Tips for buying a used car from a dealership?

Viper, you might as well post the link to the car in question - I doubt any of us will buy it before you :)

To answer one of your questions about having the car checked out...if it's located at a reputable dealership they will allow a third-party inspection. On the other-hand, if you are buying from a "Cheap-cars-r-us" place, they will deny such a request.

However...read this next bit.

As you are embarking on purchasing a Dodge Viper, not an inexpensive car, you have to risk the money for the plane ticket, fly there and check it out yourself before committing to a purchase (or at the most leave a $500 deposit). Read-up on Viper specialized forums, find out what common problems are, check part numbers and then check the car yourself.

I doubt an independent mechanic will be of much help...you and your dad should be able to check out the most important parts.

Should you haggle on the price? YES!!! In the current economic climate, few people are buying used supercars, especially Vipers - the dealer will want to get rid of it. Bad part is that you are in a bad situation - the dealer will probably know that you are flying from Portland to see that specific car, so he would think he has you. Like others said - don't be afraid to walk away if something doesn't sound right.

(and on a personal note - I bought my Volvo from eBay, dealer was 500 miles away, no inspection on my end, he called me after I have won the auction and booked my ticket to tell me that the front struts are shot...Be prepared for nasty surprises)
 
(and on a personal note - I bought my Volvo from eBay, dealer was 500 miles away, no inspection on my end, he called me after I have won the auction and booked my ticket to tell me that the front struts are shot...Be prepared for nasty surprises)

And this is why having a mechanic look at the car is a good idea.

I know that BCAA (our version of AAA) has a very good inspection service, they send out a man to do a full 20bajillion point inspection, I'd see if AAA has anything similar.
 
Are there any (non-judging) FG members near said car that could/would take a look at it before you buy plane tickets and all that jazz?
 
V
I doubt an independent mechanic will be of much help...you and your dad should be able to check out the most important parts.

The only major bespoke part of a viper that I can think of is the chassis. Even the engine is shared with other vehicles. The most expensive part of owning a viper is the funeral.

Are there any (non-judging) FG members near said car that could/would take a look at it before you buy plane tickets and all that jazz?

This.
 
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Viper, you might as well post the link to the car in question - I doubt any of us will buy it before you :)

These are the two (in order) that I currently have my eye on:

http://www.cars.com/go/search/detail.jsp?listingId=68624573
http://www.cars.com/go/search/detail.jsp?listingId=66871590

I should reiterate that I'm only toying with the idea right now. I'm still trying to decide if I want to buy now, buy something else before it, etc. but that's a discussion for another thread.
 
Those are both from the Rust Belt and should be viewed with suspicion.
 
Quick OT: I love the fact that you're going to get a Viper, I'm all for it, as I have said before. BUT, have you thought about renting something for a few days that's at least a little similar. For instance, does Hertz still rent out Mustang GT-Hs? It might be worth while, just to familiarise yourself with the drivetrain layout.

I say this because I drove RWD cars for pretty much my entire driving career up untill I bought my Civic, then I almost understeered into a tree. I still maintain today it was because I was unfamiliar with the handling characteristics of a FWD car.
 
Having never bought a car before, let alone one from a dealership, can I get some tips/advice?

Some questions I can currently think of:

  • Is me offering to pay in full up front a pro or a con for them (cashier's check from personal account plus loan from my bank in form of a cashiers check)? They don't get any profit from a loan, but they do get their money right there and then.

    NEVER let them know you have enough money to buy it at their price. (Just using random numbers) Say the car is $30,000. You get the loan for the full 30, but you tell them you could only get 25, but you have 2 grand cash on you. Literally pull out the 2 grand an wave it around. People crave money. Tell them that's all you will pay or you'll walk away this instant. More than likely, they'd give it to you. Don't give them time to bullshit you around. Walk up, tell them you are ready to buy TODAY (because they do not want you to leave their lot under any circumstances) then say you want to drive it and get it checked out and if everything pans out alright, you will buy that day. That should be salivating at the ease of that. Basically, make them your bitch. You have what they want, money. They want the car off their lot. While you want their car, you tell them you have other options that you are going to check out right after you leave there. That puts the pressure on them to make the sale without letting you leave even bigger.
  • Will they actually take a lower offer sometimes? I know I'm in a bit of a unique situation since I'm buying a rare car so there's less incentive for them to deal, but still...

    Yes. EVERY last car on there lot is marked up, no matter where you go. Depending on how good you are, whether they are volume vs profit, and the type of car make for how much less they are willing to take. A Viper will sit on a lot for a while, and they put things like that out front to draw others in if for nothing else than just to see it, because then they can convince you that you need what they have. NEVER pay what they ask, at least get $500 off bare minimum. When I bought my Z28, the guy was asking $10,500 and it was 250 miles away. I told him I was pre-apporved for a loan and would drive up the next day (pending the test drive/lookover) I would buy it for $8,000. He took it, and I loved the deal I got.

  • Is it normal for me to ask for the car to be inspected by an independent party, such as a dealership? The places I'm looking at are just used car places. This is particularly applicable since it's over 2000 miles away and I don't want to fly out there only to find it's not what I expect or is a lemon.

