Hi all. I'm looking to buy a used AP2 in the next few months, and I've read a lot of useful information here, but I still have a few questions:

1) To get a car inspected that is at a dealer, would I just take it to another dealer and say, "check it out for me"? (Obviously I'm going to check it out myself, but I won't be able to tell if the frame is straight and whatnot.)

2) Are there any telltale signs of a modified car (returned to stock) that I can watch out for? Do dealers know about this?

3) Is there any way to tell if a car has been driven in snow? (Unfortunately I will probably be looking at cars only in the Chicago area).

4) If I test drive a car when it's cold out, is there any chance it will start to smell like smoke when it gets hot out?

5) I've seen an '04 with 13k miles for the same price as an '05 with 20k miles. All else being equal, is either one a better choice?

6) Are there any warning signs or things to check for with top wear, or is it a random failure?

I'm sure when I do buy one I will just be grinning for months, but for now I'm paranoid about what could go wrong...

Thanks in advance!

 

all in all i think a leakdown test and a safe carfax would be good enough for the peace of mind. the car i believe was most reliable premium sports car i believe

its a honda, i wouldnt worry too much and must be some great deals in chicago at this time!!

good luck on your buy sorry i know im not much help

 

Well, I just bought a 04 and did a carfax which came up clean, but decided not to do an inspection because it had just had its 20k service, well long story short, I brought it to my mechanic 3k miles later for an oil change and he found that on one of the front fenders the little VIN tag was missing, meaning that it was in a minor accident which the previous owner didnt tell me about, so basically carfax is not completely reliable, have a dealer check it out, and make sure that all VIN tags are present on ALL body panels..

 

1) You can try a Honda dealer, but they will charge you. Just bring it to your mechanic.

2) Our cars are the same as all the others. Just always check the tires, wheels, underbody, etc.

3) There should be some signs on the paint if it was driven when salt and debris was on the road. The winter time is the worst, but if the car has reasonably low miles then I doubt it was used as a daily. i.e., probably wasn't used in the snow.

4) Not exactly sure what you mean by this. But I drive mine in every weather condition and it's A-OK.

5) The one in better condition, and in the color you prefer.

6) I haven't seen too many S2K's with top problems, just check for holes, tears, leaks, etc.

 

If you can't tell the difference, is there one?

 

Carfax is only truely reliable if everything about a vehicle gets reported to them. Our Kia Sedona was in an accident at the end of 11/04, but Carfax did not report anything about the incident, so neither the Highway Patrol, towing company, nor the shop that repaired the van reported it. Also add to the fact that some owners like to work on their cars on their own, or take it to a shop that doesn't report to Carfax.

It's a good starting point, but it won't show everything about a vehicle's history.

 

One piece of advice...get a digital paint guage. They are relatively inexpensive and a good tool for discovering paint inconsistencies that may indicate a repaint.

Also, as stated above, find out where the major VIN stickers are and find them on the car you're looking at. If a part has been replaced, chances are the stickers are no longer there.

Look for signs of overspray in the engine bay and bumber areas. Door jamb area is also a great place to look for prior accident repairs.

 

Thanks all for the feedback.


[QUOTE=mgp 2675,Jan 15 2007, 01:06 AM]4) Not exactly sure what you mean by this.

 

If they are representing it as perfect and willing to let you inspect it, there are a few things you can do. First of all make sure the clutch is not slipping, tires are not totally bald, you can check the body panels for VIN numbers if they are representing it as accident free (although a minor accident might not be any big deal if its in a major city . . . it happens) they are located on the trunk lid, rear and front bumper, quarter panels on the front and rear, on the doors, on the hood, on the engine, etc), listen to the diff for any abnormal noises, make sure the tranyn shifts smoothly, ask for a maintenance record if possible, if you take it to a mechanic and they will allow it, you might want to consider a compression test, leakdown test, and if you are really extreme you can have the retainers and keepers inspected.

Hope it helps! When shopping try not to get to emotional, sometimes your enthusiasm for owning a car can make you buy something that you otherwise wouldn't (or for a higher price).

 

Check in front of the passenger side front rim inside the inner tire wall to see if any cutting had taken place to the plastic. Will indicate if they had a cold air intake of some kind before.Check for marking of any kind on the factory heatshiled, and also on the heat shield on top of the factory header. May be able to see if it had ever been removed(maybe for an aftermarket one, or for mechanical reasons). Check tires, clutch and tranny feel. Diif noises. Be sure to warm the car up fully before the test drive. Drive slow for the first couple minutes to get the tranny nice and warm (shift at around 4K rpm) then when it's ready make sure to do some WOT runs. Stop then look under the car for leaks. Check engine bay for any smoke, or smells. Take a friend(sometimes something you might miss can be seen by another-believe me it's happened to us).