The Art of Inspecting a Used Car: A Comprehensive Guide

Inspecting a used car is an essential step in the buying process. It's crucial to identify potential problems and negotiate a better price based on your findings. In this guide, we'll walk you through the inspection process, covering both the exterior and interior of the vehicle.

**Exterior Inspection**

Start by walking around the car and giving it a once-over. Check for any dents or scratches on the body. Make sure the paint is in good condition, with no signs of fading or chipping. Inspect the tires, checking their tread depth and looking for any signs of dry rot or cracking. If they're old, consider replacing them.

Next, check the brakes by examining the rotors and brake pads. Look for any excessive wear or deep grooves, which can indicate a need for replacement. Test the headlights, taillights, and other lights to ensure they're working properly.

Pop the trunk and inspect the interior bits, including the spare tire and any toolkit that may have been included. If it's a convertible, check that the top operates smoothly. Look for any signs of rust or water damage on the engine and suspension components.

Some common exterior issues that can be used as bargaining chips include:

* Dents or scratches

* Poor paint condition

* Worn-out tires

* Excessive brake wear

* Faulty lights

* Rust or water damage

**Interior Inspection**

Once you're inside the car, take a deep breath to assess the interior. Check for any signs of mildew or mold, which can indicate poor maintenance. Inspect the upholstery and leather seats, looking for any stains or wear. Test all the buttons and controls, including the radio and climate control.

Check the dashboard for any warning lights or unusual readings. If you notice anything unusual, consider getting it scanned to determine the cause. Look for any signs of water damage or leaks in the interior.

Some common interior issues that can be used as bargaining chips include:

* Poor air quality

* Stains or wear on upholstery and leather seats

* Faulty radio or climate control

* Warning lights or unusual dashboard readings

* Water damage or leaks

**Engine Bay Inspection**

Pop the hood to inspect the engine bay. Check the condition of the engine, looking for any signs of rust or water damage. Inspect the oil and coolant levels, ensuring they're within the recommended range. Look for any signs of excessive wear on the belts and hoses.

Check the timing belt, which can be a costly repair if not replaced at the right time. Ask the seller about the belt's condition and when it was last replaced.

Some common engine bay issues that can be used as bargaining chips include:

* Rust or water damage

* Low oil or coolant levels

* Excessive wear on belts and hoses

* Faulty engine components

By following this comprehensive guide, you'll be able to identify potential problems with the used car and negotiate a better price based on your findings. Remember to stay organized and keep track of all the issues you find during the inspection process.

WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: en- So, you're thinking aboutgetting a project car.Good, that's great news.But how do you do it?How do you actually do it?Where do you look?How do you find one?Once you find one then what do you do,just go to some guy's house and buy it?Yeah, kind of.Today, we're gonna breakdown that whole process.We'll show you how to find the right car,how to go inspect it and test drive it,we'll show you how to negotiateand how to actually buy a project car.Kind of like a big old buyers guide.Come on, let's go.(trap beat)Hey guys, this episode wasmade possible by Mobil 1.Mobil 1 advanced synthetic motor oilsare designed to keepimportant engine partsin excellent condition for 250,000 miles.But I'll tell you more aboutthat later on in the episode.So obviously I thinkyou should get a Miata,but you don't have to.You can get whatever you like.But listen,especially if this isyour first project car,you really want to get somethingthat's gonna go smoothly.So I'll give you some criteriafor what I think makes fora good first project car.A lot of this is kind of predicatedon the production numbers for a given car.If a car is uncommon or rare,you're not gonna find very many of themand you're not gonna findthat many parts for them.So as far as car shopping goes,these days I use Facebook Marketplace.I really like Craig's List,but nobody seems topost much there anymoreand everybody's on Facebookso there's a lot of traffic.All right, so let's find some examples.Let's check some different carsto see if they make for a good project.First, let's check somefor old Mr. Pumphrey.Check a Mark I Rabbit.- Not good.- (laughs) Not good.A couple examples.Price isn't too bad.They're definitely all projects.There's only about threein all of Southern Californiaright now for sale.Okay, not terrible.Let's see what's out there for parts.There are actually more placesstill making parts forthese than I thought.That's not bad.Not the worst choice for a project car,but not the best either.There's just not that many of them,it'll be tough to find one.But they're still out there.Next, let's look atsomething I kind of wantthat I know is a bad idea.How about an old Jaguar XJ.I love these.Ooh, here's an XJ 12 for $4,500.That's the V12.It's a 1990.They didn't make very many of theseand there's only one forsale anywhere around here.So this is a perfect exampleof a terrible project car.While it seems cool and it's enticing,it's a bad idea.There's no aftermarket support,there's no community around these,they didn't make nearly enough of them.So stay away from stiff like that.Now let's look for a Miata.Less that $4,500.So many results.I mean,there's a million examples.Let's check for parts.I bet I know what we'll find.Oh, a million parts everywhere.Because they made a million Miatasand everybody's working on them.As it turns out,the Miata is a greatchoice for a project car.Wow.So another thing that you should checkwhen you're checking out the forumsand the Facebook groupsand all that stuff,you should check for vehiclespecific buyers guides.Generally a forum willhave a specific guideto give you an idea ofwhat you should look forwhen you're looking at a specific car.Some cars will have very common issuesthat you need to be aware of.So before you go look at anything,check for a specific buyer's guideand that'll arm you with some knowledge.So once you find something that you likethat has a great community,great parts availability,and doesn't seem to bebeing sold by a scammer,it's time to inquire.So here's a quick list of stuffthat you want to make sureyou ask right off the bat.Get out a pen, write this down,take some notes.You want to ask about the title.Is it clean and in-handand ready to sign over?What do I mean by a clean title?I mean not salvaged or rebuilt.Salvaged or rebuilt title meansthat at some point during a car's lifethe insurance company forthat car decided to total it.And that can happen fora number of reasons,whether it's the caractually got into an accidentand got mangled,or if it was in a floodwhich is always an absolute no.Or sometimes maybe it got broken into,some thievery was afoot.So a salvaged title in and of itselfisn't a definite no.You need to do someresearch but in my opinion,it's better to go with a clean title.So anyway, back tothings to ask the seller.If you live in a statethat requires the title to be notarized,do they have it notarized?Ask about service records.Does the seller haveany maintenance historyor service records?Do you know how this car's been treated?Has the car been smogged?If you live somewherethat it needs smoggedor emmission checked,has it been done?Another big one,especially if you're looking for a carthat has specific optionsor a certain addition,you want to get the vinand at least run it through a vin decoderso you can see what the caractually was from the factorywhen it was built.A vin decoder is justsomething you can find onlinefor whatever car you're looking for.You just plug the vin right inand it'll give you a whole listingof the entire build spec sheetfor the car when it was made.Super handy.Then you can go a stepbeyond that if you wantand you can take the vinand you can get a Carfax report,which does cost $40but it can be very muchworth its weight in gold.It gives you a lot ofvery pertinent informationthat can be helpful when you'rethinking about buying a car.And another thing to think about,which I think a lot of peopledo think about, is mileage.Higher miles aren'tnecessarily a bad thing.It's not always the best wayto gauge the health of a car.Some cars with higher milescan be very well maintainedand be very healthy.There are also on the other side of thatcars with low miles thathave been treated very poorlythat you don't want to buy.So the number on the dashisn't the end-all be-all.You need to think abouthow it's been treatedand cared for over its life.Anyway, if you found acar that gets you going,you've talked to the owner,you've asked these questionsand everything still checks out,it's time to go look at it.