Make: Jaguar ID: 8798-35739735937
Model: XK8
Location: St.Louis
Year: 1999
Type: Car
Mileage: 67,890 Miles
Sold For: $8,790
Maybe you don’t really want to put down the money for a new car. Maybe you want to try out a car because you feel a new car might be taking a bit of a chance. Whatever the reason, if you are looking for a used car, keep a few guidelines in mind and you could just walk – sorry, drive away with a great set of wheels.
The first step of course is where to go and look for one. Before you go to any used car place, spread the word around that you are looking for one and then keep your ears to the ground. Friends, family, acquaintances…any of them might just pick up news of someone with a good car who wants to upgrade and you might just be able to pick up your dream car. When it happens to be someone you know, you can count on getting it at a more reasonable price and you also know the car’s history – has it been maintained well? Was it in an accident? Did the owner drive it well?
If you don’t know the person selling the car, here are a few questions that you could ask. The first of course is, why are they selling the car? Could it be due to the fact that the car has some problem with it? Then find out how long they have had the car and whether any repairs were done on it during that time. A car could be five, maybe even seven years old and the condition could be very good. Check if any repairs are needed at the present point of time. Then look at the mileage. It is always better to get a car that has done less mileage as the wear and tear on the parts will not be as much. If the car has done a lot of mileage, check about how it was used. Is there a warranty on the car? Maybe the car was only used by the family to drive within the city? In which case, it would not matter if it has clocked more miles.
Specifically check the following. Look to see if there are holes or body rust. Both are tough to take care of. If a body panel has rusted right through, you will need to replace it. If the paint job has not been well-done and there are different shades between panels or the paint is peeling or cracked, it will need to be repainted. Look well under the hood and at the electrical work. Also pay close attention to the glass and especially to the tires to see if they are all right or threadbare.
Take the car out for a test drive. If it is a manual model, check the clutch to see that it does not slip. This will mean that when you are in neutral, your engine will rev up. So you will have to change the clutch. Then look at the exhaust. Is there an awful lot of noise or smoke emanating from it? This will mean that parts might have to be replaced. The car might even need repair work done on the motor. Then drive over a pothole. This is how to test the suspension. If it does not go well through it, you could have an alignment problem or a suspension problem or maybe even a tire problem. It pays to take a mechanic along, someone you trust mind you, when you go along to check out a used car.
Then look at the paperwork. Look carefully to see how many owners the car has had, what taxes need to be paid, the registration details, the insurance papers. You should make sure that all the documents are in order. If after all this, you like the car, go ahead and make that deal and drive your new car home!
For more helpful information about car buying tips and car sales scams visit http://www.carbuyingsecrets.net/