Ideally, would it be best to buy a car on a sunny day?

[Bri26]

It seems a sunny day is the best lighting for evaluating the exterior of a car. Should you only inspect a car before possibly buying on a sunny day?

Likewise, would you consider it dishonest to purposely try to sell a car on a cloudy day?

[Danube]

As for the exterior, sun helps a lot with identifying paint condition.

.. dishonest to purposely try to sell a car on a cloudy day - well, its up to the buyer to inspect before buying, so sun or clouds, one should be able to see what a buyer needs to see.

And yes - my rule is to never inspect a potential purchase at night (don't ask me how I know it).

:D

[Bill D]

You can always bring an inspection light even on a sunny day and if you really want to raise some eyebrows, bring a pocket microscope.

[Eldorado2k]

I bring my high lumen LED flashlight with me. That way you don’t have to depend on what time or what the weather is.

[briarpatch]

You can always bring an inspection light even on a sunny day and if you really want to raise some eyebrows, bring a pocket microscope.

Yup....even had a perspective buyer bring a magnet to check for thick bondo

[Bill D]

That's a smart guy!

[Eldorado2k]

You can always bring an inspection light even on a sunny day and if you really want to raise some eyebrows, bring a pocket microscope.

If you really want to raise eyebrows you bring a midget with you and have him inspect the rocker panels and even have him lay on a creeper to check out the underbody n stuff. Make him wear a white labcoat and carry a clipboard for added effect. Lol.

And don’t forget the paint meter.

[Eldorado2k]

Yup....even had a perspective buyer bring a magnet to check for thick bondo

The only kind of magnet I’d ever let a stranger touch my paint with would be a thin business card type… If some bozo pulled out a heavy rock hard magnet and tried it I’d physically stop him before he even gets near my paint with it. That would legit p*** me off. Lol.

[TTQ B4U]

Bring an inspection light and paint thickness gauge regardless. Always inspect for paint or body work. Even on the best natural light days I will have them bring the car inside into a garage and look it over. "ugly lights" as I call the inspection lights and interior ones will help show everything.

[2black1s]

Ideally one would inspect a vehicle in varying light conditions. Different types of defects are more (or less) obvious in different light conditions.

Vehicle color also plays into it...Try inspecting a white car in direct and bright sunlight... You can't see #### as it's just too bright for your eyes.

I actually think the best time to inspect a potential buy is near dusk or dawn. It's the perfect compromise between too much or not enough light.

[LSNAutoDetailing]

Just bought a used Lincoln. I brought my PTG and my light. Because we're in AZ, the dealership has a viewing bay for purchasers, so they're not standing on a lot when it's 900 degrees outside. The paint is a mess, but nothing I can't take care of. What I was really looking for was any abnormal readings on the PTG.

True Story: In 2005 I bought a brand-new Monte Carlo from a Chevy dealer in Danvers MA. Not one person in the shop (considering it MA) was from north of the Mason-Dixon line. Everyone had Southern accents. Nothing wrong with that, but it should have been a red flag as to why they're operating in Massachusetts.

Anyway, it was a cloudy day, raining, and the delivery was to my former residence in NH to avoid sales tax (yes, it's legal). It was pouring out. The very next day, it was nice and sunny. I decided to go out and wash the car. I saw remanence of painter's tape, and a lot of bad orange peel along with clear coat that was rough and dull.

Turns out during the winter months, the car sat on the lot and a snow clearing crew used shovels to get the snow off the cars. The dealership brought the car into their body shop and just did a simple respray. They sprayed everything, over rubber seals, trim, you name it.

Since lemon laws don't protect against paint, the best they offered was to send the car to a custom hot-rod build shop that does show cars, and have it repainted. I took them up on it and the car came back amazing. They left no stone unturned. All the rubber trim was new, the paint was gorgeous, and looked like a show car. I was at a gas station and a guy pulled in with the same car, the same color, and asked "Why does your car look so much better than mine, is that a custom paint job?"

So yes, buying in inclement weather can suck if you can't get a feel for the paint and dealerships don't care and they'll never disclose anything. To them it's a "UNIT." and they have numbers to make at the end of the month. That's all it is, a number. Get them, get them out, and make a profit come hell or high water.

[briarpatch]

The only kind of magnet I’d ever let a stranger touch my paint with would be a thin business card type… If some bozo pulled out a heavy rock hard magnet and tried it I’d physically stop him before he even gets near my paint with it. That would legit p*** me off. Lol.

He put a microfiber cloth between the magnet and the paint. He was careful not to pull it across the paint, and only checked areas common for rust repairs....lower quarters, rockers, lower fenders, around windshield and rear windows.

[John U]

True Story: In 2005 I bought a brand-new Monte Carlo

Turns out during the winter months, the car sat on the lot and a snow clearing crew used shovels to get the snow off the cars.


In the arly 80's, the dealership I sold at used stiff fiber push brooms to remove the snow off the horizontal surfaces. Detail shop you ask, forget about it. More then once I brought my own supplies from home to finish a car I sold to my standards.

[dudley07726]

I always had them bring the car inside under the fluorescent lighting. Usually, there’s a spot wherebthe6 deliver the new cars. I can see all from in there. Much better than in the sun.

[DUBL0WS6]

I only sell old cars at night on dimly lit streets. It has a more old fashioned ambience about it.