Would you buy a car with no history?

[Alexander 0]

Hi guys, general bit of advice if you don't mind;

 

There's a C on Autotrader at the moment, VR6 on 105k with leather, air con etc etc. Just rang the guy up and he says he's got no history with it at all (god knows how). He says he bought it nine months ago, taking a bit of a gamble and took it straight to Awesome GTI who gave it a clean bill of health, apart from new rear discs and pads and water pump. The air con is apparently not functioning at the moment due to a couple of splits in the pipes.

 

So my question is - would you consider buying a car with no history such as this, or would you not touch it with a bargepole? I'm not just concerned about the potential problems, but also the resale value.

 

Thoughts?

[dukest 0]

why not? depending on the price of course! If its around 2k and in good nick otherwise then I don't see an issue. and why would you be worried about resale?! :D

[Alexander 0]

Ha ha yeah! Well he wants £3500 for it, which is cheap but not a giveaway - I've seen well-kept VR6s go on here for a similar amount *with* FSH.

 

Part of me thinks - you have no idea when bits are going to go wrong anyway, even with a car with history. The other thinks, the chains have almost definitely not been done (although I'd have to assume they're not overly noisy or the guys at Awesome GTI would have picked up on it) so I'd have to factor these in if I was planning on keeping the car for a good few years (which I would)... ideally I was looking for a VR where these large service items had been done (with receipts to prove) as it's just one less thing to worry about isn't it?

 

Ooh it's a tricky'un!

[drunkenmunkey 0]

Hi Alexander

 

I'm definitely in the 'wouldn't touch it with a barge pole' camp, for that much you'll get a good one with history if you wait long enough, especially at current prices. I'd be worried as to why there's no history, it suggests to me either - an owner who lost it, that suggests to me that the owner didn't care and therefore probably didn't look after it/ address problems.

- or it's been clocked, in which case steer clear.

 

If it helps, I bought mine for under £2K with a rebuilt engine and a box full of receipts, it wasn't standard and needed a few bushes etc replaced but it still had a Full History, which is vital IMHO. Don't do it

[davidwort 0]

Well firstly, ask to take it for an MOT, then at least you'll know it had a decent check over and will only cost you 40 quid or so, if the seller refuses then that tells you something.

I'd expect to see at least some receipts for parts even if the service history was missing, even if the current owner has only had it for just under a year.

[Alexander 0]

Yeah I'm definitely lairy, I can't imagine a decent excuse for the history being missing?? And if it was a legit reason, surely the current owner would have asked when HE bought it?

 

I think you guys may be right, it's a lovely example but I'd rather get something perhaps off you guys here in the forums where at least I know it's been cared for.

[tonedef 8]

But does a folder full of receipts and a stamped service book stop a twelve year old car breaking? I think not.

 

I used to live over the road from a fifty something year old guy, always bought his cars new, had them serviced on time at the main dealer, sold them after about three years, all looked well to an outsider. But there's no way I'd ever have bought one from him as he used to start it up every morning with his foot flat on the floor. Once it bounced off the rev limiter he may have lifted his foot off, sometimes his reactions were not so good and it may have stayed there bouncing for a couple of seconds, I'd be laying in bed cringing! None of that was ever documented in the service history.

[davidwort 0]

yeah, and more than ever these cars should be treated to individual inspection rather than book value or service history, it's still nice to see a list of what has been replaced and when though.

[dukest 0]

yeah, i think a new MOT and another going over by a specialist and then I'd maybe offer 2750 if its in good cosmetic condition?

[Alexander 0]

Has anyone had one of these RAC 100 point checks done? I know they're not specialists on Corrados, but they seem very thorough, taking it out for a test drive and checking all the major points before reporting back to you.

 

It's one of those things where if it pays off, it's a ballsy gamble and I'm a hero - if it doesn't, and the car is just one problem after another, then I'm a kn*bhead!

[Jim 1]

I'd only buy a car with no history if it was an absolute steal - ie, I could break it for more than it cost me if it came to it.

 

3,500 quid is a bit ambitious in my opinion. I'd say people casually discard the history when they conveniently want to shave some miles off the clock - the reasoning being a low miler with no history is more appealing than a high miler with lots of history - though whoever applies that logic needs their head examining :lol:

 

Personally i'd keep looking. Far more honest cars come up for sale on here at those sorts of prices on a fairly consistent basis.

[chubbybrown 0]

You should know if its a nail when you drive it.

 

you can always phone Vw with the reg n chassis number to see if it has any Vw svs history too

[bcstudent 0]

I've never bought a car *with* history! It's not the sort of thing that worries me in the slightest.

[Alexander 0]

Oh crikey, a lot of conflicting opinions here... I like the idea of ringing VW to see if it's got a service history with them - and from the pics if it's been clocked it's still not a very high miler, it definitely *looks* tidy.

 

And the problem is, I haven't driven any other VR6s yet, so I'd have nothing to compare it to, to be able to tell if it was a good'un or not. Do you guys have one of those schemes where you'll go and look at a car on another member's behalf if you're local??

