Have you heard the one about the seasoned car veteran who made every mistake in the book when buying a used car? No? How about boy meets car, boy falls in love, car doesn’t love him back? Let’s settle in for storytime.
The one with the seasoned car veteran who made every mistake in the book when buying a used car plus a 90s (car) love story. Here we go.
Picture it: It’s a Saturday morning and my car-crazed son finds The One.
The car of his dreams. The single thing he can’t possibly move forward in life without.
It’s a cult classic mid-90s 2-door coupe convertible. I have to agree, the idea of it is pretty rad.
It’s posted on the Facebook Marketplace.
“Dad…Dad…Dad! We HAVE to go look at it,” my son says on repeat.
After some messaging back and forth with the seller, we get the address and some more photos. It’s just a couple of hours away so we hit the road.
When we arrive at our destination, I—the very experienced seasoned car veteran who is supposed to know better—immediately thought, I should have known better.
We quickly notice that this gem of a vehicle is dusty, moss-covered, and sitting in the driveway of a house that looks like it’s been under construction for years, complete with a faded temporary building permit on the door.
But my son insists we take the car for a spin because of course he does.
After a short test drive, and lots of pleading, (ie: me pleading with him not to buy it), there was no talking him out of it.
He was in love. Again.
We made a deal and drove away.
Fast forward months later and…it’s up for sale.
It was too much for him (and me) to deal with: it needed too much work and unfortunately, we discovered via CARFAX that it had had some serious damage years ago.
To his credit, after days of cleaning, polishing, and detailing, my son found a buyer and broke even.
He got lucky. And his hard work in preparing the vehicle for the right buyer really paid off.
So what did we do right, what did we do wrong, and what wisdom can we pass on to you?
Whether you’re buying or selling, consider these simple rules.
Number 1: Don’t get emotional.
We seasoned car veterans call it “white heat.”
As a buyer, it’s when you just fall in love with a vehicle and you’re blinded by the light. All you see is the good, like when you’re on a great first date.
Fight against that white heat. Take your time and give yourself some distance before you make a decision.
The same is true if you are selling: Buyers won’t pay for your memories and the emotional attachment you have to your old friend of a vehicle.
Number 2: Do your due diligence.
Do some research on the car. There are a lot of ways to do this, including CARFAX. It’s a good tool and in the case of my son and the 90s coupe, it would have changed everything.
Ask for maintenance records. Look for red flags like high frequency of oil changes and any accident or title clouds.
If you’re selling, provide this information up front to potential buyers. It adds value and builds credibility and trust.
Number 3: Clean matters.
If you are buying, look at not only the condition of the vehicle—take a look at how the previous owner cares for their other assets.
Is the yard a mess? Is the house in disrepair? Are their other vehicles in rough shape?
These can be indicators of how they may have cared for the car they’re selling.
Looking back on my son’s experience, I should have known better by the photos we saw before we even went to view the vehicle in person.
And, obviously, if you are selling, clean adds value. It just does. So make it sparkle.
Good luck and if you need help in the vehicle cleaning department, visit us at billmarshdetailcenter.com.
Keep It Clean and Keep It Movin.’
– Rusty Fender
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