Car Inspection

sly_ba · 29-09-2008, 04:20 PM

Hi all.

I am going to have a look at a B-series faclon that I am interested in. I am pretty switched on when it comes to car, I am also going to have an RACV inspection and a VSR check done on the car just to make sure.

Does anyone on here have any advice for me in regards to what to look out for in terms of repairs that may have been carries out on the car? What are the best indicators of a car that has been involved in an accident then repaired? The car is really cheap. The person I spoke to said that he is selling it on behalf of a friend who is overseas. All transfer papers have apparantly already been signed by the owner.

It is a BF falcon if it may help any potential answers......

Cheers

geckoGT · 29-09-2008, 04:27 PM

6 or 8?

Look for plastic panels (bumpers etc) that match perfectly in colour with the body panels. If they do, it is likely it has had a repair because it is rare that they matched from factory. This is because the body is painted on a different line than the plastics. Also look for areas such as the radiator support panel, nice gloss finish that matches the exterior = repair as they did not from factory. Paint missing from bolt heads on the body panels is always a give away too.
Have a look at the seams under the parcel shelf in the boot, near the gas struts as this is a common rust area on sedans, as well as the seam near the strut towers.

sly_ba · 29-09-2008, 04:34 PM

Should have posted, its an xr8

jaydee · 29-09-2008, 04:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sly_ba

Hi all.

I am going to have a look at a B-series faclon that I am interested in. I am pretty switched on when it comes to car, I am also going to have an RACV inspection and a VSR check done on the car just to make sure.

Does anyone on here have any advice for me in regards to what to look out for in terms of repairs that may have been carries out on the car? What are the best indicators of a car that has been involved in an accident then repaired? The car is really cheap. The person I spoke to said that he is selling it on behalf of a friend who is overseas. All transfer papers have apparantly already been signed by the owner.

It is a BF falcon if it may help any potential answers......

Cheers

Be very very careful. You don't know who signed it.
I would be trying to get a contact number or email address or something and speak to the owner,
If you do only one thing do a REV's (Register of Encumbered Vehicles) check. It's a govt web site and cost only a few dollars for a peaceful nights sleep.
Good luck.
http://www.revs.nsw.gov.au/

sly_ba · 29-09-2008, 04:36 PM

Thanks fot that. Yes, I will be doing a VSR check (the VIC equivilant of a REV's check).

geckoGT · 29-09-2008, 04:46 PM

On BOSS motors, remove the right hand coil cover and see if there is water in the rear spark plug recess. If the engine has been washed with a hose, water gets under the cover and corrodes the rocker cover (bubbling paint will show this) as well as damage the coil. The left side will do this too but it is easier getting to the right side.

If it is a BF timing chain adjusters should not be a problem, they should be the metal type. Just to be sure I would try to be present when the car is first started after sitting overnight. If it warmed up before you get there, be sus of it.

sly_ba · 29-09-2008, 04:49 PM

Cool. Thanks very much for that info gekoGT.

MitchG · 29-09-2008, 05:43 PM

I just had an RACV inspection done on an EL XR8 that im about to buy, best 204$ i have spend in my opinion. I had a compressive inspection done, basicy they just check over everything & give you a detailed report & list problems etc. this was done with a privet sale, so there was no access to a hoist, but was very thorough, they will give you a good idea of what items on the car need attetion...

Yellow_Festiva · 29-09-2008, 06:34 PM

The inspection should also include a paint thickness test.

I had a car inspected and the guy used a little gadget all over tha car that measured the thickness of whatever was above the steel.

A uniform readind across the car means factory paint.

The 'selling for a friend' story is commonly used. Meet at a house, if the transaction goes through, ask for ID from the seller and take a pic of it front and back with a camera. Make sure the details match the address and persons face. Don't be shy to do this either... if the person has nothing to hide then they will be more than willing to provide all you need.

sly_ba · 29-09-2008, 08:18 PM

Went and checked it out. There is no way the car in question had covered the Kms on the clock. Wear in all of the wrong places confirmed this. There were also lots of marks on it and the seller was definately dodgy.

Thanks for all of the responses guys.

IH8HSV · 30-09-2008, 01:18 AM

[QUOTE=sly_ba].......Went and checked it out. There is no way the car in question had covered the Kms on the clock. Wear in all of the wrong places confirmed this. There were also lots of marks on it and the seller was definately dodgy.

Do you reckon the kilometers on the odometer were wound back then?

Just curious to know because i thought digital odometers couldn't be wound back.

Then again i suppose anyone could buy a low km cluster off eBay.

What made you think something was suss???

FordFella · 30-09-2008, 11:53 AM

Digital odometers can be wound back, don't you watch today tonight its apparently all the rage LOL. sometimes youget that feeling that something is suss but most of the time it will bve fine, especially if you get it inspected. Butr who honestly sells a car and acts suss or says suss things when its normal????
I dont know but some people do act suss when its all rosy, know this from past experiences when parents have bought cars.

LTDterri · 30-09-2008, 02:22 PM

I think an RACV inspection might show it's a bit suspect especially if the wear does not match the Km's. The good thing about the RACV inspection is it will tell you what needs attention or if it's had major repair work or just cosmetic work. I had a mate who took over his father in Laws EL Fairmont, when looking at it inside the steering wheel was worn, the cruise buttons looked like they were going to fall off the drivers seat looked ratty but the thing had 88k on it...Now this is a one owner car which belonged to his wife's dad from new so we knew it was original....but I asked him if his father in law had wound it back because it didn't look like a 88k car

sly_ba · 30-09-2008, 03:34 PM

The odo read 27,000kms however the seats and interior were well worn. Stickers had peelled off around the engine bay and had been stuck back on. The tyres had already been replaced and the ones on it were stuffed (front and back so it has had a hard life) and it had also been recently re-registed (meaning that it has spent some time off the road, presumably to repair damage). Nothing was adding up about the car. It was just easier, and safer, to walk away.........

There will always be another car.......

dave351cid · 01-10-2008, 12:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sly_ba

Stickers had peelled off around the engine bay and had been stuck back on.

which stickers ?? if it was the car id stickers i would be very worried

GORDZ · 01-10-2008, 12:26 AM

mines missing mine... haha should be fun when sell the ute, but hey, they were in the way of my painting of the bay, who knew that were going to leave 'VOID' marks all over the place.... ah well, it's my ute and i'll be in australia when i sell it :P