Hey Guys,

Im trying to find a low priced coupe 20V turbo, preferrably under £1500.

I have been able to locate one that has been vandalism damaged. The damage is an easy enough fix and is purely cosmetic and written off as a CAT-C.

Its only had 3 owners (R-98 Model) and looks like a well looked after car other than the vandalism damage of course.

128,000 miles on the clock and only comes with a blue key (yeah Ive read about the red key thing).

For £700 does this seem like good value for money if the car is mechanically sound?

Cheers

Mike

Cat C has had pretty extensive (structural) damage I think.

Cat D is the least serious - cat C is a different ballgame altogether.

Look here http://www.autocheck.co.uk/write-off-categories.html#categories

James

From experience, the definition is mis-leading.

Its all relative to the value of the vehicle and the cost of the repairs to be done at an insurer approved garage.

The damage is a smashed rear and front window. Dents to the passenger door and bonnet.

Mike

Well that doesn't sound too bad. Strange it was given cat c instead of d though.

Mine is cat d due to the rear wing and the passenger door being scratched and dented down their length.

It would have cost a fortune to get a whole new door and cut/replace the rear wing I would have thought - but it still only came away with a cat D. Me - I bought a 2nd hand door for £20 and had the whole car resprayed. The damage to the rear wing wasn't too bad at all.

James

I looked into this a bit when I bout by coupe back in December. The CAT C vs D thing isn't that well defined; internet searches will explain how it should be. I think the key point for CAT C is that it is 'beyond economic repair' in the view of the assessor. Which for these cars at this age its fairly easy to qualify for!
My coupe is CAT C (One of Carlt's stock)! A replacement bonnet & foglights, weld the bumper & spraying was all that it took to put it back on the road.
Book your VIN check now; as they take forever to get an appointment

On the other hand consider why the owner made the claim for the vandalism (& got it wrote off); are there any hidden nastys. That said its £700!

Nope! Cat C does not mean there is more damage structural or otherwise! It's categorised according to the value of the repair Vs the value of the car so if it's a £3k car with £3k damage it would go down as a cat C (even if it was just 1 dented panel!) if it was a £3k car with say £1k damage (even if this damage was structural) it would go down as a Cat D.

We bought a Cat C damaged 20VT - perefctly sound mechanically - no structural damage but every panel on it had deep grooves scratched into it (we think someone's wife had issues with her huband!) for about £800. Got a painter friend to paint her up and now looks like new!

Read about it here

To get a Cat C car back on the road will require a VIC check. People shouldn't be afraid of salavaged vehicles - traders aren't and that's why they see the profit - not you!

i had a cat c in last yeat and was just a bonnet and front bumber damage... no damage to the cross member at all its all down to the inpector really
then i went to view a cat d this year and what a mess total rear inc floor i just walked...