HAVING failed a few weeks ago to find a cheap Alfa Romeo 156 that stood even a remote chance of being reliable, I decided I may as well go the whole hog and buy an Alfa GTV.
Another three visits continued to show that independent car dealers can be uncomfortable places.
Principally, the car dealers seem uninterested in you as a punter. This is really a sort of power-game and probably a bit of risk-avoidance.
If they seem uninterested, you have to ask to buy it. Which makes it easier to turn down a request for discount.
Equally, it implies they are confident about the car – they let you look at it, test it and then you can’t claim later that they tried to hide anything or miss-sell it. They really haven’t sold it to you – you’ve bought it.
So you are on your own and that really underlines the need to have a UsedCarExpert.co.uk fault and price guide with you that reminds you what to check.
But both of these tools only become truly valuable when you test more than one of the same car.
Even if you know nothing about cars, once you have compared three you get a feel for what is a good deal and what is not.
Here are my three experiences:
Alfa Romeo GTV No.1
S–plate, 1997, 74,000 miles, £2,200
The dealer told me over the phone that a window didn’t work, but it was at the repairer so would be fixed when I got there. I got there to find neither window worked and the car was boxed in behind other stock suggesting it hadn’t been anywhere. There was no cam belt history, which is a crucial fault check on these cars, and to drive it I would need to ask them to move two other cars. The bumpers had badly discoloured so there were just too many things stacked against me. I left.
Alfa Romeo GTV No.2
R-plate, 1996, 61,000 miles, £995
It started first time and revealed a blowing exhaust, which I had to point out to the dealer. He promised to MOT it if I bought it, but given the asking price, I was suspicious about the level of repair they would give the exhaust. It also had no cambelt history and the horn didn’t work. The lacquer (the shiny covering over the paint) was peeling on the roof in lots of places, and the underlying paint was very drab so the entire car would need painting . The dealer promised to call me when the car had been through its MOT but that call never came.
Alfa Romeo GTV No.3
R-plate, 1996, 66,000 miles, £890
The dealer rang me when he discovered I was travelling 100 miles to see the car to explain the lacquer was peeling on a door, so I wouldn’t feel I had wasted my journey. Buoyed by the honesty I made the trip anyway. The difference between this car and the previous one was the paint was vibrant. So I felt I could get just the door re-painted and lacquered for £200 and the overall look would be fine. There was half a ream of service history, and it showed three cam belt changes with at least a year to go before another would be needed. Everything on the car worked bar a light bulb, and it had six months tax (and MOT). And so now I own an Alfa Romeo.