Is your car a rust bucket or winner?

By Bill Snow, Owner/Operator of Rad Air Wickliffe

Whether you have a spit-polished Maserati Quattroporte sitting under wraps or are someone who ignores the check engine light hoping it’ll eventually burn out, caring for your automobile is likely something you forget about…until it’s too late.

This new monthly series will cover all the news you can use to properly care for your car.

Let’s begin at the beginning: the pre-purchase inspection.

This time of year, people often receive their tax refund and spend it on a used car. But if it’s a lemon—with rust lurking underneath the body or its systems shot—it could turn into a real nightmare.

During the inspection, we touch every component on the car, checking the heating/cooling, radio, steering, suspension and do a comprehensive digital diagnostic, too, with our technicians using their tablets to pinpoint issues, taking notes and video.

We do a lot of these, with differing outcomes, sometimes discovering a rust bucket that was sold at auction and rebuilt poorly, and often finding a perfectly fine vehicle. Many times, we uncover specific issues, such as a non-working air conditioner or bad tires, that allow the buyer to go back and negotiate a better deal. Give us a call to do an inspection before you make your used car purchase.

Bill Snow grew up working on race cars and ran a shop while in college. After being in the corporate world for years, he decided to get back to the car industry and bought the local Rad Air. It’s located at 29257 Anderson Road, in Wickliffe. Call 440-943-9666 or visit RadAir.com for more information.

Mention this story and take $15 off a pre-purchase inspection at Rad Air Complete Car Care and Tire Center of Wickliffe, regularly $89.95. Offer good through Saturday, May 15, 2021.