buying a car online

jakexlee

im new to this site and about buying cars.

i saw on this site people posted their 370z's for sale. if i was to buy a car from one owner, how do i go about this? do i just get a loan from my bank and pay the guy in a check? am i supposed to fly or drive and meet the guy?

sorry im a complete NEWB.

cow

Who you pay depends whether there's a lien on the car (or you could pay the owner who then pays the bank).

But yes, your bank makes out a check to whomever & you go get the car.

How you get there depends on you. I thought it would be neat to buy a car & then take a road trip, so when I bought my Evo, I flew to Las Vegas & drove it 1500 miles home.

Jsolo

Part of the risk of a fly'n'buy is you're not really sure what you're getting until you get there. Have a contingency plan in case you're not driving it back home.

If you have a friend/relative local to where the car is at, have 'em check it out.

jakexlee

Thanks for replies guys!. ill take that in mind. i guess im just gonna have to trust what the seller is offering.

cow

Well said. I forgot to mention in my previous post that I was lucky enough to know a guy who lived in Las Vegas with an Evo, so he knew what to look for.

OP, if you're willing to fly/ buy, you can conceivably save yourself a ton of money. By flying, I saved about $3500 (factoring in tickets, hotels, & gas for trip back) vs buying locally/ near-locally.

jakexlee

ill consider that. thanks. Im just trying to get an idea how i would buy the car. Im currently deployed so hoping my Z dream will come true once im home.

Jsolo

Good recipe to get burned. I've read too many horror stories on the forums to trust what any one really says. For low price items it's worth the risk, but for something 10K, 20K 30K dollars it's best to exercise caution. Even if you hire an outside third party to examine the car, the results may be biased towards the seller.

Unless you're able to find a genuinely neutral third party, stay within a day of your homestead.