Buy a car on auction

[SBSP]

Hello

I'm still on a mission to buy a new car.

Made up my mind it will be a Merc C230 1.8 kompressor.
And i dont care what people say

Ive recently attended auctions in at Burchmores in midrand.
Cars gets auctioned off at damn good prices.

The other day they let a 2005 Merc C230k go at 119K (with price to be confirmed) with just over a 100K on the clock.

2005 models easily go for 160K . I’m looking to buy a 2003 or 2004 model.
I guess I would get away with in between 80K and 100K.

If any one is the market you should go check it out. This past Saturday they sold an X5 for 91K
And a Subaru STi for 190K with I think 53K on the clock.

Unfortunately for me I cant afford my current car and another car on my name.
So my mission is to get finance and buy a cheap car like a bakkie maybe a champ or something for hopefully (20K) For less than my settlement of my
Current car (Velocity 1.4i) Installments = 2300 and 30% baloon (What a rip off  )
Sell the velocity.Then once that is done get the merc I want. And then sell the bakkie and hope fully make a buck out of it.
Reason for switching cars is cus I cant afford to sit without a car for a single day.

Some of you are quite clued up with this type of thing.
What I think of doing feels a bit dodgy. Just Doesnt feel right.

What do you think ?

Bare in mind that I would only buy repo cars and not coded cars

And when looking at a car what should I look at ?
If the tiresare run off on the sides ?
service book ?
Doors not aligning up ?

Once you bid on it and they say sold to you sir there is no turning back.


What else ?

[XIII]

Here's some basic tips when buying out of auction.

Most important - If you know a mechanic bring him along.

- Check body work for any dents/scratches or repaints.
: If its got scratches - run your finger nail across the scratch to tell if it's gone through the paint. If it hasn't then it's good as you will be able to compound that out.

: If its got dents - make sure it isn't smack dab in the middle of the panel in the event that in the future you wish to repair it it's not a major issue (e.g. on a panel that has a form of edge running along the side of that. a dent is rather difficult to straighten out from there.)

: To check for a repaint - Take a look at the entire vehicle to get a general idea of the factory painted panels. Easiest way to look for a repaint is to walk to the front right/left corners by the headlights and kneel down looking all the way down the side of the car to the back. If you see any form of wave, bubbles, drips, or fading then that panel has been repainted. Generally test this and compare to other panels of the car to which the paintwork is smooth. If you see the difference then you know if it's been repainted.

- Check under the vehicle to make sure there is no rust or serious damage to the vehicle.

: Check the ground directly underneath the engine and check if there is any oil on the ground. Also look up and look for any sign of leaks. If you do see one, use your finger to test it. If it's oil it requires alot better look. If it's water it's not the end of the world but do be cautious.

: Make sure the exhaust doesn't have any holes in it.

: Rust is a major problem so make sure it's not heavy. (if you can easily peel off pieces then walk away) It most likely won't be like that as we're in Joburg.


Be back for more info.

[UrBaN]

Check the exhaust tip to get an indicatin of how the engine is running. If it's black, the engine os burning oil.

Also check for basic things - electrics all working, general roadworthiness, the service history, mileage vs expected milage for the year.

[XIII]

More Tips....

Check the Engine.

- Basic things to look for.
: Oil around the engine
: Check the radiator. (make sure there are no cracks or leaks.
: Check all the dip sticks.
: Take a look in the four corners of the engine where the panels are and make sure there isn't any signs of it being in accident. (check for cracks in the paint, rust, or serious wabbles). Same thing can be done underneath by looking at the chassis.

Check around the doors make (pull back the seals if possible) sure it hasn't been in an accident. If there are any signs of the accident having affected the central frame - walk away.

Interior.

Make sure the seats aren't worn, torn, or have cig burns.

Light up the dash make sure no lights are showing that shouldn't be otherwise it's electrical or something more serious.

Make sure there are no cracks or bubbles in the dash.

Lift the mats off the floor to check the carpet make sure it's not completely worn.

Make sure the interior panels have no cig burns in.

Make sure all the windows work.

Check for spare tire, tools, jack, etc..

Make sure the tires are still in good condition.

Check the rims make sure there aren't any serious scratches (especially around the rim where it meets the tire. If there are any serious scuffs around that area it's a pain to fix + expensive)

[maxxis]

Check the exhaust tip to get an indicatin of how the engine is running. If it's black, the engine os burning oil.

Only applies to cars running leaded fuel.

Unleaded exhaust always burns black.

[Screeper]

Only applies to cars running leaded fuel.

Unleaded exhaust always burns black.

This I did not know. Thanks

[UrBaN]

Me neither. Thanks. Oh, you forgot diesel lol

[SBSP]

Thanks for the replies i will be printing this out.