The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

CONSUMER BEAT Caution Requjrèd in Private'Used Car Pl Few of us in Ontario, buy a ,used car wlth total certain- ty. It's a fairly complex business transaction and on. that requires a good deal of mechanical knowledge as' weli. Buyers of used cars in private sales must b.especial- ly careful, and whlle no on. can turn you into a car ex- pert overnightý, there -are -a few basic guidelines you can follow to ensure that your purchase is a reliable one. Check Mechanical Condition A careful examination of a used car in daylight is a must. Be sure to check for excessive wear, rust or body damage. You should also ini- sist on a road test that allows driving -at different speeds on roads of various con- ditions. Don't b. blinded by the reputation of a particular make or model of car. Even a well-made new car cain de- teriorate mechanically over the years because of im- proper maintenance or downright, neglect. Such a car could end up turning into a serious financial drain if -repairs are cônstantly necessary. Check for service stickers on the car to see that, maintenance has been kept up. Also, watch for the fol- lowing symptoins - they could mean trouble: - esteering that pulls the car to on. side (possible alignment problems); *squealing or grinding brakes undfer normal opera- tion (excessive wear or lm-,, proper adjustinent); *blue smoke coming from the tail pipe (may mnean costly engine ropairs are required); *lack of control during comnenng at normal speeds or an excessiv.ly bouncy ride (possible steering link- age problems and/or worn- out shoçk absorbers); *any other -obvious de- fects such as engine knock- ing, lurching or hesitation, vibrating, shimmying or mal- functioning controls, lights and signals. Safety Standards Certificat. To help ensure that cer- tain safety and mechanical probleins do not exist, a saf,-> ty standards certificate must be given on delivery of every used car in Ontario. The certificate is valid for trans- fer purposes up to 36 days after the inspection, and the vehicle cannot be transferred» into your name without it. The onlytime a certificat, is not required is when a used car is sold without licence plates. In this case the seller must give you an unfit motor vehicle ýpermit at the time of delivery; the car cannot be driven, nor can licence plates be obtained, until a safety standards certi- ficate has been issued .by a licensed motor vehicle in- spection station. 0f course, the safety standards certificate is flot a guarantee that the vehicle Will renmin fit for any period of time after the inspection. Take Special Precautions Unlike the registered car dealer,' a person making a, private, sale has neither a licence to lose, nor a busi- ness reputation. to protect. The vast majority. of pri-' vate Sales are of, course, carried out honestly.. But buyers should be especiai- ly careful to avoid ' the few unscrixpulous sellers' who may be in the market. Wn some cases,' private sellers have posed- as a, "front" for' a dealer who doesn't want to be identi- fied. w ith the. car.-To g uard against this, check the auto- mobile's registration with the Ontario Mlnistry of Transportation, and Com- munications, Vehicle Branch, Fourth Floor, Fergus'jn Bloqk,, Queen's* Park, Tor-: onto- M7A' 2A2. This 'will provide the ideëntity of the previous owner. The féee for this service is ý$3.0O.,A- phone cail to the. previous owner may assist you In to Save -ýGasoline WHITBY FREE PRESS, NEW CAR SUPPLEMENT, WEDNESDAY SEPEBR2,99 AE1 Send fnrau& lgftvm.n,,.. might also-have &nuowaQD i coliateral 'for. a loan by the For additional informa- seller or a Previous owner.ý-< tion on theý personal property A garage-may be holdina secuiity registration system, lie aaiatth cr orig a:, pick up a, vehicle enqulry pai rpars r heseller may' guide at any' branchý office lurchasesnot even be the legal owner. of Ste PS0. or write u ch s ssecurity interests on the car Postal Station A",1 Toronto M5W 1W6. Enclosea self- beor byig. ths, addressed' envelope at least ,assigcondition and mile- to the branch reglstry office 10V by 14" and 420 postage. assessing ~of the personal property Temnsr fcnue age. security registration system Temnsr fcnue nearest you. These are locat- and commercial relations ed in the land registry office poiebufe oolto of each county or district bying a' car with tips on Chec fo Lies twn.rust inhibition, as well as dn Chec fo Lies twn.The Business Practices Act which covers these trans- In some cases the private Check the system for actions. For copiesP write seller may be deliberately - liens on the vehicle in the the Consumer Information or venunwttngl - eling naine of the o*ner and by Centre,- 555 Yonge Street, a car that is subject to a the serial. number. Also Toronto M7lA 2H6. security. interest. For ex- check pre'vious owners; the Byobiigorow ampe, he eler ay $av first given naine and surname precautio'ns and common purchased the car on "'tune" are required. Eïnsure that the sense with thie protection or a previous owner might car's serial number matches offered by, the, Ontario gov- have purchased the carý on the -number on the registra- eninyucnesr tim wihôu th knwlege tion certificate. There. is a that yournextý car purchase of the current seller. The car fee of $ 2.00 for each check. sapoibladsfen. J ERRYFS A.UTOTRIýM * VINYL ROOFS * CONVERTIBLE TOPS * SEAT REPAIRS * CARPETS *PIN STRIPING * CUSTOM. INTERIORS * BOD'Y SIDE MOULDINGS 628 EUCLID STREET, WHITBY I I I lF ALL KICK-OF-F 0OF USED CAR SAVINGS', 1978 ZEPHYR Z-7 CR EAM & GO LD WITH 2-, TQE 1INTER IO0R, 302 V-8 AUTO., P/S, P/B, RADIO, BUCKETS,W, W/C, DEFROSTER, RADIAL TIRES. LC.MWL492 $5295 1179 FORD 5 PASSENGER luCLUB WAGON CHATEAU VAN CHOCOLATE BROWN WITH CREAM 2-TON E PAINT, A UTO MATI C, PIS, P/B, AMIf M STEREO0, W/W, RADIAL TIRES, ONE WAY GLASS. LI C. E39 574 $84»95 1979 FORD CARGO VAN CHOCO LATE BROWN WITH TAN INTERIOR, 6 CYL,1 STANDARD, PASSENG ER SEAT, ON LY 5,000 KI L Li C. E36 628 $5995 1979 LINCOLN CONTINENTA L TOWN CAR WEDGEWOOD BLUE WITH MATCHING VINVI RDOF, MATCH ING VELOUR IN- TERIOR, AM/FM STEREO 8 TRACKQûUAD, FU LLY LOADED WITH LUXURYI LI. NZF 665 $15#300 b'. ~ A rnight also have been used as