[dukest 0]

we certainly do :)

 

viewtopic.php?f=17&t=11067

[jonnyboyo 0]

I would buy a basic car without a service history such as a Mk1/2 GTI. At least with those engines the worst that can happen is that it needs a rebuild, and how much would that be for a basic 8v 4 pot? £1500 tops? To have the chains done on a VR i think you're looking at £800-ish just for that job, let alone if the pistons, rings, bearings etc are on their way out. I agree with what has been said above. A healthy stack of bills and receipts for quality work done is more desirable than a fully stamped up service book with no receipts to back the servicing up. Anyone can get a service book stamped up on the side.

 

If the car is a lot cheaper than one with history, is in VERY good nick and you take an experienced mechanic with you, then the car could prove to be a steal if given a clean bill of health. And then if you keep it for a good few years you will have built up history of you're own with more than likely a few big service jobs thrown in too.

[shawshankkid 1]

I would look at a car with no history, weather i would buy it or not is another question. Being a regular/obsessed forum member i quite know my stuff now so i know the proper check procedure on the corrado, i guess it comes down to a simple choice.....get busy living or get busy dying.............................OH sorry thats the shawshank.....what i meant to say was ...i would weigh up how much it would cost to put it right and make it into a decent motor. :thumb right:

[Alexander 0]

Yeah I get your point, but my worry with no history is that while it might be OK today, I'd have no idea how long certain parts would last - CV boots, clutch, various pumps, gaskets, seals, the stuff that just "goes"... but as I say I'm not terribly clever when it comes to engines (although I've read every Corrado buying guide out there)...

[Sonicriot13 0]

I bought my G60 with no history at all. Just some MOTs to back up the mileage as it was quite low at 114k. But compared to the price some G60s were going for at the time I bought it the bloke was giving it away. And apart from the fresh air blower breaking (now fixed courtesy of Toad sending me a replacement motor) I've needed to do nothing to it and it's been an absolute joy. Obviously it has it's little quirks. Like for some reason it doesn't like running on 95 as I have just found out. Put some 97 back in and it's fine again now. Anyhow, my point is I doubt having a service history would have prevented my fresh air blower from going. It is now getting to the point though that some things need replacing but just the usaual service parts. I think for you buddy it's a question of confidence. If you need a service history for piece of mind then you need to find a car that has one. That's a lot of money to spend on something you're not entirely comfortable with.

[Alexander 0]

Yeah, after sleeping on it, I'm going to give it a miss. Especially as another VR6 has come up a reasonable distance from me, leathers, 115k, full service history and it's £200 cheaper! I'm not really in a position to make a gamble on a new car (although obviously you have no idea what will happen) - it's got to be a daily driver and while I don't do a vast amount of miles anymore due to car-sharing to work, it has to start, go and stop when I want it to!

[the delta force 0]

Have you carried out a vehicle check?

 

Have a look at http://www.mycarcheck.com, at least you can check for any police/accident history etc.

 

I have had my 1990 1.8 16v Corrado for three and a half years and have what I thought was a private plate on it when I bought it.

 

At work we have a automatic reg reader which opens the car park barrier to our car park if it reconises the number plate which is VIW 3890, it basically has never recognised my plate so I've always had to wait for someone to let me in.

 

Anyway, yesterday NCP were programming my car into their system for the 50th time when it suddenly dawned on me that UK mainland cars do not have the letter 'I' in them. I later rang the DVLA to confirm and they said it was a Northern Irish plate. I got slightly worried so looked online and found the above site. For just £3.95 I found out some interesting history about my car:-

 

First registered as G125 PSO on 25th May 1990.

Reg changed in July 1998 to the current plate. It was off a car in Nothern Ireland (NI) and was legally sold. (Obviously appeals to someone who owns a VW).

Was Cat 'C' written off in Nov 1998. Cat 'C' states - Vehicles in this catergory are extensively damaged but may be repaired, however the insurer has decided not to repair this vehicle.

 

It hasn't been reported stolen/scrapped etc so that's a relief. I'm not too bothered about the accident history but just goes to show that I should have done the check prior to buying it. I wonder how many people buy without checking???

 

Stefan

[Paulr1980 0]

I wouldn't at that price but would on a cheapy. My car was sub a grand and had bits of history therefore a gamble was a cheapy gamble. I went on the person selling it's personality, what the had done to the car since they owned it, colour of the oil and tidyness of it when viewing.

 

Different story on something more expensive and specialist. SH is a must, even if its indie SH.

 

Under a grand then take a punt, over a grand but less than three, give it some consideration and check the bills carefully, over three then SH required.

 

I've only owned one pup by doing this. I've had 20 odd cars so far.

[Alexander 0]

That mycarcheck.com website is fantastic! Bookmarked that, it's going to come in very useful. Also good to know my GTI has a clean bill of health!

[the delta force 0]

They were great, I spoke to them twice on the phone as they had to find out a few additional things from the insurance company. They had the file to hand so when I had to call back, the info was there ready for me.....All for just £3.95

[skinnyman9000 0]

My valver had full service history and around 1.5" of reciepts, from years and years back.

 

However, 3 months later the piston rings went and i spent £1000 on an engine rebuild.

 

History is not everything.