Buying a used car

[maccattack]

OK Ill admit it. I know FA about cars. I usually get ripped off when buying them coz I wouldnt know a mechanically sound one from a shitbox waiting to fall apart.

At the beginning of the year I bought a small car and got done over by a smiling assassin. It was a private sale. I spent a heap of dosh getting it fixed. Money I didnt have to spare. Now I think its ready to collapse. Its got the death murmer going on.

So Im gonna get rid of it and buy another car. Fortunatelly I can now spend a bit more than last time but I have a few questions. Like I said I wouldnt know my arse from my elbow when it comes to cars...

Is it better to buy privately or from a car yard? I always thought you could get the same car for less when buying it privately...

The rego is due in 2 weeks time. Should I still register my car if Im going to sell it? Or should I just cut my losses?

lastly. Is it legal to kick the bloke in the nuts who sold me this car?

 

[andrew057]

Find a car you like, check around and compare prices. Pay a mechanic to check it over before you buy it.

 

[IFR33K]

OK Ill admit it. I know FA about cars. I usually get ripped off when buying them coz I wouldnt know a mechanically sound one from a shitbox waiting to fall apart.

At the beginning of the year I bought a small car and got done over by a smiling assassin. It was a private sale. I spent a heap of dosh getting it fixed. Money I didnt have to spare. Now I think its ready to collapse. Its got the death murmer going on.

So Im gonna get rid of it and buy another car. Fortunatelly I can now spend a bit more than last time but I have a few questions. Like I said I wouldnt know my arse from my elbow when it comes to cars...

Is it better to buy privately or from a car yard? I always thought you could get the same car for less when buying it privately...

The rego is due in 2 weeks time. Should I still register my car if Im going to sell it? Or should I just cut my losses?

lastly. Is it legal to kick the bloke in the nuts who sold me this car?

How much, you willing to spend????

What car you thinking of????

Where r u located????

 

[canberra_raiders2k2]

You can save big dollars getting the car private. You just need to make sure the car is in good condition.

Look for paint mismatch. Obviously a car with paint mismatch when the owner Yates "nah mate never had an accident" is a sign they are full of hit.

Look under the bonnet. See if you can find rust or pooling of oil anywhere.

Ask for a log book. The servicing of the car can tell you alot.

Call nrma or anyone who provides vehicle inspections.

Check to see if the vehicle has ever been written off.

Compare cars. Check out the same model vehicle and you should be able to work out what problems they have.

Overall don't buy the car after a single test drive.

Generally car yards provide warranty but second hand dealers are the worst. They will likely knock back most work or complete the work using cheaper parts.

Also renew your rego. Chances of a successful sale will increase big time.

Yeah. Punch out the previous seller.

 

[maccattack]

Will prob spend 10k (if i get the loan approved)

Would you laugh if I said I wanted a PT Cruiser?

I live on the peninsula in Melbourne

 

[IFR33K]

Will prob spend 10k (if i get the loan approved)

Would you laugh if I said I wanted a PT Cruiser?

I live on the peninsula in Melbourne

Google pickles car auctions. Reputable sellers, with good quality cars and always bargains to be found.

 

[TiggaPlease]

Please don't buy a PT Cruiser

 

[redvscotty]

I'll sell you my 2007 Barina (sedan, not a gay hatchback) so that I can put the money towards a Nissan Pathfinder!

 

[Twizzle]

in NSW the NRMA do a pre purchase inspection for you and they know what to look for, costs about $100

I assume they do the same in Vic and if you are not car savvy, its money well spent

 

[Noa]

Divide the kms by how old the car is, this will tell you how much its really been driven. Also make sure its starts straight away and no smoke emits from the muffler, If so, avoid. Run your hand over panels to feel for any patchwork that may have been done on the car. Theres plenty more checks but their 4 basic ones

 

[muzby]

Will prob spend 10k (if i get the loan approved)

Would you laugh if I said I wanted a PT Cruiser?

I live on the peninsula in Melbourne

i would laugh if you said you wanted a pt cruiser, but that's because of my preferences.. if you want one, and that's your ideal car, then go for it..

my only hesitation wiht those would be your resale value..

one benefit of buying from a dealer, if the car is under 10 years old you get 3 months warranty by law, so anything that can be 'hidden' during the course of the sale usually comes out by then..

but if buying private, i recommend spending about $250 or so with a company called "state roads" http://www.stateroads.com.au/ who do pre-purchase inspections. i've had them do two for me, including one car that i bought sight unseen from interstate and they are very thorough in what they pick up.

 

[maccattack]

thanks for the help gents. think ill get a mechanic or the RACV to come ut with me on inspection.

 

[Rudderriffic]

Definitely get the pre-purchase inspection, great investment when forking out that much cash to a stranger.

Also, further to that, you really want to do a REVs check (not sure if it has the same name in Victoria). It will tell you about outstanding finance on the car. Incredibly useful as it protects you from the potential nastiness of getting a car you paid for repossessed due to the previous owner being a bum.

 

[abpanther]

Problem with pre-purchase inspections is that many of them require the vehicle to be taken to an inspection place (e.g. NRMA).

Are there any mobile ones?

 

[billy2]

The reason you pay a bit more from a dealer is because you get warranty over a certain price.
If you know nothing about cars, paying 20% more to get a bit of warranty is worth it.

 

[beave]

They will go to the car yard for you for an inspection, they've done it for me when I have bought cars on line from Brisbane. Why are you choosing a PT cruiser Mac???? They are gutless as hell and the build quality is pretty ordinary. The auto gear boxes are rubbish and many have clapped out pretty early in their life. Looking up their fuel consumption, 10.4l per hungee kms is woeful, I get that on my V6 Aurion. If you want to get a smaller car look at getting a mazda 2 or 3, far better car.

 

[maccattack]

Why are you choosing a PT cruiser Mac???? They are gutless as hell and the build quality is pretty ordinary. .

HAHA See I know SFA bout cars. Im like th guy who never goes to the track and bets on a horse coz he likes the colour of the jockeys shirt or somethin.

I like the look of the cruiser. Not into speed. ive got too many fines to pay as it is. I could also use the space out back for my job. I have to lug a fair bit of gear for work. Its fairly light but bulky.

Dunno just like the look of them i spose.

 

[beave]

The retro look is pretty cool, but it will soon wear thin if it is plagued by mechanical problems. The engine bay gets quite narrow at the front, hence why they shoe horned a 4 cyl in there, there is a turbo variant (GT I think)...a v6 would have probably sold a bit better in Oz. having a look on the net, over in the US it's classified as a truck by the NHTSA because of it's fuel consumption!!!!

If you have your heart set on one mate, then go for it. But take it for a test drive and see how it goes and feels. Just be open minded though, there is a plethora of cars out there just do your research and go from there.

 

[muzby]

Problem with pre-purchase inspections is that many of them require the vehicle to be taken to an inspection place (e.g. NRMA).

Are there any mobile ones?

state roads (the mob i mentioned earlier) do mobile ones.

can't recommend them highly enough.

 

[abpanther]

I'm actually looking to buy a used car also.

I wanna buy a ute with a canopy as I've moved to a new place where I need to be able to move tools around (e.g. brush cutters, mowers, etc) and I'm planning to get a dog and would like to have a vehicle I can take them out with.

Was thinking of spending $15,000 but after looking on car sales that doesn't get me much.

Looking at either a Hilux, Navarra or Triton, anyone have an opinion on whether there is much difference between the three? Seems the Hiluxes are more expensive.

I just wanna get something not too old and with low kms, most of the stuff I see has massive mileage on it.

Thinking of trying out Pickles