Some insurance won't touch you, and if they do, it might have an inflated price. Even though it could be a perfectly fine vehicle, they see it as being a higher risk. Also likely to have a lower payout in the event of a crash.

But if you aren't buying to make money, and the work has been done well, there are some cheap motors to be had out there.
 
Not worried about making money, the motor is just what i was looking for but I'm put off by the cat c and the fact that the seller hasn't answered my e-mail. I'd add the link if I knew how
 
@tomcat59alan Alan, if you're not bothered about a possible hit when moving it on, then, so long as it's an acceptable reason for Cat C, I wouldn't worry. I bought my 7 series Volvo many years ago , as a Cat C , out of a scrap yard. I had loved the look of the 7 series since the day I first laid eyes on them but couldn't afford one. My Dad was at the scrappy for something and saw it sitting there. He asked the guy how much and was surprised to find it was a third of the book price. He then asked why, the answer was because it had a dent above the near-side wheel arch and needed a new rear bumper. Which , by the time all costs came in didn't make it viable for the insurance company.
One quick call to myself and it was bought. I had it for nearly a decade of virtual trouble free motoring. By the time I traded it in the Cat C didn't matter any more. So long story short, don't be put off just because something is a Cat C, you could end up, as I did, with a bargain.


P.s I lived with the dent as it was about the size of a 10p and we bought a bumper from the same scrappy.

* Having had a look, Volvo may have been a Cat D but I am 99.9% positive it was a C.
 
Last edited:
gold rover said:
@tomcat59alan Alan, if you're not bothered about a possible hit when moving it on, then, so long as it's an acceptable reason for Cat C, I wouldn't worry. I bought my 7 series Volvo many years ago , as a Cat C , out of a scrap yard. I had loved the look of the 7 series since the day I first laid eyes on them but couldn't afford one. My Dad was at the scrappy for something and saw it sitting there. He asked the guy how much and was surprised to find it was a third of the book price. He then asked why, the answer was because it had a dent above the near-side wheel arch and needed a new rear bumper. Which , by the time all costs came in didn't make it viable for the insurance company.
One quick call to myself and it was bought. I had it for nearly a decade of virtual trouble free motoring. By the time I traded it in the Cat C didn't matter any more. So long story short, don't be put off just because something is a Cat C, you could end up, as I did, with a bargain.


P.s I lived with the dent as it was about the size of a 10p and we bought a bumper from the same scrappy.
Click to expand...

hi

i often wonder how many vehicles that end up in the breakers yard where the ins company has deemed them beyond economical repair

a friend and i saw a lovely range a few years back, air bags had gone off and ins company wrote it off , think it was around a 2010 , paint work was exemptional in black that seemed to have like a silver fleck in it, if that makes sense

i bought my D3 where half of the curtain airbags had gone off, wasn’t a cat C though , bought the curtain airbags and seat belt pre tensioners , done all the work myself and don’t think i spent anymore than £200

then plugged my diagnostic reader in (gap iid ) to reset the srs ecu and was like a eurika moment when the airbag light went out , then came back on, 1 x seat airbag later all sorted

after doing the airbags i always wished i had bought that rangie , leather seats had piped edging and rest of the interior looked the business
 
I wouldn't worry about it cat c and d mean the insurance company are looking after there ey often don't cost any more finance NOT the vehicles dodgy. Think about the new cost of any range l322 body panel plus quality paint bang cat d. Bit of bodywork and straightening bish cat c. Yes they have a lower value in the open market but they often don't cost more to insure. When they reach sub £1000 level no one cares anyway.
My wife's car was in 2 no fault accidents the first was repaired no questions( awful job by a big approved shop) second was deemed a write off. Took the money( 2000) and the car had it fixed for 1200 using used parts. Superb job. Much much better than a big approved company.
Jb
 
gold rover said:
https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/advice/know-how/what-is-an-insurance-write-off/

Going by this my Volvo may have been a Cat D . But for 30yrs I have said it was a Cat C and remain 99.9% sure that it was. All I know is when it was bought only issues needing repaired were the bumper and dent.
Either way I stand by the , if you're not bothered about a hit on resale and happy with condition, then go for it.
Click to expand...

Cat D is nonstructural uneconomic to repair. Even lightly damaged vehicles can be written off these days at a whim, by stating that a chassis alignment check is required. The new regulations are a bloody joke at times.
 
I brought a cat c Skoda Fabia. Stolen recovered. Spare wheel and 1 headrest missing. The underneath was 1 inch deep of red clay/ mud and straw. I presume it was chased cross country.
It passed the MOT with no work required. It was back in the days of VIC check. The guy lifted the bonnet and checked vin numbers.
 
Used to work for a place that repaired and sold cat c &d s they had no trouble moving them on as long as you are up front with the buyer
there are no issues
 
gandelf1953 said:
Used to work for a plpce that repaired and sold cat c &d s they had no trouble moving them on as long as you are up front with the buyer
there are no issues
Click to expand...
Thanks for all your input, missed out on a 10 plate cat D with 48 k on the clock that went for 15400. Looking at a cat c 08 plate for 8k
 
When you see a cat c or d in the flesh so to speak to work out parts need to be replaced to fix it which will be costed at full dealer price
add to that £45 to £50 or more per hour labour, someone with AUTO DATA could tell you the repair times, you will see it is not the damage but the cost
that rights off a car 90% are repairable
 
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