Prepurchase Telephone
ChecklistPrepurchase Telephone
ChecklistIt helps to be organized when you make that first phonecall. I work from a checklist that helps me make sure I don't forget anything. If the car is local, the phonecall is a prelude to the first personal inspection and drive, followed by a prepurchase inspection ($) by a reputable shop. If the car is out-of-state, I find myself asking more questions, including many more subjective questions about the car's cosmetic condition, acceleration, braking, startup, idle quality, etc. In the case of an out-of-state car, the questionnaire is vitally important as it is the direct precursor to a prepurchase inspection ($).
You should offer to pay for the prepurchase inspection by making an
appointment with the shop, including method of payment, at a time agreeable to
your seller. The first inspection I had performed was at a Porsche dealership
and included a compression test for $225.
If your seller is hesistant about the prepurchase inspection, DROP the
car from your list of candidates. No matter how good the excuse sounds, you
cannot let yourself go without an inspection unless you are a practiced 928
mechanic or have an extreme tolerance for risk. Here are a couple of whopper
excuses for not getting the car inspected that I was fed recently:
"I let the car's tags expire and I don't want to risk getting a ticket driving it to a shop for an inspection." In this case, the nearest shop was 12 miles away. Paying for a 2-way tow PLUS an inspection is too much to ask of a buyer.
Or how about this regarding a suspiciously low priced '86:
"My mechanic said that for an $8,000 car, an inspection would be a waste of his time and your money." And this was the mechanic who'd been servicing the car for years. Is that one alarm bell I hear ringing or two?
Aside from the specifics listed here, it's always a good idea to gauge the seller's attitude about the car. Be wary of sellers who gloss over details such as "Oh, the tranny's fine." Ask about every gear change if you must, 1st to 2nd, 2nd to 3rd, and upward to get the full story.
| PREPURCHASE TELEPHONE QUESTIONNAIRE | ||
|---|---|---|
| Question | Comments | Answer |
STATISTICS |
||
| Quickly obtain any major bits of information not included in the advertisement you saw. | If you're looking for a 5 speed and the ad didn't mention the transmission, find that out first and save yourself some time. | |
| Confirm mileage and asking price. | Always a good idea. Ads date, prices fluctuate. | |
| Why are you selling your 928? | I get an incredible variety of answers to this question, most of them irrelevant to the condition of the car (few will simply admit that they may be tired of the expensive upkeep costs), but it may provide some insight into the eagerness of the seller. | |
| You are owner #: | You might stay away from cars with a high number of owners, but bad 1-owner cars are out there, too! | |
| How long have you owned the car? | Current condition is everything. This question may only provide marginal insight into the car's history. | |
| How have you used the car? | As a daily driver, recreationally, rarely/stored | |
| What else comes with the car? | Car cover, bra, toolkits, literature, shop manuals, etc. | |
MAINTENANCE & HISTORY |
||
| What service records do you have and how far back to they go? | Again, your mileage may vary. The owner may have been ritually fleeced by a dealer for years or the car may have chronic problems, in which case, a stack of papers is not necessarily a positive. Current condition is everything! | |
| Primary service has been by: | Dealer, Independent Shop, Yourself | |
| Last major repair: | Type, Date and Mileage | |
| Last timing belt change: | Date and Mileage | |
| Last tensioner adjustment: | Date and Mileage | |
| Any rebuilds or overhauls? | Engine, front end engine, top end engine, transmission | |
| Any modifications? | Chips, exhaust, brakes | |
| Any accidents? | ||
| Ever been repainted? | How extensively and why? | |
| Wheel size, tire brand and mileage on current set. | ||
OWNER'S EVALUATION OF MECHANICAL CONDITION |
||
| Starting and Idle | Hot starts, cold starts. Starts quickly? | |
| Transmission shift quality. | If manual, how are 1st and 2nd gear shifts? | |
| Any odd noises? | Torque tube noise, noise while steering or hard cornering. | |
| Specify type, location and amount of all fluid leaks. | ||
| A/C blows cold? | ||
| Note all gauges, switches and lights not working. | ||
| If Euro, do you know what was done to federalize the car and who performed the work? | ||
| If California car being purchased in California, do you have a current smog check? | ||
AESTHETIC EVALUATION |
||
| Straightness of body sheetmetal & front/rear bumper caps. | ||
| Paint condition. | Bumper caps faded to different color? | |
| Condition of spoilers? | Front cracked? | |
| Any cracks in the dash and/or instrument pod? Dash warped at the console or glove box? | ||
| Dash material pulling away from vents? | ||
| Seat condition. Any tears, rips, pulled seams? | ||
| Wheel condition. Curb dings? Need polishing? | ||
| Condition of carpeting, headlining & rear hatch area? | ||
| Has any interior reconditioning been performed? Which bits? | ||
ADDITIONAL DETAIL |
||
| VIN Number | For use with a service such as Carfax which provides vehicle history. It is important to document a clean title. | |
| List all option codes: | Option codes may be found either in the owner's manual or in the rear luggage compartment - lift the hatch, unscrew & remove the toolkit, then lift the right, rear side of the floor carpet. The sticker should be attached to the bodywork immediately underneath the carpet. | |
WRAPPING UP |
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| If you can rule out the car as a viable purchase before you've gone through the entire questionnaire, cut the "interview" short. You'll be doing everyone a favor and saving time. | ||
| The seller has taken considerable time going over the car with you at this point. If you can already determine that you will not be interested in the car, please let the seller know. If you need more time, tell the seller you will call them back AND WHEN and then DO IT. I've run in to too many sellers who were reluctant to cooperate because they were given the run around by flakey buyers. There's nothing you can do about this but be as upfront and forthright as you can. | ||
| Now it's time to schedule a visit, or, if you are some distance from the car, schedule a prepurchase inspection. I advise having the inspection performed before flying out to see a car. It will cost about as much as a plane ticket (more, if you have a good travel agent) and is something you will want to have performed in any event, even after seeing the car first hand. It may just save you a trip to see a misrepresented vehicle. | ||