H
WHAT TO ASK WHEN BUYING A CAR???????
- Thread starter Feather
- Start date
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Haha I asked for that 
H
holmslaw
Nice to see you have a sense of humour.
Check internal roof lining for footprints, if you find any could be your type of car.
Sorry, right serious now.
Stay away from car supermarkets, they are expert con artists.
I've found over the years that established second hand car dealers are far more honest than joe public.
Always use Parkers to check the price and opinions - and believe what they say. http://www.parkers.co.uk/#
Basic engine check - after smooth talking salesman has driven a few miles ie engine is hot - get out of car, look at exhaust pipe and tell wonder boy to stamp on the accelerator pedal, if he does'nt stamp on the pedal the engine is knackered, if he does it and you see smoke - even a teeny weeny bit the engine is knackered.
To check clutch - put in second gear - apply hand brake very firmly - slowly accelerate while letting out clutch - try to balance clutch and accelerator to prevent the engine stalling , if you end up with foot off clutch and engine running, clutch is knackered.
Gear box check, engine off, foot on clutch, gear change should be silky smooth - no jerks, excessive force or hesitation, the feel of the gear change should be the same for all gears.
Steering check, put on full lock and slowly drive in a circle going up and down a kerb - if you hear a knocking sound, steering is knackered.
Wheel bearing check - grip front wheel at 3 and 9 o clock and try to shake from side to side, if you hear a noise or clonking its knackered.
Ask friends and family if they know of a reliable honest mechanic and seek his help, they do exist. Perhaps search a local forum.
Good luck
Check internal roof lining for footprints, if you find any could be your type of car.
Sorry, right serious now.
Stay away from car supermarkets, they are expert con artists.
I've found over the years that established second hand car dealers are far more honest than joe public.
Always use Parkers to check the price and opinions - and believe what they say. http://www.parkers.co.uk/#
Basic engine check - after smooth talking salesman has driven a few miles ie engine is hot - get out of car, look at exhaust pipe and tell wonder boy to stamp on the accelerator pedal, if he does'nt stamp on the pedal the engine is knackered, if he does it and you see smoke - even a teeny weeny bit the engine is knackered.
To check clutch - put in second gear - apply hand brake very firmly - slowly accelerate while letting out clutch - try to balance clutch and accelerator to prevent the engine stalling , if you end up with foot off clutch and engine running, clutch is knackered.
Gear box check, engine off, foot on clutch, gear change should be silky smooth - no jerks, excessive force or hesitation, the feel of the gear change should be the same for all gears.
Steering check, put on full lock and slowly drive in a circle going up and down a kerb - if you hear a knocking sound, steering is knackered.
Wheel bearing check - grip front wheel at 3 and 9 o clock and try to shake from side to side, if you hear a noise or clonking its knackered.
Ask friends and family if they know of a reliable honest mechanic and seek his help, they do exist. Perhaps search a local forum.
Good luck
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The back seats do fold flat, depending on the model either the whole seatback folds or you get a 60:40 split.
The boot itself is good for a small car (far larger than a BMW Mini), 4 of us use it to go on our anual holiday every year and we can just about all fit with all of our junk, we do have a larger car at our disposal, but the 500 is the car of choice wherever possible.
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The list above is a bit simplistic, a lot of those faults could be very minor. Also at this time of year even if the engine is hot you may see a lot smoke due to condensation.
However on a £4000 car I agree it should have none of the above faults
Also if I had £4000 and your Corsa I would buy a brand new car, its not worth messing about with nearly new cars you don't know the history of when you can have something brand spanking new..
However on a £4000 car I agree it should have none of the above faults
Also if I had £4000 and your Corsa I would buy a brand new car, its not worth messing about with nearly new cars you don't know the history of when you can have something brand spanking new..
Roadside patrol for 17 years with major breakdown company,,, essentially check the spare,, do not go for a fancy car that does not carry a spare and just gives you a can of garbage to try re inflate it. Always insist on the locking wheel nut key/socket, there should be 2 really so you got 1 spare, same goes for ignition keys, always insist on 2.
got my car yesterday (fiesta zetek) at long last after about 6 weeks looking. I checked the spare wheel, got spare key and got the wheel nut key too. I was in the show room 5 HOURS looking at different cars!!! Knew everyone there by their first names by the time Id fininshed
Everyones posts on this site have helped me loads as did Honest Johns website.
Thankyou very,very much everyone.
Everyones posts on this site have helped me loads as did Honest Johns website.
Thankyou very,very much everyone.
Is that the new shape Fiesta? A real looker, that one.
Good luck with your new motah and park it miles away from others in Tesco's.
Cheers John
Good luck with your new motah and park it miles away from others in Tesco's.
Cheers John
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