Moorron
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| posted on 22/9/12 at 05:12 PM |
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How do you buy a car?
Hi guys hope everyone is outside with the kits on a sunny day like today.
Bit of a strange question from me but how do you buy a car, I am currently looking for a new daily car after owning my Range rover clasic for 8 years
who i bought from a good friend. My mate who goes thru cars often has suggested i am approaching it from the wrong angle. My 'way' is to
go and view the car and test drive it and see if its a good one that i would like to own. If it stands out as the one i would then either place a
deposit with the owner and go away to arrange a HPI check, sort my insurance out and payment or just go away and do the checks and come back with an
offer.
My friend seems to think this is a waste of time and i need to go with the attitude of buying it and driving it back the same day. This means i should
do all the checks before hand, have the insurance qoute ready and take a lot of cash with me. Then if i like it i can have it sorted there and then.
Im viewing the first car tomorrow a BMW M3 E46, it will be the most ive ever spent in a car and like to keep hold of them for a long time, the owner
has given me what seems like a local retail carpark (bells ringing now, does he just not want use knowing where its kept) and the car has a private
plate on it which he wants to keep producing more problems if i want the car soon.
Whos right? my mate or myself
Any advise? 
Sorry about my spelling, im an engineer and only work in numbers.
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flibble
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| posted on 22/9/12 at 05:24 PM |
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I'll only ever pick up a car from athe buyers residential address, other than that I'll decide what I want and go with insurance ready
quoted and cash in pocket (and blunt object on back seat if in a dodgy area!). If It's not falling to bit when I get there and no lies have been
told I'll pay, sort insurance and drive home 
Of course I rarely buy expensive cars so over a few thousand pounds things might change!
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JekRankin
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| posted on 22/9/12 at 05:31 PM |
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I think a lot of it comes down to how far you're travelling to see the car. I need to travel long distances to view most cars I'm
interested in, so its better for me to be ready for a same day purchase.
If its close by, and the seller will take a deposit, then giving yourself time to sort out payment and insurance can't be a bad idea. For me
though, if I'd found the perfect car, I'd want to have arrangements in place to be able to buy it on the day, just to be sure.
Slightly off topic, but I was recently looking at E46 M3s too, but the reports of the shell cracking at the rear subframe mounts put me off. Have you
looked into this problem? From reading up on it, there seem to be two main opinions, one being 'it's very rare, and there's a lot of
internet scaremongering going on' and the other being 'its a metal fatigue related issue, and will happen to them all eventually'.
It's a shame, because they seem like great cars for the money - but maybe I'm being over cautious!
ETA: I think a lot of sellers would be uncomfortable accepting cash for a car of that value. I'd go ready to make a guaranteed bank transfer
thingy.
Jek
[Edited on 22/9/12 by JekRankin]
[Edited on 22/9/12 by JekRankin]
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gottabedone
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| posted on 22/9/12 at 05:36 PM |
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I wouldn't by a car from a meeting in a carpark unless i'd asked to meet there due to distance etc. I bet the address on the V5
isn't where the car is sat right now
Also you really want to see the car when the engine is cold not nicely warmed up for you.
I would do my homework first like your mate does - you can then drive the car home the same day - unless it's close by I suppose.
Steve
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Moorron
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| posted on 22/9/12 at 05:51 PM |
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Yeah read up the the rear subframe problem. The car im looking at in the morning has a letter from BMW last month to prove its ok.
Im going with a mate in his M3 so he can tell me if the car drives the same as his. Other mechanical checks i can do, im still not sure if its his
address, just looks on google as a retail park, maybe i got the postcode wrong and need to contact the seller again later to double check.
im travelling about 40 miles so not too far at the moment, the other one i have in mind is about 4 hours away on the south coast so maybe i might go
to that one ready to drive home in it?
£10k is alot of money, i dont mind small issues i just dont want a stolen, ringed or Cat D car.
Sorry about my spelling, im an engineer and only work in numbers.
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franky
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| posted on 22/9/12 at 05:51 PM |
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As above, never ever buy a car in a carpark, especially a e46 m3!!!
1000's of them around so get one from someones house not tesco.
