Might be a silly question but you do realise that a lot of cars have got headlight height adjustment, used to lower the beam when towing. Even if you don't have an automatic adjustment control the lights will be on adjustable mountings, maladjusted headlights are completely useless.
What's the most important thing to take into account when you buy a used car?
(135 posts, started )
Please note, I am not BlueFlame 
(sorry BlueFlame....)
Yes, headlights have an adjustment. Adjusting a poor designed headlight so that it is pointing up in the air is not going to help said poorly designed headlight.
To get an idea, take a flashlight and shine it on the floor so that you can see ahead of where you are walking. Now take the flashlight and cover the top half of it with something and adjust the flashlight to see up ahead. Can't do it because you are now pointing the flashlight above the ground rather than at the ground.
(sorry BlueFlame....)Yes, headlights have an adjustment. Adjusting a poor designed headlight so that it is pointing up in the air is not going to help said poorly designed headlight.
To get an idea, take a flashlight and shine it on the floor so that you can see ahead of where you are walking. Now take the flashlight and cover the top half of it with something and adjust the flashlight to see up ahead. Can't do it because you are now pointing the flashlight above the ground rather than at the ground.
Mike, you've made me very angry. I'm trying to make a quote for something here, and now I've got to clean up the remains of a cup of tea off my monitor and keyboard. Not happy. Plus I'll have to go back to the kettle and start again with the drink.
*note - all Brits only drink tea, and in huge quantities. The stereotype is accurate.
I concur.
i have a video in which you disprove your own thesis... also you get called to dinner by your mom while having some 20 jaffa cakes in your mouth which has to be the single most hilarious moment this forum ever had
mrodgers
Really, not to offend you but:
If your headlights don't work properly
... just don't drive in the dark.
Really, not to offend you but:
If your headlights don't work properly
... just don't drive in the dark.
why not forget about the headlights and use army surplus night vision goggles, must be plenty on the market due to the amount of wars the u.s. currently participate in.
Glad you liked it! If I was particularly embarrassed about it I wouldn't have uploaded it! It's nice to not live at home anymore 
OK. Next step. Either today or tomorrow I'm going to phone up and arrange a few test drives for the weekend. What kind of things should I be asking about the car over the phone (and what should I not bother asking until I see it in person)? They're all from dealerships, there aren't any from private sellers.
Start by asking about extras. Get them to give you a deal before you even bother going to see it - get them to throw in a brand new set of decent tyres for instance, or you won't bother coming to look at it.
Then, once/if you go, you can continue the haggling safe in the knowledge that you've already got some bargains.
Bear in mind that all dealer sold cars have to come with a 6 months warranty (or sorts - research it), so you are better protected than ever for a lot of faults, especially if you can either prove or show beyond resonable doubt that the fault was there at the time of purchase.
Then, once/if you go, you can continue the haggling safe in the knowledge that you've already got some bargains.
Bear in mind that all dealer sold cars have to come with a 6 months warranty (or sorts - research it), so you are better protected than ever for a lot of faults, especially if you can either prove or show beyond resonable doubt that the fault was there at the time of purchase.
Would I be able to get away with asking for things like that, given that the entire car is only just over £1000? I also don't have the first clue about what makes for example, 'decent tyres', and don't want them palming off crap on me just to keep me happy.
Well the most expensive road tyres are probably Continentals which are £200 a pop, but kwik-fit tires are like £24 for a pair, so they might throw in new rubber, but it might not really benefit you at all :P
Was merely an example. Set the haggling at the price of the car. If it's a £1000 car, then how about asking for a full, professional valet (£80 worth) as opposed to the quick job the dealer would do? Or asking for the next service (but probably not parts) for free?
The worst they can do is say no. And you can still go and look at the car anyway.
The worst they can do is say no. And you can still go and look at the car anyway.
