I have also spent many years working on cars, selling them and cursing them. What I meant was, get help finding a car that is in good working order NOW. There is never a guarantee. You can minimize your chances of getting a piece of junk if you get help. I've checked out dozens of cars for people, and, never had one turn out bad because I overlooked something. Any good mechanic can diagnose trouble that exists NOW, and that's all any reasonable buyer can expect. The people who built the damn thing only guarantee it for a short period of time, and that when they are new!