Car Buying Tips and General auto info thread

I happen to be window shopping for a car recently and i came across this info online!! I think it will be worth a read!!! Enjoy!!!

Rust - I always think of Neil Young's "Rust Never Sleeps." Avoid any car with rust. If it's
beginning to rust, it won't stop. Be wary if you see rust repaired and painted over.
Unless the rust holes have been metal-patched by a skilled auto-body craftsman (rare
these days), the rust will come back, usually within a year. Look for rust at the bottom of
all 4 doors, both inside and outside, and underneath. Bubbles near chrome or rubber
molding indicate rust underneath the paint. Rust problems on a late-model vehicle are a tell-tale sign of a previous accident. If a car has any visible rust, you can be sure the
underside of the car is in worse shape. Rust adds hundreds of dollars to your
maintenance bills. It may take a mechanic twice as long to do simple tasks because a
rusty bolt breaks off in the course of a repair. If you detect any rust on a prospective
purchase, look elsewhere.

Accident Damage - If you're not using a mechanic, don't buy a car that has been in a
serious accident. Significant accidents bend the frame, mess up the alignment and
loosen the body. Even a serious fender bender can mean major trouble in the long run.
If a car has been in a wreck, look for another. Learning to be an accident detective is the
best way to avoid the problem. Sometimes the repair work is very good, but usually it's
just cosmetic, with major defects remaining underneath the fresh paint. Make sure you open the hood, trunk and all four doors: they should close easily without
catching. A sticking door or a hard-to-close trunk suggests a car that's been hit. Sight
down the side of cars to see that the sheet metal matches up evenly. Squat about 6 feet
away from the front or back of a vehicle and you're likely to see ripples, waves, and ill-
fitting panels on the side that has been repaired. (Don't confuse body waves with door
pings, which aren't evidence of body damage. A door ping will look like a dimple in the sheet metal, whereas waves and ripples are broad.) Serious damage shows up in
irregular body seams and exposed welds inside the engine compartment or underneath
the trunk. To check the frame, get down on your hands and knees with your trusty
flashlight and shine it on the underbelly of the car. Pay particular attention to the frame
rails, the thickest-gauge metal rails going the full length of the car, usually on both
sides. Shine your light on it all the way up and down. Check it from both sides of the car. You're looking for anything that doesn't look right, like metal that is bent, or weld
marks, which look like melted metal.

Late-model vehicles with new paint jobs have usually been in an accident. Most
repainted cars are repainted because the owner received a check on his insurance claim
from an accident; rarely because someone has an extra $1,500 lying around. Look for
differences in paint color, sheen or texture. Check to see that the color and finish of the
car is consistent from panel to panel. If the car was repainted, it usually doesn't take
long to find where the tape didn't cover a sliver of the window seal or weather-stripping. Look under the hood, in the doors, wheel wells and trunk for signs of overspray (specs of
paint that are the wrong color). Look closely around all the window seals and lights and
other trim. Also look for shiny new bolt heads and bright new trim pieces that would
indicate recent replacement.

Flood Vehicles - Flood-damaged cars can be hard to spot. Check the title to see if it has
been stamped "submerged" or "flood car." An obvious giveaway is a moldy swamp-like
smell emanating from the seats and carpeting, but beware: a good doll-up and some
new carpeting and interior components can mask most symptoms. If you suspect a car
has been flood-damaged and the title doesn't so indicate, look under the carpeting for
sand, silt or salt. Check the engine compartment, trunk, and inner doors for silt. Flood cars are sometimes very hard to detect, even for professionals like me, but avoid them if
at all possible. I have yet to find a known flood car that didn't have electrical problems --
problems that can change on a daily basis. Some Good Advice - Don't make a $10,000 mistake! A thorough mechanic's inspection is
your best protection against buying a used car with costly, hidden problems.

Nice info, very educative and informative, thanks

Correct

Nice one bro.u just exposed us 2 some vital facts....

...sweet timing...welldone man...

Na u gt am pass