Buying second hand cars can be a minefield. There has got to be hundreds of tips and things you can look for that will stop you buying a lemon. I am going to start off with....

Top Tip:

When starting the car have a buddy stand round the back to watch the exhaust emmission on start up. If its black smoke, its burning oil. Avoid. If its white smoke, keep watching. If it stays white, there is water getting into the combustion process, maybe head gasket trouble. Avoid. If its faint white and clears up, its possibly burning off water that condensed in the exhaust the last time it was shut down, so not a problem.

As always, if you know someone who knows cars, take them along.