Rik

Phil3822, Sorry to hear you may well have suffered an injustice by a court...I really hope it wasn't too costly. I agree with you and others here who say a Court case is too risky to take onboard, as favourable judgment would likely fall on the side of the seller. That to me is totally an injustice ... but then this country doesn't seem to know much about fair justice does it. Using the Scooby Clinic as a service centre means you care about the car, so I doubt very much he'd overlook, or ignore sludge / oil in the cooling system. Had he been a run of the mill car owner then I wouldn't have expected him to look under a bonnet. Regards, Rik.

Rich, You just can't imagine how guilty I feel for not being able to go with them and you're right; I suppose I should have drummed it into them what to look for but I failed on that score. Though I covered most things for them to check out. I personally had lengthy conversations with he seller and I can honestly say that he appeared absolutely genuine. Just how wrong I was to believe all he said. I'm reliably informed that a court case can be taken out against anyone (private or trade,) who intentionally sells a vehicle that is not fit for purpose and provided you have evidence to prove so, plus taking along an expert witness then the chances of winning the case with a solicitors aid are very high. Proving a case is the very difficult part, or getting an expert witness who is prepered to attend any court hearing. That's where the problem lies. I have the proof but without the benefit of the expert witness appearing to back it up, then my chances are very slim to be awarded a judgment in our favour. I hope that explains more clearly. Regards, Rik.

Simon2015, I would have thought that if the water pump had broken wings you'd tend to hear the clattering noise from within and damage would be prevalent. I know you've had a pressure test done but did they check for combustion gasses in coolant and are there any signs of oil /greasy residue showing on internal walls of header tank, or even on the internal lip of the NEW radiator filler area? I assume rad cooling fan is working correctly? Are all fluid hoses clear of any obstruction, or maybe even pinhole damage? Run the engine up to operating temp whilst parked on level ground, get some one to rev it (within safe limits) and watch the coolant header tank. If it starts to ooze out from the overflow then start doing the relevant tests for HG failure. See my post here:- http://uk.subaruownersclub.com/forums/topic/16548-whitegreyish-gunk-in-water-res/ Regards, Rik.

Stylocc, Here's my version of War and Peace!! :D From what you've written it points to head gasket failure. When engine is cold remove the rad cap and run your finger just inside the filler area, if you have a geasy residue then do the same test on the header tank. Examine the overflow rubber tube that runs into the header tank and if any of these have an oily / greasy residue internally you're on track to assume the HG has failed but there's more things to test before you can prove that. If there's a small expansion tank close to the turbo that has a rad cap then do the same check. If all three show oil in the coolant then do a sizzle test. A sizzle test is simple to do, but will give you a positive result in proving that there's coolant in the sump. Get a piece of silver foil, or cut the top off an alloy coke type can and get ready to heat the foil, or can top. Remove the oil check dipstick and drizzle the oil onto the silver foil, or, onto the alloy can top. Using a cigarette lighter, or match, heat the foil from underneath and the oil will smoke and stink, if that's all it does, there's no coolant in the sump, but if there's any trace of any coolant the foil will sizzle, like frying bacon in a pan. If it sizzles you have coolant contaminating the oil. Obviously this DOESN'T prove the HG is blown but it's a good pointer and then you need to do a sniff test to prove there's combustion gasses in the coolant. A sniff tester will give you more proof of contaminant. Another test is to run the engine up from cold with the rad cap removed and watch the coolant when the stat starts to open. If you see a STEADY stream of bubbles moving across the coolant you have a compression loss somewhere and air /combustion gasses are being drawn in to the system. When the engine reaches full temperature if the coolant starts to stream out of the header tank overflow, that's also a pointer to a failed HG,or HG's Again this is NOT proof the HG has failed but it's just another indicator. Before going to a specialist for compression tests; then if possible, remove all the spark plugs to see what condition they're in. Rust deposits on the tips and end of the thread prove coolant contamination, plugs smeared in black burnt oil point to oil ring failure, or any piston ring failure. Could also be valve seating failure but that would NOT normally account for coolant losses in the way you've mentioned. There can be a dozen other reasons for coolant losses but most times is HG's that seem to fail. Also, check the stat is opening at correct temperature and double check every fluid carrying hose. I hope that's not the case that the HG has failed.. Regards, Rik.

Matt, You have the right idea! Ha ha... if only he did. I told you where we live, so you should know that people don't know what spanners are in carrot crunching places. ;) ;) :D Best regards, Rik.

Phil 3822, That's a really kind gesture and very greatly appreciated; but sadly we're not in any position to make another purchase right now, so can only wish you all the best in getting the best price possible for your car. Good luck with your sale. Kind regards, Rik.

