New-York tribune., 1921-05-29
Things to Look For
When You're Ready
To Buy a Used Car
First of All Ii Is Best TO DO
Business With a Legiii-
mate Dealer, am Expert
Counsels; Then Go Slow

During the next few weeks thousands
of automobiles, good, bad. very bad and
indifferent, will change hands, and woe
betide the poor amateur who gets stuck
with one of the bad ones, says William
r. Stewart ir-, president of the Stew
art Automobile School, of 225 West
Fifty-seventh Street, New York City.
He cannot honestly try to sell it with
out pointing out its defects. and that,
of course, means terrible loss. To re-
pair it will be further expense, and to
try patching it up will only add sor-
row to fatigue and bitter recrimination
to disappointment.
From the foregoing one might sup
pose that only the amateur could be
taken in. Far from 1t. Unfortunately,
there are in this, as in every other
business, those who have no scruples
about deceiving the innocent. If
you, as q would-be purchaser. go into
store and see all sorts and condi-
tions of machines standing about
dusty, rusty, oily, on a dirty, greasy
floor, where the dealers stock in trade
is box of old spare tires, a dirty
bench, etc, beware. There are plenty
OF sach, and no good car will come out
of such a den.
Keep your money in your pocket
and refuse to part with it until you
find dealer of good repute Then
satisfy yourself regarding the car YOU
intend buying. First, take good run
IN the contemplated purchase. Note
the general condition of the car; its
freedom from rattles or looseness of
bolts; the trueness of the wheels and
condition of tires, etc. Keep your
IL.
listen for piston slap, loose rod or
crankshaft bearings and mark it's
steady engine revolution under power.
II things go wrong and its driver
starts explaining that it never did that
before, leave that car alone. Then Sc
lect another and add the following
points to those already experienced.
Where the body of q car has been
cheaply built, the slamming of the
door will emit hollow sound. A we'll
built body emits a sound of stability
when the door is slammed. The body
OF an Enclosed car is comparable to the
sounding board of a piano. If the car
Is built correctly every little sound
will combine into a pleasing, low, pur-
ring, solid hum. If it has been cheap
ly built this sound is minus and you
hear instead an irritating, rasping
noise which tears the nerves
A very good plan is to select a good
honest automobile mechanic and pay
him to inspect the car for you. Watch
him and learn how quickly he discov-
ers the cars ailments; he tries the
compression by hand, sees if the lights
dim when the starter is used; tests
the cooling system; tries the clutch,
inspects the drive members, takes off
the cover of the gear and differential
case, tests the brake-in fact, in q
short time (provided he is real
motor hound) he will tell you enough
that will enable you to decide in
stantly if the car is q good car and if
it will give the maximum service you
expect. Even the risk is sufficient.
Don't let the bargain idea dominate
your purchase. No dealer, legitimate
or otherwise, is in business to sacrifice
TO you. If you prefer any particular
make of car, it is an excellent policy
To make your purchse direct from the
authorized dealer and factory repre-
sentative. The additional cost, if any,
is excellent insurance and you become
his customer and future prospect.
Naturally, it is TO his interest to salts
fly you, and the purchase proves Of
mutual ADVANTAGE