Inspection, maintenance, ownership cost and the details worth checking before money changes hands.
A practical walk-through of the first telephone call, paperwork, bodywork, tyres, engine bay, cold start, interior, electronics, test drive and final checks.
The guide is designed for ordinary buyers rather than professional mechanics and explains what information each check can give you.
Modifications, remaps, turbochargers, brakes, premium tyres, clutches, automatic transmissions and why a cheap fast car can become expensive quickly.
Also covers the difference between enthusiastic use and genuine neglect.
Service history, originality, corrosion, storage, parts availability, age-related work and why low mileage is not automatically the same thing as good condition.
A guide for buyers who want an older enthusiast car they can actually own and use.
A vehicle advert can tell you what engine a car has and how many miles it has covered. It cannot explain every relevant consideration involved in buying a used car.
Longer guides are useful for questions that apply across multiple vehicles: how to read service history, what to look for during a cold start, why matching tyres matter and how to think about maintenance on an older car.
The articles are general buying information. Each vehicle page then adds information about the actual model, drivetrain and specific car being advertised.
If you are considering one of our cars, keep the guide open alongside its vehicle page and build your own list of questions before viewing.
Reading about used cars does not turn somebody into a professional vehicle inspector. If a car is valuable, technically complex or outside your own experience, arranging an independent inspection remains a sensible option.