CAT Repaired Cars. Are they worth buying and where from?

[Trev]

Thinking of getting a second runabout but only have a small budget. My brother (lives up north) recently bought a 59 reg Seat Ibiza for £2.5k. He got it so cheap as it was a CAT D repaired. He showed me the paperwork and it was actually written off due to exterior vandalism. Some git threw paint stripper over the entire car and putout every window. For some reason the insurance firm deemed it more economical to write it off! I'm no mechanic but have seen the car myself and was shocked as to how good condition it was in and only had 12k mileage. As you can image it looked a showroom car with new paintwork and windows. While I appreciate it's never going to be worth the same as a non-accident/repaired comparison it has got me thinking... i maybe be better off spending my £2-£3k on something like this than a 6 or 7 year old car with higher mileage. The chances are we'd keep the car until its ran into the ground so we're not looking for any kind of return on it when we sell it.

 

I take it accident repair cars need to be fully inspected before they can be put back on the road. Other than the value loss on the motor what should be taken into consideration? Does it affect insurance premiums, etc? Also, are there any places selling these types of cars around south Yorkshire. I'm not looking for a dodgy chop shop, just somewhere that you know the repairs are done to a high standard using proper bit... If was interested in such a car i'd pay for a RAC/AA inspection or take a mechanic with me anyhow.

[truman]

A CAT D could be a stolen/recovered after the insurance company has paid out...

[geared]

Cars need a VIC check before going back on the road, and an MOT.

but there's nothing to inspect the quality of the repair work.

 

So if you choose to buy a CAT-D car then find out what damage occured and have that part thoroughly inspected.

 

You might get lucky as Stolen-recovered stuff will appear as Cat-D, so it might just be it was nicked and found 6 months later in a lock-up

[Ghozer]

They will have to be fully checked, and may pass MOT's for years, but you run the risk of weaknesses caused by the accident coming to light a couple of years down the line..

 

I had a friend who bought a CAT D motor a few years back for about £3200, and like your brother's, it was in very nice condition, clean inside and out, and only had about 15k miles on the clock..

 

the problem is, it failed the MOT on year 3 as the frame the chassis sat on, had developed a small crack (which wasn't there originally, but was said to be due to a previous accident/collision), and as a result the car was now no longer safe to drive, he sold it for scrap then purchased new...

[Trev]

Sounds like a bit of a punt then but I suppose buying any second hand car over 3 years old is anyhow.

 

Anyone know of any places selling repaired cars in the area. Would still be interested in looking at some providing they can prove what was repaired and its all legit.

[geared]

I don't know of any places that only deal with CAT cars.

[alchresearch]

It all depends on the damage. If it was paintwork like you said and its not been in a smash then it sounds like a great deal.

 

If you stick to CAT D types you should be ok. They look pretty bad but when you pull off the huge plastic bumpers and trim you find they've absorbed most of the bump and everything underneath is fine.

 

Personally I'd choose a particular make and model then pop over to a specific forum for advice.

 

For example on many Peugeots the ABS & power steering units and windscreen washer tanks are all in the front wings and can get knocked in a bang, so it could potentially be more than just slapping on new wings and front bumper.

 

There's a big place called Motorhog at Donny. I know a fella who bought a stolen/rec bargain from there:

 

http://auctions.motorhog.co.uk/vehicle-list/?type=0

[dongle]

Cars need a VIC check before going back on the road, and an MOT.

but there's nothing to inspect the quality of the repair work.

 

So if you choose to buy a CAT-D car then find out what damage occured and have that part thoroughly inspected.

 

You might get lucky as Stolen-recovered stuff will appear as Cat-D, so it might just be it was nicked and found 6 months later in a lock-up

 

Cat D's don't need a vic check or mot, we have just had one of our vehicles declared cat D we bought it back from the insurance company today,

[geared]

Well technically you do need a MOT for any car, but you can put a Cat-D back on the road if it's current MOT is still valid - doesn't require a VIC, thats Cat-C.

[littlebasher]

I've seen newer cars on a Cat D absolutely destroyed, and other cars declared Cat C with nothing more than scratched paintwork.

 

You can't judge anything unless you see it's condition pre repair.

 

Go in with your eyes open!