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WIflTBYFMEEPlRS WEDNESDAY, MA.RCI 27,,1991, PAGE 19 When people, talk eabout' themselves, they often say that certain traits "rum in our faznly." In àour,family,- .they didu't .run; they drove. My grandfather was thefirst cf us to have a cari mostly. becauso- it *as inïvented'only a couple cf yea rs before ho was. Ho drove until -ho was well into bis nineties, on- everything, from Buicks' audChrysIîiors -toStrs,_. Hupmobiles and a Model T Ford that backfired and broke biis'arm when ho w*as craiungit Ho taught ,my mother'-how to, drive sund, she 'passd '.the- knowledge, along -:ta e.Sheéd learned 'on .> a .standard transmissi*on. When automîatics' came ,ôut, she learned how ta drv n, but she noverdid learu just hlow ýone actually worked.' The veryfiret tbing she taught me was ta keep myfoet firmly on the baepdlwhen sifting. frcm park inMto drive. She, theught that the issing clutch pedal had been incorpoeated inta, the brako. B> keeping thebrake pushed'in, ah. aveided -burning -eut- the' "clutch" whenever she sbifted! Ho second lesson was nover ta, buya green car. She loved red cars, but 'believed, that green cars we re, nothing but trouble sud refused ta drive them. One of her favourite cars was her *enormous red 1968 Dodge, by Jil Mclntosh >which, I remember mcsàtly for its ~otan eous combustion.' On a, opIng trp ta Buffalo with my mothér, grandmother and aunt-,I' wgs sitting in the back seat when it stalled. ýWhen mother startod it up again, it burst into fla'mes. We al got out aaxfely, but 'the Dedge was 'a write-off. After cafling her inaurance- company, mother get us al inta a cab sud off we went te the rentai. agency. Her favourite-pbrase 'was "conniption fit", sudin, the car rentai oôffice 'sbe threw an admirable eue. The only car they had te give us was a Nova, aud the only Nova they bad was green.' I almost spent my childhood in Buffalo until she finaIyý calmed down anud aecepted the keys. The car didu7t give us a bit of trouble* ail the way home, but she neyer changed hor niiud ,sud neitherdid. LEven though I kuow jeà spid, I -wil nover oôw*ne.' > n our famly, Our graudparents raised al of, the children. My graudniotherhad au incredible knack for handywork sud even in her seventies'she- was stili building shelves, laying carpet ad assembling gardon ohedis. My brother Barjy tended- taward her aide. Ho started as a mechanic, one cf the few who could work on Corvairs and make them mun propelyl Eventually ho became' a service manager sud moved up from there, sud today owns two successflul car dealersbips, Aginceurt> Chrysler sud Eastway Plymouth in Scarbereugh. ,My grandfather, on the, other baud,,was nover completely sure just whiit end of the hammer-was mantotaland on -the, nail. -My oldest- brother Gary-, teck bis training bore wbile on biÈs way,ta, becoming a writer. I don't lcuow why, but it sems thtmost writers just have taý drive the strangest cars they cau' find (how else do I explain my Studebaker?) sud Gary was ne exception. Ho s9tsrted eut with au enormous Mercedes sedan, but moved' up ta a bullet-shaped French Citroen. It had a speial air suspension that teck several seconds ta raise the body ta drivin height when, the key ywas . turned. Thinilterior was completely padded "'ud covered with a ricb, plush fabric. I supp'oëe that isWh, I got such di'rtylooks the day Igot carsick allover the backsoatof it. 1 Nowi at, that, time, ownors. of imported carshad to ' ýb. either mechanicïnly' mindod, good with cash or juet plain mnasochists. Garywasntàiechanical ,at ail sud o din'tseem'the ,typo te erUjoyý pain, so I guess it baid to'bo m Iny nluany.case,'ho always seoedto bo 'hauding large amounts of it to the fe* shQpsi that could lix inported cars. They wre 50exclusive :back thon that"teeoYIpeplÃ".Who would work on the Cimron had -a shop on York'yle Avenue, tucked' in -between -sane -cf Toronto's most'expensive stores. FInally, the Mils got to be too much and he uow drives domestics provided by bis brother, who generally- gives him whatover ho feels ho can do the. least amount of damage in'. I ended. up scmewhat, in'the middle,,fond of interesting cars,, armed with the basics but a long way from being a mechanie. From my gr .audfather Iget xny love of drving, .becau'3e cf ,niy grandmother, I cnput up a protty, straight row cf sheves. And thanlcs to mother, Ive neyer owned. a green car sud Ive nover burned out' my clutch. Cau't fool me, I kuow what that brake peda' eal or.