how to tell a good 2nd hand commodore from a bad one

[VS 666]

I have been digging and cant find much on how to tell whats good and whats not so I think we should compile a list of things to look at when buying a commodore. We all know to check tyres body and how it drives but there are many more areas to look at to help decide whether or not it needs work or has been thrashed.

As people post other ideas if its okay I'm going to add this to my post and digg up some pictures of what looks good and what looks bad.. so think of this as a rough draft.

What I check

Obvious. water in oil (white mayonaise under cap) and oil in radiator.





TRANSMISSION this is what I do... go on a highway at 80... put it in power mode and put my foot to the floor to
check if it drops back to 2nd... (it may rev up a bit high then clunk in or spend a while thinking then give u what you want... it sounds like a bull being held back by a muzzle).. also take a look under the intake ducting to the throttle body and check to see if trans is covered in oil... also take out trans dipstick and check to see if there is a powdery substance ... the colour should be a nice red not black....



From bad to good

DIFFI look for moist areas around the cover



Steering No clunks or excessive shuddering when turning lock to lock whilst still...

BRAKES... Look at discs to see if there is any cracks or areas which are bumpy and whilst test driving give it a semi hard stop (in safe conditions) with your hands lightly on the steering wheel but still ready to grab... the car should brake straight and not veer off in any direction.



Theres heaps more but my mind has gone blank for now

[carra909]

check the condition of the number plate. most of the time people are to lazy to replace their old numberplate after they have been in an accident and will try to straighten out the old one and use it again.

i saw at least 3 cars with rippled and even punctured number plates when i was looking for my car and sure enough the panels didn't quite line up indicating it had been in an accident, the owners will flat out deny it but that's just a way to help tell

[MADDNE33]

i heard to cheack the factory stamp located in your engine bay. Holden use hexagon shaped rivets and if crashed bad they may have been replaced with circle ones. Dont count me on this one tho

[S.T.K.E]

Check for Signs of Damage

[Philthy]

Check door jambs, inside guard edges and inside boot edges for paint lines that giveaway repairs.

Check door/guard/bonnet etc bolts for paint missing that means they have been removed.

You could spend all day looking over a car and still not have everything covered

[VKCOMMO]

Take it to a mechanic and ask for them to give it a once over, it is only $20 bucks or so and well worth it...

Also, check in the boot (Under the carpet and under the spare) for rust

[Adds_05]

check around the radiator for any water marks down the side,they have a habit of splitting in the side tanks.
also let the car idle to warm up to make sure the thermo fan kicks in and also that it doesnt overheat

[thephilth]

Most people probably dont bother to check the heater operation on a test drive ( unless its cold of course) but if the heater radiator is blocked in the car then its a fairly big job to replace it.Dash out and lots of swearing or $$$ paid to someone else to do it.
Rear mains are one to watch also. My 2c.

[Philthy]

Make sure its clean when you inspect it.
I bought mine dirty (some BS about water restrictions), and didn't spot the repairs and scratches until after I first washed it

[VTLS1]

Hers a real good one thats gunna make you all think wtf. i know when i have done it in front of the seller they look at me a bit funny but it works.
Pull the dipstick out(engine &/or transmission),look at the oil,is it clean looking or dirty looking? either way the next bits the fun bit,wipe your finger on the dipstick then taste the oil
Sounds silly or horrible but,if the vehicle burns oil it will have a burnt taste to it,sometimes you can also taste a grittiness to it which can indicate problems.
The grittiness could be metal filings,carbon deposits etc. You can do a fresh engine oil change but the minute you start the car again the oil becomes tainted if there are problems.
Will also work for power steering fluid.
Reality is whatever used car we buy it will always have at least some minor issues. As long as you are aware of them,its just up to the buyer to decide if they accept these issues.
I have seen vehicles driven by little old ladies sorta thing,they always serviced it.always looked after it etc but it will still have minor leaks & problems. Its the big issues we should look out for.

[TMM]

LOL, i don't recommend tasting oil. If it's burnt it usually smells burnt, and if you rub some between your thumb and index finger you can usually feel any grittiness.

[VTLS1]

LOL, i don't recommend tasting oil. If it's burnt it usually smells burnt, and if you rub some between your thumb and index finger you can usually feel any grittiness.

Not alway. You can taste the grittiness better cause you can either taste metal,carbon etc
but all you could feel with your fingers might be grittiness(if you have real sensitive fingers) just not be able to tell what it is.
It might have new oil put in it so you wont really smell its burnt but even if its clean you can always tell by taste if it burns oil

[2005vzute]

check the entire exhaust system udner the car...if there's a lot of dents in it (size doesnt' matter too much, just quantity), this will indicate if it's been bashed around on dirt roads or run over gutters/ speed bumps etc...check underneath the back bumper for rubber...nearly bought a car that had rubber under the back bumper, meaning the car has done burnouts, potentially ####ed diff etc...never buy a commodores that has flatspots on it's tyres...what would this indicate to you? handbrakies, could be up for new handbrake parts..or maybe abs isn't working?, they're just a couple of tips that i could think of atm

[Mark Nightingale]

Bit of a trick i learnt when looking for my Valiant, take a fridge magnet with you, try sticking it on spots such as quarter panels etc to see if they have beem filled with bog. this gives a pretty good indication as to whether or not it may be rusty (older models only hopefully) or if there has been a dodgey repair job (remember bog cracks over time).

[jazza15]

This thread has great potential to be stickied so every potential commodore buyer can have a look at it here first.

My tip is to put your hands on each rocker cover while the engine is running to feel for any inconsistancies. My mate who is a mechanic taught me this one; you are feeling for sticking valves etc. I haven't actually felt a car with a problem yet though It would help if someone could elaborate on this one for me.

An obvious one is to test (start) the engine when cold as a lot of problems can only be evident when the engine is cold, such as starting problems, noisy pulleys/bearings etc.

When buying an IRS commodore - especially VT/VX series 1, check for excess negaitve rear camber. This can be done buy eye if the tyres are new and also by simply checking the tyre wear profile if the tyres are older. There are so many camber threads in the VT VX section that we don't want you buying one with bad camber and then whinging because you didn't use the search funtion.
Bascially, some had bad camber, while some did not. Mostly cars with FE2 (factory or aftermarket lowered) suspension, but also some standard height ones have these issues. Check the middle of the rear crossmember if you think the negative rear camber is excessive, as it may be cracked. I have only heard a few people say this one on this thread, but nevertheless it is a factor.

[Macca86]

i heard to cheack the factory stamp located in your engine bay. Holden use hexagon shaped rivets and if crashed bad they may have been replaced with circle ones. Dont count me on this one tho

This is correct. If the compliance plate has round rivits and not hex/starry looking rivits, then it has been re-attached most likey after some major front end damage

[Reaper]

bad 2nd hand commodore:



Good 2nd hand commodore:





Reaper

/thread

[VKCOMMO]

.. LOL Reap

[marcusleo]

lol at reapers post. the second pic of the little model (biante?) is probably worth more than the car in the first in anyway.