Thanks, Kayteg1! I understand that might be an idealised list, but it gives me some great stuff I can add to my own checks, and some I can ask a mechanic to do :).
Gdetrailer, I read your post, and thought, 'Wow, why is this person projecting their weird fantasies onto me?' Then I looked and saw that you are from east of the Rockies.
Used cars are different out west. We have no rust, and a 20 year old car here is like a 2 year old one back east. I have been buying used cars since I was a teen. Looking under the rig, taking it for a test drive and then to a mechanic is the norm.
And 200k is the normal expectation for engine and transmission out here. In my search, I have seen quite a few GAS vans with 350-450k. I am not buying them, but they are on the road.
With an older rig I expect to replace shocks, tires, trans oil and filter, and I'm cool with a worn interior and a few dents. I balk at major suspension work, salvage title, peeling paint, or any sign of engine or transmission problems.
