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How to find out modifications on car?

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fleetingmind
fleetingmind Posts: 495 Forumite
Part of the Furniture 100 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
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
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Comments

  • paul_c123
    paul_c123 Posts: 412 Forumite
    Third Anniversary 100 Posts Name Dropper
    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
    cw8825 Posts: 599 Forumite
    500 Posts First Anniversary Photogenic Name Dropper
    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
    fleetingmind Posts: 495 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 100 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    cw8825 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
    fleetingmind Posts: 495 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 100 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    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
    caprikid1 Posts: 2,434 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    Find a FB corsa forum and put some photo's up. they should tell you pretty quickly. 
  • fatbelly
    fatbelly Posts: 22,881 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Cashback Cashier
    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
    paul_c123 Posts: 412 Forumite
    Third Anniversary 100 Posts Name Dropper
    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
    Indout96 Posts: 2,386 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    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.
    Totally Debt Free & Mortgage Free Semi retired and happy
  • DullGreyGuy
    DullGreyGuy Posts: 18,373 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Second Anniversary Name Dropper
    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
    david29dpo Posts: 3,903 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    I have just said Non to my knowledge in the past, never had a problem when making a claim.
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