I was only saying that if they WERE to throw in new tyres, they would probably be pretty cheap ones, but thinking about it, you can keep the tyres, buy another set of wheels and tires and use a lower profile for summer and or track days and the regular ones for winter or daily use. So I would say that you gave pretty good advice Tristan, like you said you can always just go and view it anyway, even though you're technically going against your word, but thats teh thing about sales, there is that knowledge of a seller that knows the buyer is hangling, the buyer knows that the seller knows this, but there is like a conditional stalemate.
I was replying directly to Crashgate. You're right, you might end up with new super-cheap tyres, versus 90% unworn decent tyres. Not sure if you'd get to keep the old tyres once they took them off - if they were any good they'd get used on another car prior to sale.
haha....
:rolleyes:
I've someone trackdaying a Transit van, anythings possible these days..
The Mrs would KILL me
That said, my dad marshals at the track days at Cadwell and he's seen someone write off their £30,000 Jaguar x-type on a track day, and the guy was almost in tears over what he'd have to tell his wife.
That said, my dad marshals at the track days at Cadwell and he's seen someone write off their £30,000 Jaguar x-type on a track day, and the guy was almost in tears over what he'd have to tell his wife.
I would of laughed... People take cars on track and don't really give themselves a chance to understand how a road car works at a fast speed. Obviously LFS users already have the knowledge of that but the average joe probably thinks his X-type is as agile as a GT3 RS. I've seen someone right off a Dallara X1-/9 which was very sad
Hagglings easy - theres no fuel in the car? What use is that?
Tax is gonna expire soon?
Simple.
Saying that a guy pretty much refused to sell me a car the other day - was looking at a 50k mile £2700 Focus, turned up to find it was sold, but that he had a 65k one, which had a smaller engine (poorer resale value) and had had a little shunt (crack in the front bumper) and hadn't been valeted (yet)... for £3000. I mentioned that the car seemed ok but that that was much much more than i was looking to spend, but was happy to go for a test drive if he could bring it more into the price-range I was looking for. Told me there was no point in going for a test drive and started to walk away!
To be fair they didn't really want the car - they left it outside, unlocked, with the key in the footwell. D'oh!
Tax is gonna expire soon?
Simple.
Saying that a guy pretty much refused to sell me a car the other day - was looking at a 50k mile £2700 Focus, turned up to find it was sold, but that he had a 65k one, which had a smaller engine (poorer resale value) and had had a little shunt (crack in the front bumper) and hadn't been valeted (yet)... for £3000. I mentioned that the car seemed ok but that that was much much more than i was looking to spend, but was happy to go for a test drive if he could bring it more into the price-range I was looking for. Told me there was no point in going for a test drive and started to walk away!
To be fair they didn't really want the car - they left it outside, unlocked, with the key in the footwell. D'oh!
It's called having something more useful to do with your time. If there's quite a large chance that you're not going to be interested in the car ultimately, he doesn't want to waste his time going on a drive with you for no reason.
What he did (walking away in particular... he must have had a bit of t'arsehole about him?) does seem a bit rude if he put it that bluntly... but he probably couldn't bring it into your price range, you probably couldn't afford it at it's current price, so really, what was the point?
The point was I came to look at a £2,800 car (which is still advertised on autotrader, despite having sold the morning I got there on Saturday...). He then shows me a £200 more car, with more miles, which hasn't been cleaned, which has a smaller engine (and so worth less) which also has a nice crack in the bumper, and expects me to want to pay £200 more than the first (very very clean) car I came to see?
FWIW the cars book value was ~£2,200 according to Parkers...
FWIW the cars book value was ~£2,200 according to Parkers...
He probably didn't do his homework, cocked up when he bought it and ended up paying way too much for it. Either that or he's being hopelessly optimistic :rolleyes:
Anyone that sells a Ford is hopelessly optimistic, or that anyone that buys one?
I'd have to agree with you there infact.. anyone who tries to sell a Ford or Vauxhall that isn't a rare(r) model is hopelessly optimistic, since there are heaps and heaps of them to choose from 
What's the most important thing to take into account when you buy a used car?
(135 posts, started )
FGED GREDG RDFGDR GSFDG