Don’t Get RIPPED OFF Buying a Used Car

So you finally decided to get yourself a project car, great! But how exactly do you go about selecting, inspecting, and actually purchasing the right project car? How do you avoid getting ripped off? Chances are you will be going with a used car, so you need to be extra selective in what you decide to go with. First, remember to take your time. Next, watch the vid! We’ll talk about several options like VW, the Mazda Miata, and even a Jaguar XJ12. We also cover how to go about handling a car title and we’ll give you tips on topics like car mileage, how to check a VIN, inspecting a car, negotiating the price of a car, and by the end, you should be able to go out there and get yourself a sweet new ride. Welcome to Money Pit!

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[Donut]

Alright so what car are you gonna go buy now? And ...Is Miata Always The Answer?

[claudiobizama]

This show will singlehandedly make the Miata price to go up

[probablynotleo]

I like this host, he actually has his own personality.

[ben]

You also need to turn the key to the accessory position. If the "check engine" light doesn't come on, it's been disabled

[BatCaveOz]

A few additions:
1) Always insist that the car engine is cold when you arrive (a warm engine can hide any start-up issues)
2) Drive fast in a straight line and break super hard with your hands barely touching the wheel to determine if the car veers under hard breaking
3) If you are buying a car that delivers power to the front wheels, put the steering wheel into full-lock and drive in a circle (any clunking will indicate a likely fault CV joint)
4) If buying a performance car, feel and inspect the inside of the wheel wells for bits of rubber, to determine if they have been doing burnouts
5) Check the manufacturing date that is printed on all tires, as they may need replacing, even if they have full tread
6) Ask the seller if they are aware of any potential issues with the vehicle... sometimes they will tell you

[grahamwilliamson]

"If you ask the owner when he last changed the timing belt and he says "uh?" Its probably time to replace it"

I died laughing.

[Gypsy_Wyrm]

"check the coolant"
immediately get sprayed by spicy mountain dew

[roguerenegade]

I love how the whole time I’ve been watching I felt like he was actually talking to me

[TheOneWayDown]

I feel like I'm on the verge of becoming a car guy. Just looking at what the process of getting a project car would be like, but aside from changing brake pads and rotors so much of this stuff goes over my head

[coalieroller]

When you buy a project car, make sure you like that type of car.

[francis]

Interior? Smell it
Tyres? Look at it
Brakes? Touch it
Hotel? Trivago

[Burlehmangus]

Absolutely insane how much of a price difference your geographic location makes. Out in cali, with the canyon carving, you guys have TONS of cheap miatas. Out here in Connecticut, you couldn’t pick a worse project car. Out here you can’t find even a beat to crap Miata with 200k on it for less than 6 grand. Out here it’s TONS of audis and volvos and other 4wd cars as project cars

[thatredfiero]

Him: "check the millage"

Civic owners: "Hold My beer"

[tai]

“Its a really good idea to hit some bumps to check the suspension”

Me: Drive into a ramp

[smilez]

Yeah don’t forget to check if the car has a nice smile

[chappie]

I love how you brought up the mileage thing people don't seem to understand it's not all about the mileage I have a 2007 Lincoln Town car with almost 600, 000 miles on it and it runs like a top all service records perfectly fine and I bought it for $800 because of the mileage just cuz the mileage is bad doesn't mean you're going to get a bad car you just got to make sure that it was taken care of

[julilabas]

It's always a good idea to open the doors and hood and check the fittings, if the door is straight but the fitting is bent, it means the car has crashed and repaired to some extent

[canadianrcs]

The best part is that he automatically assumes the car you’re looking at is a manual AS IT SHOULD

[TheGreatAndEpicMe]

This host seems chill af, smooth and knowledageable

[staterafukumoto]

now that i've bought a car, and had some problems... i wish i'd discovered this sooner.

also, from my recent learnings; bringing a cheap little OBD2 tester with you can be great to have the car tell you exactly what it thinks is wrong. that might have saved me some fuel gauge headache.