Pre purchase Inspections

[thornz]

Are VTNZ any good? Have been warned many times by people saying AA arent worth the paper they are written on, wondering if VTNZ is the same.
Have a car down in Queenstown we are looking at and wanting to get one done before potentially wasting a trip down for nothing. Need somewhere that will do both mechanical, and a thorough exterior/interior check listing any dings, scrapes etc.

Any suggestions, or anyone from the Qtown area able to reccomend somewhere better?

[BZG Wagon]

This won't help you but I would strongly advise anyone not to use A-Grade inspection services.

I had used the guy 4 times, then when he did my GTT he broke a sensor wire while inspecting the car and when I rang up to say the car was having issues after the check, he didn't want to know. It took months to find out what was wrong and get it fixed properly.

[MAC_HATER]

got an AA check on the supra when i was going to buy it

$140 or so later they said that the worst problems it has was a molting steering wheel and a cigarette burn on the seat

so i bought it

turns out the boot floor was made of rust and they didint see that - go figure LOL

so take the AA checks with a very big dose of skepticism

and VTNZ ive seen hugely conflicting stories - guys getting warrants despite glaring failures and perfectly compliant vehicles failing on factory items that cant be changed and are not faulty - its all down to the inspector - whether they are not knowledgeable or are just being a wanker cause they personally dont like the brand of vehicle like what happened here in Invercargill recently

are you able to personally view the vehicle or get someone you know that's a mechanic or something to look at it?

[thornz]

We were hoping my wifes brother was going to be able to do it as he was going to be there for work, but that has fallen through. So at this stage, its all going to come down to paying someone else to do it, and then decide if its worth the trip down to look at ourselves.

Not really the ideal situation, but the car is reasonably hard to find for the right price and the specs we want, so if it did all check out, it'd be worth it.

[Mr.Phreak]

I haven't found a pre-purchase check that's worth the money

[Bling]

Pay Lloyd to go have a look at it Dunedin can't be that far away can it?

[Al]

I'd seriously go and look in person if I were you.

I flew to Auckland last weekend to look at a BMW 740i. It was a heap of shit. So I bought another Toyota.

[holden_fan2005]

Ask if the owner can take the car to a local garage (or sort something from your end) for an MTA pre purchase inspection. Costs $40-$50 I think and it's a genuine garage checking it out. Also, try and get it into a "AutoSuperShoppe" garage as these aren't ya backdoor mechanics etc.

[roytarolla]

Hey Im from Queenstown. VTNZ are pretty usless down here. I go to Frankton Automotive always do a good job.

I would check it out for you but im not really qualified to do a decent mechanical check.

[mycoolcar]

You could also try Quick stop Auto on Glenda Drive, near the airport. Unsure if they do pre-purchase inspections, but have used them for general servicing and repairs for a few years.

[h8wrxs]

I haven't found a pre-purchase check that's worth the money

this sums it up exactly


i have bought cars without viewing them, just going by pre inspections and ive ever had people go and look at cars for me... and i will never ever ever buy another car without inspecting it myself

if youre going to spend $150 on an inspection it might be worth spending $200 to get return flights for a day and go and inspect it yourself, flying around nz is reasonably cheap (depending on where you live obviously)

[Makaveli]

If it's a Toyota, just organise an inspection through at Toyota dealership. Call up their service department and see if they can do it. Cost me $300 (cheaper for 4 cylinder cars I think due to compression testing) for my Celsior, but they found a lot of things wrong with it. I still bought the car though since I liked it and plus I have managed to get the dealer to pay for some of the issues found wrong.

[Al]

$300?

Then again, the stealership probably charged you $150 an hour.

[Bling]

Only 3% of a 10k car, worthy investment if they can point out faults that get repaired by dealer.

[metal_sean_head]

Mrs just bought an ae110.

We got an inspection through VINZ. Mainly so we get get someone to put it on a hoist and check shit underneath.

Did a pretty thorough job judging by the bit of paper at the end.

[101dreamin]

I know exactly what gets checked over on the vtnz (and aa) pre purchase inspections, and for your money, id go vtnz. (not biased at all)

My last one was significantly reduced, and still very thourough. Included spotting surface rust in the spare wheel well, leaking from the exhaust, and a crack in the spotlight cover. All of which were sorted before I took ownership the next day. Just mentioning the tyres on the front were a bit naffed was enough to score me brand new ones on the front! quite stoked about that one. Its a chunk of money I won't have to spend for a while.

your looking at $120ish for the base inspection, and up to $160 for all the reports and inspection.

Roytarolla - what is your basis in calling them useless? I know one of the part timers pretty well, and useless is not the first word that comes to mind.

[rollaholic]

mebbe they didnt give him a warrant one time?

[pidge]

Here's a check list I've been working on for myself as a "1st pass". Then get it on a hoist...

Exterior
Body Work
• Seams, panel fitting, door fitting
• Magnet test panels, lower edges of doors

Paint work - Same colour all over, indications of re-spray?

Lights
• Main, High beam, Indicators, Brake lights, Reverse, Hazards, Fog lights, Running lights working?

Interior
Carpets / Mats. lining – check for odour, water damage, matching, appropriate wear for age

Seats
• Upholstery condition
• Foam squabs

Steering wheel condition
Steering
• Ignition Steering lock works
• Play on turning turn

Wing minor motor adjustment / fold in
Boot, fuel flap release working, Fuel filler cap correct
Interior light(s)
Engine Bay
Bonnet struts / Stay
Signs of removed or replace items
Indications of Fluid leaks

Air filter - OEM / Aftermarket, Condition

Engine Oil – Level, Condition, Last change date?

Transmission oil – Level, Condition, Last change date?

Battery
• engine off voltage / engine on voltage (need a volt meter)

Drive Train
Exhaust system
• OEM / After market / Modified
• Condition

Suspension and wheels
Rims
• Condition
• OEM / After market / Modified
Tyres
• Correct/acceptable size
• Make and model
• Tread depth even L/R

Service
Manual
Service History
Warrant of Fitness
Registration


Boot
Hatch struts / stay / spring
Lining /carpet/ mats
Light
Spare wheel cover / lid
Spare wheel
Tools
Jack
Wheel chock

Test Drive
Gear change
Manual low speed low gear smooth? High gear clutch slippage?
Automatic Smooth gear changes?
Rattles at speed
Road noise at speed
Steering wheel vibration
Acceleration as expected for engine
Steering directness as expected
Brakes – test for imbalance, test ABS
Park Brake

[pidge]

Got a pre-purchase inspection today for the ZZT231 I bought (today, after the inspection) at Giltrap City Toyota. $102. Problem is you have to take the car there...