Look for evenness in the panel gaps; this is much easier on late modelcars, as their assembly is generally much tighter. But even on older
vehicles, the gaps should be even, not different from one end of a panel toanother. And, all the panels should fit flush.
shop to be examined.TIP: If you aren’t sure if there’s paintwork, bring it to a body^
Depending on how many panels you find that have been painted—and thequality of the work—you can determine whether you want to still take the
car (at a discounted price) or just walk away. My general rule is that I don’tmind repainted bumpers or perhaps a door or hood or fender, but if I find
multiple painted panels—especially poorly repaired ones—I walk. If I cansee issues, imagine the bad workmanship I can’t see.
MINOR BODY DAMAGE
Are there door dings or hail damage, either easily removed with paintlessdent repair (PDR)—or is the damage on seams or creases, which make
them hard to remove? Are there lots of dings and rock chips, and can theybe touched up easily? Are the wheels scratched up (“curb rash”), and are
any scratches you find easily removed with buffing or wet sanding, or dothey stay put unless you repaint that panel? Finally, if you see cloudy
sections in otherwise shiny panels, they often are an indication thatsomeone wet-sanded out a scratch or blemish, but went too deep into the (^)
clear coat. There is no way to repair this, bar repainting.