Shopping for a Used Car or Van Tips
Do you run? Do you know the feeling of ‘firing on all cylinders’ when your limbs are pumping like pistons?
I have long enjoyed observing 70-year-old yogis, thinking ‘I want to be like that, when I grow up.’ Searching for my ideal 16-year-old set of wheels I couldn’t help but see the metaphor while finding out what kind of life each vehicle had.
I think back to my own body, if my body had a year to year maintenance record, what would it look like? Treated mean one year, looked after the next…not exactly consistent. Thank goodness, dating is nothing like shopping for a car! …or is it?
Anyway, back to cars, here is how I approached it;
- Find vehicle models that suit your needs. These may be;
Boot volume
Parking space length
Clean air standards (eg. Euro4+ for ULEZ)
Insurance class
Road tax cost - Choose two options which meet your budget (this will make it easier to understand your market and feel like you know what you are doing).
- Understand evolution of the design: Google ‘vehicle model’ + ‘model years’. This will help you see more clearly what is a good deal and what is not, when you are looking at used car listings.
Berlingo Multispace example;
First generation: 1996–2008
Second generation: 2008–2018
Third generation: 2018-present - Know what repairs to expect for these two models. Google ‘‘vehicle model’ + ‘common issues’ and make a list. Note down, recommended period for cam-belt change, clutch, etc. You can call the local garage and get a quick costing for replacements. When you go for a viewing you can price these thing in, and have an idea of the future costs to expect, you will be in a better place to read the maintenance history if there is one.
- Now you can look at listings;
If you don’t have months to look, you can filter for ‘sold’ listings to look back in time to see what used cars actually went for. Once you see the lay of the land, what you know what price you can expect to pay, you can set reminders for new listings because when the right one comes along, you have the information you need to go for a viewing. - Once you find a listing you like;
Get History Check (paid, despite the name of the site): https://www.freecarcheck.co.uk/
You can pay to check if it has been written off in the past — some sellers may choose not to disclose this, others may not know themselves. A vehicle is written off happens when the insurance company calculates it is easier to pay out than to pay for repairs, which is not bad in itself but it can have a big impact on the resale price you may get in the future.
Get MOT History (free): https://www.gov.uk/check-mot-history
Print out the MOT history, and go through with a highlighter. I ignore, light-bulbs, all the consumable easy to remedy stuff. What I would highlight is when a major issue is first recorded and how many tests it appears on (is the owner fixing things promptly?)
Back to human bodies… one year my body met a great masseuse. He trained in sports massage. He explained how difficult it is for our bodies to maintain some symmetry in how we move and how our daily habits, such as skewed sitting posture exadurate this further. He was like a magician, when I would arrive he would show me how when standing (in a posture which I felt to be 100% balanced) was actually entirely skewed, the distance between left shoulder and hip was inches shorter than the right. One hour later, the difference was visible!
He pointed how this creates uneven force distribution and in the long term complications and injuries. After an hour of specialist massage he would show how those over-contracted muscles were ironed out. Over the weeks I could see how my muscles were being taught to be in better alignment and that this made me a better maintained machine.
As I combed through decades of MOT history, I began to see between the lines the cars where their sore spots were left unaddressed year after year. I wondered about was the owner choosing attentive mechanics or ones that were just doing the minimum. I saw how where a joint was left unattended, more advisories would appear for that same side the next year.
When our GPs are overworked, which care are we receiving? Are we going without maintenance till we break?
Good luck, wishing you, your body and your future vehicle all the very best.
If you would like to support my writing, I include some referral links to amazon, for things I bought myself;
Tax: This is always paid in whole months. So if you buy on the last day of the month and you’re able to park off the street, if you wait till the first day of the month you get an extra month for the same money.
My progress for getting best insurance price;
- Sign up to TopCashback: http://bit.ly/topcashback-anya (I’ve made £800 over a few years, by using it to open savings accounts)
- Choose a comparison site on top cashback, often this will pay £20–30 (credit you can cash out a few moths later)
- Use that comparison site to choose and buy your insurance (this way you are getting the best deal at every level)
I have spoken to insurance personnel and they say its stupid but the prices offered on comparison sites, cannot be matched if you call up the company directly, so follow the above steps.
If it has bee a while, make sure you buy this, in case you forget and leave the lights on or stall one too many times. Amazon jump starter:
Breakdown cover tip: if you purchase this as part of your insurance, make sure when you call to use it, you say ‘broke down’. Do not elaborate, do not mention pot holes or curbs. If you do, they will call it an ‘accident’ and you will need to pay for any assistance you get rather than being able to use your cover.
Next article will be about design for a micro camper, leave a message if you would like to be notified of when I publish.
