How To Buy An Excellent Used Car

One bright summer afternoon I received a phone call from Betty. She was in tears and I could barely understand her. After considerable reassurances from me, she calmed down enough to be able to explain that she had gone to an auto repair shop to obtain a new state inspection sticker for her car, a 1985 Pontiac Sunbird she’d bought for $1800. After having looked the car over, the manager of the shop (I’ll not mention the name of the garage, but suffice to say it was a national chain that specializes in mufflers and brake work) told her that the car would not pass inspection, going so far as to suggest that her Sunbird was dangerous and should not be driven home. The repairs needed to make the car safe, as well as to pass the state inspection, would cost $900. (And, not surprisingly, he could do the repairs immediately.) Betty was despondent. She did not have the $900 and she would have to abandon her car. But then, how would she be able to juggle her tight schedule of school and work without her car? How could she finish school if she could not work? And if she could not work, how could she survive? She was in a near panic. I told her to take a deep breath, get the estimate for the repairs, and leave the shop immediately. I wanted to see that car. When she arrived fifteen minutes later, my heart went out to her. Her face was streaked with tears and her fear was so tangible I could feel it reaching out to me.