Used car without MOT (yet)

AliceBanned

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201612210755145/sort/default/usedcars/dealer/19024/dpp/harefield-carriage-company-limited-uxbridge-dpp-19024/page/1/advert-type/dealer-stock?logcode=dsp


To me this looks like an ok deal. Wonder whether anyone can advise?


I phoned and asked about the marks on rear passenger side that are mentioned. It says it is quite badly scraped but not dented, and would cost about £150 to fix. I don't mind leaving it really but will depend how bad it is. I might go and look at it tomorrow.


I looked up the MOT details and it hasn't had anything major. Sounds like quite a fun car to drive and would last me a year hopefully.

AliceBanned

Also feedback from you guys will help me find out whether I am learning, and getting better at picking the better deals. Or not!:cool:

AdrianC

AliceBanned wrote: »

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201612210755145

To me this looks like an ok deal. Wonder whether anyone can advise?

I phoned and asked about the marks on rear passenger side that are mentioned. It says it is quite badly scraped but not dented, and would cost about £150 to fix. I don't mind leaving it really but will depend how bad it is. I might go and look at it tomorrow.

I looked up the MOT details and it hasn't had anything major. Sounds like quite a fun car to drive and would last me a year hopefully.

Nothing scary with that. 2.0HDi, rather than the notorious 1.6 - so mechanically robust. The 206 is a bit of an ancient design, and was at the end of its life by the time that was new, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. I'd be going to look at that, sure.

AliceBanned

AdrianC wrote: »

Nothing scary with that. 2.0HDi, rather than the notorious 1.6 - so mechanically robust. The 206 is a bit of an ancient design, and was at the end of its life by the time that was new, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. I'd be going to look at that, sure.

Great, thanks! I thought all round it sounded right for me as soon as I spotted it. It is diesel as well so hopefully not too expensive to run. I think the price is not bad but might ask him to knock off £100 if the panel looks bad. May as well try!

forgotmyname

£300 worth of car for £850 because the dealer needs to eat. Lots of history but not a full one. Recent brakes and tyres, only becaise they were bad enough to fail the MOT or be noted as an advisory. Shows the previous owners lack of care to the vehicle.

Only spend money when its an MOT issue?

AliceBanned

forgotmyname wrote: »

£300 worth of car for £850 because the dealer needs to eat. Lots of history but not a full one. Recent brakes and tyres, only becaise they were bad enough to fail the MOT or be noted as an advisory. Shows the previous owners lack of care to the vehicle.

Only spend money when its an MOT issue?

Thanks forgotmyname. Helpful feedback! Actually was counting pennies realising £850 is tough for me now anyway!


I need to filter on autotrader so I just get the private sellers then.

forgotmyname

Not always. Plenty of private sellers with overpriced tat also.

But when a car fails with dodgy brakes and advisories for tyres near the limit you know that every expense is spared, and not a penny is spent on the car unless it legally needs it.

Not the cheap runabout when those neglected items soon need fixing unless you have a very full toolbox and a cheap supply of parts.

Dealers have to make money and my last 2 cars were from dealers. One i bought as a trade sale and got a decent discount and the other he bought at auction because it was cheap (high miles). Not his usual type of vehicle and he just wanted a small profit. Both around £2000 and both lasted 5 years with no breakdowns or major expenses. The first one didnt even need any bulbs.
Just tyres and brakes and oil changes etc.

AliceBanned

That's encouraging. There is some luck involved, as well as meeting the right people and having enough knowledge I guess.


I am quite enjoying browsing and learning as I go. I have too tight a budget to make a mistake.

AliceBanned

PS what about buying at auction, or are they more the remit of dealers? I have never been to one but if a car has fsh which seems sound I may be better off doing that?

AdrianC

AliceBanned wrote: »

PS what about buying at auction, or are they more the remit of dealers? I have never been to one but if a car has fsh which seems sound I may be better off doing that?

Don't. Not unless you REALLY know what you're looking at, and are confident in making a good decision quickly.

Apart from the fees to Joe Public being high, auctions at your price level are how the bottom-feeders dispose of the cars that nobody wants. There's a lot of utter junk goes through the bottom-end auctions.

If you see something you like, and bidding heads towards your top end, the temptation to think "Oh, just one more bid..." is high.