I've recently moved to the US and need a car quickly and I'm going to have to pay cash (no credit history). I'm looking at about $5k and most cars around that mark have done ~100k. I plan to get anything I'm considering buying checked out by a local garage but that costs about $100 so I don't want to be doing it for every car I look at.
A lot of the cars come with Autocheck reports for things like accidents and theft but in terms of maintenance I'll be looking for:
Timing belt - Check when should it be done for a particular model and when it was last done by owner
Oil/water/filters/etc - Changed regularly?
Shocks - Shouldn't bounce more than once on each corner
Rust - Shouldn't see any really
Tires - Uneven wear
Obvious signs of crash repair e.g. uneven paint near seals
Exhaust - No corrosion (lots of snow & hence salt here)
Any other obvious things to check for? I'd like to be able to open the bonnet and be able to spot more than furring on the battery at a quick glance.
Getting insurance is turning out to be just as exciting but it looks like US insurers will take into account my UK driving history, once I can get it from the DVLA.
A lot of the cars come with Autocheck reports for things like accidents and theft but in terms of maintenance I'll be looking for:
Timing belt - Check when should it be done for a particular model and when it was last done by owner
Oil/water/filters/etc - Changed regularly?
Shocks - Shouldn't bounce more than once on each corner
Rust - Shouldn't see any really
Tires - Uneven wear
Obvious signs of crash repair e.g. uneven paint near seals
Exhaust - No corrosion (lots of snow & hence salt here)
Any other obvious things to check for? I'd like to be able to open the bonnet and be able to spot more than furring on the battery at a quick glance.
Getting insurance is turning out to be just as exciting but it looks like US insurers will take into account my UK driving history, once I can get it from the DVLA.