What do you do to every new car first thing?

Clean all bodily fluids and remove all syringes (clean and re-use most of syringes), dust for fingerprints and recycle spent brass casings.

What? The best deals come from low-income neighborhoods.

........I've never had a New new car but I imagine the first thing I would do is add GRM sticker, break in period, and then head to the nearest autocross.

ssswitch wrote: I've been surprised too many times on cars I've bought, and it's never happening again. First priority from now on is always to change the engine and cabin air filters. Then the vacuum comes out.

Every used car I've purchased from California has arrived without an intake air filter. What the hell guys? The badly wired and inoperative alarm, I can almost understand. But why do NONE of them have filters in CA?

First thing I do is decide what needs to be improved, then I start working on improving it. If I look over the fleet, the one thing I've done to every single one is lighting upgrades.

Keith Tanner wrote: Every used car I've purchased from California has arrived without an intake air filter. What the hell guys? The badly wired and inoperative alarm, I can almost understand. But why do NONE of them have filters in CA?

I can't even get my head around this. Maybe CARB's mission should be changed so that cops can pull you over and check for evidence of proper vehicle maintenance, and then beat you with a rubber hose until unconscious when (for instance) the freakin' air filter is missing.

In reply to Woody:

Up here the mice chew holes through the filters to make their nests and birth more mice. I hate the smell of rodents in cars.

Since I buy used, I check for drugs, money, and general crud, since most are old squad cars. You judge which one I'm most concerned about.

I apply the appropriate "Calvin peeing on ______" sticker

I replace the oil and the radio to a new head unit because I buy used. I also buy a good set of tires if they are dry-rotted or really worn out. I make any repairs that are needed, because there usually is something that needs attention. I will start changing all the fluids if the PO doesn't have receipts of doing it recently. I should also add window tint, too.

The very first thing I do is air it out. Damn previous owners farting in their cars all the time.

Then I go over it with a fine tooth comb, clean it out, vaccum and baby gets a bath. Then I take a picture.

Then I start making a lit of things that need to be addressed and start prioritizing the parts list.

Register/title it in my name.

You'd be surprised how many people don't do this. Then scrap the car because they lost the title and forgot who they bought it from.

I've never owned a new vehicle so I have no idea what I'd do.

If some of the cars I've seen over the years are any indication, you should immediately:

Apply bumper sticker from the deity of your choice directly to the painted are of the car.

Hang a set of trucknutz.

Install huge wheels with rubber band tires so your really useful truck can't carry anything anymore.

Allow your crayon-eaters to dump a cup of milk into the rear seating area to get rid of that pesky "new car" smell.

First I remove all my wife's old stuff and put it in her new car. Then I remove any obviously feminine stickers she had on the car and put replacement stickers on (GRM, NASA ect.). I also remove any dealership crap she may have left on I often remove the manufacturer badng if I can, I like the clean look. Then I get to start working on her new car, While she cleans, and cleans and, cleans I change fluids, check for needed repairs and definitely new wiper blades. Her last car she found a "special tobacco pipe" under the dash so, she had the sheriff bring out the drug dog and check the car so she was CYA.

Tint. Can't stand riding around in a fish bowl.

Remove tint. Can't stand the stuff.

In reply to Woody:

I'll keep putting tint on the windows as long as US DOT headlights throw light everywhere. The problem is, the new LED lighting setups are practically weaponized lighting. I am thinking of mirror-tinting my rear windows as a way to fight back.

For the 30-50 year old autoshiite I drag home I put it on the lift, inspect/refresh the brakes, flush the brake fluid and usually cut some coils off to lower it before the wheels go back on.

Then the search for wheels and tires begins

Besides maintenance items, big ass fog lamps. Lots of them. Usually a set of 2 or 4, 100W 6" pencil beam fogs, and a pair of 55W halogen widebeam. The 100W are only for vacant highways where deer are present, the 55w's come one with the key and stay on.

I also usually replace the headlight assemblys and bulbs. you can't avoid what you can't see.

-J0N

Valentine One.

Knurled wrote: In reply to Woody: I'll keep putting tint on the windows as long as US DOT headlights throw light everywhere. The problem is, the new LED lighting setups are practically weaponized lighting. I am thinking of mirror-tinting my rear windows as a way to fight back.

I am in the process of mounting a 2mil candlepower spotlight in the back of at least one of my cars for asstards that wanna tailgate me with that E36 M3. There's also the paintball gun in the grill but we can't talk about that....

Also- what is this break-in period you jokers speak of? Last new car I bought I hit 5k and dumped the clutch on my way out of the dealership. Burned through the first two gears too. Boost is fun.

I do a tune up on the car, follow by a good clean from top to bottom. I also remove anything that is dumb or dead weight. Then I make a list of problems with the car that needs to be address. yea I don't buy new cars haha

I've only bought one car that was actually new. I detailed it almost immediately, then bought WeatherTech mats and had the windows tinted.

Until the Abarth, put blind spot mirrors on at least the driver side if not both. I'm lazy and like to see behind/to the side.

For beaters: tag and insurance. Then, safety eval and fluid check. After I've gotten a few miles under my belt and know that it's worth baselining, I catch up the deferred maintenance and change all the fluids. I'm particular about a clean engine bay and not leaking anything. Around this same time, the seats and carpet come out and get a full lathering with a mix of 80/20 warm water and Tide, followed by the pressure washer and a few days hanging in a sunny spot. It's amazing what a pressure washer will do for grungy velour and carpet. Obviously you want the wide nozzle if you do this.

I check it over for basic suspension safety, make sure all the fluids are topped up, air the tires. I beat the E36 M3 out of it for a bit by loading up the suspension till it slides on dry blacktop in both directions, run it at redline for a continuous couple of minutes, make the brakes fade... to see what is sloppy, loose, too hot or losing fluids.

Then I order/fix all that stuff.

I'm boring. I just get in and drive it every day adding gas and air as needed. If I remember I add the garage door opener, if not that happens the second day.