First the model line, then the listing
Without the buying advice for the model line, every listing is advertising. The weak points, honest price bands by condition grade and the typical variants are there. You test the listing against that measure, not against the feeling the evening sun on the photo sets off.
The seller's grade
« Grade 2 » in the text is a wish. What is reliable is a current appraisal, or your viewing with the checklist. Between grade 2 and grade 3 there is often a third to a half of the price. That is exactly where the overpriced ads sit.
Phrases that prove nothing:
- accident-free (with no history and no measurable paint)
- original paint (with no thickness report)
- Matching Numbers (with no numbers and no comparison)
- freshly restored (with no photos of the metalwork)
- MFK neu (with no report and no date)
« MFK neu » also means only: presented recently. It does not mean « good ». See MFK.
Reading the photos
A single three-quarter photo in low sun hides the sills, the edges and the panel gaps. Serious listings show:
- all four sides, plus the rear and the front square on
- the interior, the engine bay, the boot
- the underside, or at least the sills from inside
- the type plate, the numbers, the registration certificate
- the visible faults, not only the highlights
Stock photos, someone else's car, or pictures older than the paint « just done » are a reason to walk away. Too few pictures are not a style. They are a decision.
Price against the band
The value estimate in the buying advice is a band per grade, not a single figure. If the listing price sits above the grade-2 band, the car has to prove grade 2, or the price is wrong. If it sits in the grade-3 band and promises grade 2, that is the most common trap.
Import, right-hand drive, a mile odometer, missing history and modifications that have not been entered belong in the sum as a discount, not as a surprise after the deposit.
After reading
If the listing roughly fits, you clarify the papers before you travel. If they are missing, the appointment stays optional. On site, the checklist applies; after the viewing, the honest grade. When in doubt, half a grade worse.