Pre-purchase inspection - Vic.

[track_addict]

Thanks for all the replies guys.

Very good point raised by Kevgoat about insurance. I rang my insurer and was told as long as I take out cover before I head over it will be fine. I will also double check on the RWC. RACV don't check the title of the vehicle so I will do that on the PPSR. As far as Im aware, in SA all that needs to be done for rego is an ID check (check the numbers match), pay for fresh rego and new plates and off you go, unless its modified, then it needs a roadworthy.

By the looks of it it has a RWC and rego til next November so that side of things seems okay at this stage.

This being my first interstate purchase, its a bit nerve wracking as mentioned earlier! Not being able (yet) to speak with the actual owner of the car makes me feel a bit cautious.

[track_addict]

Would anyone in Melbourne be able/interested in taking a look at this particular car for me? Someone who has some experience with SE's would be good too. This would just give me an enthusiasts point of view and if it turns out to be a dud, it save me a few hundred bucks having an RACV inspection tell me. I'm more than happy to flick some money your way for your time!

[fastfreddygassit]

Would anyone in Melbourne be able/interested in taking a look at this particular car for me? Someone who has some experience with SE's would be good too. This would just give me an enthusiasts point of view and if it turns out to be a dud, it save me a few hundred bucks having an RACV inspection tell me. I'm more than happy to flick some money your way for your time!

shoot me a PM with the car details and point of contact.
I may be able to take a look-see next week.

I would strongly suggest contacting Dick Richey (MX5 Factory/Oven Baked Enamel Services) on 03 9870 0520 and organise a pre-purchase inspection through him.
Because you are going interstate, I would ask the seller to cancel the reg and have that factored into a reduction in asking price. If it is registered until Nov 2014, the registered owner (which is, I assume, the seller) should get a refund of around $500-650).
As said before, a Victorian UVP is valid in all states except WA. If driving an unregistered vehicle from one state to another, the UVP must be issued in the state the car is coming from, not the state it is going to. A 7 day UVP is <$50 but ring up vicroads to confirm.
A Vic RWC, whilst relatively stringent, is no substitute for a pre-purchase inspection.

The roadworthiness test is not a check of the mechanical reliability or general condition of the vehicle. If you require a comprehensive check on the overall condition and reliability of the vehicle then you should arrange for a separate independent report such as those offered by the RACV, many Licensed Motor Car Traders (LMCTs) and other workshops.

Don't put too much credence into what Mr Morlock says, though he tries his best, bless his soul.

Does the car have a full and documented service history?
And maybe PM meanmx who has bought and sold 6 or 7 cars in the last 12 months (and looked at heaps more) and is a guru with PPSR.
Though, understand that the PPSR only provides the following info:

encumbrance status(monies owing)
vehicle details (such as make and model)
registration status
stolen status
written off status.

It will not tell you if the car was in a minor accident and was repaired.

Good luck

[Mr Morlock]

The UVP not necessary- it is a complication- max is 30 days and most of the cost is in the establishment. If you buy a car which is registered you can drive it back to SA without any problem and you can organise to return the plates and seek a refund when it suits you. Driving a car without plates will draw attention and serve no purpose. Also a seller probably does not want another complication.

I understand where you are coming from with someone taking a look first - if the car is bad the process stops but if it looks ok then you still may require a written report like RACV. The Mazda dealer 93 mentioned with the MX5 contact may be useful- why not ring and speak to the guy.

I agree with you - you have to talk to the owner of the vehicle and work out logistics etc.

[KevGoat]

The UVP not necessary- it is a complication...

Yeah I'd agree. The car's already registered, just leave it as such and drive it back ... "KISS" ...

Thinking about how I'd go about it ... an SE is going to be a decent expenditure. I'd follow the advice given and ask for all the mentioned checks. Then once it appears a go ahead, I'd factor in a weekend trip to Melbourne to meet the owner and see the car up close. Either fly over on the cheapest seats available (can do in one day flying - virtually no other costs), or use it as an excuse for a good drive and a weekend away with the partner. Bit of fuel, couple nights accommodation and some enjoyable meals.

In the scheme of things, the security of checking it personally outweighs the cost. Even factoring in the above costs, the choices available, plus the savings I see by purchasing from Vic or NSW (even QLD in some cases), are still worth it.

