I got a chance to talk to Sohail bhai yesterday (portage1 @pakwheels) since i'm trying to buy a car here and he gave me a couple of tips on what to look for. My friend who is a silent pakwheels visitor wanted me to put these tips up since they apply to all potential buyers in pakistan and everywhere else in the world. I would like to give a shoutout to athar ejaz because i can and this is my thread and i will type in it whatever the hell i want!
Bodywork:
1. Obvious one is to look misalignment in the repair of movable bodyparts. This includes hood, trunk, and all doors. For hoods and trunks, make sure they are the same height on the left and the right side i.e. make sure there's no excess space between the side panels on either side. If the left side has 2 cm space between the hood and the side panel, then the right one must be the same.
2. Doors need to open and close without any hinderance. The door shouldn't budge or make any weird noise while in operation. I had a problem in pakistan with our civic; the hinges weren't tightened correctly (i think) and the door edged out to the right when closed.
3. Open up the trunk and lift up the carpet. Check for any leaks. Check if the carpet seam flows correctly i.e. there's no tear marks, the carpet isn't sticking out from the side and things of that sort.
4. Bend down and check the rear bumper. The paint needs to match the entire car. (sohail bhai told me something about the primer difference but i can't recall it so i hope he sees this topic and clarifies :P) Make sure to check the fender (area behind the bumper); it shouldn't be bent or damaged at all.
5. There should be no major damage visible on the body. A few dents here and there are normal even for places like america.
That's all i could remember for body work. Sohail bhai please add anything that i didn't remember. I think you should explain about the milometer and speedometer thing yourself since you could explain it better with the picture of the nissan altima.
Engine condition:
1. Test driving is sort of obvious. You feel something you normally wouldn't, you know how much your decision would be affected. These include odd engine noises, late touchdown response, all the stuff us speed junkies look for!
2. This was my personal favorite since it's an ultimate litmus test anywhere! Stick your finger inside the tailpipe. If there's blackness when you scrape around, the engine isn't working properly. This could be for any reason btw- (y'all being y'all would know what they are!) If there's hints of red, it means the engine is in the words of the "falsay wala" DAYUM GOOD!
For amreekan peoples, the first thing we rely on is the CARFAX history, but portage bhai mentioned that not all car owners or mechanics send the car's history or updates to CARFAX. So as far as you and I could know, a car that's currently totalled in a junkyard somewhere would be in perfect condition according to CARFAX.
Thanks for everything Sohail bhai. Like i said, please add anything i missed. I'm looking forward to the speedometer and milometer pic of the Altima since i haven't even seen it yet!