On the test drive it is nice to have someone follow behind to check tracking of the vehicle. Tracking is when the rear wheels follow behind the front wheels and not off to the side. Tracking problems are usually caused by vehicles that have been in accidents and the frames are not straight or are manufacturing defects.

Upon return park the car and before you turn off the engine pop the hood. Check the transmission fluid level and see if the oil looks clean. Smell it for burning smell. Check and make sure the water overfill is at the full hot level. Turn off the engine and wait for it to cool. Walk around the car and admire it and look for anything you might have missed. Then check the engine oil level. Look for nice clean oil at the right mark. The oil should not be creamy. Creamy says that there is water in the oil. Look under the vehicle for any last leaks now that everything is hot.

If all looks good it is now time to talk turkey with the seller. Most so called car inspection experts would tell you that you should start negotiating from all blemishes that you find on the vehicle. Well if it is a great vehicle there shouldn’t be any blemishes so there is no negotiating them. Your objective is to deal with the obvious which is the guy has a car and the dealer will only give him $12-14,000 and it is probably the lower amount. No mater what price he has listed the car for you have to let him know that you are not willing to pay the private party price of $16,000 but you will give him more that what the dealer will at $12,000 so you offer $13,500 and bat it around to somewhere up to about $14,500. Let him know you can do a legit transaction right away as you have cash in the bank or are preapproved by your bank for a loan. If you can’t get this deal then move on to the next or follow up with the seller in a week. Cars can sit for a while. Always remember that there is a new deal somewhere everyday.

Upon agreeing to a transaction ask the seller if they can prove the vehicle is theirs. Is the vehicle registration in their name as it appears on their driver’s license? Does the address on the driver’s license match the house address or the registration address?

A couple final words of advice are never purchase the first car you see. There is always something better. Second bit of advice is be prepared to spend 20-30 hours or more to locate and acquire the best vehicle.

Happy shopping.