I found a really nice car at a local dealer(SD) that was purchased from an auction in Pa. Is Pa a good or bad place to buy used cars from? I’m not even sure what to watch for. Do they use heavy salt and chemicals on their roads there?
Oh, yea, lots of salt, lots and lots…
They do use a lot of salt there, but they’ve got a lot better at rustproofing cars. If there is any rust damage, an inspection by a good mechanic can find it.
Yes, salt is rampant all over that area. SOME PA vehicles are quite rusty. Perhaps the one you are looking at was Ziebarted when it was new, and will never rust. Get it checked out by a pro, for both rust and mechanical issues.
There are SEVERAL big dealer only car auctions in PA. That’s where Manheim’s headquarters are. Manheim & Co owns auctions all over the country. Their PA auctions are almost as likely to be selling cars from PA as they are from NJ or NY. I have seen hundreds of PA cars transported at least as far west as KS, and resold at other dealer auctios at a profit. The theory being that eastern car owners consider their cars to be dying at 100K, while westerners figure 100K is just well broken in.
More than salt, Penn and New Jersey are the main states that the supply the salvaged vehicles for some reason. I’d check very very careful that it was not totaled out at one time due to accident or flood and rebuilt and re-titled. Not sure about how SD does it but in Minnesota a salvaged vehicle will have it stamped in red on the title.
Bing
I live in the Pocono mountains of Eastern Pennsylvania. The road crews here cover the roads after every winter storm, usually with salt/anti-skid and sometimes with a new liquid spray before the storm. Most roads stay coated with some type of treatment from November through April. Although a lot of folks (me, for example) wash their vehicle (body & underneath) during the winter, many do not. I agree with the advice already given . . . get it checked mechanically AND for rust before you buy. Looking for rust is fairly simple, even for cars which were “doctored-up” with new bondo and paint. If you don’t feel competent to do this yourself, take it to a body shop . . . they know what to look for.
these pa auctions have vehicles from several states somtimes they will clean up a salvage title that way.be very very careful.the best thing to do is know the dealer you are buying from and his reputation.check through better buisness bureau if u dont know them.