Cat D - should I buy

thehullram

I have seena car advertised on autotrader that is marked as cat d. it has a full MOT & just been serviced.

What questions do i need to ask and are there any pitfalls I need to avoid?

Thanks

Hintza

When was it written off? How many MOTs etc has it been through since then.

I buy Cat D's as salvage and then have them repaired but at least I know what was wrong with them and if there is anything to worry about. (I intend to run them until they die).

Try to see if there are any photos of the damage. Some could even be stolen recovered so damage will be minor.

Make a price adjustment depending on what you find out somewhere between 10% -25% (some will argue 30% but I personally think that is too much but a good place to start negotiations).

Best check your insurer is OK with it. Some stories on here that some insurers are becoming sticky about it.

jaydeeuk1

What car, how much? etc

Find out what the cat d was for.

I'd get it checked out by a mechanic if you don't know what your looking for.

bris

Cat D is cosmetic and perfectly safe to buy, just remember to pay about 20% below non cat D market value.
Get insurance quotes now before you buy, most will insure no problem, but some want to see proof the car has been repaired.

s_b

bris wrote: »

Cat D is cosmetic and perfectly safe to buy, just remember to pay about 20% below non cat D market value.
Get insurance quotes now before you buy, most will insure no problem, but some want to see proof the car has been repaired.

yes i see what you mean
a quick t cut
blow up the tyres
good as new
http://www.copart.co.uk/c2/homeSearch.html?_eventId=getLot&execution=e1s1&lotId=12627942&returnPage=SEARCH_RESULTS

vax2002

The way modern cars are built a bump means that next time, the crumple zone has already started to crumple, even if it is not visible, many insurance companies load cat d + c cars heavily as if involved in another bump you and the passenger are sitting in an already weaken car and far more likely to be killed .
To look for is sprigging, as the shock is sent around the car, panels are designed to open gaps so you can open the doors, this is know as sprigging, so look for gaps around doors and bonnets wider than they should be. Then look for rippling of panels, chucking a bucket of water over the car as daft as it sounds soon shows if the panels have waves in.
As pointed out above, a cat D can be a right old crack.
Is it worth taking a risk ?
A sure sign you are sitting in a death trap

worried_jim

s_b wrote: »

yes i see what you mean
a quick t cut
blow up the tyres
good as new
http://www.copart.co.uk/c2/homeSearch.html?_eventId=getLot&execution=e1s1&lotId=12627942&returnPage=SEARCH_RESULTS

That'll polish out!

vaio

vax2002 wrote: »

.....many insurance companies load cat d + c cars heavily as if involved in another bump you and the passenger are sitting in an already weaken car and far more likely to be killed .......

don't suppose you have any evidence for this because, apart from two companies that refuse to cover total losses, I can't ever remember being asked about the write off status on proposal forms

forgotmyname

s b, :T

I love the descriptions on those sites, Light front damage, The engines on the front seats, And the front seats are in the boot.

Cat D is not just a bit of a polish to hide the scratch.

Original Poster, If you dont know what to look for then get it professionally inspected.

Lots of badly repaired cars out there, Even ones with long MOT's.

They cant fail an MOT on something they cannot see.

paddedjohn

s_b wrote: »

yes i see what you mean
a quick t cut
blow up the tyres
good as new
http://www.copart.co.uk/c2/homeSearch.html?_eventId=getLot&execution=e1s1&lotId=12627942&returnPage=SEARCH_RESULTS

Tis but a scratch, non shall pass.;)

beth.stephenson2009

I wouldn't touch it with a barge pole. Mine was a CAT D write off and that was when my engine was nackard by the top of a boar hole.

Buy another car. One that is safe.