Avril wrote:
It was never correct when I looked up my cars so maybe that's why they
withdrew it.

In news:ehqtgf$75p$1 (AT) newsreader (DOT) mailgate.org,
Avril <js32 (AT) totalise (DOT) co.uk> wittered on forthwith;
<top posting repaired>


Here's a few tips;

1) Ignore "guide" prices. Look on the Auto Trader website at the type of car
you're interested in, find the cheapest one of the specification you're
after and knock at least £200 off the price [1].

2) Research the car you're interested in, the internet is a good place to do
this. If you have an attitude problem, just read what's been posted, almost
everything you want to know has been asked in the past. If you ask people
for advice and then argue with them, they'll think you're a muppet and the
help you get will become less and less useful with every post. [2]

3) Go and test drive an example of the car you're interested in, this is one
of the few things that car dealers are useful for. Reputable dealers will
only have the best examples, so you know how the car you're interested in
/should/ drive.

4) Look on auction websites at auction results, Mannheim auctions tend to be
overpriced, the likes of BCA will give you a good idea what dealers will pay
for cars. You'll pay more than they do.

5) Find a reasonably priced "private" example of the car you're looking for.
This isn't as easy as it seems, over the years I've noticed a couple of
things when it comes to buying cars privately; lots of "private" sellers are
in fact unofficial traders, and genuine private sellers tend to ask too much
for their cars and then refuse to haggle. More often than not the unofficial
trader is the best person to buy from - they don't need the hassle of you
ringing to complain all the time, and they're a trader - they tend to buy
decent cars incredibly cheaply.

6) If you find the car you like and you want to get it inspected then do so.
Don't expect to haggle significant amounts off though, if your inspection
says that the car is a pup then the seller probably knows that anyway - all
cars have a "reason for sale". The normal reason is that the seller doesn't
want to spend any more money on the car.

7) Most people don't get a car professionally inspected unless the car is
something special [4] or over £10-15k. If you're looking at something that
costs less than that, the seller knows that the next person to view probably
won't bring an inspector so they don't have to haggle much if the car is
reasonably priced - which it is, or you wouldn't have gone to see it, would
you?

8) Buy the car or repeat until happy.

[1] £200 is minimum haggle for anything over £1200 and under £3000.
[2] The internet is one huge "clique". Don't antagonise it. [3]
[3] "There is no clique..", that's if you ask...
[4] Porsche, Audi Quattro, Bentley... basically the complex and / or unusual
stuff..


--
Pete M - Using the Scouse Side of the Force -
Range Rover Vogue EFI
Citroën Xantia SX TD
OMF#9

"Stay calm. Stay calm. I'm a relatively respectable citizen -- a multiple
felon, perhaps, but certainly not dangerous."

adder1969 (AT) yahoo (DOT) co.uk wrote:
Damn that google news reader/poster!

"Avril" <js32 (AT) totalise (DOT) co.uk> wrote:
<snip>

Hey - that's the spirit :-)

We're not a bad bunch really. My advice, FWIW, would be that it depends on
how much the car is, the type of person selling it, how old it is etc etc.
A simple history check, in terms of an HPI-style check (I believe the
Experian ones are just as good as HPI, but cheaper, though I could be wrong)
is worth doing on anything more than a grand or so. Other than that, most
are fairly simple things that anyone can check, in all honesty, as a result
of a test-drive.

Does it drive straight - does the steering strongly pull to any one side,
and does the steering wheel stay centred if you briefly let go of it on a
straight bit of road?

Does it brake in a straight line? Brake firmly (but not drastically) on a
quiet bit of residential road, with only a very light grip on the steering
wheel - should pull up straight without you having to correct it.

Any dodgy knocking or creaking sounds?

Is the steering responsive? i.e. does jiggling the steering a small amount
do nothing or does it noticeably change the direction of the car?

Are the oil and water at the right levels (easy to check yourself).

An inspection that you'd pay good money for would only point out the basics
like this, and things like worn suspension bushes, corroded brake pipes,
knackered shocks, dodgy amounts of rust, etc., which are all things that
should be covered by the MOT test (only relevant though, if it's had one
very recently).

Ultimately, you get what you pay for - if it's a car where decent private
examples and dealer sales are asking in the £800-£1500 range and you're
getting it for £300, don't moan if it needs new shocks or the brake pipes
replacing - things wear out. OTOH if you're paying top money, it's fair to
expect it not to need any major expenditure for at least a while ("a while"
depends exactly on how many miles you do in it).

Look on the owner's reviews section on www.parkers.co.uk and also
www.peachorlemon.co.uk (might be .com instead) for a good idea of how
reliable specific makes and models are in general - look out for anything
featuring either the same engine, or the same gearbox, as something you're
considering buying, to see about potential issues - they'll be the most
expensive and troublesome bits if they are made from cheese.

Also, when buying, at the very least ask when the most recent service was
done, what exactly was done, and whether or not the engine's cambelt or
chain driven, and when the cambelt was done. If they don't know the answer
to either of them, then you'll want to get it serviced and a new cambelt put
on pretty much straight away, so you won't want to be spending top money on
the thing. If they don't understand this simple fact, walk away.

It might help if you furnish us with basic information like the make/model
of this prospective car, what sort of condition it's in, and how much it is.
If it's a £200 banger it's really not worth spending £140 on a
"professional" inspection, though it could still equally come under either
the "don't touch with a bargepole" or "quite a good car for the money"
categories.

--
"For want of the price of tea and a slice, the old man died."