< Takeprecut ions when buying usedvehice. Whates the riskciest major îpurchase- for: mny ,consumera? Experts, at Outario's -Consumer Mlinistry say- people 'are most vulnorable when buying a used car from a privàte owner. , "Buing a used car is a g amble at any time" says Robert Pierco,' registrrof mater vebicle dealers at the M«nistry cf -Consumer and Commeria Relations. "But right uowý, times *are'.bard, sud wde seeing âa ýproblem that's been uncommon for years. A lot of vehiclos are being sold with liens againstthem." That moans money may ho owing. on a car. If the propor precautions sren't taken, the new owner can, wako up eue mor.nIng ta fiud a tow truck removing the vehicle'they just purchased. A vebicle can bavo a lien for- several reasona. The problem eau arise if the seller bas borrowed monoy te bu the carbutnot pad it ailback.herecould alsooa lien against a 'vebicle if it was used as collateral to obtain a ban, or for uupaid repair or storLige costa. Sometimes, even thé veudor might ho unaware a vebicle bas a lien on it, if mono y was owing wheu he or she purchasedit. To -avoid bosing their car, conisumera whe buy frein private sellers are- always advised ta check for liens béfore any cash changes handa. The. consumer miniatry's Personal Property Registration branch will tell ycu if money is owing on a vebicle. To che ck, thé branch needs thé name cf the current owner sud *thé vebicle information numbor (VIN) or sérial numbor. Thé numbor must b., right. Buyers should check thé VIN on a cars owuersbip slip againat thé number on thé vebicle. Thé VIN is usually fouud on. a smail métal plate on thé driverse side' dashboard, visible tbrougb thé wiudsbield. If thé numbers differ, both should b. checked with thé registration branch. Consumera buying used cars from an Ontario-registered dealer have 1botter protection against lien problema thau those Who prasdfr-om private sellers. Byilaw, ealers. must clear any lie against vebicles bofore sales are final. If they fail ta do se, they are responsible for settling outstaudmng debt. . 'Zutprivate, vendors sellabopit doaer as Piece. tes important< that consumera learn the.. worings, cf- the. private market." Some consumera prefer buying from a private individual because they think& meeting the owner will help them judge how welI the car has been maintained. Also, they think they niight get a botter deal tbrough a private sale. <But many so-called "privato"- sellera are, in fact, peoiào whoaol cars for a living without a licence, in1 au' illégal acheme called "'curbsiding." Consumer experts estimate as uiany1 as eue third of ail private car sales in the, province involve curbaidera -- so named because' thé vebicles ticalîy oit by the curb near the suespeople's homea. When buying from a'curbside dealer, consumera have ne way cf knowing thé truth about a vebicles accident bistery or maintenance. Consumers who choose te buy privately, but. want- te avoid curbsiders, can check the ownerabip biatery cf a vehicle with thé .Miniýtry of Transportation. If thé car has been traded very recently they may be dealing with a curbsider. On a more positive note, checking on previous ownérs can' aIse confirm the seller's bonesty.. As with a liens search, the miniatry office 'muat have the correct VIN th find information on the right car.' For. more information on buying a car, iucîuding contracta and trade-ins, write for a copy cf flic minisrv's free brochure, "Tis on buying a car and mast inhibition." It is available froin the Consumer Information Centre, 555 YongeSt., first liber, Toronto, Ont. MMA 2H6. To request, a liens search,', consumera should vstthe neareat Pèeonal Propery- Security, Reistïýation '-branch office, listed -in, the. blue pages cf the tlephone directory.,The fee fov e v the consumneata rc officetor for a certifiedacompute ofrint o or alabe tfreoin tera -îofe, is: fo $5.e had 'Ministryof UTansportation offices a,,t 1201 Wilson Ave. 'Downsye ,.Cbnt. and, msuy &Ivér.e=*dnatàon conitres acroas the province will provide ,,'a volumes ~T ENTER DRAWTO'WIN',ýI M GORD GARNER ONE 0F'SIX $25.a *Automotive Services Ltd. Il I M GAS-V UCHERS i OILý&- FILTER-- Enter ballot wheaouet a CH N 1.a u~ a fuli-up or, service. I __* wih IAddress: * tCOUpOfl 1 City: (Reg. $26.95) IPsa oe Includes: use ot up te 5 litres i10W30 mater oit Telephone: Res. I- f ram cil ftilter -*.22 pnt inspection I Most cars.- Special ends Aprîl 3Oth9 1. Lubé $5.95 extra Bu D I 509 Dundas St. W. Whutby- Hurry-Drawis, *666-1816 I -Apeil,3Oth/91.'i -~~~~~~~~ -û - --- --- l --- ---m Chosen .FamiIy Sedan of.the Year. I I I I I Again. A Great Investmnent. 'Durable, dependabl,$T RTM A Prodluot You Can Trust. ............. A Produot W-You Deser've.A OM ý'Net exactly as illustrated SUBARU> LaThe car that goes to'evnemes. W1705 Dundas St. W.,Whitby< 6 6 MOTORS (Hwy #2, between -Ajax & Whitby) 1991 E c3A O& :V' 1 9% ' r%