Used car i am looking at has no plates. PLEASE HELP. i am looking at it at 1:00 today!?

Question

I am looking at this car that i love. we got there to test drive it and check it out and it has no plates.

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we still drove it down the street and saw no problems, but im worried cause it was such breif driving.

ive gotten advice to take it to a mechanic, but i cannot since it has no plates and is not supposed to be driven.

my friend is coming with me today to check it out and hes good with cars, but i dont know if thats enough.

i feel like i have come accross a good deal and i need a car desperately, but i cant take it to a mechanic.

should i really just forget about the car?

i hope i dont have to cause it is like the perfect car for me and i love it.

Answer 1

I would want drive it at highway speeds for 5 miles before buying  find huge parking lot and sneak over there to test it. have some follow you close hide plate..tell us what is and $ to see what we think. dont let your emotions rule your head.  a mechanics advice is only good if he`s good

Answer 2

Yes, you definitely want it inspected.

If you're worried -- have the owner drive it to the mechanic. No reason you should have to deal with it.

Also, I don't think you'd have too much of an issue with the cops, even if you did get pulled over. But as suggested, you can also just go to a neighborhood shop and take the back roads. And better still - have the owner drive it.

Or call a mobile mechanic and have him come out to you. I used one once - great pricing too.

Besides, you (or the mechanic, or the owner with you along) will want to test drive the thing on the freeway, up steep hills, etc.

The no-plates thing could be innocent. But you may want to verify the VIN on carfax or with the police or DMV.

Don't feel rushed into buying it. You can always find a great deal. Check out autotrader.com. Remember, you are the buyer and you are in the position of power - you have the money. Don't feel desperate -- it leads to bad decisions and getting ripped off.

As for salvage title: Yes, you want to know that it is a salvage and find out why (theft, accident, etc.). If it's salvage, you should pay at least a thousand dollars less. I have bought a motorcycle and a car that were salvaged -- both because of theft. They are great vehicles. The car -- my beloved Honda Del Sol -- now has over 200,000 miles and is still going strong, never any major issues. Much better car than the non-salvage Nissan I bought before it! In short, just because it's salvage doesn't mean it's bad.

Don't forget:

Ask when the timing belt was changed, and was the water pump changed at the same time. This needs to be done around every 80 - 90 K miles. If it hasn't been done, you need to get it done. If the timing belt breaks, you will likely melt your engine. That will cost thousands to fix. Get the water pump done at the same time. It saves money.

When you drive it, do a slow turning circle with the wheel turned as far as you can to the left. Then another slow full turning circle to the right. if you hear weird noises, clicking, jerking, etc, then you know the CV joints are bad.

Check the radiator fluid. Make sure it's full and clear.

Get all the records and receipts for maintenance and repairs. If he has all this, it's a good sign the vehicle may have been well-cared-for.

By the way -- the DMV can issue temporary registration.

Good luck!

Answer 3

A lot of times those GOOD deals turn out to be BAD choices. ask the person if it has a good title...not a 'Salvage' title. The salvage title reduces the value of a car by $1000's of dollars. Make sure it wasn't one of those cars that came from the flooded areas of the USA...otherwise you will have problems down the road.

Get the VIN and run a CARFAX check on it. That will tell you if it has been flooded, wrecked or any major damage or problems. It cost to run it...but well worth the money.

Answer 4

i would just take the chance find the closest mechanic and plan a route using the most back streets possible the worst that'll happen is you'll get a ticket and if you have it registered by the time you go to court the judge will drop it anyway. check the vin on carfax before even buying it though

Answer 5

write down the vin number and get a carfax report before putting down any money.  

Answer 6

Your right take it to a mechanic. Tell the seller to get some plates on it if they expect to sell it.  Make an offer and tell the seller it's conditional upon a mechanical inspection. If they want to sell it they'll get it to your mechanic.

Answer 7

I don't understand your question.

You are doing the right thing by knowing you need to take it to a mechanic for inspection, but don't understand the issue.



Doesn't the current owner have a registration and a title?  If it is at a dealer, they can put a temporary dealer plate on it.

If you decide to purchase the car, you don't get the prior owner's registration or plates.   You just need to make sure you have a valid title signed over to you and a bill of sale reflecting exactly when you bought it. Then, if you have that, you should have no problems showing that to the officer if you get pulled over on the way home.

Just make sure you don't drive it anywhere but home until you register the vehicle.

Your question is phrased terribly.  Ask the seller to go with you to get the car inspected.  Or take the registration.

This isn't brain surgery or rocket science.

Answer 8

well really i wouldn't necessarily bring it to a mechanic there has got to be someone you know that tinkers with cars and engines and such just pay a friend like 20$ for a once over  ( but they better be realible)

btw what was such a good deal that you got on the car

one of the first questions you ask the private seller is "why are you selling this car/truck" most of the time they will be honest

Answer 9

What your saying is you want to buy a car that wasn't inspected or driven for awhile, right? Test driving a car doesn't guarantee it will not break down, even having a mechanic checking it out doesn't mean it won't break down. It's a machine and it can break at any time. But test driving it and having a good mechanic check it out gives you a very good idea about the car. Almost every state allows you to buy and register the car before having it inspected. If you don't have or can't have someone look at it before buying, someone who knows about cars, then pass on it. Even if it is a car dealer. No deal is good no matter what the price if it will not pass inspection as an unsafe car or if it cost a mint to make it pass. Obvious things like tires and body condition is one thing but things like brakes are more involved than just stopping. Is the frame good. Are the rocker panels rotted. Those repairs can and do cost a lot. If it's a front wheel drive you have to make sure the engine mounts are in good shape more than a rear wheel drive. You can always do a test ride with fictitious plates, but remember you are breaking the law number 1 and if by chance something happens like an accident, both you and the owner are legally responsible. So you have more to think about other than is it a good deal. Good Luck car shopping