Buying a Van - get checked out first? y/n/m

[brianmonkey]

Dear wise ones of experience,

I want to buy a van for 2-4k. Should I be taking it to the mechanic first before purchasing? Note: the reason I would, is because I don't know enough yet about them yet. And, it was suggested by a fellow van dweller. I will be checking consumer reports at least and try and make sure all of the parts exist and it sounds good and of course intuition. That's about all I know at the moment!
The other thing happening here in NYC is that if you don't buy it 1 hour ago, you might as well forget about it. Just like the apartments here too. And the everything - wonderful place it is. 

Thank you for nonjudgemental suggestions! This community has been so open and supportive. 

Brian

 

[Gideon33w]

For cheaper prices and more options (without the 1 hour hustle) you may want to consider buying a van further out and driving it back.
As far as having a mechanic check it over, most people don't have a problem with that though they might want you to BRING a mechanic vs taking the vehicle.
Often times a knowledgeable friend (not one who THINKS he is) can help check over a vehicle for ya.
There is a sticky in the Mechanical section with info on the common full size vans available from Ford, GM (Chevy/GMC), and Dodge.

 

[brianmonkey]

For cheaper prices and more options (without the 1 hour hustle) you may want to consider buying a van further out and driving it back.
As far as having a mechanic check it over, most people don't have a problem with that though they might want you to BRING a mechanic vs taking the vehicle.
Often times a knowledgeable friend (not one who THINKS he is) can help check over a vehicle for ya.
There is a sticky in the Mechanical section with info on the common full size vans available from Ford, GM (Chevy/GMC), and Dodge.

Cool, very helpful. I read your sticky and that is great, a lot I can learn there.

 

[Gideon33w]

Cool, very helpful. I read your sticky and that is great, a lot I can learn there.

No problem. Just make sure you consider your budget for buy AND build. Plus tune-up. Plus the "Oh Crap" back-up money set aside.

 

[CityWoman]

I live in NYC, too, and I've never owned a car but it's always been my understanding that, with any used vehicle, for any purpose, one should bring along a mechanic (or someone who knows their ****) before buying.

I'm nowhere near ready to buy a vehicle for nomadding yet, but finding mechanics to go with me will be a part of my planning process. I've already got some people in mind. I also intend to invest in a basic auto mechanics course so I have a good enough grasp of the basics to be able to suss out if someone's bullshitting me.

If you can, line up a couple of people with different schedules who would be ready to go with you once you've made arrangements to go and see the van. And I would think that most sellers are going to accommodate a potential buyer who wants to bring a mechanic with them, if they want to get the damn thing sold.

 

[tripper]

Dear wise ones of experience,

I want to buy a van for 2-4k. Should I be taking it to the mechanic first before purchasing? Note: the reason I would, is because I don't know enough yet about them yet. And, it was suggested by a fellow van dweller. I will be checking consumer reports at least and try and make sure all of the parts exist and it sounds good and of course intuition. That's about all I know at the moment!
The other thing happening here in NYC is that if you don't buy it 1 hour ago, you might as well forget about it. Just like the apartments here too. And the everything - wonderful place it is. 

Thank you for nonjudgemental suggestions! This community has been so open and supportive. 

Brian

Always take it to a good mechanic before purchase, it can save you thousands in the future, also you can use the findings to help haggle the price down some, potentially saving you the money spent. I know the $100-$200 spent sucks, but so does a bad transmission 2 weeks later. Most people do not sell older used cars that have been good to them and reliable. They sell cars they suspect have something expensive going out or are hiding a temporary fix.

 

[Urban Fisher]

It's usually advisable to bring a mechanic (or have one look it over before purchase), but not always feasible. Especially if each potential vehicle is a no go and you end up paying a mechanic to look at 5 different vehicles yet you still haven't purchased one. Only advice I can give is to watch YouTube videos about buying a used vehicle (many are produced by mechanics). Some videos may seem like common sense, but after watching many myself, I did learn a few good tricks/pointers on what to look for when buying used. Also I found it very helpful to do a Google search on a potential vehicle you may want to purchase. Just type in something like..."Problems/issues with such and such van, year model". After researching a certain model, you will find common issues such as known transmission issues or drivetrain problems. Don't let that scare you away from a particular model, but say such and such van is know for transmission problems. The first thing I'll ask the seller..."This model is know to have problem transmissions...have you had an issue with this one? If yes, has it been fixed/replaced?"