(chill beat)So it's time to hit up theowner and go check it out.But it's not always the best ideato just go to a stranger'shouse I will admit.So a lot of people like to meet upand check out a car in public places,like a Harbor Freightparking lot or a gas stationor even a police station.A lot of police stations willeven have a designated areafor that type of thingwhere you can do Craig'sList transactions.And that is a really good wayto keep yourself from getting murdered.All right,so we'll assume you got thebasic stuff out of the waylike the title, maintenance, smog,all that kind of stuff.So now it's time to inspect the car.And a big thing thatyou're gonna want to dowhile you're inspecting the caris stack up bargaining chips.And what I mean bu bargaining chipsare things that the car needs.Even if it's stuff that youdon't necessarily care about.Or stuff that you do.But for a negotiation's sake,you need to stack upall the things that are wrong with the carand make it seem as bad as possibleso you can get the best price possible.With all that said,it's time to reallyget into the inspectionand we're gonna start with the exterior.First off, obviously,just walk around the car.Give it a nice once over.Make sure there is zero dents.Make sure the body's inperfect shape just like this.How's the paint?What kind of condition is it in?Do you even care?Also it's time to check the tires,see how much tread they have left,see if they're startingto dry rot or crackor if they look really old.While you're at thetires check the brakes.Take a look at the rotors,see if they look nice a flator if they're deeplygrooved and look very worn.Get an eyeball on thebrake pads too if you canand a flashlight can sometimes help.But you want to see how muchmeat is left on the pad.If they're nice and thick, great.If they're not,it's probably time to replace them.Check all the lights,turn on the headlights,the hazards, the taillights.Whatever the car has youneed to make sure they work.Then pop the trunk,see if all the interior bits are there.Check for the spare tire.And if the car ever came with a toolkit,see if that's there.It's also a good time,if it's a convertible,to make sure that theconvertible top goes up and down.You're gonna want to lookfor any holes like that.And now it's time to getyour head under the carto make sure the thing'snot covered in rust.Check the brake lines and fuel lines,make sure they're in good shape.Look at all the suspension bushings,make sure they're not falling apart.Look for drips and leaks.This thing has good a lotof wetness on the oil pan.That's another bargaining chip.All right, that prettymuch covers the exterior.Now it's time to get into the interior.All right so once you get in the car,first thing you shoulddo it (sharply inhales)take a deep breath in.How does it smell?Does it smell like mildew and mold?Are there any signs of water damageor any giant, big, gross stains?- Are there?(giggling)- The general cleanlinessof the interior of a caris often a pretty good gaugeof how it's been treated bywhoever you're buying it off of.What kind of shape is thecloth or the leather in?Are the seats destroyed or not?Is there a radio?If there is does it work?Are the speakers blown?How does it sound?Push every single button in the car.Make sure the heat works orthe AC works if equipped.And check the dash.Are there any lights on onthe dash that shouldn't be?If so it's good idea to get them scanned'cause it might not be a big deal.Might be a great bargaining chip.All right that prettymuch covers the interiorso now it's time for the fun stuff.Let's pop the hood.(synth music)All right, so here in theengine bay take a look around.What does it look like,how's it make you feel?Is the condition overallpretty good, pretty clean,or real gross?Are there a bunch of zip tiesand a bunch of evidenceof some shoddy repairsor modifications from previous owners?If so kind of a red flag.It's nice to get thingsthat are relatively stock.It's a good idea to check the oil.Now listen, you're gonna wantto give your new project caran oil change pretty much ASAP,but you need to checkwhat's in there currentlyand make sure there's no shinymetal bits or grittiness.'Cause that doesn't bode wellfor the health of the engine.Check the coolant as well.Check the level,make sure there's no oil floating in it.And check all your hoses andall the rubbers under the hood.All that stuff is prone tobecoming brittle over timeand breaking which is bad.You need to check your beltsfor general wear and tear and health.So you're also gonnawant to ask the sellerabout the timing belt.And if he says "Huh,"then it's probably time to replace it.All right so if everythingchecks out in the engine bayand it doesn't seem likeanything's about to come apart,it's time for the test drive.Does it start right up like thator does the battery sound weak like(makes weak revving noises).Put it in gear.Are there any grinds or weird noises?Do you have to force it in?Row through all the gears.How does it go?No problem, great.all right so first gear,start letting the clutch out,see how it feels.Nice and tight,no weird noises, no weird vibrations.Sweet.Now it's a good time to test the brakes.They work, yes?Okay, good.So now let's get up toabout 25 miles and houron a nice flat road.And we're gonna be listeningfor any vibrations,any weird noises, rattles, clunks.Anything that seems out of place.So get going nice and straight.And let of the steering wheels.See if it pulls one way or the other.If it does you mightjust need an alignmentor you might need somenew suspension bits.You hear any weird noisecoming from the transmissionor the engine now that it'sup in the RPMs a little bit?What about the differential out back?Hear any clunks?Get on and off the gas a little bit.Sorry, Eddie.Does it make any weirdnoises when you do that?How does it feel?Does the throttle feellike it's hesitatingor does it feel likeit's actually attachedto the throttle body?Now let's get up to a little bit faster.Let's get up to highway speeds.You get up to about 60 