Every inspection runs the same sequence, so nothing on the list gets skipped and every report reads the same way as the last one.
One thing to be clear on first: this is a visual condition assessment and an opinion on the car, not a mechanical inspection. I am not a mechanic and do not present as one. What you are paying for is a specialist eye on a narrow set of cars — the bodywork, the paperwork, the history, and the tells that a car has been hit, clocked or badly repaired. If something needs a mechanic’s judgement, the report will say so and tell you what to get checked before you commit.
What I specialise in
2000s JDM and modern performance Euro. I have owned and lived with these cars – an Evo IV RS, an Evo VI GSR, a GTO, a 300ZX, an S2000, a V37 Skyline 350GT Hybrid, and my daily now is an Alfa 164 3.0 12-valve Busso – so I know where they rust, what gets clocked and which repairs get hidden. Older exotics by arrangement: I will tell you up front what I can and cannot assess, and when you are better off paying a marque specialist.
Before I arrive
PPSR check for finance owing, written-off and stolen status. Queensland rego check. I read the listing properly and note every claim the seller makes, then pull the known faults for that exact model and year so I can check them specifically.
Documents and identity
VIN or chassis number on the compliance plate matched against the rego papers, the listing and the body stamping. Build and compliance dates. On imports, the auction sheet or export certificate against the odometer, and the quality of the compliance work itself. Engine and gearbox numbers against what the car left the factory with. Service history, spare key, receipts.
Cold start
I ask for the car to be cold when I arrive. A warmed-up engine hides rattles, smoke and warning lights.
Body and glass
Panel gaps, mismatched paint tone, overspray on rubbers and trim, glass date stamps that don’t match the build year, tyre dates and uneven wear. Seams, boot floor and inner guards for cut-and-shut joins, and rust in the spots each model is known for.
Underbody
Rust on sills, chassis rails and floor pans. Signs of oil, coolant and gearbox leaks. Fresh undercoat that might be hiding something.
Engine bay
Fluid levels and colour, belts, hoses, battery date. The service history checked for the timing belt or chain against the interval — this is the one that kills enthusiast engines. Signs of previous front-end repair like a bent radiator support, non-factory bolts, or a chassis rail with a different paint texture to the one beside it.
Interior and electrics
Wear on the seat bolster, pedals and wheel against the odometer reading. Every switch, window and lock, and the aircon hot and cold.
Test drive
Cold pull-away, brakes, straight-line steering, clunks over bumps, gear changes, where the clutch bites and whether it slips under load, and a re-check under the bonnet afterwards. I am recording what the car does, not diagnosing why — anything that feels wrong gets flagged for a mechanic.
Your report, the same night
A verdict of buy, buy with conditions or walk, the number I’d be comfortable paying and the findings behind it, red and amber items separated from what’s genuinely good, the full paint gauge table, a photo appendix, and anything I think a mechanic should look at before you commit.
This is a visual condition assessment and opinion service. It is not a mechanical inspection, not a roadworthy/safety certificate, and does not replace an inspection by a licensed mechanic. It can’t see inside an engine or gearbox. Boundless Automotive does not negotiate or purchase on the client’s behalf. Findings are limited to what could be observed at the time without disassembly.