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External Checks

When investigating a ride consider the following:


  • Tyre Wear. Is the wear on the tyres ok? Tyres can wear away at the sides if the alignment is out so look around the tyres for any signs of heavy wear.


  • Bodywork panels. Have a good look all round the car for any imperfections on the body. If a panel on one side fits slightly more back than on the other side it can indicate poor or shoddy repair work.


  • Rippled panels. It is easy to spot filler patches or worse still rippled panels so crouch down next to the ride and have a good look round it before you purchase anything.


  • On the wonk? Take a step back from the ride; does it seem to be sitting level on flat ground? In rare case rides sit slightly higher or lower on one side, this can indicate chassis damage.


  • Rust patches. Although the ride may look rust free its always worth rubbing your hand all on the inside of the wheels arches as they store up dirt and grime and this is where rust usually starts.


  • Paint mis-matches. The ride you are looking to buy may have already had a re-spray at some stage but the owner may have had a scrape since then and tried to patch it up themselves to save money. Have a good look around the ride for any mis-matched paint or overspray.