[track_addict]

Yes the car has a full service history, which I have been emailed a photo of. I'll call vicroads today and ask about the UVP/rego issue. I'd prefer to just drive it back on Vic rego and cancel it from Adelaide. It saves some hassle on the day and would just be easier.

I understand the PPSR wont show details such as minor accidents but that doesn't bother me. So long as it is a clean title.

I'll call up MX5 factory as have a chat with the guy there. Google tells me its a bit of a drive from where the car is located to MX5 factory.

I do plan on flying over with the oldm an and driving back the same day. If it gets to this stage I'll have all the boxes ticked, so all I need to do is make sure the car is up to scratch and sign the papers.

[93_Clubman]

If I wasn't located 2 hours south of the SE's location I'd be happy to take a look at it for you. However, do recall Taminga16 (Greg) kind of giving the ad for this SE a bump on here via a link from another thread - perhaps he knows the owner & the car & can therefore comment on how it was last time he saw it: viewtopic.php?f=18&t=57528&p=725188#p725188

The original for sale thread for the SE:
viewtopic.php?f=73&t=56804

I wouldn't doubt the honesty of a RWC check, Vicroads are very on the ball about it being done well, and testers are extremely cautious about that (if they lose their licence due to issuing bogus certificates I think there is a large fine attached)

System has been improved, but favours for mates can still occur. Not saying that will be, or is, the case in this instance, but it needs to be taken into account.

93 thats a bit ordinary- where did I get it wrong?

Assumption is factored into all of it, which is why all of it is quoted.

[fastfreddygassit]

The original for sale thread for the SE:
viewtopic.php?f=73&t=56804

Great detective work
a quick VicRoads VRE provides the following:

Vehicle Type Car/Truck
Victorian Registration Number SZZ870
VIN/Chassis Number JM0NB30P400400247
Engine Number BP561251
Colour RED
Make MAZDA
Body Type TOURER
Compliance Plate Date 03/2004
Year Of Manufacture 2004
Transfer Dispute No
Registration Serial Number 1862022
Registration Status Current
Registration Expiry Date 24/11/2014
Sanction(s) Applicable No

What is interesting is that the reg is already paid in advance so a full refund should be available.
You would (obviously) need to speak with VicRoads about this as the refund can only be given to the registered owner of the vehicle.

I am making a point about this as the reg/rwc issue is a good bargaining point. I bought my SE from Queensland in April and negotiated the price down (the equivalent amount)
on the basis of no reg/rwc. I flew into Maroochydore, the dealer picked me up from the airport, took me to the local Transport and motoring customer service centre, and I organised my UVP.
(Obviously I had organised my 3rd party before then....damn complicated Qld laws!) Went to the dealership, did the paperwork, paid the moolah, had a coffee, grabbed both sets of keys and drove home. With no plates (made the tollways easy) and I had no hassles in Qld, NSW or Vic. But that is probably because the car looks modern. If it was an old beater I am pretty sure I would have been checked out.

The UVP not necessary- it is a complication- max is 30 days and most of the cost is in the establishment. If you buy a car which is registered you can drive it back to SA without any problem and you can organise to return the plates and seek a refund when it suits you. Driving a car without plates will draw attention and serve no purpose. Also a seller probably does not want another complication.

^^^^
You again don't read what others have to say. A victorian UVP is piss easy to get. The point was to buy the car unreg so as to negotiate a cheaper price.
I am unsure how many hoops VicRoads will make TrackAddict jump through to get a refund, given that he will NOT be the registered owner as he would not have paid transfer, stamp duty, etc and the cars address will not be based in Vic.
As for seller not wanting complications, the car has been for sale for at least 9 months and they have dropped the price from 19k to 16k. I would dare suggest that this makes them
a highly motivated seller, to say the least

TrackAddict PM replied regarding inspection.

It will be good to get another SE owner onto the forum

[hks_kansei]

I wouldn't doubt the honesty of a RWC check, Vicroads are very on the ball about it being done well, and testers are extremely cautious about that (if they lose their licence due to issuing bogus certificates I think there is a large fine attached)

System has been improved, but favours for mates can still occur. Not saying that will be, or is, the case in this instance, but it needs to be taken into account.

It certainly can, but it's a lot harder to find them now.
And since the buyer is interstate it's quite unlikely a RWC provider will do them any favours (I'm assuming the buyer choosing a place rather than the seller.. if the seller takes it to a mate then it's possible)

[93_Clubman]

I wouldn't doubt the honesty of a RWC check, Vicroads are very on the ball about it being done well, and testers are extremely cautious about that (if they lose their licence due to issuing bogus certificates I think there is a large fine attached)

System has been improved, but favours for mates can still occur. Not saying that will be, or is, the case in this instance, but it needs to be taken into account.

