatic and see how it downshifts, its probably not a good transmission if it acts like it searches for it. (even if it only needs fluid)

4. Never settle for what the sellers price is (unless its really worth it). Just because it sounds right, more than likely its probably not. Take into consideration about tire tread, when the last oil change was, filter condition, lights and battery health. All these expenses will add up if they need to be done.

I just figured I would write this up, not sure if anyone really will ever need it but I got screwed on my 240 I just bought. I bought it on saturday and on monday I realized the clutch was slipping. Its now 7 days since I bought it and I cant drive it due to the clutch not event grabbing. I wont even go into the timing chain tick of death.

[wangless]

Quote »1st Rule: Always ALWAYS check carfax. Carfax is not always accurate but you might just learn something about the car the the previous owner either did not want to inform you of, or didnt know themselves.[/quote]still havent dont that yet... , anyone wanna run a carfax for me ?

Quote »2. NEVER buy the car at night, daytime is great for looking at the body and paint, make sure it is dry because if the car is wet it will make the paint and the body look great. [/quote]very, very true, didnt know the bumper of my car was faded until i went to next day to check it out again. also, you can spot leaks, puddles and what not better with daylight

Quote »3. ALWAYS drive the car once or twice before buying it. check the clutch for slipping and floor it if its an automatic and see how it downshifts, its probably not a good transmission if it acts like it searches for it. (even if it only needs fluid)[/quote]or have another friend drive, to get a second opinion as what i did, it helps especially when seeing how stiff/soft the clutch is, people ALWAYS have different says in how it feels, at least in my experiece

Quote »4. Never settle for what the sellers price is (unless its really worth it). Just because it sounds right, more than likely its probably not. Take into consideration about tire tread, when the last oil change was, filter condition, lights and battery health. All these expenses will add up if they need to be done. [/quote]my seller wouldnt budge on the price, but all seemed good until i took it home. minor problems, rear defroster lines all messed up, rusty/dirty **** in the radiator .

[silkk]

good write up

my seller wouldn't budge on the price either. he said there was 3 more guys checking out the car after me and i know for sure one of them was going to buy it.

i told him that i'll put down a $300 down payment and tell the other guys its sold already and yeah.. $2500 for my 89 coupe with 210k on the body and 90k on the engine.

to me it was worth it, but my friend got his 90 fastback for $1000 with 100k original miles. oh well, i got one so who cares

good luck on fixing yours

[Clatch]

My car was up for $7,000 then I dropped it to $6,500, and then I dropped it down to $5,100 with some help. It is well worth the $5,100 I paid for my 1993 S13 Fastback SE. They did all the work that needed to be done, flushes, and some other stuff, nothing major. Yet it was expensive because there were some repainting involved, as my car is in perfect condition besides the paint with an amazingly low 66,000 miles on it. So I basically got mine for bluebook value and then with the dealership fees and repairs, it came out to $5,100.

My tip, always offer them the first offer with a ridiculously low backed up price, with facts from bluebook, and in my case a calculated price given to me right of their own site. That way they know where to work from and you cut all the BS from haggling down from $7,000. Also always act like you couldn’t care less about buying the car or not, it is just a car and you don’t need it that bad attitude. Hold back those exciting feelings, it will save you money.

[Ninetyfive240sxSE]

why not just swap your old motor/transmission to your new car, if its still good rather than selling the wreck one for parts