Step and Tips on buying a car from a private owner

[Zodiac]

I will be receiving a car for graduation(my first car:ninja:)and I was wondering about all the step in between going to buy the car to driving off with it.

I know all the steps up to getting a mechanic to inspect it but what about the financial and legal parts to buying a car.

Paths, steps and tips would be greatly appreciated.

[On_Her_Face]

Get a bank to notorize everything.

[Zodiac]

Get a bank to notorize everything.

everything to the title?

What about driving it without the tag?

[qwick]

What about driving it without the tag?

get some cardboard and write "Tag Applied For" followed by the date and you should be good.

[Zodiac]

get some cardboard and write "Tag Applied For" followed by the date and you should be good.

uhh what if a cops stops me.

[yerrow]

get some cardboard and write "Tag Applied For" followed by the date and you should be good.

god thats ghetto...

[antiv6]

you can't just write tag applied for on cardboard, trust me lol. You can get a temp tag at a tag office, i never did but thats what the cop told me to do, he just looked at the bill of sale and said i was good

[Zodiac]

you can't just write tag applied for on cardboard, trust me lol. You can get a temp tag at a tag office, i never did but thats what the cop told me to do, he just looked at the bill of sale and said i was good

OH yeah a friend of mine told me about bill of sale. how to i get one of those?

[eraser4g63]

get insurance before you buy the car, you get a discount.

[EJ25RUN]

You're going the private seller route?

[MongolPup]

You're going the private seller route?

We don't know what car he's buying though.

[HypnoToad]

OH yeah a friend of mine told me about bill of sale. how to i get one of those?

get a agreement wrote out that ur buying this car for so much and have the buyer and seller sign it and a witness

[qwick]

uhh what if a cops stops me.



you can't just write tag applied for on cardboard, trust me lol. You can get a temp tag at a tag office, i never did but thats what the cop told me to do, he just looked at the bill of sale and said i was good


I have never had a problem with the cops stopping me, but then again I live in a small town and not in a larger city.

[EJ25RUN]

We don't know what car he's buying though.
That's true but there are different steps to take when dealing with the two.

[Zodiac]

We don't know what car he's buying though.
Either a 99-04 Mustang GT or a 96-02 Firebird LS1.

[MR2DR]

get the bill of sales of the ga dmv website.
get every notarized at the bank to ensure everything is done right the first time
register the same day (assuming you did the transaction early in the morning and the tag office is still open)

what part of alpharetta are you from? guessing you go to milton or alpharetta?

[ksniperfox]

dont really need a bill of sale....the title acts as a bill of sale. nothing needs to be notarized.


just sign the back of the title with your info, make sure the owner does too. you have 30 days from the sale date to get a tag. make sure you get insurance soon. most insurance companies will give you like a week of 'grace period' where they will still cover you until you formally buy insurance(this is what my state farm agent told me, idk how your insurance is, but it is better to have coverage when you buy the car to be safe.) getting a tag will require active insurance and a passing emissions certificate(both items are usually sent to DOT computers same day you get them, but it doesnt hurt to bring a copy of each for proof to the tag office so you dont waste a trip just in case). abd be sure to bring the title to them to have it transferred into your name. it usually takes less than 2-3 weeks.

if you get stopped by a cop explain your situation, he may ask to see the signed over title, and will 99% let you go unless you were doing something you shouldnt have been doing. you dont need a cardboard tag, they are ghetto and useless. any cop already knows that anyone who steals a car can do the same. it really serves no purpose to have a cardboard tag.

and obviously get a good test drive and inspection of the car, as well as a carfax report. happy motoring and congratulations on graduation.

[ksniperfox]

Get a bank to notorize everything.


this is funny. coming from a kid whos actually never bought a car since his parents do it for him, how would you know?:lmfao:

[Sir_Christopher]

this is funny. coming from a kid whos actually never bought a car since his parents do it for him, how would you know?:lmfao:


cause he was the witness DUh haha:cheers:

[Zodiac]

get the bill of sales of the ga dmv website.
get every notarized at the bank to ensure everything is done right the first time
register the same day (assuming you did the transaction early in the morning and the tag office is still open)

what part of alpharetta are you from? guessing you go to milton or alpharetta?

I go to centennial high. I wish i went to milton.



and obviously get a good test drive and inspection of the car, as well as a carfax report. happy motoring and congratulations on graduation.

Thanks, hopefully i will be satisfied with what i get.

[Sir_Christopher]

your insurance is gonna be high cause of the car and of your age. unless you put it in your parents name, just dont get any tickets

[Zodiac]

your insurance is gonna be high cause of the car and of your age. unless you put it in your parents name, just dont get any tickets

its going to be around 230 a month for me if i put it my name.

[Sir_Christopher]

damn, mine was like 114 when i was 18, thats steep, good luck, but im aiming to put mine in my grandmas name and pay around 14 bucks a month

[wannab20hatch]

or just get married. lol id have cheap insurance if my wife didnt get a ticket last year.

congrats on graduation

[americanctm]

OH yeah a friend of mine told me about bill of sale. how to i get one of those?

you can find one on the internet and print it out

[Zodiac]

damn, mine was like 114 when i was 18, thats steep, good luck, but im aiming to put mine in my grandmas name and pay around 14 bucks a month

what kind of car was it?

[IndianStig]

you can find one on the internet and print it out

or you can make one with make model and year of car, price, date of sale

who is selling to who, etc..

[Zodiac]

Another question. What about depositing moneying to the seller. I am getting a car sooner than i thought and the car is in ohio. He won't drive down until he gets some sort of deposit. So whats the best way of doing that?

[Slomaro Z28]

Another question. What about depositing moneying to the seller. I am getting a car sooner than i thought and the car is in ohio. He won't drive down until he gets some sort of deposit. So whats the best way of doing that?

Bad thing with that is you cant test drive it or anything, and have to take their word for stuff. If the depoist is returnable or if they will return it I might do it but still kinda iffy about it. Are they bringing it for you to drive? Best thing if its not too far would be you go there and test drive it and have it looked over. You have alot of stuff to look over and check when buying a used car.

BTW LS1 FTW!:goodjob:

[ksniperfox]

Another question. What about depositing moneying to the seller. I am getting a car sooner than i thought and the car is in ohio. He won't drive down until he gets some sort of deposit. So whats the best way of doing that?


if you can meet him halfway that would be better, because it is extremely risky to send somebody money with no gaurantee. the guy doesnt even have to come. even if he does, say you dont like the car. or theres something wrong with it. you just wasted a good bit of money.


IMO, just wait. there are a LOT of cars out there. you will find the right one for you.


btw, what kind of car is it?

[Drummerboy]

Make sure it passes emissions, my girlfriend (parents) bought a car and then had to turn around and pay money so it would pass.

And congrats! class of '09! I got valedictorian at my school.