Rich, Without me re-reading through the thread, I seem to think I explained fully what occurred. To answer your question, my son went to buy the car along with my daughter. Neither of them have any real mechanical knowledge. I’m personally not in a fit state to travel any distance; otherwise this thread would never have existed, because I would have spotted the fault within 30 seconds of opening the bonnet and I wouldn't have needed to start the engine to see it. My son is no different from many other youngsters, who buy cars with their heart, rather than their head. Don’t be swayed into thinking it serves him right for buying the car; as it seems a few on here seem to form that impression. I would lay bets that there are some on this forum that would, or have, been ripped off by a smooth talking rip-off merchant. Problem is, you need several expert witnesses to attend the court…I have 3 independent experts who know this vehicle had a major engine fault before my son bought it, but getting them to take time off from their garage businesses to attend court is a none starter. I hope this explains to you what you needed to know! Regards, Rik.

Tidgy, Not a nice thing to have happened but what a great place to break down. Your pic of the Scooby sets the scene for a cool pic and that road ,,,,'er well, I'd have loved to have ripped round there on 'Busa'. Well I can dream can't I? :D Regards, Rik.

Robwrx, Sorry to read of your misfortune, hope it gets sorted out soon. Good luck with it. Regards, Rik

Smallzoo, Take your time in finding the right car and if you read what happened to my son in another thread you'll be extra cautious. There are loads of good cars around and some are fairly cheap, so you should get lucky. Patience is the key. Regards, Rik.

Matt, The car sits on my drive and will do for a very considerable time, as neither I, or my lad have the dosh to fix it. He's being made redundant at the end of this month, so the chances of getting it sorted are rather remote unfortunately. Looking on the bright side, there are many folk a hell of a lot worse off than we ... you see them on the news most days and I'm darned glad we're not one of them. So I count us as amongst the very lucky ones. Obviously, if we do sort it, I will let you all know. Thanks and best regards, Rik.

Gambit, I dare say we're certainly not the first and won't be the last people to have this happen to them. Most private sellers are good down to earth honest people and had you have spoken to this bloke who sold us his Scooby you would have thought all was well,hence my son parted with the dosh for what he thought would be his pride and joy. But as I've previously mentioned, my son is not as clued up as his old man, at least when it comes to checking vehicle mechanics and safety factors. I've taken the time to write polite but factual and courteous letter's to the seller but he refuses to answer me. I too have had some very good deals from private sellers, so It doesn't tend to put me off buying from them. You just have to carry out all the relevant and thorough checks before agreeing to buy, it's that simple really. It's a pity my son didn't but he's learned a very expensive lesson now. Regards, Rik.

Matt, I agree with you wholeheartedly. Your last paragraph sums things up perfectly. I actually had a similar occurence happen to me many years back. I sold my 3 year old car to a local couple who came back several days later asking for their money back and telling me that the car had a juddering fault. I'd owned the car from new and kept it in pristine condition mechanically and bodily and never had a problem with it. I refunded them in full without any argument and was happy to do so, as I thought perhaps the car had developed a fault within a couple of days of the sale, but when I checked, it turned out that the carb was at fault. On close inspection I could see that the nuts holding the carb to manifold had been rounded off and the gasket was partially to one side of the manifold. I knew at this point that the car had been tampered with, so I did the obvious and stripped it down. It appeared to me that the man had been tampering with jet sizes and had damaged threads and the float bowl innards. I repaired the damage and then sold it again without any comeback or problems. We live and learn. Regards, Rik.

Hi All, I cannot believe how many views this thread has had on this forum since I started it...amazing. Sadly, I have to report that I've continued to try to get help legally with this issue and it seems that if you buy privately from someone who intentionally rips you off, then the law seems to be on the side of the rip-off merchant. So it's a case of buyer beware, but the law needs to be rescinded, to allow those who are purposefully ripped off in a private deal to get recompense. without fear of being criminalised. The criminal is the rip-off merchant, not the gullible innocent buyer. If you think you'll get help from Trading Standards Departments with these private sales issues, then think again...you'll be wasting your time. Regards, Rik.

Good re-sprays don't come cheap, as top quality paint and chemicals for two pack systems are expensive. In the right hands these chemicals can produce spectacular results to your car. There are many cowboy 're-finishers', as they like to call themselves, out there, so keep you money close to your pocket before handing it to a cowboy. There are also some fantastic re-finishers too, so it's not all bad! Before diving in, do your best to try to check out any work that a refinishing shop may have done and hope that the owner of any refinished vehicle will allow you to scrutinise the work they've had done. If they're pleased with the job, most owners will be proud to show off the handi-work of a good sprayer. Recommendations are well worth checking out before you part with hard earned dosh. Good luck in getting a great job done. Regards, Rik.