Good place for pre-purchase inspection for private purchase?

[hsonthalia]

Hi All

I am looking at getting a thorough mechanical inspection for this car that I am looking at buying as a private purchase. I have heard of RACV as one option for a comprehensive check (about $ 220 from memory) - do you know if these guys are any good?

Also, any other recommendation for places that you might know of?

As it is a manual I am particularly keen to get the clutch condition checked - do you reckon these guys are able to suggest anything on that?

Thanks again!!!

[elitee]

http://www.mtavehicleinspections.com.au/

I went through them to get mine done,

Was very happy with the inspection

Full report, RACV check, Revs etc

[corb13]

i had a racq/racv mechanical check on my when i bought it 2 months ago and they were pretty thorough, found a cell in the battery had died which wouldn't have been picked up other wise.... they were very helpfull and they allow you to call up the guy who did the inspection and speak to him directly to see what he thinks personally of the car as they test drive cars for there job! i also asked for them to check the clutch out and they said it was all good so im happy! Best 180 bucks i spent, for peace of mind

Please give post quality cheers

[CB7_OWNER]

http://www.stateroads.com.au/

[djpro1]

Just a tip for people who are planning to purchase euros since I too had to go through a similar procedure and a mate advised me of these things :)

Ask seller to leave the car off for half a day or so.. This is to test how the car starts up cold. I would always want to see how hard it is for the car to start first before anything. Warm starts can trick you!

• Make sure all bulbs are working, indicators, brake lights, tail lights.
• Spare tyre in the boot of the trunk.
• Test both keys and hold down the unlock button for 3-5 seconds when they're closed to see if the windows go down automatically
• Check horn. BONK!!
• Make sure all dash lights go off after you turn on the car and buckle up.
• Drive speeds up to at least 100km/hr to see shift in gears are smooth.
• Test wipers and water.
• Check VIN number under the hood against log books/ rego paper
• Check REVS to ensure theres no debt owing on the car
• Never pay cash and pay bank cheque ($10 is safer than carrying $18000 cash)
• Get all paper work done asap from RTA to transfer the vehicle.
• All windows working correctly.
• Ensure doors shut/close with ease.
• Open the bonnet and see the colour of the engine oil.
• Buy one which is serviced regularly. Preferably Honda.. Log books are also great too!
• Check for brake squeaking (could mean machined rotors & replacement)
• Drive on a windy road and see how the steering wheel behaves if possible.
• Ensure idle RPM range is correct around 800.
• Look for minor dings and scratches, at first you wont notice them because you’ll be dazzled by the beauty of the Euro. Here you can bargain the car down 
• Look for any irregular paintwork, could be sign of repair from accident (don’t believe them when they say its never been in a major accident! You never know unless they filed a police report)
• Look for any irregular panels. Ie. If a panel is protruding out more than it should be and not aligned with the other panels, high chance of car being in an accident.
• If you’re paranoid, get the car to a mechanic and tested for about $100. They will hoist the car up and look under it to see if there’s any damage as the owner might’ve run over a few kerbs etc.. This could mean new CV joints, alignment and a whole lot more.


Most times when the car has been log book serviced, it means it's been taken care of quite well.

Good luck in buying a euro :D








i had a racq/racv mechanical check on my when i bought it 2 months ago and they were pretty thorough, found a cell in the battery had died which wouldn't have been picked up other wise.... they were very helpfull and they allow you to call up the guy who did the inspection and speak to him directly to see what he thinks personally of the car as they test drive cars for there job! i also asked for them to check the clutch out and they said it was all good so im happy! Best 180 bucks i spent, for peace of mind

Please give post quality cheers

Post quality points aren't just given out for posting a few times. Valuable contribution is required for an extended period of time and it's a privilege to achieve a member status on the forums. Just keep it up with the good posts and you'll be recongised by other members and eventually you too will become a ozhonda member. That's what I've gathered from the time I've been here. Just my 2c

[squareznboxez]

hey bud, when i bought my skyline from an interstate dealer, i hired state roads to inspect the car for me, the detail report was quite good and fairly comprehensive with major things like rust and panel damage, you can also pay a little extra for a compression test on each cylinder which is crucial in determining the health of the engine.

i would definitely choose stateroads over the RACV as many people (myself included) have found them to be far more thorough with their inspection

i would also suggest, if possible to take a friend or a forum member who has or currently owns the same car you're looking to buy as you can never fully understand all the perks and fine trouble spots of the car until you've actually owned it. its easy to be overwhelmed by the good points when scouting for a car that you overlook the minor things until it's in your garage


hope that helps mate, all the best with it,

danny