Would you buy a Cat C or D write off?

[gramey]

As per title what are peoples thoughts on the above, the vehicle in question is 2004 BMW M3 Convertible, the car was written off back in 2013. The dealer selling does not know the full circumstances as to why it was written off other than there are no obvious structural repairs . The last keeper kept the vehicle for a further 4 years after this event so possibly flood damage or stolen/recovered?
I'm waiting for the seller to get back to me but is it a question of steer clear regardless due to the stigma attached to it having once been a write off?

 

[daveenty]

If there is documented proof of what happened to the car and how it was repaired, then I'd probably go for a Cat D, especially if it was going to be a long term keeper. I would however be a bit more wary of a Cat C for obvious reasons.

I'd also expect a considerable reduction in price to reflect the fact that it's been categorised...

 

[merc85]

No, There's usually plenty of other cars out there

 

[bob6600]

If there is documented proof of what happened to the car and how it was repaired, then I'd probably go for a Cat D, especially if it was going to be a long term keeper. I would however be a bit more wary of a Cat C for obvious reasons.

I'd also expect a considerable reduction in price to reflect the fact that it's been categorised...

^^This, although I have never found one (that I'm looking for) that has the details of the write off. Also, they seem to be not much cheaper than non categorised cars

 

[E55BOF]

I bought a Cat C Saab 9-5 at about 30% lower than the going rate. I kept it for five years/40K miles and it was fine.

How reputable is the dealer? A body shop tech might take one look at it and say it's had major repairs...

People don't generally buy M3 convertibles not to use them, so check the MoT history to see what mileage it has done since the write-off; if very little, keep well away - it's probably a money pit. If it's been driven, test drive it to see what you think.

 

[Doodle]

Only if it was obsequiously cheaper, or a very rare vehicle. Otherwise there are always other options out there. Especially E46 M3s.

 

[horatio]

I would buy a Cat D if a) the car was of low value when the accident occurred and b) you have evidence of what happened.

My uncle has an old Focus estate which was written off by a v.minor bump on the rear bumper/tailgate. He bought it back and has carried on using it without any repair at all. It's only a slight dent and scuff.

The M3 forget it. Plus that model may become a classic in the future - being a former write off will really kill off any appreciation.

 

[vijilants]

My old Mk1 focus was written off as a cat D whilst in my possesion....tiny bump on the tailgate as I was shunted, but uneconomical for the insurance company to repair as they use new parts etc.

I bought it back and continued to drive it as a Cat D.....there was absolutely nothing wrong with it apart from a tiny dent in the tailgate.

 

[gramey]

Thanks for the replies, I particularly want a black on black manual and short of very low mileage stupidly priced ones that combination seems few and far between, I'm waiting for the dealer to come back to me to find out which category and why.

 

[clk320x]

Never.. no shortage of cars.. just seems a hassle in every way.. selling on will be painful and I'm told insuring it will be a hassle. Furthermore there are a lot of cheapskates out there how are we to know it's been properly repaired?

 

[Mactech]

I would (and have) bought Cat D & C cars. There is generally about a 25% saving on price for the exact same car if it has been properly repaired.
The cat C shares a bit of a stigma in the UK which hails back to the old 'cut and shut' horrors of yesteryear, but in some european countries there is very little value difference.
Because I have spent my life in motorsport, I regard all cars as just a bunch of components and I know that they can be put back to full health if, , and that is the important word, if they are repaired correctly.
Due to some of the more modern 'new for old' insurance policies Cat C and D can make a really good long term buy...the 25% off seems to stay with the vehicle whatever it's age meaning it becomes a much smaller number as the car gets older.
If you know the damage, and it is not a flood or fire damage, then they can be very cost effective transport.

 

[Benzowner]

Call into see your local body repair shop and ask if one of their staff can accompany you to see the car, they will know how the car was repaired and where to look for other tell tell signs of accident damage. They may charge a small fee, but well worth it.

 

[Piff]

Bought a cat D a few years back. Looked good on the surface but had been cheaply repaired. Cooling fan broken & not replaced. Foglights held in with insulation tape. One of the headlights not properly fixed. Price was cheap though and suited our needs at the time

 

[m11nch]

If done properly I would buy a cat d or c No worries as most cars these days are just a sum of parts

 

[zenman63]

I have had a few Cat D cars but I repair them properly and take lots of pictures, our SLK350 is cat D and you would never know.
I comes down to what it was like and how its been repaired, pictures before are vital, some are so light its a wonder why that never repaired it and others are mega.

 

[jjcodex]

I personally wouldn't have much of an issue driving a cat c or d car if properly repaired BUT the main put off for me is the additional hassle factor on the sell off the car in the future (as there is no doubt that many people will not consider them).

I think one has to consider this potential impact on future value when making a final decision- you will pay less now, but get less later added to the additional difficulties in selling.

M3 buyers can be particular....

J

 

[AMGeed]

If high miles and Cat D don't put you off, this C63 looks an excellent buy on the surface. Certainly cheap(ish) C63 ownership.
MERCEDES C63 AMG 6.3 V8 PERFORMANCE PACK FULLY LOADED M3 GTI S3 VXR R32 C CLASS

 

[gIzzE]

In 2013 E46 M3s were fetching very, very good money, so for it to have been written off it must have been a pretty big pang if it wasn't stolen.

I would have no issues buying a Cat D car if I was going to run it for a long time, but not on an M3, where many won't touch the car if it missed its 2000 mile running in service, I think you may find it very hard to move on if you need/want to at a later date.

I remember this being discussed on M3cutters a while back, most said it needed to be around 1/3 cheaper, and that was when a 100k mile example was still £15-20k.

Also, I remember someone buying a Cat D M3 back in around the E92 M3 launched and no one would insure it, so just double check on that before you pull the trigger.


Oh, and you are going for the wrong gearbox and interior.

 

[gIzzE]

One other thing, if you go for a coloured interior, you will get loads of owners on the forum itching to swap for their black interior.

What budget and mileage you looking at?

 

[bob6600]

If high miles and Cat D don't put you off, this C63 looks an excellent buy on the surface. Certainly cheap(ish) C63 ownership.
MERCEDES C63 AMG 6.3 V8 PERFORMANCE PACK FULLY LOADED M3 GTI S3 VXR R32 C CLASS

Maybe I'm sceptical but when people advertise CAT C or D's, why hide it at the end of the ad with no details?

Also that one has '3 months warranty remaining'...so either a trader in disguise will flog it with a cheap warranty or he has only recently bought it so you have to ask why selling it on so quick?

If all checks out though, not a bad buy