Car appreciation... the aesthetics, the engineering, etc

Take the oil filler cap off and check there's no biege creamy business under it. That can indicate a head gasket issue. Check oil level on the dipstick. If it's been serviced the oil should be translucent not black and shouldn't smell "burnt". Heater must work, tyres must have decent tread depth and exhaust should blow. The windscreen must be chip and crack free and every switch has to work, including wipers/washers. Check wear on clutch and brake pedal rubbers and see how shiny the gear knob and steering wheel are. When you drive it do it a bit jerky, like a learner, and listen for knocks. With the handbrake on try and pull away if it doesn't sit down evenly and stall then it's not good. Accelerate and brake hard, if it's safe, then just drive it through all the gears. You should go and try another one out and compare the two. Don't buy it just because....

This is awesome - thanks! Mate's actually got one up the road so was going to go take a (socially distant) look at it this afternoon, so should have something to compare it to.