 

[mr_elijah_gardner]

If you're looking for a van in that price range chances are it's an older van. If you are not mechanically inclined yes you need to take it and have it inspected. I tell everyone I sell a car to they should take it to a mechanic before they buy it. Almost none of them do. Then people get mad at me when my crystal ball didn't tell the X issue was going to happen and I sold them the car knowing it.

Even an inspection isn't a guarantee of not having an issue whether immediately or later on. Vans are man made machines and they all will fail at some point or another. The purpose of an inspection is to get an idea of the current health of the vehicle. A good mechanic can usually tell how a car has been maintained by looking at the quality of some repairs. IE missing bolts, custom rework, etc.

If you have a friend that is somewhat mechanically inclined take them with you to narrow down the vehicles to take to the shop. Save a couple bucks that way.

There are also main points you can check yourself which I'm sure are covered in other areas here.
-Take your hands of the wheel. Does it track straight.
-Do the brakes make sounds or feel vibrations
-Does the engine make any strange noises or vibrate at any RPM. (never have the radio on during a test drive)
-Does the transmission seem to shift smooth, does it slip under heavy acceleration or incline.
-Check all the fluids for color and level.
-Check belts and hoses for cracks.
-Take note of where oil buildup is on the engine. Oil around the valve covers is better than oil around the back of the engine. I'll pretty much guarantee any van in that price range will have some oil sludge on the engine. (If it's been pressure washed that's a red flag to me)
-How long do you have to crank the engine to get it to start. (1-3 rotations is pretty good in my book)

If all those seem okay then its probably worth going the next step and getting an inspection.

Id also budget some money for immediate maintenance. On my personal vehicles I'll change a battery right away. Change oil, and most likely brakes, possibly tires. Those are just things I'm particular about and factor those cost on top of my purchase price.

 

[JLynne]

A web site I refer to often is https://www.carcomplaints.com Some model years are lemons.
I met the sellers at my mechanic's. He did a compression check and guided me through how to buy from a private party. He did not check the radiator for some reason which later had to be replaced. It was a conversion van already built out with a bed and basic camping set-up. He didn't check electrical wiring either. I guess that would be more of a body builder type thing and as long as the break lights and signals worked that may have been the scope of what a mechanic does. I don't know.
He made sure the engine and suspension etc... were in good shape and I imagine other basics like break lights and signals. And did a test drive.
I found a few problems later on. The radio didn't work very well, speakers on passenger side and inside passenger side door don't work. It's a high top so no way to check for leaks other than visual or sniffing around for mold. She's a smaller van and now I sort of wish I'd gone bigger. But I was scared of driving a van I couldn't see out of well. The size is good for travel and parking, could be a daily driver if my station wagon craps out.
I should have been brave and offered lower but the sellers were so nice. Duh. Not smart.
I had to have the AC changed over to R134A. That's something I hadn't thought about. She's a 1993 Ford E-150 V8 with a 351 Windsor engine. Purrs like a big cat. I knew gas mileage would be bad but the reality of just how bad became more real after several +/- $60.00 fill ups!
I had to buy a spare tire carrier for underneath and Ford wanted $200.00! Salvage yards are life savers on older model vans. $50.00.
Some makes have more parts available than others. With Ford many parts are interchangeable depending on which modifications Ford made over time. For example the '92 through '96 E-150 is pretty much the same as the E-250 and 350 in front. And many Ford truck parts are the same also.
I'm a newbie too and still learning how to trouble-shoot issues with basic tools and manuals so I don't pay for a $1000.00 part when the real problem was a .50 cent fuse!
Hope this isn't too much info!
BTW, My insurance won't cover modifications like the high-top unless I have the original paperwork. Love my high-top but pray a lot during hail storms!
Good luck!
JLynne

 

[JLynne]

Please ignore my previous post. I took too long editing and the system wouldn't let me up date it. Can't figure out how to delete it either. Sorry! :huh:


 For sure get it checked out! Take a friend and a mechanic.

A good web site is:  https://www.carcomplaints.com  Some model years are lemons.

Here's what I wish I'd known.

What does a mechanic look at and what do they not look at?


    I met the sellers at my mechanic's. He did a compression check. He did not check the radiator for some reason which later had to be replaced. Look for rust in there. He made sure the engine and suspension etc... were in good shape and I imagine other basics like break lights and signals, belts and suspension.
   He didn't check all the electrical wiring. I guess that would be more of a body builder type thing and as long as the break lights and signals worked, it starts and charges. 

   I found a few problems later on with interior body stuff. Like radio and speakers. A friend could help there.

It's a high top so no way to check for leaks other than visual and sniffing around for mold.

