hi all, im on the look out for a nice evo 5 are 6 and have found one that says its had a cat D accident / what does this mean and should it effect the price

thanks
andy

 

price would be abit lower tbh! Cat D could be as little as cosmetic damage to a dent in a rear 1/4.

 

thanks mate, just been on MLR and they sat 25 to 30% off price

andy

 

yeah thats right, no bent shells there mate, normally uneconomical to repair because of hire car costs an stuff, that sort of thing.

 

Not always recorded either, my 3 were not recorded, me gf's present car is a write off, hard to beleive, due to a dent on the rear just above the rear arch, can't even notice it, but repairers didn't want job so they priced up a new 1/4 and paint etc on a L reg astra.
In short we ended up pocketing £400 or so for the damage caused by other party AND keeping the car, still got it 4 years later!!
tabetha

 

On a car like that it really depends when it was written off, if it was when the car was newer or worth more then it would have been a lot of damage cat d is when the repairs are the same cost or very near what the car was worth if the repairs are more than the value of the car then it would be a cat c

 

correct

 

also will require a vic check on a cat c but not on a cat D

 

If you can afford one thats straight take the straight option unless the Cat D is priced correctly.

TOO many people get a Cat D fix it and think its worth full straight car value.

I would want to see 20% price diff as a minimum for a Cat D for me to consider it.

That said if you throw modifications into the mix things can change.

Most importantly for you, above buying the car and damage that caused Cat D is the re sale.

What are your plans - keep it long term so the value is imaterial or fuck it off quickly.

Just think long and hard when you look at a Cat D.


To be honest though - if you have to ask what a Cat D is, my guess is you're not the sort of person who should really be buying one.

 

Not quite true I'm afraid,it all depends on a huge number of factors and a lot of it's down to the insurance companies and even who you know in them.I've seen cars that look like they've fallen out of an aeroplane on a cat d and the same car with a scratched door could be cat c,it's all down to the individuals involved.Cat c as correctly stated requires a vic check or vehicle identity check and it is just that,it has absolutley nothing to do with repairs at all,I'm in the body trade and we vic check cars all the time,fucking joke takes ten minutes and you give the government £40 effectively!!to answer your original question your buying a car,regardless of whether it's been involved in a crash or not it's the CAR that your buying,I've had this argument a million times before.what if it's been keyed all over by a jealous ex and had all the glass smashed?could well be a write off cat d or c but are you really getting a shit car when it's probably then had a full repaint and all new glass?if it's been done nice it's not a problem....and therein the problem lies,it's only as good as the guy who repaired it.a car can be totally mangled,chassis kinked etc but if it's repaired correctly then you'll never have a problem with it,but if some muppets repaired it badly then you're in shit street.personally I'd want to know the reason why it was cat d,as i said it could be keyed or paintstrippered and repaired nice but it could have had a major front end and been on the brink of being scrapped but someone asked for it to be saved.when u buy a damaged unless your in the trade or it's stupidly cheap it's hard to make money on,all the little things start to add up so a lot of people cut corners,I see it everyday.a lot of people think that bodyworks a piece of piss and if it's bolting on an identical coloured wing,door etc your right but to get it dimensionally correct,shut lines perfect,rustproofed etc takes a lot of work and it's surprising on cars how much things like plastic underguards,bumper covers,sound deadning pads etc can hide stuff.a guy who used to work for me did a hobble for one of the boys before he started with me. He redrilled an entire wing to get it to fit as none of the holes lined up,he then filled the bonnet to match up with the gaps,it didn't look too bad tbh but the car kept tracking to one side and just generally driving shit.he took it too his mate who jigs cars to find it was 2" back!!!it cost him a bloody fortune to put right so as said in the above post,beware!!

 

mate I alwaya sgree with your posts lol, thats spot on. Im attending a course in body repair, and I get shit like why a course its easy, just paint etc etc.

 

Great post mate enjoyed reading that

 

Lol thanks fella,it's sadly a very underrated trade.the problem being the majority of times people are coming to you in misery,it's an expense they didn't want and they somehow want you too put your arm rond them and say "don't worry,it's only £50 as I know it wasn't your fault".anyone who thinks body repairs easy has never done it,I'm not saying it's rocket science but it takes a lot of patience,time,care and a fair hunk of skill.oh,a bit of luck helps too!!worth doing though as you'll never be unemployed from it but you may not be a millionaire from it either.....although who knows!!if I had my time again in this business I'd have stuck to more custom style work,restorations that sort of thing as you and the client both get much more satisfaction seeing it finished and looking pretty,gives u a nice feeling!!

 

yeah know the feeling mate. I dont know about the unemployed bit because there isnt much work around, or there isnt enough money so the work can be done!

Atleast now i found someone to sponsor me ( apprenteciship ), hope all will be good.

 

great reply and for a change accurate