An observation about used car ads - no engine pics
 

Hey guys , so I am looking to replace our 2010 Volvo XC90 . Nothing wrong with it but it's much bigger than we need . A little better fuel mileage would be nice as it's our daily driver . We are retired .

Anyway as I peruse Facebook Marketplace at various brands I noticed it is quite common for no engine pics ! When did that trend start ? Yeah I know you can't see much of the engine but still it's the heartbeat of the car . And it's a little bit of an indicator on how it's been taken care of .

Are we at a point where people don't care about the engine ? Maybe I am now a dinosaur in my thinking ? What say you .

I agree with your observations. I want to see engine pictures for that exact same reason. It amazes me when people with engine swaps, 3.2 to 3.6, etc, and no engine pictures at all. Very disappointing.

I would agree. I’ll also vent at the severe lack of FSBO cars on the market that aren’t salvage title. I hate buying from dealerships and greatly prefer to buy from individuals so I can discuss upkeep. They just aren’t out there.

Joe Blow public doesn't know the first thing about how to properly advertise a car for sale.

I think under the hood pics are irrelevant. Under the car and inside everywhere is standard for BaT and places where you are buying without a personal inspection. I even see cars for sale locally with few or no interior pics. I guess they assume you are coming to see it for yourself.

I'd rather have a thorough written description to help me decide whether this is a vehicle that I want to further investigate.

I think due to the public in general these days I'd rather buy from a dealer with a return for cash guaranty. I just did that and in the grace period I had a PPI done. Came back very good so I kept the car. The paperwork was a breeze, no trip to the DMV.

Looking around at private party sales is just a lot of driving around and kicking tires. With Carfax at least you get the better part of the picture and a PPI should fill in the blanks.

Times have shifted. 20 years ago FSBO was the way to go. Today it's too many flippers and way too many cars with branded titles that have been washed. The Little Old Lady From Pasadena is not listing her car FS anymore. She just calls Carvana.

I shop for a lot for cars online, I have noticed this: 'car people' selling cars include engine pics. Your average Marketplace seller doesn't even list the mileage or the engine size/model in their ad.

This is what happens when uneducated disinterested sellers write their own ads.

In their defense, FB Marketplace is not exactly an enthusiast environment. If my wife were selling a car, I can guarantee there would be no engine photos...pretty sure she doesn't know how to open the hood.

Where it is frustrating is ads for classic or unique cars. I've been casually shopping for a nice TR-6 and will not consider one where the engine compartment has been painted flat black, for example. Triumph never delivered one to the US with a black engine bay, yet so many are redone that way (too lazy/cheap to remove the engine to properly repaint). If you're selling a vintage, sports or exotic car, you should expect that a prospective buyer will want to see more than the steering wheel and an exterior profile.

That’s simple, it’s way easier to lie in text than pictures. Also Carmax records are crap, and I’d love to hear the story if you tried to return that car to the dealer.

I've sold cars were they didn't open the hood to see the engine.

I mean, if I were to take a picture of the 991 engine, I'll have to take it from underneath, which shows very little, or I take out the fans and still show very little. Maybe a front engine Toyota will reveal more.

I once had a guy call me about a car I was selling who sounded interested but didn't ask for any details over the phone. He wanted to come see it so we set up a meeting at my bank where rides up on a bicycle, pulls a wad of cash for full asking price out of his sock, hands it over and says, "I'll take it".

This loon never looked at anything...never did a walk-around, never sat in the car, didn't open the hood, didn't start it, didn't drive the car or ask a single question about it. After the bank verified that his cash was genuine, we completed the paper work and he drove off with his bike hanging out of the trunk :confused:

I know this comment's in green, but sadly, it's this sort of stuff that's actually important to a non-enthusiast car buyer...and what the monthly payment will be if financing is involved.

I'm not sure an under hood photo of a modern car even tells you the engine is still there.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1757007919.jpg

I bought my Macan without opening the hood or doors .... paid cash.

Didn't know how to start the car I now owned!

Had to call the sales guy over for a hint... :D

No story as I didn't. But Auto Nation does do that. In fact, they held up the paperwork for the trial period. I saw the date it was turned in.

Regular dealer, no. Funny, Carvana won't bring the car out for you to look at before you buy. That business model would require taking it back.

(Edited to remove a statement about a member selling a car.)

Right, the Internet has, in some ways, changed things, but even going back as far as classified ads in newspapers, it was not uncommon for an add to be something like
"1980 Chevy Citation, good paint, runs good, AC blows cold $1000"

Plenty of times I've called with lots of questions.
Most folks aren't "car people" and only put the facts in the ad that they might be interested in. The Internet means that you're likely going to get at least one photo, but the non-car folks may only be including the pic so you can see the color and if the paint is shiny.

Even at places that are geared towards selling cars so they have a form to fill out that includes "how many doors", "how many cylinders", "paint color", etc... I've seen plenty that were filled out incorrectly in ways where it was obvious by the photos.

I probably wouldn't include an underhood pic of an average car. Sure, if I was selling a '70 Chevelle or '69 911 or some sort of "enthusiast's" car, I'd probably include an underhood pic. But for an average/appliance car that was stock, probably not. Most folks won't care. I'm also not likely to "detail" the engine compartment.
Exactly, for 40-50+ year old "enthusiast" vehicles, that's when pics of the engine compartment are more important to show modifications and possibly the condition (rats nests, new hoses, hoses disconnected with bolts shoved in the end, etc...), that's when under-hood pics are important.
right, the avg modern vehicle, assuming it's stock and not something REALLY special, then I'm not sure what the point would be.

Is this really a useful pic?
https://d2ivfcfbdvj3sm.cloudfront.ne...st0640_050.png

or this

https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/YnAAA...Am/s-l1200.jpg

Too me this is art and I could look at it all day.

The engine on my Tundra get's detailed when I change the oil.

Edit, no longer relevant.

That's not art. that's a big honkin' sheet of plastic. This is art. :)

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1757025544.jpg