Ted

I am wanting to buy a late model used commodore sedan.
What should I look out for in regards to if the vehicle has had accident
damage?
What should I be looking for, how can I tell? Should I look under the
chassis?
What about if it has been cut and shut, how can I tell this?
Thanks.

Ron

"Ted" <Tedb@aol.com> wrote in news:48b1f636$0$94268$c30e37c6@lon-
reader.news.telstra.net:

> I am wanting to buy a late model used commodore sedan.
> What should I look out for in regards to if the vehicle has had accident
> damage?
> What should I be looking for, how can I tell? Should I look under the
> chassis?
> What about if it has been cut and shut, how can I tell this?
> Thanks.
>
>
>

Local RACV/RAA/RACQ/NRMA

John_H

Ted wrote:

>I am wanting to buy a late model used commodore sedan.
>What should I look out for in regards to if the vehicle has had accident
>damage?
>What should I be looking for, how can I tell? Should I look under the
>chassis?
>What about if it has been cut and shut, how can I tell this?
>Thanks.

Eyeballing the paint and panel work in decent light will usually save
you looking any further (out of the shadows and not in glaring
sunlight). A good eye for colour and paint finish also helps.

It takes a fair bit of practice but once you've mastered it you'll be
able to pick a lot of 'em travelling at 100kph in the opposite
direction. If you need the practice, then start on a car you know has
had body repairs done to it (even minor ones).

If you haven't yet mastered the skills then take a mate with you who
has.

--
John H

Atheist Chaplain

"John_H" <john4721@inbox.com> wrote in message
news:43v3b45r6kf9b6v9dd4olv50mu8m3sufhp@4ax.com...
> Ted wrote:
>
>>I am wanting to buy a late model used commodore sedan.
>>What should I look out for in regards to if the vehicle has had accident
>>damage?
>>What should I be looking for, how can I tell? Should I look under the
>>chassis?
>>What about if it has been cut and shut, how can I tell this?
>>Thanks.
>
> Eyeballing the paint and panel work in decent light will usually save
> you looking any further (out of the shadows and not in glaring
> sunlight). A good eye for colour and paint finish also helps.
>
> It takes a fair bit of practice but once you've mastered it you'll be
> able to pick a lot of 'em travelling at 100kph in the opposite
> direction. If you need the practice, then start on a car you know has
> had body repairs done to it (even minor ones).
>
> If you haven't yet mastered the skills then take a mate with you who
> has.
>
> --
> John H

or hope that the guy who did the paint wasn't the same one who matched the
metallic silver on my wife's car, it is the best match on metallic paint I
have ever seen!!
If I didn't know it was repaired I wouldn't be able to pick it, and even
though I do know it was repaired and what parts were painted, I still have
real difficulty telling :-)
Though I'm sure with a few years in the sun it will start to show up :-)
--
"Calling Atheism a religion is like calling bald a hair color."
Don Hirschberg

Noddy

"Ted" <Tedb@aol.com> wrote in message
news:48b1f636$0$94268$c30e37c6@lon-reader.news.telstra.net...

> What about if it has been cut and shut, how can I tell this?

To the trained eye this kind of stuff is fairly easy to pick, but it can be
very difficult for a novice. Particularly if the repair has been done to a
reasonable standard. If you're not sure what to look for then I'd suggest
you employ the services of a pre purchase vehicle inspector. It may cost a
few bucks extra if you're looking at a number of cars, but it'll save you a
shitload of heartache if you make the wrong choice on your own.

Still, having said all that, there is nothing wrong with buying a repaired
car *if* the repairs have been done correctly.

--
Regards,
Noddy.

