What to look for when buying a car/import

[bobo]

Info taken from post on SAU - thanks boys

Now when you buy a car i wouldnt expect to go through every single one of these things. these are just simply things to look out for. In the end, it will pay to get the car checked out by a mechanic, whats a bit of $$ to check you got a decent car, instead of buying a lemon and finding out its going to cost a lot to get it up to scratch. Enjoy

First points:

Check the car when it's clean. Ask the seller to wash the car before you go and see it. Dirt tells a lot of lies.
Check the car during the day. NEVER look at a car at night. If possible, look at it on a sunny day so you can use the sun to check the paintwork.
Examine the car up-close AND from a distance (front and back, and both sides).
Open and close all doors, boot, bonnet, and any panels that can open and shut.


What questions should I ask the buyer/myself? (Remember ask the seller the questions, but answer them yourself with your own eyes and brain):
Does the seller have a genuine reason for selling?
Does it have a full service record of it's life in Japan? (If it does, check that it's real and not forged. This is very rare as Japanese owners rarely throw the Service or Owners Manuals in the car when it goes to auction)
If it's a local car, does it have a full service record of it's time in Australia?
Has the car been in any previous accidents? Ask, but don't take the seller's word for it.
Look for yourself!
- Check the nuts along the front quarter panels and the radiator support in the engine bay... Are there signs of those nuts being removed? If so, ask yourself why.
- Check for other signs of engine removal. Has the engine been removed? Why?
- Check the paintwork!!! Check that all the paint on the panels match colour tone and depth. Stand back from the car at a slight angle and run your eyes along the panels with the sunlight and check for any blending marks. Look for ripples, waves, poorly fitted panels and mismatched colors.
What condition are the tyres in? Are the rear tyres worn a lot more than the fronts? If they are, I'm pretty sure you can figure out what the previous owner's driving style is like. Remember to factor in the price of replacement tyres into the buy cost. Don't skimp on tyres or continue to use bald ones. They're the only things sticking your ass onto the road and saving your life. Check for even wear marks, uneven wear indicates bad wheel alignment. Another thing you'll have to fix. More money.
Check the condition of the interior. Does the wear and tear on the steering wheel and driver's seat match the kms shown on the odometer?
Which brings you to checking the kms. Is this a 1994 Skyline with 30,000kms? It's 2004 now, do you really think the previous owner drove 3000kms a year? Contrary to popular belief, Japanese owners drive their car a LOT, just as much as we do. Expect to find in the range of 9000-13000kms per year on the odometer reading. Don't convince yourself that this is a "rare super buy with low km granny owner driven on weekends car"... Bullshit. It's a Skyline you idiot. Check that the numbers on the odometer are aligned properly.
Carefully push down on the front bumper and rear bumper and see how the shocks are. Ideally, shocks and springs should be rebuilt/replaced every 60,000kms, but this never happens.
Check for rust. Surface rust is okay and needs to be cleaned and treated with fish oil to stop further growth. Look for rust around the bottom of the doors and fenders, and around the boot area... Basically where water has a chance to sit and gather.
Check that the compliance plate date and make sure everything is okay.
Check to see if the car has any defectable modifications. Are you happy with those? Rembember if you get defected for them, that will cost you many hundreds of dollars.


Detailed Checklist:


Body:
Check for bubbles along molding or chrome (indicates rust underneath).
Stand back approximately 10 to 15 feet from the car and see if the car is level.


Interior:
Compare mileage on service stickers (door jamb/under hood) to the odometer reading.
Check the condition of the seats, belts and carpeting.
Check the windows to see if they open and close easily.
Check the brake, accelerator and clutch -- should work smoothly, no strange noises.
Check all exterior lights and flashers on the car.
Make certain that the air conditioning blows very cold air.
Check the glove box for the service manual and owner's manual. (Probably won't be there sad.gif)

Engine:
Check for leaks in the Power Steering, Clutch Reservoir, Brake Fluid Reservoir, ABS Unit.
Get the engine compression tested and if it fails that, do a leak-down test.
Check the engine belts and hoses for cracks and wear.
Radiator coolant should be a clean, usually greenish (but sometimes blue or yellow) color.
Pull out the oil dipstick. Oil should not be gummy or grayish or smell burnt.
Check automatic transmission fluid, should be clear and reddish.
Check the spark plugs to check for overfuelling, detonation, sulphur deposits from octane booster.
Put the car on the dyno if you want to. I usually do as a last step just for interests sake. If it passed the compression test the engine should be okay.