It certainly can, but it's a lot harder to find them now.
And since the buyer is interstate it's quite unlikely a RWC provider will do them any favours (I'm assuming the buyer choosing a place rather than the seller.. if the seller takes it to a mate then it's possible)

Perhaps worth noting the vehicle is already at an automotive establishment, who will know the vehicle is going interstate if OP buys, & that the RWC will therefore not be used by SA Transport. As said above, I'm absolutely not suggesting this will be, or is, the case - just that it needs to be taken into account.

[hks_kansei]

Perhaps worth noting the vehicle is already at an automotive establishment, who will know the vehicle is going interstate if OP buys, & that the RWC will therefore not be used by SA Transport. As said above, I'm absolutely not suggesting this will be, or is, the case - just that it needs to be taken into account.

Ahh, didn't realise that.

In that case it's quite possible that many things left to the tester's discretion will have quite a lot of discretion applied......

[meanmx]

Buying from interstate is dead easy just a bit painful. Depending on the seller they may or may not sell it with reg and without rwc. Technically it is illegal to sell a car without a rwc but with reg but it is one of those things that constantly happen so no big deal.

Next thing is that if it does have reg are you able to negotiate a significantly cheaper price not including reg? If so then it will be well worth taking it without reg. Then you just apply for a uvp through vicroads over the phone at a cost of I think $42 for 1 day and an extra $1.20 per day up to a maximum of 28 days. The major problem with taking a registered car interstate is that you will have to apply for a full amount of rego on your car when you get it to your home state, and in the case of vicroads will need a rwc, and then apply to get a refund from the issuing transport department that it came from. That last bit is where I go "can't be flocked".

Now the next thing to think about is a rwc. It is a basic check to make sure a car is safe. Tyres, windscreen washers, lights, etc. What it won't do is tell you how much wear in the cabin, condition of paint, minor bingles it has been in. That will need a pre-purchase inspection. A pre-purchase should cover most rwc items anyway. RACV is the most commonly used however I believe stateroads is an up and comer. How much of a thorough check will depend on the person doing it on the day. They are fairly expensive though and if your mechanically minded it would be better for you to just fly here and check it out yourself. I have flown to somewhere and then had to fly back because the car is a lemon. It sucks but it is only a small amount of cash. A pre-purchase will cost you upwards of $200. I would personally use stateroads as they are cheaper and I have heard more good things about them lately. Please note that I don't get pre-purchase inspections done so I have no experience here.

Lastly is the ppsr. This is just a basic check to make sure it is not stolen, encumbered, or has been written off. This costs $4 and you can do it online.

Hope this helps out a bit and if there are any more questions just ask. I've bought 3 cars and a motorbike from interstate and never had dramas.

[track_addict]

Ok so I spoke with Service SA and if I buy it unreg and drive it back once I get home I will need to get another permit to drive to an inspection centre as the original UVP is void once you reach the destination listed on it. I asked about a RWC and the seller said it doesn't have one currently but that it would pass no worries. Now, since I would be traveling back to SA would I still need a RWC for the few hours I would have the car in Vic? I haven't had a chance today to call vicroads about this but will tomorrow.

I now need to find another place to do an inspection since RACV say the car has to go to their workshop because its a convertible? I dunno, the girl on the phone couldn't shed any light on it either. MX5 factory is to far out of the way to have the car taken too as well.

[track_addict]

Didn't see meanmx's reply as I was typing - whoops haha.

Thanks for the info. Hopefully the call to vicroads tomorrow will clear most of this up. As I said in the post above, I can't be bothered with a UVP since I will have to get another one when I get home, plus take time off work (kind of a win anyway). Only downside I see with buying it with reg and cancelling it back in SA, it having higher a stamp duty fee.

Ill look into a stateroads inspection now that I know about them. I can easily do the inspection myself but again, hassle if its a lemon. FFG has kindly offered to go have an initial look for me so that will help. And yes, PPSR will be done.

[fastfreddygassit]

Just to confuse things further.....
Steebs is still selling his SE
http://mx5cartalk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=73&t=56959
Double the km's but it has a lot of extra$$$$$
Food for thought.