Good points Volvo. True, we should be smart… and there’s a tad of risk… I’ve never taken a son along. I meet seller at the mechanics, but still, I agree with your sentiment. PS my boys are bigger and stronger than I am! Haha!
I’m glad to hear you’re getting potential cars inspected ahead of time
$25 is a very reasonable price
The fender apron was left unrepaired, it is crumpled next to the coolant reservoir. It appears that someone only replaced the fender, you can see the unpainted edge under the hood. These are cheap cars and the damage may have totaled this car. An insurance company isn’t going to spend $2,000 to repair a $2,000 car. This may have been repaired by a back yard body man for profit and may have a rebuilt or salvage title. Certainly not an ideal car but good enough for someone desperate for transportation.
The soft white material is caulk but sometimes welds are caulked over.
BUT…walk away from this car. Don’t even think twice. If you do think twice you thought about it too much.
Two reasons,
- a structural part failed from a minor hit or a poor design.
- Its a Kia
Let us know of your decision. If you walk away we will all give you a virtual pat on the back. If you buy you will get a lot of ridicule, not the virtual version either. ( :
What you may be seeing is seam sealer. Weld first, sealer second to prevent corrosion and seal up pinholes in the weld then dip primer and paint.
Yes, there are glues that are used to hold cars together now. There are also weld-thru glues that give a superior leak-free super strong seam. Its a Kio Rio. This likely isn’t one of those 'cause they cost money and Kia didn’t spend much on a Rio and you shouldn’t spend ANY on this one.
I walked away. I did send images to a body guy I know…Just out of curiosity, but I have moved on!! -Thanks All
Glad to hear that you moved on from this one.
There are much better cars out there to choose from. In your case why do all this research and time spent on the internet trying to justify a purchase. Just move on to the next deal.
Yosemite
@BKPmax good deal. Accept a virtual pat on the back from me.
I’ve heard the expression “coming apart at the seams” but I’ve never seen such a good example before.
I did look at a Jeep Grand Cherokee a while back that had had some serious body work done. I noticed that there were a couple places where welds had been covered with masking tape which was painted to match the vehicle. I RAN from that one, but I’m sure some poor unsuspecting soul bought it.