11 CHECK THE MECHANICS

Is the car stone cold before it’s started or has the owner already wound the thing over for an hour with a can of Easy Start? Check for a smoky exhaust, a heavybreathing crankcase, untoward noises, signs of incontinence, nasty smells, obvious bodgery, and interrogate the fluids for confessions of mechanical trauma. If you can, start it from cold and make sure it idles. After the test drive leave it running to check for overheating – check the temp gauge and listen for the electric fans to kick in.