She's a smaller van and now I sort of wish I'd gone bigger. But I was scared of driving a van I couldn't see out of well. The size is good for travel and parking and could be a daily driver if my station wagon craps out.

I should have been brave and offered lower but the sellers were so nice. Duh. Not smart.

AC and Gas Mileage:
I had to have the AC changed over to R134A. That's something I hadn't thought about. She's a 1993 Ford E-150 V8 with a 351 Windsor engine. Good engine. Purrs like a big cat. (I knew gas mileage would be bad but the reality of just how bad became more real after several +/- $60.00 fill ups!)

Parts Availability:
I had to buy a spare tire carrier for underneath and Ford wanted $200.00! Salvage yards are life savers for older model vans. $50.00 vs $200.00

     Some makes have more parts available than others. With Ford many parts are interchangeable depending on which modifications Ford made over time.  For example the '92 through '96  E-150 is pretty much the same as the E-250 and 350 in front. A lot of Ford truck parts during those years work too. Look up Generations: Gen I, Gen II for model changes on parts and cross check with the VIN numbers.

      Still a newbie and still learning how to trouble-shoot issues with basic tools and manuals so I don't pay for a $1000.00 part when the real problem was a .50 cent fuse! The cost difference between a starter and a fuel pump can be in the hundreds of dollars.

Insurance:
     BTW, Insurance won't cover modifications without receipts. And it depends on the modifications.  They won't cover my high-top unless I have the original paperwork. That's long gone and old conversion companies are out of business. (Not as much of a problem with work type vans.)
Love my high-top but pray a lot during hail storms!  

     Good luck!
JLynne

 

[ColoRockiesFan]

I bought my van sight unseen from a dealer in a different state. I hired a reputable company to do a thorough inspection. The van checked out and I bought it. I had the van shipped to me ... as it was unloading, I noticed what seemed to be mushrooms growing on the top of the roof above the cab. Turned out to be 5 very poorly repaired holes in the roof. UGH!

The dealer blew me off. The inspection company refunded most of my money. And, instead of repairing the roof ($1500-$3000 to weld the holes) I've accelerated the purchase of a hightop. 

No matter how careful you are, some things can still go wrong.

 

[Gideon33w]

Recently, a member was interested in a dealer van that was out of state.
Hired a mechanic local to the area to inspect it before flying out.
Good info from dealer and mechanic so they went ahead an traveled.
Got there, and nothing but problems. Didn't end up buying the van.
Wasted a bunch of money and time for nothing despite the inspection.

 

[brianmonkey]

Thank you for all the info! Very helpful. I will go check out carcomplaints.com too!

 

[brianmonkey]

that't also good to hear...maybe I should use my intuition. Hmm

 

[MrNoodly]

Here's one of my recent blog posts related to this topic.

http://rollingsteeltent.blogspot.com/2017/09/gem-or-junk.html

 

[Ryan]

Of course it's helpful to have somebody with mechanical experience inspect a vehicle with you, however even the best mechanic can only judge if the vehicle is good now, not down the road.
Some mechanics dread these inspections too. They get blamed a lot for issues they could not foresee.

 

[breeze]

Buying used vehicles is alway a sizable gamble. Buying site unseen based on a "hired" free lance mechanic seems like wasted money. A larger corporation with a good reputation or a knowledgeable local mechanic you trust would be my top two alternatives. Like was said before, "No one sells a good running vehicle." Buying new is really cheaper, except you need the cash or credit to swing the deal :-(

If I can't buy new, I run what I got into the ground and then ride a motorcycle alone until I get the capital saved up. Used and New vehicles are two completely different markets. GM's are good for the used market because there are so many of them; but their transmissions and tires cost the same as any vehicle. It's not easy being a consumer for anyone, even if "Cash is King."

 

[mr_elijah_gardner]

Like was said before, "No one sells a good running vehicle.

This is not true. There are tons of legitimate reasons to sell a mechanicaly sound vehicle.

 

[Gideon33w]

Heck, My van is in the for sale section right now simply because life changed and I don't need it.
As for it running good, I wrote the sticky at the top of the mechanical section ...

 

[breeze]

Whoops, I forgot my disclaimer: ymmv.

I generally and statistically address most of the people most of the time. That has been my experience anyway w/o dedicating more resources into it than can be recovered w/o extensive and vast mechanical training. The Greedy heuristic is chief: the easiest way is usually the best way most often. Unknown and unsecured decisions will often bite you in the azz through Murphy's law! Ymmv.

[Unless you are offering certified and warrantied used-car buying advice: then I stand corrected.]