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britishtrident
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| posted on 22/9/12 at 05:55 PM |
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Always err on the cautious side you have to do due diligence on MOT, HPI/Experion checks outstanding finance and check if the vehicle has had a
write off history.
First stage is when viewing the car take a note of both the Vehicles V5C registration document number and the MOT certificate number and check
the MOT status at the direct.gov.uk website. ---- check using both the V5C number and MOT paperwork number. Check the mileages recorded in the
MOT history make sense against current mileage and wear & tear on the interior trim, paintwork and mechanical stuff such as brake discs
When you return the pick up the car before picking up the car check all the chassis numbers on the vehicle agree with the paper work
and eachother
[I] “ What use our work, Bennet, if we cannot care for those we love? .”
― From BBC TV/Amazon's Ripper Street.
[/I]
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Moorron
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| posted on 22/9/12 at 06:12 PM |
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Well it seems my postcode was wrong.
Not the best looking housing estate but i will see what happens tomorrow.
Sorry about my spelling, im an engineer and only work in numbers.
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sonic
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| posted on 22/9/12 at 06:13 PM |
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Hello, i have been in the motor trade and around cars for many years.
Has the car got BMW service history?, if so ring your local BMW dealer and ask for the service department, be very polite and tell them you are on the
verg of buying this car reg no ????? and ask if they can look on the service data base to see if it has any adverse history or nasty things waiting to
be done on it, tell them if you buy it you will bring it to them for servicing etc.
If you get a good dealer they will look for you and let you know over the phone, also they will tell you what the last know mileage was, I have bought
20 odd BMW cars over the years and also walked away from the same again that have looked good but when checked they have been clocked.
I wouldn't meet in a car park unless the guy is willing to take you back to the registered address if you are seriously interested, i have met
people before to suss them out before inviting them back to my house, usually when they have turned up with a car full of mates etc.
I wouldn't take a full service history as worth much unless it is accompanied by reciepts of the work done, people make me laugh when they say
it has fully stamped up service book.
Example
You take your car to the garage for a service, they change the oil,filter etc etc and then ring you and say it needs drive shaft boots, brakes, shock
absorbers blah blah, you say no thanks i am selling the car and they stamp you book, only on the print out reciept will it tell you what needs to be
done, but the book is fully stamped up!!
Always ring the garage who serviced it and ask if there was anything advised to be done.
Also ask if it is a private plate what the original number was and check under that also, if he doesn't know it will be stamped into the glass
on the side windows unless he has changed all the glass.
Good luck
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jonabonospen
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| posted on 22/9/12 at 06:24 PM |
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If the car has a private plate the seller wants to keep then you will not be able to realistically do the deal there and then as it gets a messy
affair. Also if the seller insists you meet away from his address, then there is no way I would go with cash. I can understand the sellers concerns to
some degree as these sorts of cars can sometimes attract a certain type of person (you are clearly not that "type" of person though). I
would meet somewhere neutral, ask to see the V5, then if you like the car and arrange to buy it, then you know what the address is you should be going
to, the one on the V5. If not then dont touch it.
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NOTE:This user is registered as a LocostBuilders trader and may offer commercial services to other users
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mark chandler
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| posted on 22/9/12 at 08:12 PM |
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Under £1000 then go expecting to drive away so take cash, have a good conversation first and a little googling.
Last car I bought was £16,000 paid cash and drove it away, had it on a ramp first and carefully went over it before parting with my hard earned, on
these be prepared to walk away.
You can usually see miles in door shuts/door hanging, pedal rubbers, steering wheel and gear stick wear etc.
Also with cash you can knock down the price, if a large amount have a mate waiting around the corner with the money in their car, if everything checks
out then go and collect.
Note: when I moved my private plate it took 3 weeks to come through, if you take the car away with a personal plate expect a load of grief, if they
are serious then they should have placed upon retention before starting the sell.
Regards Mark
[Edited on 22/9/12 by mark chandler]
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DanP
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| posted on 22/9/12 at 10:53 PM |
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There are hundreds of E46 M3's around, some in great nick others that have been ragged, take your time and find a good one.
The deluge of cars is great if you are buying, not so good if you are selling.
I owned a E46 M3 vert up until this year, there are some real bargains around. take your time, its easy to hand over money, not so easy to get it
back.
Cheers,
Dan
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