MUST WATCH BEFORE BUYING A USED CAR! Inspection Tips

When I inspect any car I look for paint issues that indicate paint failure or evidence of a previous repaint. Joe Izzo Jr. had a car come into his shop to repair after a botched paint job that was the perfect example of many of the paint issues we see....but in this case it was on 1 car. Please look closely at the video and it was extremely hard to capture the subtle nuances. Hope you enjoy and will look for this tell tail signs of previous car repaint before your next dealership purchase. -L

If you’re a car fanatic like me, click the link below to be notified of my latest AMMO videos, products, podcasts, website promo’s and to take our quick Detailing Survey!

AMMO Formulas used in this video:

Recommended products and tools approved by AMMO NYC:

If this video was helpful, please give us a THUMBS UP!

Disclaimer:
Due to factors beyond the control of AMMO NYC, Larry Kosilla, and Make Rain Productions, we cannot guarantee against improper use or unauthorized modifications of this information. AMMO NYC, Larry Kosilla, and Make Rain Productions assumes no liability for property damage or injury incurred as a result of any of the information contained in this video. Use this information at your own risk. AMMO NYC, Larry Kosilla, and Make Rain Productions recommends safe practices when working on vehicles and or with tools seen or implied in this video. Due to factors beyond the control of AMMO NYC, Larry Kosilla, and Make Rain Productions, no information contained in this video shall create any expressed or implied warranty or guarantee of any particular result. Any injury, damage, or loss that may result from improper use of these tools, equipment, or from the information contained in this video is the sole responsibility of the user and not AMMO NYC, Larry Kosilla, nor Make Rain Productions. Video and Content are owned by Make Rain Productions © 2021

[idrivearttabletennis]

Something all us car guys and gals should watch but also a video we should refer back to - excellent reference video. A number of people ask me to help them discover issues with a used car before purchase so I know some stuff. But this will really help me when asked to do this in the future. Thank you for posting.

[evanleo]

larry you are the best detailer on the planet hands down，not only knowledgeble informative but also like to share your knowledge with rookies like me

[themechanic]

After collision school and working at a body for a few years I can tell you this guy was spot on with his "give aways", I've seen them all . 👍 great video

[Laffs]

This is why I love Larry's videos. He takes subject matter that's relevant to a variety of people, finds experts who are clearly passionate about their field of expertise in addition to being highly knowledgeably and well spoken, and then packages it in a video that's informative and yet concise and to the point.

[RustyWrenches]

I was fortunate enough to work at a body shop for my first job. Every car that I look at gets a thorough run through before I buy it. The salesman always always look at me funny when I run my fingers in the door jambs, under the trunk lid, under the hood etc... Great info in this video!

[toddvanwinkle]

Ahhh sanding scratches ..my favorite..I usually look INTO the paint, not at the top layer..he's so right about using light and moving his head to see those tell tale scratches!

[ChromaticGarage]

This was the most informative video I’ll watch all week. Thanks Larry!

[jravelo]

highly informative! While i don't do 1:1 painting for a living, i do build 1:24 car models as a hobby and the explanations on how body paint problems come up is so helpful.

[DripExplains]

Dude's delivery was amazing. Well spoken and I actually learned something.

[RyanPaulWarren]

This information is great when it comes to the buying process of a car that you want to be in the best possible condition, particularly if it's a car you regard with passion as opposed to mere function.


One important point, from somebody who works in the Body Shop industry, would be to manage your expectations when paying for cosmetic paint and body repair work on your vehicle. You can't expect for somebody to respray a door on your car for ($/£/€)200 and look like its just rolled out of the showroom. I've seen many different examples of repairs being carried out to a certain customer's satisfaction level based on the cost they're willing to pay. What I'm trying to say in a nutshell is that if somebody repaints a door on an elderly lady's 2016 Nissan Micra for £200, and you come in with a similar key mark on your BMW M4 and are confused as to why you have to pay double that or more - don't be confused.


In an ideal world all bodyshops would repaint a door and blend both ways for colour, but expectations of customers are so vastly different that this isn't always a viable option to meeting their satisfaction level. Just make sure you're going to somewhere that has a good reputation for working on performance cars and potentially exotics. Usually one of the painters or somebody in the shop will have done some sort of work on their own car, so if you're curious about quality that's a good place to start if you ask nicely.

[GhettoWagon]

Great video this guy explains exactly what I used to look for at car auctions. So many patched up wrecks. should always look at the spot welds too on qr's and the way seam sealer looks like too, all will be weird if a qr panel was cut off or something.

[robustpickle]

Perfect timing for a video like this, Larry! I use your videos to train my technicians for more advanced detailing methods and we have a class coming up this month!

[PKmode]

Great video. People need to be informed on this. So many used cars have been hidden. 99% of the time, nothing will be as good as the factory paint job. Of course there are exceptions but you pay for quality. Dealerships don't and whip these out and off the lots as quickly as possible.

[DarnLevel]

Ever since I got a new phone I've greatly appreciated your videos and how high quality they are. Also adopting your OCD.

[dillanmistry]

No wonder I had solvent pop on my e30 after respiratory I thought it was weird, thanks Larry

[marcb]

Another incredibly informative video. Thank you Larry. You truly elevate everyone’s knowledge with each of your videos!!! Keep them coming!! Best channel on YouTube!!

[Tnkcommander]

What sucks is when you've learned all of this on your own vehicle after two different paint shops - both highly rated - muck up your paint. Sometimes you can make a problem worse by trying to make it better. What started as two paint chips became a three panel mess.

What I wish I knew a year ago when I got my first chip was that you can buy matched spray can paint, and using 2k primer, 2k clear coat, and a 1k CC blender, can touch up paint chips without having to detrim or trust someone else to do a proper paint job. Lot cheaper too. I've got three panels with solvent pop, dirt nibs, fisheyes, and mistmatched color as a result of the last paint shop - not to mention $850 in trim damage. Thankfully I can fix it myself now, but if you find yourself wanting to repaint because of rock chips or the like, learn to do it yourself. Watch Refinish Network and Motivated Painters, then hit up automotivetouchup or scratchwizard for their kits. Don't do what I did and learn the hard way. I never liked letting other people work on my vehicles, but the fact of the matter is, even the best will have accidents from time to time, and you'll have to live with the consequences.

[mogolfiero]

Is this dude the lost cousin of Vitaly?

[verdatum]

Excellent vid! This not only gives tips on what to look out for, it's a great set of tips on how to do a quality paint job.

[AlexVenz]

Larry, indicator #1 & #5 is just a sign of a factory Tesla paint job... lol