Panel Gap
Step back and look at the car from about six feet away and check the gap between each panel i.e. between the front and rear doors, between the front door and front fender etc.,(1)(arrowed) Do they look regular, parallel or are they tapering off at one side ?
Check the panel fit from straight on and from the side. Run your fingers back and forth across the gap(2). Each panel should be smooth and flush with the next – not jutting out.
Check each side of the car in succession; using a pen or pencil as a guide check the gap between the door and the front fender on the left(1)(2)(3). Now check the right fender and door. The aim of this check is to discover a difference between each side of the vehicle. If there is then its probable that either a fender and/or door has been damaged. Continue this check throughout the the rest of the vehicle, checking the regularity of the gap between each panel.
Have a good look around the front headlight and bumper area. It’s fairly tricky after a frontal accident to accurately align all the parts back to the factory dimensions. Look for tapering lines, particularly bumpers and headlights off the plumb.
Always assume the worst unless you learn otherwise. An irregular panel gap may just mean the car had a small bump, but if you can’t confirm that it hasn’t suffered a hard smash, then assume that it has and just walk away.
We would need to slide underneath the car and inspect the chassis inch by inch to check the car properly for serious accident damage. As this isn’t normally practical, if we see irregular panel gap it’s safest to assume that the car has had a serious accident.
Paintwork
Stand about six feet from the car and inspect each panel in turn, comparing one with the next as you go. Is the color of each panel the same? Step back a bit further to confirm. Systematically check each panel against the next in turn. It’s a good idea to look at the same panel at different angles too, as sometimes the color difference is not visible with light shining on the panels at one particular angle.
A difference in color indicates a difference in old and new paint. It may have had minor or major accident damage or may have had a panel replaced due to corrosion.
Check around the keyhole to see if the car may have been stolen or sustained damage in an attempted theft. Look for dents or deep scrapes around the keyhole.
Look out also for areas where the repair shop may have made some ‘over spray’. This occurs when the spray painter inadvertently covers an area of the car with additional over-sprayed paint coming from the paint gun. When you see it, you know that the vehicle has been in a body shop. Look for overspray on rubber door seals and plastic mouldings & door strips around the car.
Open all the doors to make sure they open and close smoothly. If it’s a driver-only car, the passenger and rear doors may be stiff due to lack of use – this can be fixed with a little release oil. A high-mileage car typically will have play in the door hinges. To check this, open the driver’s door and lift it up and down slowly enough to feel if the door end moves.
Minor Or Major Accident Damage ?
If we are able to detect a change in color of only one panel of the car, then its safe to assume the vehicle has had a fairly minor repair, as in the case of the VW Golf example. Perhaps the fender was badly dented or scraped.
However if checking the car has highlighted a larger repaired area; the two front fenders, bumper and hood for example, its likely that the car has suffered some structural damage and it would be best well avoided.
Crucially, if you do notice a change in color or a panel gap which suggests an accident and you are not able to determine the extent of the damage assume the worst, save yourself the worry and look elsewhere for your new transportation.
Bodywork Summary Table
*Deal Breaker colums A, B & C refer to the following 3 cars: A – 10 Year Old Family Car E.g Toyota Corolla, B – 6 Year Old Mid Size, E.g Audi A6, C – 2 Year Old 4×4, E.g Honda CRV visit here for more details
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Part 4 : Tires
Index
