By Frank Medina
This is a very interesting topic because used car salesmen are some of the most infamous people (more than politicians).
They buy cheap and sell expensive, sometimes they buy pieces of junk, like crashed cars, they do some body work and then they say,
"This is your lucky day, I have this car that belonged to a little old lady that hardly used it, check the odometer; it has just a few miles on it."
The truth is there are many ways to make a car look like new, there ways to fix the odometer to reduce the miles, even if it’s digital.
But remember: A junk car can make you lose a lot of money !
So when buying or selling "AVOID":
*Car lots as much as you can.
*Buying a car when it's raining, snowing or at night time
*Cars that are more than 6 years old or more than 100,000 miles (150,000 kms)
*Transportation cars such as those that belonged to companies, factories, or public transportation
*A car that has had more than 3 owners
The following are recommendations that will help you to save money and problems:
When you have experience with cars:
First of all don't let your emotions get involved. Sounds easy but it is not, so to accomplish this:
Do your research; there are many tools available such as the internet where you can know prices and models
When you decide which is the best for you and your family (8,6,4,3 cylinders; 2,4, doors; sedan, minivan, pick up, etc) then:
*Make a list of at least 5 cars
*Take with you a notebook and pencil to make notes about the car’s defects, model, cylinders etc.
*Always have with you a digital camera to take lots of pictures of the car
(The above suggestions will make you look like a professional)
Wear clothes that can get dirty, such as overalls, or old clothes (in case you want to take a look at the motor or under the car)
Check every part of the body, lines, and contours (if by any chance the owner or the salesmen doesn't let you do this, don't buy the car)
Open and close every door of the car, roll up and down the windows and sunroof
Test the seats, seatbelts, locks, lights, etc
Check the motor, look for burnt, broken or rusted hoses, cables or bolts. Look for any new seals or silicon seals, this way you will know if the motor was rebuilt.
Ask the seller to start the car. At the beginning you may hear some little noises, after two minutes these noises should disappear.
Any squeaks, "tack- tack" sounds are sign of a worn out or overheated motor, so move on to the next one on your list.
If you don't feel capable, bring a mechanic with you, he will charge you maybe 50 dolls, which is better than spending thousands of dollars in a piece of junk.
When you finally make up your mind and decide to buy the car, you can deal the price based on:
The parts you have to replace or are about to replace Ex. (Hypothetical prices)
Brand: Nissan xxxx
Model: 2002
Owners: 1
Miles : 65000
Price: 5000 dolls. (this should be the average price for this model) 5000
Body condition: good
Parts to replace: The four tires need to be replaced soon 4x100= -400
Others: interiors seats, carpet are dirty= car wash 150 -150
Back shock absorbers 2x75= - 150
Mechanic work 100 - 100
Cracked windshield 500 - 500
total 3700 This is the price you should pay for this car.
Anther option is to pay the 5000 if the owner takes care of these expenses.
