Help me with buying a car from a private seller...

You're in Ohio, right?

http://www.bmv.ohio.gov/registration_buy_used_vehicle.stm

there's everything you need to know.

1) Make sure they have the title in hand, and that it has their name on it (or possibly a deceased relative)
2) There needs to be a bill of sale http://banking-law.lawyers.com/commercial-banking/Bill-of-Sale-by-State.html
3) Get the VIN number, and you can check that on carfax (it does cost money), make sure the VINS match


this should also help you:
http://consumer-law.lawyers.com/Vehicle-Purchase-and-Repair/Buying-A-Used-Car-Privately.html

They say to use a bank draft to pay for it, which does make sense because cash can't be traced or recovered once its gone, and you can put a stop payment on a bank draft.

Thanks man, I guess I should have checked there first. You are already 10/10 karma from me so I cant up it anymore.

The mechanic will be more than happy to take a look at the title and tell you for sure, pay however you can, cash or check doesnt matter too much. I'd bring a friend or a parent.

what car is it?

thanks

2000 Jeep Wrangler

cash is your best bet when paying for anything over CL,

 Make sure to write up a bill of sale saying the date, who is selling the car to who, # of miles, vin number, known problems, price of the car, both of your signatures and clearly printed names. Possibly put contact info on there in case something goes wrong, the car will most likely be sold "as is" but you never know when you might have to get back to the seller for questions or help.

Also make sure he transfers the title of the vehicle to your name, or else you can't register it. It is good to have a mechanic go with you but make sure it's not some rust bucket that is going to rattle apart in a few weeks.