Undercarriage:
GET THE CAR UP ON A HOIST!!!! How can you thoroughly check for accident damage if you don't look underneath the car where the most obvious signs of repair lie?
Look for weld marks, or thick black underbody tar. Welding marks are usually hidden by panel beaters with lots of underbody tar.
Check under the engine for leaking oil. Alternatively, if it has been wiped clean (the bottom of the engine, ie. the sump and crossmember), ASK YOURSELF WHY!! Who wipes the bottom of their engine? Be VERY wary of clean underbodies.
Check for leaking transmission fluid, power steering fluid, etc...
Check each and every shock absorber for leaks. Shock aborbers are expensive to rebuild.
Look for overspray on the bottom of the car, like the tow hook or suspension parts. This is a tell-tale sign of a respray.

Boot:
Look inside the trunk for an inflated spare tire. Has it been used?
There should be a jack and a lug wrench and wheel chock. Most came with a leather pouched tool kit with screwdriver, and allen keys too.
Check around the water galleries for rust.
Pull out the spare wheel and check the boot floor for rust and accident damage/repair.

Take it for a drive:
DON'T SWITCH ON THE RADIO/CD... It will mask any squeeks or rattles the car might have.
Start the engine and check the warning lights and gauges.
Check for normal operating oil pressure.
Check that the steering wheel doesn't shake above 100km/h (arbitrary value, but choose a high one). If it shakes, it might mean it needs a wheel alignment, or that the car has had horrible accident repairs. Previously accident damaged cars with suspension damage almost NEVER EVER drive straight and true again.
How does the gearbox feel? Smooth to shift? or notchy and graunchy to put into gear? Any gearbox whine? Any grinding on gear changes? Might mean worn out synchros.
Drive the car on hills, highways and in stop-and-go traffic.
Listen for noises which could indicate engine problems.
Put the car in neutral and rev the engine. Check for smoke from rear exhaust.
Punch the gas pedal. Does engine respond without hesitation then return to normal?
Check the lights on the control panels. Make sure they all work.
Does automatic transmission shift smoothly?
Clutch should engage and disengage smoothly without grabbing.
Floor it at 3000rpm in 4th gear to make sure the clutch isn't slipping.
Drive in reverse.
Does car pull or vibrate when driving on a flat, smooth road?
Do the brakes grab evenly and does the car slow down in a straight line? Make sure it doesn't pull to one side under brakes.
Drive at 60km/h and listen for any unusual noises.
Accelerate to 80km/h, does the front end shake or vibrate?
Drive quickly over a rough road and listen for any loud squeaks or rattles.
Does the car bounce or bang over small bumps?
Check the temperature gauge to see if it shows a high reading
Accelerate hard on an empty road, does the car respond immediately? Try it again.
Accelerate on a hill, does the car respond immediately?
Cut off the engine. Then restart the engine -- does it restart easily?

A few more points to remember:
Accident damage is a very subjective thing. If it's had panel damage, then all it means is the car is wearing new clothes. Doesn't affect the way the car performs, and if it's been repaired professionally, there really isn't anything wrong with it and it shouldn't put you off buying it.
HEAVILY accident damaged cars with suspension damage almost NEVER drive straight again. Do you want iffy steering when barrelling down the straight of Eastern Creek at 240km/h? Steer CLEAR away from these cars.
Do not be afraid to take up the salespersons' time.
Stay in control. Do not let anyone talk you into buying a vehicle you do not want.
Don't buy the vehicle the first time you see it. Go home and have a GOOD think about it. One more day isn't going to kill you, but it might stop you from making a bad impulse decision.

[ItalianSupastar]

thanks bro, this will help me alot when i get a car soonish

[180SX]

really good info beau thanks for posting, this is very useful.

[Jarrow]

Nice one mate. I saw this in SAU when i was looking at buying a skyline, thanks anyways sure it will help alot of people

[Major]

nice beau sticky this...

[Rusty]

nice find beau sure it will help many people when buying a new car

[^s13^]

walk around the car with a magnet, you'll be surprised.

[entaran]

This isn't particularly relevant buying anything from '04 up as plastic front guards and other exterior bits are extremely common across all manufacturers from around 2004 onwards. Although he is referring to trying to find bog.

A more effective method of finding bog if you don't want to drag a magnet near the paint (possibly scratching some guys paint), is to lightly tap along the panel with your knuckle and listen for sound differences. Bogged panels have a deeper, more hushed tone than the rap you usually get on metal.

