My cat B car so far!

[toehold]

Mattc

Yes that was me and I do play a lot of golf but the reg on that car is not "ping" apertaining to golf or mine I borrowed it to pick up the 4 wheels. I will obviously sort this out it is not a problem and as I have said I do appreciate the help but I do not like someone I do not know or have ever met telling me to take my car off the road until it is sorted that is up to me not them....rant over!

 

[toehold]

Lets get one thing straight the car is not dangerous in any way ask Ian at Works it is spot on! Now people are jumping on the bandwagon starting to scaremonger about a car that has been used on the roads for several years has done thousands of more miles after the cat whatever accident has just had a new MOT and full service and check over and now say it should not be on the road !!!

 

[SilverSaloon]

HPI Check ? Glossary of Terms for the HPI Check & the motor trade

Although write-offs can legitimately be allowed back on the road, almost half are beyond repair. Look for the ones that have passed an independent inspection, such as those on HPI's Condition Inspected register. Since 1997, the Association of British Insurers (ABI) has provided classification of damage to vehicles that have been written off. Category 'A' or 'B' must never reappear on the road, whilst 'C' and 'D' may do so following proper repair, passing an independent Thatcham-approved structural examination.

So maybe just "guidelines" rather than law...

i found this thread by you...

Category B. Good news!! - MoneySavingExpert.com Forums

 

[mattc]

derek - I think he found that in post 57

 

[SilverSaloon]

lots of info here, but does appear just to be guidelines...

http://www.abi.org.uk/Information/Codes_and_Guidance_Notes/40510.pdf

Have you informed your insurance company of the CAT B yet? Yes they appear to be just guidelines but who will insure it?

 

[toehold]

As I thought no problem with my insurance there is no extra premium but I will receive 20% less of the cars value if written off that I can live with! According to my broker any Cat car can be reregistered if it has a VIC after a certain date that is and needs an MOT. The categories are defined by the ABI (insurance companies) and are for their purpose of paying out to what sort of damage and what price to fix i.e a front end on a mini might not warrant a write off but would on say an older Ferrari etc.

I have not found out the reason the car was a cat B but it looks likely to have been water damaged as the car has not had a new shell or any major chasis repairs.

 

[keysl]

That cant be a Cat B...

I'd agree - especially if Ian has looked at it. It could have been "ringed" but I bet it's a mistake on the classification records. Probably C or D.

 

[harry_dhuga]

Check this Cat B BMW Convertible............

************* BMW 320 CI CONVERTABLE CAT B.*********** on eBay (end time 13-Aug-10 09:54:14 BST)

Seems strange how that could be classed as a Cat B - can't see any major damage.

 

[Mudster]

I have not found out the reason the car was a cat B but it looks likely to have been water damaged as the car has not had a new shell or any major chasis repairs.

Actually water damage makes sense in this case. A 1998 E55 would have been still quite valuable at 2 years old (when the total loss occured).

So there's either a substantial amount of damage, a drowned car or possibly stolen recovered at a later date (or does stolen recovered have a different category).

I once owned a Cat D car, when I'd bought it I was unaware at the time, but I liked it and it was cheap.

When I found out it was registered I booked it in with Autolign (the only bods that can "remove" the Cat from Hpi) and had it inspected.

It had clearly never been in an accident, it hadn't even had a panel repainted as part of the test was a paint depth inpection of every panel. We had no idea why it had been a write off.

The Autolign inspection was extremely thorough, actually watching it being done it's what an MOT should be - it would take a lot of sheds off the road and rightly so.

Interestingly at the time (and this is 5+ years ago) my insurer refused to cover it until it was inspected and marked on HPi the same (as Inspected repaired).

 

[Rory]

After a bit of searching on another forum I came up with this post below which looking at my car makes me think it might have been water damaged to be a total loss if the cat b status is correct and will have had a VIC check at sometime to have been put back on the road.

Quote

"have recently purchased a category B total loss vehicle. The vehicle was flood damaged in 2006, ....."

That scenario is certainly feasible, we've had a few incidents of mass flooding in the UK where almost new car have been written off, including a CLS belonging to someone on this and/or the other forum.

The insurance companies insist on writing them off for a couple of reasons:
1) It's hard to be certain of the extent of the damage and related faults could keep arising for years.
2) There's a potential health risk due to sewage contamination in flood water.

It's for the health risk reason that the car is supposed to be destroyed.

 

[harry_dhuga]

I purchased a Saab 9-5 Aero HOT which I got at a good price, it was a Cat C but had a VIC certificate and it drove absolutely spot on.

If you don't know why it has been classed as as a Cat B or C for example I think there is always a risk that it could be a potential death trap - if it at least has a VIC then you can feel a little happier knowing that it's gone through some sort of scrutineering to allow it back on the road.

