Buying first car - any tips?
G'day lads,
Well, in a few months time I will be turning 18 and buying my first car. I have always loved holdens and I feel that this is the way to go for a cheap & reliable car. I will have a spending limit of about 4-8k and was planning to buy secondhand.
I have always loved the look of the VT model and have decided this will be the way to go. The last month or so I've been lurking the VT - VX forum and just reading up on problems VT drivers face etc. As I am going to buy secondhand, what things should I look out for? Mind you I have little knowledge of the technical aspect of cars. Do you think I should try find one as stock as possible then build it up from there? I see alot of cars being sold on carsales, gumtree etc which are done up and most do look & sound amazing but I have no doubt they have been thrashed to the shit house. When going to look at a car, how can I tell if it has been thrashed? Is there any main things which point this out? Should I try find a mechanic who will come along and help me?
I'm from melbourne & have read a few threads were people have posted ads for VT's going for about 6 grand and users claiming it is much too overpriced, how much should I pay for a stock manual VT commodore?
Any help would be much appreciated.
cheers
benox
Obviously Unsensible
im not sure about the prices sorry.
try a vehicle status check to see if the car has been written off etc.
Check vehicle details before purchase : VicRoads
when you take if for a test drive, which you really should. see how it handles. brakes. drives in general.
with the braking drive it up to 80kph and put the brakes on to see how it stops. this shows brake wear, any problems it might have and so on.
try and find a flat bit of road without much camber and see if it drives straight.
check all lights on the car. (takes 30 seconds). including the incar lights and equipment. look out for any interior wear and tear. something like seatbelts have to be in a very good condition.
listen for any noises that are out of the ordinary. it is better to have another person with you to look out for these noises. eg your dad, uncle, mate etc.
when we had a look at my ute, a mechanic we know told us to put it in reverse and take it up to high speed, to listen for any whining noises etc.
ask for the history of the vehicle. people who owned it before them etc. any service documents etc.
dont buy a car if they dont want to get a roadworthy. it generally means they know something is wrong and dont want to fix it. this could cause you to spend lots of money to fix it.
even if it means offering them a bit extra to get it. it is worth it.
and lastly dont be affraid to walk away from a sale if it seems dodgy in anyway.
do not be too eager when you go to see it. its better to umm and ahh and ask questions then to seem too keen.
Now with chrome bits ;)
buy a mitsubishi magna lol na vx maybe a vy it will have high km's tho
Check out my Svz
http://forums.justcommodores.com.au/...87-my-svz.html
dont know about the magnas.. but a 3L camry manual will beat a vt /vx in a race (havent tried against a vy but it keeps up with a ve sv6 till about 80 - 100 kms)Originally Posted by slaughtknight
thats not even a joke.
Donating Member
don't knock the magna's bro.they go just as good as anything.i built one for the missus and it turned out alright.as for the car you want,pick the one you want.simple as that!
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/293553...tsubishi-magna
ＯＮＥＤＯＬＬＡＨＯＬＬＡ
Look for a series 2 VT Acclaim or Berlina, around the same price as a Executive but with more options.
Lower KMs the better.
Now with chrome bits ;)
there nothin wrong with them, they seem to be p plates choices of car over commies.....it seems to me
Check out my Svz
http://forums.justcommodores.com.au/...87-my-svz.html
try to buy one off a mature owner theyre alot less likely to be thrashed.
and more likely not to be serviced regulary
look around ur street and also see if any family friends are selling there cars....best thing i ever did in my life
Donating Member
yeah the oldies are the ones to buy cars off for sure.my vk berlina has just ticked over 43,500k's and was owned new by an old lady.best car i've ever had! and with the magna's,lots of p platers drive them here and we are only a small country town.all you gotta do mate is look around and don't rush into buying the first car you like,take your time and choose the right one
living the low life
rip a skid and make sure the diff doesnt fall out
Banned
uhh huh "I'm looking for my first car" "Magna's win races"... This thread is full of douche powered Herpa derp.
Mate, Regardless of style of car. Get the newest model availible to you. I guarantee you, it will be cheaper for you in the long run. I've seen VY S pacs going for about $8,000.
I got my VY for $8,300 with RWC. Obviously it wasn't immaculate, had a few scratches here and there but it's nothing you notice from 2 foot away.
Not always tho mate, I can honestly say, I've never thrashed my VX, and I've been maintaining it every week with a wash / checks / etc.
The only issue I have however, is since the car has done past 200,000km's, it's been giving me mechanical issues.
ლ(ಠ益ಠლ
Dont go on ebay, Find a nice car.. and buy it before you go and look at it..
I bought a car from ebay.. He lived 10 hours away.. so my dads mate went and had a look and said it was good... We bought it.. drove down.. we took it for a test drive.. Clunks and shit.. handled like a shit house. Only worn bushes and cut springs.. and yeah..we wouldn't say nah being via eBay.. Plus I had my eyes peeled to it at the time :P
And if your looking for a car which is lowered got mags and etc.. I recon your better off buying a car stock as, and doing the mods yourself and you know what you've done to it.. but that's my opinion..
Where about you live mate, I have my mitsubishi verada for sale, bit luxurious, bt not much priced, give me a call if you live in victoria nd like to have a test drive, i bought an omega..
number: 0423328887
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