Tips on Buying a New Car

Thinking of buying a new car? Or an old car? Or even a van? Here are some things to look out for and some thing to watch out for when shopping for a new set of wheels.

GOOD SIGNS

• Both bumpers are still on the vehicle.
• All four fenders are the same color.
• You kick the tires and they stay on.
• Car is not up on blocks.
• Odometer is not surrounded with claw hammer marks.
• It suits your lifestyle - no sense in buying a sports car if you have nine kids and family responsibilities.

BAD SIGNS

• Major dents in the roof.
• Seller has "misplaced" the ownership.
• Bullet hole in the back and dozens of air fresheners in the trunk.
• Floor mats are included in the price but the engine is extra.
• Owner says, "Maybe you'll have better luck with this thing."
• Car was made in a Balkan country.
• The owner says, "I'm selling it 'cause I could never master the stick shift and I'm sick of replacing transmissions."
• Previous owner converted car from rear wheel to front wheel drive.
• The air bags have been used seven or eight times.
• To take it for a test drive you have to hire a tow truck.
• Previous owner added a roll bar.
• The house has been treated for termites nine times in the last two years.

The Red Green Book
© 1997 by Steve Smith and Rick Green