miles an hourand feel for the same vibrations,feel for any rattles,or weird noises coming through the cabin.Especially through the steering wheel,the petals, and the seat.Your butt is a really goodindicator of how the car is.Go back and forth a little bit,do some zig zags,find some corners,test out the suspension.Do you have any clunks?Does anything feel out of place?It's a really good ideato try to hit some bumpsso that you can really test the suspensionand see how it acts when it hits bumps.If you've got worn out end linksor control arms or bushings,bumps will kind of sort that stuff outand you'll really get tohear some weird noises.So take a look at the gaugesafter you've been driving for a minute.Does everything seem good?Is the tack working?Does the speedometer work?Is the coolant temp good?Are you overheating at all?Especially in Miatas,that's a pretty common issue, overheating.And it's basically a death certificate.So make sure the thing is not overheating.This has an oil pressure gauge.Make sure it has oil pressure.So listen, I know I justsaid a lot of stuff,a lot of things to pay attention to and,and it's probably more thanyou're gonna be able to remember.I get it,it's hard for me to remembereverything I just said.So I was thinking ahead.I made you guys a checklistdown in the descriptionso you can take it with youor just pull it up on your phonewhenever you go to look at a used car.Take the checklist with youand just check the boxes, baby.- We do it 'cause we love you.- We do it 'cause welove you, that's right.You might think you're done at this point,but no, no, you are not.We've got a lot of stuff left to cover.(funky beat)Now this one's gonna be case by caseand not every seller is gonnawant to negotiate with youwhich is their dang right.But of course you want topick up your project carfor as cheap as possible so you can haveas much money left overfor mods as possible.So now it's time to pull outall those bargaining chipswe've been talking aboutand dock as much moneyas possible for them.So go over all the thingsthat need to be fixedand try to knock the price down.It's also a good ideato be ready to take thething off their handsright then and there.I always show up withcash because some sellersjust want to get theirjunk out of their hairand you can be the personto take it off their hands.So I usually shoot for about 20% offand I'll usually settle around 10% off.This Miata was listed at $2,900and I took it for 25.Now I think that's pretty goodgiven that it's a two-seat roadsterthat runs and drives with no real issues.I think that's pretty awesome.All right, so now thatyou've settled on a price,what's next,how do you actually make it be officially,technically, legally yours?Well,I'll tell you.So one of the firstthings that you need to dois what's called a bill of sale.Some states require it, some states don't,and to be honest even instates that do require it,I've never actually been asked for one.But it's so easy to do thatyou might as well just do it.There are three places basicallythat you can get a bill of sale from.You can check your state's DMVor you can write one upyourself just by hand.Or I made you one, the Donut bill of sale,you can download it fromthe description below.So next up is the title transfer.This is probably the biggest part.The title is actually the piece of paperthat officially assignsownership of a vehicle.So you need to get thetitle put into your name.So now you got the titlesorted out, what's next?You need to insure it.So call up your insurancecompany or get on their appor what have you,and make sure that you get it insured.Because we can't have anyuninsured drivers out there.So insure it, drive it home, very easy.So now it's insured but it'snot registered to you yet.So what do you do?Can you drive it unregistered?A lot of states just requirethat you have it insuredand that you have a bill of saleand you can prove that youbasically just bought itand that's good enough for them.Some states that's not okay,but in those case you cangenerally purchase a permitthat will allow you todrive a car for a few daysunregistered basicallyfor this exact thing.So congratulations,you just bought your very own project car.Are you done?No you are not.It's time for the mostimportant part of all.You got to flex on everybodyand put your new project car on Instagram.(upbeat music)Nah, but really,this is your kind of introductionto your new community.You got to take some pictures of your carand put them on Instagram andsay hi to your new family.If you want to get better attaking pictures of your carto put on Instagram,check out this episode ofWheelhouse that Nolan didwith Larry Chen and JohnJack Cirone, my roommate.So you've got a project car,you got it home, and youposted it on your Instagram.I am so proud of you.But what's next, what now?Is it time to mod?Not quite.Often overlooked but very important,it's time to do some maintenance.So we're gonna be replacingall the belts, all the filters,and all the fluids on this little Miata.Like the most important fluid of all,your motor oil.When you're changing the oil on any car,whether it's a projector your daily driver,it's important to go witha high quality motor oil.And that's why we've chosenMobil 1 to sponsor this episode.Mobil 1 advanced synthetic motor oilsare designed to keepimportant engine partsin excellent condition for 250,000 miles.Compared to conventional oils,Mobil 1 motor oils offeroutstanding performanceand a long-lasting protection.Mobil 1 synthetic oilsare specially formulatedby a dedicated team ofscientists and engineers.Up tot 20,000 hours oflab and field testingand 500,000 miles ofroad and track testinggo into each bottle of Mobil 1 motor oil.So guys, visit thenearest Auto Zone to youor click the link in the description belowto find the right high-qualityMobil 1 synthetic oil for you.Now seriously, if you've got a car,it's gonna need an oil change.So you might as well support the sponsorsthat help us make these videos,because without them we couldn't do it.Thanks for watching.