George W Frost

"Ted" <Tedb@aol.com> wrote in message
news:48b1f636$0$94268$c30e37c6@lon-reader.news.telstra.net...
>I am wanting to buy a late model used commodore sedan.
> What should I look out for in regards to if the vehicle has had accident damage?
> What should I be looking for, how can I tell? Should I look under the chassis?
> What about if it has been cut and shut, how can I tell this?
> Thanks.
>
>

Go to see one on a bright sunny day
Never buy or look at a car at night or in the rain
forget about a car which has just been washed by the owner and has beads of water on
it

water and the night lights make any car look good

Kwyjibo

"Ted" <Tedb@aol.com> wrote in message
news:48b1f636$0$94268$c30e37c6@lon-reader.news.telstra.net...
>I am wanting to buy a late model used commodore sedan.
> What should I look out for in regards to if the vehicle has had accident
> damage?

For minor accidents only requiring repair or replacement of panels, I
wouldn't bother.
Structural repairs are usually easier to spot - Crawl around under the car,
inside the boot and in the engine bay and look for creases, hammer marks and
welds where they shouldn't be or welds that look different to the factory
welds. Repairers are usaully pretty goot at getting the externals looking
pristine, but often rush through the cosmetics on 'hidden' areas.

--
Kwyj.

John_H

Atheist Chaplain wrote:
>"John_H" <john4721@inbox.com> wrote in message
>news:43v3b45r6kf9b6v9dd4olv50mu8m3sufhp@4ax.com.. .
>>
>> Eyeballing the paint and panel work in decent light will usually save
>> you looking any further (out of the shadows and not in glaring
>> sunlight). A good eye for colour and paint finish also helps.
>
>or hope that the guy who did the paint wasn't the same one who matched the
>metallic silver on my wife's car, it is the best match on metallic paint I
>have ever seen!!
>If I didn't know it was repaired I wouldn't be able to pick it, and even
>though I do know it was repaired and what parts were painted, I still have
>real difficulty telling :-)

I wouldn't normally loose any sleep over what I couldn't spot, which
would be highly unlikely for anything that's had major structural
repairs.

Nor is it unusual even for brand new cars to have pre-delivery paint
and panel repairs (hopefully of a minor nature). The last three I've
bought all have and, ironically, the only one I didn't pick now stands
out the worst (paint's changed colours).

Consequently I'm not particularly looking forward to crawling over the
one I'm due to collect later this week (having already paid a
substantial deposit for the dealer to order it in).

--
John H

DAvid

"Atheist Chaplain" <abused@cia.gov> wrote in message
news:g8t1sn$gu2$1@aioe.org...

> or hope that the guy who did the paint wasn't the same one who matched the
> metallic silver on my wife's car, it is the best match on metallic paint I
> have ever seen!!
> If I didn't know it was repaired I wouldn't be able to pick it, and even
> though I do know it was repaired and what parts were painted, I still have
> real difficulty telling :-)
> Though I'm sure with a few years in the sun it will start to show up :-)
> --
> "Calling Atheism a religion is like calling bald a hair color."
> Don Hirschberg
>
I had that happen with my metallic silver Euro when the dickheads were
fitting the towbar, they cut the piece out of the top of the bumper instead
of the bottom. So they had to replace the bumper on a brand new car and the
paint match was perfect. Then after 12 months you could start to see the
difference happening as the new paint was starting to fade. You will need to
keep an eye on that.

DAVO

Jason James

"Ted" <Tedb@aol.com> wrote in message
news:48b1f636$0$94268$c30e37c6@lon-reader.news.telstra.net...
> I am wanting to buy a late model used commodore sedan.
> What should I look out for in regards to if the vehicle has had accident
> damage?
> What should I be looking for, how can I tell? Should I look under the
> chassis?
> What about if it has been cut and shut, how can I tell this?
> Thanks.

Get underneath and have a close look at any freshly painted panels, they
often cover-up any major structural repair, by painting over the welds or,
apply that black-grey goo to hide the weld-bead.
Any "cut and shut" type work means they have to attach a 'good' section to
the old part of the body. To do this they *have to* do extensive welding.
Look for any welding (covered up or not|) that is long, running across the
width of the body. New or original floors-panels etc are essentially clean.
There will be some original welds (spot welds usually) that will look
weathered or covered with original paint.

Jason