Absolutely. If they won't allow for that, do not buy it. That sounds shady, like they have something to hide. On a website much bigger than this I am on, it is common for members who are buying a car far away to get other members to check the car out or give input on a good shop where said car could be checked out. Also, the salesman WILL be coming with you in a Viper. Call ahead, tell them you are flying in to buy it so they know you are serious and they'll let you drive it. Drive it for no less than 30 minutes, highway and city. If you need to bury the rightmost pedal, get up to 60+ on the highway and THEN do it, so you don't blow the tires off at 25 and put it in a ditch. (I hope you can drive a stick so you don't look like a retard and you can feel for anything and everything that may be wrong.) Check every last inch of the car over. I always check the oil when looking at cars, because dealers say they do full service upon taking the car, but they don't always. I've found a few that were bone dry. My friend was looking at cars for him, and we went as far as pulling plugs since the car was modded and stuck a borescope in the cylinders. Found a few that were a bit too clean (meaning it was running lean) so we passed on that one right away.


See red above.





Obligatory off-topic insight: You can say you'll resist all temptation to drop the hammer right away all you want, but fact of the matter is, within the first week you'll have done some tired shredding. I said the same thing, and I had a lowly 350hp and was up to 130 at the first sight of an empty highway. Power and torque are addicting, like any other drug. RWD is totally different than FWD, and big power is quite tempting to use, couple the two and it can become a hairy situation. Didn't you just get your license? I'll disregard the fact that you are inexperienced, but your insurance will suck for being a new driver let alone what you driving. Keep the Corsica as your daily (whether it is or not) for insurance reasons. (Yes I already posted in the other thread as well.)
 
Those are both from the Rust Belt and should be viewed with suspicion.

The Michigan car spent it's life in Texas and was bought at auction by that dealership, according to the CarFax.
 
Didn't spot the Carfax link when I glanced at it.

That said, the month-long lapse after it failed emissions is more than a bit suspicious, especially considering how fast the car was sold afterwards.
 
Stand firm and don't let them talk down to you. You are the one with the power not them. Don't let them fool you otherwise.

-Robert
 
It helps to get the right colour - can affect the re-sale value big time on some cars, and I agree yellow viper, yuck. Nice in blue, red or white. (Best IMHO white with blue stripes - but what do I know?).

With dealers you can usually tell a trust worthy dealer just by the ambiance of the place, and the quality and cost of the stock.

Check the warranty. Minimum should be 1 year - well here anyway, and it should be free, there may be an extension you can buy, you need to think if it is worth it, check if it transfers with the car if you sell it within warranty period.

You guys have MoT equivalents? Here I'd ask to see the cert - make sure they have it and that it is Kosher.
 
You guys have MoT equivalents? Here I'd ask to see the cert - make sure they have it and that it is Kosher.

Eh sort of...many states have a safety/emissions inspection requirement, but the "in-depthness" of that inspection can vary from state to state. Furthermore, who's to say that people don't just sign off on much of the inspection requirements...or skip the small things.

Many people have given you great advice Viper. I'd focus mainly on inspecting the car. Test every feature possible. If you can get the car to a Dodge dealer that can sell/service Viper's (dunno if it's like Nissan or Hyundai where only certain dealers are GT-R/Equus certified) then that's a good idea. Hit up forums specific to the model...they'll usually have stickied threads devoted to things people should look for when buying one. Even Ody/Sedona/Sienna forums have stickied "Delivery/inspection checklist" checklist threads. If those guys took the time to do that, I'm sure Viper forums have that sort of thing.

EDIT: This advice can/should apply to any RWD car you choose...
 
You guys have MoT equivalents? Here I'd ask to see the cert - make sure they have it and that it is Kosher.

There's a sticker on your license plate, called a tag, that expires every few years. You have to pay like $100 or something (not much) to get a new sticker. I'm not sure if every time or just some of the times you have to go through DEQ (Department of Environmental Quality) and they mostly check the stuff coming out of your exhaust pipe, but I guess also lights, etc. Not really strict like they have in Europe.

In short, it's not something to worry about.
 
Oh OK - so you just make sure it is on the plate then. Smart move taking your dad may I say, think sort of poker the dealer is more desperate to sell than you are to buy.

Never be afraid to walk away - they hate that, there is always another Viper for sale somewhere. Watch for the - I'll just go and talk to my Manager trick, your response could be "You can't deal? Put me infront of someone who can or I'm walking now."

Especially if you have the readies (Cash) or a cheque you can give him today. A good phrase to start with is I will be buying today for the right deal (and if you are doing an engineers report) and with a satisfactory engineers report. ... Puts the pressure on him, if you can do it at the end of the month - he has targets so a deal available on the 29th may not be available on the 5th.

Good luck I know you will get a great car. Oh, just for my information are Vipers all stick in the US?

Anyway your dad will help you out no end, so good luck.
 
Oh, just for my information are Vipers all stick in the US?

There's no such thing as an automatic Viper that I know of.
 
Okay, so now that I'm likely buying a Mustang instead of a Viper (for now), I assume all of these suggestions still apply?

For example this car: http://dealrship.com/stock/10185 Is it normal to request it be taken to a mechanic for inspection? I'll work on talking them down in price some.


EDIT: Google reveals that dealership is utter crap, so maybe not a good idea to buy there...
 
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