How to find out modifications on car?

fleetingmind

My wife has just bought my daughter a second hand car and we're getting it insured but are unsure on what modifications are factory and what have been done by previous owners. 

Is there anyway to find out as we don't want to not fully disclose everything. 

I'm far from a car expert but thinking exhaust, tinted windows, screen on dashboard, tinted rear break lights.

Thank you

paul_c123

Not really to that level of detail. There's HPI Spec Check, which will tell you the standard and optional equipment on a car. And a lot of cars have options codes (there will be a sticker somewhere, maybe in the handbook). But they only go so far. You'd not know from these if the exhaust is standard, for example.

The only real way is to know the make/model, see a lot of standard ones, and be able to spot modifications.

Obviously some are more obvious than others eg bigger non-std alloys, lowering, bodykit, engine stuff like cold air intake etc.

cw8825

fleetingmind said:

My wife has just bought my daughter a second hand car and we're getting it insured but are unsure on what modifications are factory and what have been done by previous owners. 

Is there anyway to find out as we don't want to not fully disclose everything. 

I'm far from a car expert but thinking exhaust, tinted windows, screen on dashboard, tinted rear break lights.

Thank you

as above there's not a register for modifications,

You can only be honest to the insurer.
All of the modifications mentioned may have been factory ones but also what car is it?
Is it one that has a reputation for being modified

fleetingmind

cw8825 said:

fleetingmind said:

My wife has just bought my daughter a second hand car and we're getting it insured but are unsure on what modifications are factory and what have been done by previous owners. 

Is there anyway to find out as we don't want to not fully disclose everything. 

I'm far from a car expert but thinking exhaust, tinted windows, screen on dashboard, tinted rear break lights.

Thank you

as above there's not a register for modifications,

You can only be honest to the insurer.
All of the modifications mentioned may have been factory ones but also what car is it?
Is it one that has a reputation for being modified

The car is a 2011 Vauxhall Corsa Limited Edition - 1229 CC. 

Thanks

fleetingmind

paul_c123 said:

Not really to that level of detail. There's HPI Spec Check, which will tell you the standard and optional equipment on a car. And a lot of cars have options codes (there will be a sticker somewhere, maybe in the handbook). But they only go so far. You'd not know from these if the exhaust is standard, for example.

The only real way is to know the make/model, see a lot of standard ones, and be able to spot modifications.

Obviously some are more obvious than others eg bigger non-std alloys, lowering, bodykit, engine stuff like cold air intake etc.

Thank you. 

The car is a 2011 Vauxhall Corsa Limited Edition - 1229 CC.

caprikid1

Find a FB corsa forum and put some photo's up. they should tell you pretty quickly. 

fatbelly

There are quite a few of these on Autotrader and they did have a lot of bells and whistles as standard

The text generated by the ad in the Spec and Features section lists what is standard.

paul_c123

Ask the seller? Read the advert? Those are going to be big starting points, especially if you are able to get the truth out of the seller.

Indout96

This is from the same model on Auto trader as far as I can tell
2011 White Vauxhall Corsa 1.2 16V Limited Edition Euro 5 3dr for sale for £1,999 in Burton-On-Trent, Staffordshire
you can open up the spec tabs and see what it should have.

DullGreyGuy

fleetingmind said:

My wife has just bought my daughter a second hand car and we're getting it insured but are unsure on what modifications are factory and what have been done by previous owners. 

Is there anyway to find out as we don't want to not fully disclose everything. 

I'm far from a car expert but thinking exhaust, tinted windows, screen on dashboard, tinted rear break lights.

Great that you are trying to declare things properly! 

If things do go wrong though the financial ombudsman is fairly forgiving with people who say they didnt realise that the alloys weren't factory fit etc however its not a total get out of jail card free card with the ombudsman ruling that someone should have realised the BMW branded alloys on their Ford Fiesta were not factory fit or a giant whale fin poorly attached to a Renault 5 likewise isnt original.

Firstly ask the person you are buying from, ideally getting an email from them about anything they know is post factory fit either because they did it themselves of the prior seller told them. 

Secondly, google pictures of others that have the car and look for what's not on all of them. Obviously these could be optional extras that were still factory fit but look closer for any branding on the parts, if there are any photos the same as yours etc. For example if the glass itself is tinted rather than it being a film applied then it's likely to be factory. 

david29dpo

I have just said Non to my knowledge in the past, never had a problem when making a claim.