[sprinter666]

best thing i can say is just take a mechanical minded friend, apprentice mechanic mate with u, took my uncle along to check out my car, every car hes owned hes pulled apart n put back together aswell as building some killer customs which his son totalled lol payed off until i fucked the car up myself but its back to normal now

main thing, always take a test drive and always check the underside out and make sure it has history. fine if it doesnt n it checks out fine but caution over GME THE CAR IT LOOKS GOOD.

[Kriss]

R32- look for rust in rear guard lip and bottom sils
anything with a CA18- comp test and listen for bottom end bearings
anything with an RB20- check gearbox for crunches, whining ect
R31/vl- check diff for whining
S13/180sx- check front rails and strut towers for cracks

[2jz]

(January 22, 2010 09:06 am)Kriss Wrote:  R32- look for rust in rear guard lip and bottom sils
anything with a CA18- comp test and listen for bottom end bearings
anything with an RB20- check gearbox for crunches, whining ect
R31/vl- check diff for whining
S13/180sx- check front rails and strut towers for cracks

Couldn't agree more with the S13/180SX thing, the amount of strut towers I've seen demolished is amazing.

The Primal Garage S13 had a strut go through the strut tower and bonnet at Calder LOL, fuck they're patheticly weak. Then again I dont think nissan really tested them with 10kg springs with stiffer shock aswell.

Just one thing i've noticed with S13's is, Strut brace and aftermarket stiff swaybar seems to make this issue happen less. I don't know if its just chance but in my experience with a few mates cars this seems to be the scenario.

The new shell we're getting we're spot welding the engine bay!

[^s13^]

(January 22, 2010 09:35 am)2jz Wrote:  

(January 22, 2010 09:06 am)Kriss Wrote:  R32- look for rust in rear guard lip and bottom sils
anything with a CA18- comp test and listen for bottom end bearings
anything with an RB20- check gearbox for crunches, whining ect
R31/vl- check diff for whining
S13/180sx- check front rails and strut towers for cracks

Couldn't agree more with the S13/180SX thing, the amount of strut towers I've seen demolished is amazing.

The Primal Garage S13 had a strut go through the strut tower and bonnet at Calder LOL, fuck they're patheticly weak. Then again I dont think nissan really tested them with 10kg springs with stiffer shock aswell.

Just one thing i've noticed with S13's is, Strut brace and aftermarket stiff swaybar seems to make this issue happen less. I don't know if its just chance but in my experience with a few mates cars this seems to be the scenario.

The new shell we're getting we're spot welding the engine bay!

ever thought it could be cheap repairs in japan?

[Kriss]

I don't think Nissan designers said " shit these s13 strut towers are weak" " ohwel paneal beating repairs is cheap here in japan anyway so we"ll just let it slide and when we design the s14 we"ll fix that problem"

[2jz]

(January 22, 2010 09:40 am)^s13^ Wrote:  

(January 22, 2010 09:35 am)2jz Wrote:  [quote='Kriss' pid='30356' dateline='1264115185']
R32- look for rust in rear guard lip and bottom sils
anything with a CA18- comp test and listen for bottom end bearings
anything with an RB20- check gearbox for crunches, whining ect
R31/vl- check diff for whining
S13/180sx- check front rails and strut towers for cracks

Couldn't agree more with the S13/180SX thing, the amount of strut towers I've seen demolished is amazing.

The Primal Garage S13 had a strut go through the strut tower and bonnet at Calder LOL, fuck they're patheticly weak. Then again I dont think nissan really tested them with 10kg springs with stiffer shock aswell.

Just one thing i've noticed with S13's is, Strut brace and aftermarket stiff swaybar seems to make this issue happen less. I don't know if its just chance but in my experience with a few mates cars this seems to be the scenario.

The new shell we're getting we're spot welding the engine bay!

ever thought it could be cheap repairs in japan?

If it was cheap repairs in Japan, that would basically mean every S13 ever made has been repaired in the front strut towers since its import into Australia. I think I know whats more likely...

[^s13^]

i'm only starting to hear of that problem now, it's interesting to know though. i never looked for that when buying my 180.

---

but it would have to be a really stiff car also i'm guessing.

[Kriss]

Pretty common or if u take a front wheel off and look for cracks arond where the brake line comes through and where the firwall is welded to the top engine bay sil

[JDR33M]

Good lot of information but hell of a lot of reading...got half way and gave up

[Funny_Nealz]

thanks so much this helps heaps