Used Car Playbook (Pt 1)

Contents
1. Intro
2. Model (coming soon)
3. Maintenance (coming soon)
4. Motive (coming soon)
5. Mechanical Inspection (coming soon)
6. Getting the best deal (coming soon)
7. Wrapping it up (coming soon)

Not knowing this can cost you $15,000

That’s what my ignorance costed me. In my 20's I bought a BMW 135i. It was a BMW 135i. It looked great. It drove well. A qualified mechanic even gave the OK.

The car in question.

But after I picked up the car, the transmission failed on the drive home.

I still remember sitting on the kerb calling my bank, CBA, begging them to reverse the transfer. It had been more than 24 hours. Nothing they could do

Over the next six months, the car was towed three times and cost me $15,000. That’s when I learned something most buyers don’t know.

• A car can drive fine.

• It can pass an inspection.

• And still be a terrible buy.

What you will learn from this guide.

I’ve inspected over a hundred cars since then. There are four fundamentals that decide whether a used car will be reliable long term. If I had applied even one or two, I likely would have saved myself $15,000.

If you apply all four correctly, the odds of buying a car with hidden problems drop dramatically.

Those four fundamentals are:

Model — Has this model proven to be reliable over time?
Maintenance — Has it been serviced properly and consistently?
Motive — Why is the owner really selling the car?
Mechanical inspection — What can’t an inspection actually check?

I’m calling it, these sound obvious and most people are going to skim. Most people will also avoid doing the work and they’ll just be rolling the dice on the next car.

Don’t be like most people - take the time now to understand and apply each step so you’ll have a car you can depend on for years to come.

The next sections break down each fundamental down step by step. You’ll learn why each one matters, the red flags to watch for, and what buyers commonly miss.

Let’s get started.

Part 2 - A Reliable Car Model (Coming soon)