 

[harry_dhuga]

By the way I had a look at the cert I got - and it is showing 2000 so was written off pretty early on. It had a lot of owners 7 or 8 previous if I can remember rightly and had numerous plate changes. I do remember when I spoke to HPI they said this could be to 'cover up' any issues - who knows...???

The mystery still remains as to why, the truth is out there..!!!

** Should I even be allowed on this forum still and be inputting my 2 pence worth as I don't drive a Mercedes anymore..?? **

 

[DuFFmAn]

I'm pretty sure (Correct me if I'm wrong), but when your vehicle becomes a Cat A, B or C, they take the V5c document of you before handing over any cash. And the only way you can apply for a new V5c is to get a VIC test done.

My old car was hit by a bus. The insurance let me keep the car but took the log book from me and told me that I needed to re-apply for it.

I don't really see the problem with the vehicle based on my assumptions above.

The vehicle was written off, VIC test done, V5c applied for and the taxed and MOT'd.

Any thoughts?

 

[Mudster]

VIC was only introduced in 2003, OP's car was total loss in 2000 so again, like the DVLA situation there was no requirement at the time to have this.

For cars written off before 2003, an MOT is not proof of a VIC, it's proof that it passes an MOT which is not quite the same thing.

Linky to the govt site that expalins all:-

Do remember though that before this it was pretty unregualted - i.e you buy the wreck back and just get the V5 with it...no checks.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motorin...e/AdviceOnBuyingAndSellingAVehicle/DG_4022107


Here's a breakdown of what's what in more laymans terms.

http://www.dvtani.gov.uk/vehicletesting/vicfaqs.asp

 

[toehold]

The car has had 5 previous owners and changing the registration to a personal plate no matter how many times covers nothing up at all as the person at HPI should know but then again working for them does not make anyone an expert.

 

[timk]

I think it's highly likely that if your car is actually a Cat B, then it was originally flood damaged -if as you say there is little or no structural damage. I remember going to a big salvage yard with a friend a couple of years back after the huge floods and there were rows of brand new Volvos and Mercs which started and drove but were classified as breakers because of water contamination (i.e. the water had gone above door sill level and was deemed contaminated, therefore a health hazard). All of those brand new cars had to be broken for spares..

 

[Mudster]

As I thought no problem with my insurance there is no extra premium but I will receive 20% less of the cars value if written off that I can live with! According to my broker any Cat car can be reregistered if it has a VIC after a certain date that is and needs an MOT. The categories are defined by the ABI (insurance companies) and are for their purpose of paying out to what sort of damage and what price to fix i.e a front end on a mini might not warrant a write off but would on say an older Ferrari etc.

I have not found out the reason the car was a cat B but it looks likely to have been water damaged as the car has not had a new shell or any major chasis repairs.

Just a point that might be worth checking (particularly with your broker), is what the case is for cars that were write offs before the VIC's were implemented, i.e. 2003.

I think you'll find that you'll need an engineers inspection (with a firm like Autolign) despite having an MOT.

You can't ask or apply for a VIC, it's an automatic thing when a marker is placed with the DVLA, which as we've already discovered didn't happen as it wasn't a requirement in 2000.

Double check your insurance again explaining your car was never subject to a VIC and doesn't have one (I'm assuming) as the total loss was before the requirement for this.

Now is the time to double check all this, not after an incident has ocurred.

 

[toehold]

Remember a VIC is only a check to make sure a car has not been ringed it is a documentation check nothing structural or mechanical. I have told my insurance that it is a cat b why should I have to tell them anything else this is conjecture not failing to disclose! I am amazed at the interest and how so many people have posted with their concerns about my car 6 pages and counting? Is everyone truly worried for me if I have an accident and problems with my claim or is there another reason that some are pushing me to tell my insurance what I had for breakfast?

Has everyone on here informed their insurers if they have modified their cars as in different air filters sports exhausts different brakes different steering wheels non standard alloys go faster stripes! Because according to some failing to disclose anything that you know which is not standard might affect a claim and some on here will lose sleep if they know you have not done so.

 

[trapperjohn]

If Jobe (I think that is how you spell it) were around toehold I’m sure you could tell him a thing or two about patience.
I was lurking at 124 Works as you loaded up the wheels too. I wondered what tasty motor they were going on. So now I know.
Thanks for the info on the VIC Check. I thought it was some sort of heavy MoT conducted at a VoSA station checking all sorts of structural things relating to what the vehicle was written off for in the first place. Where did I get that info, just plucked it out of the ether in my own mind. I learn something everyday.
Good Luck with your motor.

 

[Mudster]

Deleted.