virtual PPI

Check the title first. Even the best car can screw you over if you don't have a clean title...and the big title check companies will sometimes even catch basic criminality such as hiding wrecks, rolling back miles, stolen car, duplicate title, etc. Purchase title insurance if you decide to buy the car, too.

After that, you are down to verifying the big 3 items: engine/tranny, exterior paint, and overall interior condition. Going beyond those "big 3" is for more specialized purchases (e.g. collector vehicles).

One rule of thumb is to *never* buy a car that is deficient in all 3 above (unless you want a project car). Expect to pay more if 2 of the big 3 are golden, and obviously you will be paying top Dollar if all of the "big 3" are perfect.

 

The, "I dont have time for the full blown PPI and I didnt bring a compression tester with" test.

Hot engine (after a spirited test drive, watching for smoke, leaks, noises, proper oil pressure, temps, shifting, steering, cosmetics, etc..), hold the brakes hard. Assuming the engine is running okay (like really decent), select 5th gear and, with the engine idling and without giving it any gas (right foot brake, left clutch, foot off the gas pedal), gently and carefully ease out the clutch to work the engine down to as low an idle it can muster. Feel the motor pulse and watch the tack while you listen carefully. If the engine is good, the pulses will be regular beats and equal in intensity and you should be able to draw it down under 500 rpm. But even without a tach you should be able to sense getting it down to low speed and feeling it thump. If it has a miss or anything wrong with it, youll feel it. If you cant draw it down without it quitting, if it idles unevenly and/or pulses unevenly, you really need to look further.

This isnt something you need to sit and do for 20 minutes burning the crap out of the sellers clutch and lugging the engine, you should be able to do it for a few seconds and know right away.

Also pull the oil cap off while its idling and feel over the hole with your hand. There shouldnt be more than baby breath of air against your hand. If its chuffing or blowing (blow by), youll probably feel it in the test above. While the oil cap is off, peek inside to confirm good oiling. It should be oozing all over. (I dont know if 355's have cam cover mounted oil caps, so maybe its impossible to see inside)

You really should do a compression test followed (only if it "passes") with a leakdown. But the above will rule out 99% of any faults. Seeing how many shops dont even know how to do proper tests and phony results, the above tests can be used to verify the engine is in fact pretty decent or not.

However, I will NOT pay for a leakdown test on any engine that fails a simple compression test. If it cant make compression, it has an internal defect of the rings or a valve, period, and no amount of leakdown tests are going to change that fact. At this point the leakdown is only to determine the cause of damage. There is no point spending another dime of YOUR money to analyse the problem for the seller. The engine is bad. Until it is disassembled, no one is going to know the full extent of the trouble. Too many heads have been pulled only to see scoring of cylinders, etc., etc., and next you know its a full blown rebuild instead of what started out a simple valve job.

I repeat, if it wont pass a simple compression test, consider the engine needs a full and complete overhaul and adjust your offer accordingly. The majority of sellers already know the engine is junk, they are just hoping some sucker buys it for full price. Dont be a sucker, there are other cars. If you still want the car even with a questionable engine, and if the seller wont drop the value sufficiently to cover a full overhaul, walk away. If you been reading enough threads about 355's, you already know they arent a car to screw around with and they are not cheap. If there were ever a Ferrari to find a good one and pay the price, its a 355. There arent any cheap ones.

 

Make certain that you are in the right mindframe. If you expect a car to be new, then either buy a concours winner there at the show, or else go buy a new car.

Every other car is going to have flaws. Every one.

So don't expect perfection and "new" if you aren't paying a new car price.

Liens can be on a car, too. The title check companies like autocheck.com and carfax.com will catch most liens, but when you walk into the world of used cars you are dealing with...drum roll please...used car salesmen.

Buying from a dealership puts the dealer on the spot if there is a hidden lien on the car's title. That is *a* reason to pay a little extra for a vehicle at a dealership, as opposed to buying form an individual. But buying from either a dealer or from an individual, you should still purchase title insurance. Let Autocheck or Carfax eat that first $60,000 if they didn't catch a lien and if the dealer is a skilled liar.

Does the VIN on the car match the VIN in the ad and in the pictures?



Paul/Artvonne above shows how to test the engine quickly. To test the suspension quickly simply give the car a little gas and then immediately stop, then gas and stop quickly, again. If the nose of the car is bouncing up and down, then your shocks are shot.

Those tests (and listening for any shifting clunks) cover most of the engine/tranny/suspension big ticket items.

That leaves paint and interior. For the paint, look for leftover painters' tape under the hood, paint overspray, paint drips, and cracks in the paint...all of which would hint at a cheap repaint.