Help needed for new car please

zenshi

I hope you lovely peopl can help me as I am a complete novice with cars

At present, I have a very old Renault Scenic. My dad is a bodywork specialist and mechanic and has said he will buy me a crash damaged car and get it up to scratch, so money not really an issue.

I actually have no idea what I want and without trawling the car garages, thought I'd ask here

I have had diesel for many years as I used to do lots of miles but not any more, so first....do I really need diesel again?
I like the back shape of the a scenic, as in the squareness (good for my dogs) and the fact that there is no boot lip and the tailgate is square...ease of transporting furniture etc. so would like to keep that

I think that's the only criteria I have

GwylimT

I wouldn't personally buy a crash damaged car unless it was very very minor. Have you checked that your insurance would be happy for a Cat D write off?

zenshi

My dad has the knowledge to know what he's buying and obviously wouldn't even consider letting me get in something that wasn't 100% again

GwylimT

zenshi wrote: »

My dad has the knowledge to know what he's buying and obviously wouldn't even consider letting me get in something that wasn't 100% again

The thing is they are never 100% again, while you can make sure the chassis is straight once again it wont be as robust etc. I've seen plenty Cat C repairs that have passed, there is now way I would ever get in one myself.

Are you having any problems with your car beyond usual wear and tear?

You say you are doing fewer miles, how many do you now do on a yearly basis?

zenshi

Probably only around 3,000 per annum

The cars with damage we have currently looked at, have been minor damage ie vandalism or small shunts

Nothing going wrong with mine mechanically but it's coming up to 200k and the foot wells are usually wet so either a leak or rust holes appearing

Marktheshark

If you are young, insurance will be the issue, if its a Cat C/D most wont insure them and them that do charge a big mark up.
Don't tell them and they usually find out and cancel the policy for fraud.

They take the view from the other end of the experts knowledge that sitting in a repaired car that gets hit again, often results in greater injuries and larger payouts as a result.

zenshi

Sadly I don't fit in the 'young' bracket

Marktheshark

Tell your dad to find and unblock the rubber drain bungs in the bulkhead under the bonnet and the footwells will dry out.

ToriP

my friend bought a crash damaged car, I can't remember CAT C/D. He had a non-fault accident and took it to BMW to repair the bodywork but they refused the work as they said they didn't want to put their name to work on a CAT car. Whether that was that particular garage I don't know

RS2000.

GwylimT wrote: »

The thing is they are never 100% again, while you can make sure the chassis is straight once again it wont be as robust etc. I've seen plenty Cat C repairs that have passed, there is now way I would ever get in one myself.

Are you having any problems with your car beyond usual wear and tear?

You say you are doing fewer miles, how many do you now do on a yearly basis?

Not many cars a built on a chassis these days.