Would you buy a Cat D/C or an import?

[ian11]

A friend asked me this the other day and I answered for the specific car he was looking at (a Cat C 993) as "buy it but it may never be straight and it will be hard to sell", same with imports "hard to insure, non-standard bits, hard to sell"

I'm a bit picky about cars and I dismiss cars for any Cat, any respray (regardless of the excuse) and I wouldn't touch an import, even if it's identical to UK spec. I was offered a Japanese SL320 a while ago, very nice example, but a Japanese sold German car in the Gulf?? eh?? I said no

What's people's opinion about this? Am I walking a sensible line or just missing out on some bargains?

I'm conscious a 90s car can be written off by a broken headlight whereas a 2009 can take a pounding and remain economical to repair (worrying with the popularity of track days)!

 

[HowardD]

I'm always mindful that I will want to sell any car I buy at some point in the future; anything that might make it harder to sell would probably put me off.

Although, if its a good car and well priced, i'd have to consider each situation on its merits. HD

 

[Blackv5]

I have a jap import. But its not my merc. Subaru. Jap spec was much better than uk.

 

[Colin_b]

A friend asked me this the other day and I answered for the specific car he was looking at (a Cat C 993) as "buy it but it may never be straight and it will be hard to sell", same with imports "hard to insure, non-standard bits, hard to sell"

I'm a bit picky about cars and I dismiss cars for any Cat, any respray (regardless of the excuse) and I wouldn't touch an import, even if it's identical to UK spec. I was offered a Japanese SL320 a while ago, very nice example, but a Japanese sold German car in the Gulf?? eh?? I said no

What's people's opinion about this? Am I walking a sensible line or just missing out on some bargains?

I'm conscious a 90s car can be written off by a broken headlight whereas a 2009 can take a pounding and remain economical to repair (worrying with the popularity of track days)!

Depends on price and condition, and the nature of the incident causing the damage.

So, it depends. Personally, I wouldn't in normal circumstances, I don't have the time or expertise to spot a true lemon.

 

[d w124]

What's people's opinion about this? Am I walking a sensible line or just missing out on some bargains?

Regarding the cat c yes and no.Some cars have chasiss damage hence they`re w-off.On some others like old mercs with bodykit,only a damage to the bumper would be cat c as you can`t get them anymore

 

[219]

It all depends if the price is right .

Cat C/D cars can be bargains if properly repaired / everything truthfully declared .

Imports ? Non standard bits ? They will be perfectly standard for the market of origin - one of my Mercs is LHD , imported from Germany in 1964 after seven years in the Fatherland - never been a problem and I could sell it today for 30x - 50x what I paid for it in 1982 - but then I'm not selling .

I buy my cars to keep , sometimes give them away , can't remember the last time I sold one for money !

 

[Ian B Walker]

I have a cat D E300 diesel. All it was written off for was the rear bumper and rear panel behind it. It is a shame to consign this car to the scrap yard as apart from mentioned damage there is nothing wrong with it, no rust, clean blemish free leather interior. Reason for cat D, cost prohibitive repair. For me, second hand bumper about £50. New rear panel, £65. Spray work, £150. So for less than £300 I will have a nice car. But it will always remain a cat D.

 

[Honey Bear]

I've taught myself a lot in temrs of importing. With my cigars coming from Cuba occasionally, other times Switzerland, they tend to get stung by customs.

I used to buy any old thing when I started this little hobby. It got real expensive, real fast. I had always avoided UK VAT. Even importing damaged cigars would still be quite expensive. More recently I've become accustomed to buying cigars (or for that matter tobacco related products) at specialists. Travelling long distances usually meant the best deals.

Unless it is something really special, and I mean bloody super rare stuff, I would avoid it completely. Take each on case value.

 

[Benzowner]

Personally, unless you have kmowledge of how to repair cars and the cost implications, or have a mate who would do the work, I would steer clear of cat C. Imports are another matter, you buy them cheap, normally, and sell them equally cheap. Having said that, specialist cars, Nissan GTR's, Imprezzas and Mitsubishi Evo's comand a premium. Nissan GTR's in particualr as certainly as far as I know, the R32 and R33 were never made in LHD not sure about the newer models. And of course, many of the later G Wagens currently available are imports and usually LHD. I suppose you take a risk whatever you buy, albeit in most cases a calculated risk.

 

[A-AvantGarde]

I would steer clear of Cat C / D. Imports however are another matter. Whilst I'm not a fan of Jap import MX5s etc. I would consider an import, in fact I've previously looked at US spec 996s (when the £ was much more favourable!). In a similar vain I wouldn't discount a Euro import either.

 

[moonloops]

Cat D if it was cheap enough to throw away after getting a lot of use out of it..

Imports - yep if they are Japs. Had an impreza Type R which was better and cheaper than a UK impreza P1.

Now got a jap import Toyota Mr2 Turbo which is better all round than the same UK car (apart from factory stereo not having amp etc). Has leather, aircon, abs and a turbo all that UK did not have for the same year.

 

[kusanku]

I considered a Hong Kong 129 series 500SL. Seemed like a good car, with low mileage, RHD, FSH etc. I sought advice, and was basically told only buy it if it is significantly cheaper than a UK model. It wasn't so I didn't.

 

[MarkJunedd]

My car is a Cat D. Was written off due to someone reversing into to the drivers door. Door was replaced,all sprayed to excellent standard , vosa inspected and cert issued. I'm very picky with cars and can spot a lemon a mile off and i had no hesitation in buying mine. As for resale, I didnt buy it to sell, unless it failed catastrophically i intend to keep it till i'm cold. As for imports, my wife had an MR2 a few years ago and as someone has stated the spec on jap cars is higher than UK. It had everything as standard and we sold that with no problems.

 

[NewMB]

Personally I would never even look at a Cat C or D write-off, or any write-off for that matter. Imports are not a problem as long as it meets UK regs and have a spec higher than the british equivalent car.

 

[gIzzE]

Depends on the age of the car, Cat D is actually fine as the point at which they are written off can be absurd.
Friend on mine was trying to decide whether it was worth claiming on his insurance for a dent on his rear door that happened in a car park, he had to pay the first £350 excess and he had a quote for £550 to repair and spray the side of the car, he was trying to decide whether it was worth the extra his policy might go up by.
he quote was £550+vat so he went with the insurer, however, they went through mercedes and they quoted for a new door and complete respray down that side, which came in at £1800, as the car was only worth around £4500 they classed this as not worth doing as it was over 1/3 of the value, so they wrote it off.

He then bought the car back off them for peanuts and got it repaired, you would never tell.

 

[crockers]

My wife's first Honda CR-V was imported from Cyprus. Made in Japan and came with a EU cert of conformity. No problem selling it after 4 years. Her second one was made in Swindon and bought via Holland. Saved over £2000. It is now 8 years old and don't think its origin makes any difference to its value after than amount of time.
Bought both via Bob Gerard in Leicester.

 

[Setanta]

The 1999 registered W140 S600L that disappeared off autotrader at the end of last week was a Cat D. The owner said that the bonnet flew up last year, took out the windshield and glass sunroof and the insurance company wanted to write it off but he did not want them to.

Err....that you took the payout and bought the car back from them means that it was put on the register- which was the case when I did the HPI on it! Hope he told his insurance company that it was a Cat D since he seemed to think it was not.

Did not go ahead with it since the aircon was not working (MB said that there was no pressure) so not worth the risk that it is the evaporator.

Anyone on here buy it?