Used Car Pre-Purchase Inspection Sheet
Carry out the same inspection on every car you view, so a decision made in somebody's driveway is based on what you saw rather than what you remember.
VB-01 2 pages
Vehicle buying and selling · VB-10
Classic and Project Car Buying Checklist
A free printable project car buying checklist — identity and numbers, corrosion, mechanicals and completeness, with a table of what is missing or still to do.
Download Free · no sign-up
2 pages. Choose your paper size — both versions are laid out identically, so neither one gets shrunk to fit.
Print it and write on it
Fill it in type and save
The fillable versions have real form fields — open them in any PDF reader, type into them and save. Printing help.
What this sheet is for
Compare a car in boxes with one that runs on the same footing, by writing down what is there, what is not, and what each gap will cost you to close.
Who it is for
Buyers of a classic, a part-finished restoration or a bare project, and anyone who has ever underestimated a box of parts.
How to use it
- Find and read the chassis, body and engine numbers yourself, then compare them with the paperwork and with what the club says is right.
- Probe the structure with your hands and a magnet, not just your eyes.
- Open every box of parts and write down roughly what is in it.
- List each missing item or unfinished job in the table, and price it at home with the club, a specialist or a parts supplier.
- Add the total to the asking price before deciding which car is cheaper.
What is on the sheet
2 pages, in this order:
Page 1
Printed under the title: Viewing a classic, a restoration or an unfinished project — what is original, what is missing, what has been done and what still needs doing — as a list you can price up at home.
The club knows the model; you know your budget. This sheet does not say what a given model is worth, which parts are correct or how much rust is too much. Those come from the owners' club, the marque specialist and your own budget. It records what you saw so that a car in pieces can be compared honestly with one that runs.
Write-on lines: Make, model and year · Chassis / VIN · Engine no. · Described as · Runs and drives? · Asking price · Seller
Identity and history
- Chassis, body and engine numbers found, read and compared with the paperwork
- Numbers compared with what the club or specialist says is right for the year
- Ownership chain and any gap in the history noted
- Photographs of the restoration seen, and the dates on them
- Receipts for parts and work seen, and who did the work
- Registration document read for the colour, engine size and body type recorded
Structure and corrosion
- Sills, floors, chassis rails and jacking points probed, not just looked at
- Inner wings, boot floor, spare wheel well and bulkhead checked
- Door bottoms, wheel arches and valances checked for filler with a magnet
- Previous repairs looked at for plating over rust rather than cutting it out
- Fresh underseal or paint in odd places noted as a question, not an answer
- Panel gaps, door shuts and boot and bonnet fit checked for a twisted shell
Page 2
Mechanical
- Engine started from cold if it runs; smoke, noises and leaks noted
- Gearbox, clutch and back axle tried or turned over by hand
- Brakes, steering and suspension checked for seizure and play
- Fuel tank, lines and carburettor or injection checked for condition
- Electrics: wiring condition, loom repairs, earths and the charging system
Completeness
- Boxes of parts opened and roughly inventoried, not taken on trust
- Trim, brightwork, glass, badges and lights checked for presence and condition
- Hard-to-find items for this model identified and looked for specifically
- Non-original parts noted, with whether originals are obtainable
What is missing or still to do — one row per item — price it at home
Table, 10 rows: Item or job · Present? · Condition · Where to source · Your estimate
Questions
Why is there no guide to what the car is worth or what is correct for it?
Because both are model-specific and change with the market. The owners' club and a marque specialist know which numbers, colours and parts are right for a particular year, and what a car in this state is fetching. The sheet gives you the list to take to them.
What if the car does not run?
Skip the running checks and say so in the fields at the top. The completeness table matters more on a non-runner, because the missing parts are the price.
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