Buying a Used Car

I decided that I need to buy a replacement car for my good little Jimny – offers welcome. I wanted something with a bit more power for offroading, and did not relish fitting a new transfer case or bigger engine.

Anyway, I spotted a potential replacement car on Ebay – a Terrano, and decided to go and make the 120 miles trip south to North Yorkshire to have a look with my brother in his own Terrano, and he knows a Terrano insideout.

I had a look under the car and could see dirty oil leaking out under the engine, a crack on the front bumper, the car inside was ranking, the carpets were multi-coloured of various stains, the fittings loose. I thought, there’s no way the seller is going to get the £2,500 he is asking for.

The smell was from the vomit-style multi-coloured carpet, which on closer look revealed that the car has been in for a serious drinking and possibly swimming session.

Worse was to come when my brother pinpointed the oil leak under the bonnet to the intercooler and the air filter intake has been tampered with, the radiator full of dirt and vegetation. I already made my mind that I’m not going to buy this smelly car.

We took it for a test drive anyway. The engine warning light remained illuminated, the gear linkage broken, the suspension was knackered and felt as if a stabiliser bar was broken. To top it off, the turbo never kicked in, and after about 30 seconds of driving it, we took it back. Surely it’s way too dangerous to drive any further.

Without the turbo, it was like driving a busfull of fat people on their way to a weight watchers club using an engine off a lawn mower.

The only thing it was work having was the starter motor as the seller admitted it was a new one.

Looking back on the advert, I felt the seller wasted both our time with blatant lies like “Totally immaculate inside and outside”, “it has plenty of power and all system working fine”. We made the long journey home with a bitter taste in our mouths.