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i 3 i s i n x jj s v s i i p q3 c economist suntribune wheels thursday sept 19 2002 7 professional advice for a sound car by catrina coghill wheelbase communications frank albo checks out cars the same way he checks out potential girlfriends or chicks as he refers to women in general hes a little rude and sometimes intrusive but he knows what he likes and if he doesnt find what he wants he moves on the 28yearold mechanic who owns a small garage and takes it upon himself to help usedcar buyers separate the beauties from the beasts knows what to look for in a previously loved honey thats because once you scrape away all the cake dressing youre left with reality and some pretty hard decisions to make the cat wonders what albo is really referring to theres lots of ways to make an old car look better he says but if you know what youre looking for she has to look good smell good and sound good thanks for clearing that up albo of course our manpftheweek is talking about his second love cars and has offered to share the ins and outs of what he does why because theres nothin worse than thinking you got the deal of the century on a used car then chalking up much much much more money to make roadworthy what has turned out to be a rolling heap put down your daggers fellow females albo is here to help looks do matter just cause she shines doesnt mean shes a gem while youre busy drooling over the new paint albo has put on his suspicious hat something might be hiding beneath maybe damage maybe not look closely at the paint are all panels the same shade mismatched panels and inconsistent spacing between them could mean the car has been in a tangle suspect the new and shinier pan els right away whatever you do ask a lot of questions if you open the door and theres excessive wear and tear to the interior its a pretty good sign that the previous owners werent concerned with the overall upkeep that extends beneath the body and under the hood you will know just by looking at the seats if someone took good care of the whole car take a gander at the brake pedal to see if it has been worn down to the nub its a clear sign the vehicle has been driven a lot it helps to know this because you cant always trust the odometer as a sign of wear and tear use and misuse are just as important does it really matter that theres only 1000 kilometres showing if those 1000 kilometres were driven under water you get the point is she balanced if you squat down and take a look at the car it should be sitting level any difference in the front or back could mean that the springs need replacing lefttoright differ ences in height might even be an indicator of suspension or spring damage maybe even an accident again ask a lot of questions test the shocks and struts by bouncing the front and back of the car it shouldnt bounce more than once if it bobs up and down a few times the shocksstruts most like ly need replacing fluids that appear to be dripping from crucial front- end components lets you know the time for replacement is probably near you know since the parts arent actually designed to leak vital fluids unusual tire wear such as the inside or outside edges is a dead giveaway that the car needs at the very least an alignment or in some cases suspension work these are things you cant hide take her out and listen to her on the test drive pay attention to sounds smells and any strange movements trust your gut notice if the car pulls to one side or another a sign that its out of align ment or if it vibrates at higher speeds tires arent bal anced listen for any clunking or humming from the front or rear if she makes some noise back there it could be that the gears are worn if you hear a thud or click while you take a turn its a sign that the axles and or the bearings are shot the rule of thumb here is simple if you find yourself asking is it supposed to make that noise its probably time to hand the keys back and say good bye whats inside does she have a good heart check the transmission the fluid should be pink or red and it shouldnt smell like burnt plastic that smell means the transmission has been abused or overheated and might need a very expensive fix probably right after you buy it puddles underneath are also a bad sign you dont want to have to fix the transmission says albo sometimes it costs more than the car itself albo must be talking about my car if you really want to know if you have a good catch take a close look at the heart of the car the engine is it clean although it could have been degreased is there enough oil and what colour is it before and after the test drive does anything look tampered with does it make any knocking or ticking noises while its running have someone follow behind in another car and check for tell tale exhaust smoke if it does drop her itll cost you spoken like a true man albo black indicates the car is getting too much gas blue usually means the engine is worn out expensive and white smoke means coolant is getting into the combustion chambers probably through a blown head gasket or cracked cylinder head also expensive so keep your eyes peeled in the end you have to do what feels right for you says albo if you can overlook a few really really minor flaws because you like the car so be it you have to weigh the pluses and minuses thats your job not mine lease rates are those offered by mini financial services only on approved credit msrp for a 2002 mini cooper is 2495000 at a lease rate of 775 over 36 months is 29900 per month a down payment of 341 0 00 is required as well as first months lease payment security deposit of approximately one months lease payment transport and preparation 1 29500 and all taxes upon signing options are available at an extra cost together with tax license registration and insurance annual kilometres limited to 20000 01 5 per excess kilometre delivery must be taken by september 30 2002 mini cooper above shown with 16 wheels included in the optional sport package available for an additional 30 per month please see dealer for complete details 2002 mini canada a division of bmw canada inc mini and the mini logo are trademarks of bmw ag used under licence by bmw canada inc mini markham a division of towncountry bmw 8111 kennedy road at hwy 407 kennedy 9055138900 visit our web site at wwwminimarkhamcom iii a piwy minimttanj 407 0 0 o c 0 0 steeles