This guerrilla automobile tech tactic saved the day for me. It had worked before, and it worked again.

On a recent cross-country trip, we encountered extreme overheating out on the open road. A quick trip to the auto parts store, or a planned visit to the mechanic, were not options. Our family holiday weekend was in jeopardy. What to do?

Like a good boy, I had checked the oil and topped off the radiator the night before. So why, 45 miles later was the Beast chugging and lurching and about to sputter to a stop? I had just enough momentum to pull off the interstate and coast into the rest stop. The needle on the temperature gauge has gone off the scale, and an indicator in the instrument panel said “check gages”. There was no steam and no water leaking, but there was heat – lots of it. Though it was only May, summer was in full swing under the hood – it felt like an oven!

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Introduction

Great! You’re going to buy a new car. …well not exactly new since it is previously-owned, but nevertheless it’s still a new car for you. That is exciting, and important, so, you want to do it properly.

One of the greatest concerns most people have when it comes to buying used cars is whether it is a good buy. That is, the goal is to get one that brings you fun and joy, instead of drama and agony from frequent breakdowns and broken parts that turns your positive expectations into an utter nightmare.

Well, here is some good news. Regardless of your experience with buying used cars, this checklist can help you qualitatively evaluate a lot of the important stuff involved with buying a used car. And you will thank yourself for it after you dodge the lemon and land the sweet ride that will do you right.

(You might want to print out the printer friendly version of this article so you can take it with you!)

Items To Be Discussed:

• Pre-Screening
• Checking The History Of The Car
• Exterior
• Underneath The Car
• Under The Hood
• Interior
• Test-drive

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