Thoughts on this price? Cat S write off Primastar

[Powerfully Built Company Directors Secretary]

Evening all,

Apologies if this is in the wrong section to be posting in.

I'm currently looking for a bigger van, and we're looking at the Vauxhall Vivaro/Renault Trafic/Nissan Primastar. I'm after the 115hp engine as we're using it for towing so feel the 90hp model wouldn't be as good.

I've found one for sale near me at a dealer (not a main dealer). It's a 2009 Nissan Primastar, 98,000 miles, appears very clean inside and out. However, it's a category S write off. The ad explains that "This van was sold by us to the last owner 2 years ago, we have maintained it since, the drivers wheel got damaged recently and due to the age, the insurance company wrote it off, we bought it back and repaired the wheel arch".

I'm wondering whether £6,500 for this is overvalued? The Vivaro's etc all hover around £6k to £7k, but I can't find any for sale in as good a condition as this one.

Not sure if I'm allowed to post the link, so will refrain for now.

[shake n bake]

If vans of similar age mileage are only a few hundred dearer then I’d be going for the non write offs.
Watch for gearbox drone and popping out of gear on this age of van, if it’s the earlier engine where the injectors seize in the head, walk away and buy something else.

[Drive Blind]

is cat S not structural damage?

unless it's 30-40% cheaper than a clean one I wouldn't bother.

And remember when you come to sell it the cat S will reduce it's value and put folk off.

[Davie]

Cat S is something that has suffered structural damage (ie, potentially damage to shell) but that's not an absolute rule but it would hint at it being more than just a wheel and a wing that were damaged. Vans are generally rather expensive and this could be one of those, with the seller knowing that demand outweighs supply and thus somebody will buy it, but whether that somebody is you...? Just do the research / have it properly inspected and accept that it will affect resale but if it'll be run into the ground and it's cheap and has been repaired properly, then could be ok.

[Powerfully Built Company Directors Secretary]

This is the damage according to the email I received this morning asking about further damage.

I don't really know what to make of it, as it doesn't look structural to me so it makes me wonder whether something else has happened previously and this is the cover?

I think the gut feeling is a no, given it's the same price or higher than others.

[Watchthis]

If that was the extent of the damage they wouldn't have even claimed insurance on it so I call BS

[SteBrown91]

Powerfully Built Company Directors Secretary said:

This is the damage according to the email I received this morning asking about further damage.

I don't really know what to make of it, as it doesn't look structural to me so it makes me wonder whether something else has happened previously and this is the cover?

I think the gut feeling is a no, given it's the same price or higher than others.

That inner arch is welded in and part of the lower door frame, so if thats got bent then it could have been a write-off. However it wouldnt affect the drive of the van. You could cut out a panel from a good one and get it welded in easy enough.

Looking at it I think its had a replacement door, wing, wheel and possibly a strut from a scrappy and then they have left the damage underneath which is harder to fix.

Its not the end of the world but I wouldnt be paying 6500 for it with that damage.

[Powerfully Built Company Directors Secretary]

Watchthis said:

If that was the extent of the damage they wouldn't have even claimed insurance on it so I call BS

Especially on a trade policy, which probably has a high excess so doesn't seem logical to claim?

[Powerfully Built Company Directors Secretary]

SteBrown91 said:

Powerfully Built Company Directors Secretary said:

This is the damage according to the email I received this morning asking about further damage.

I don't really know what to make of it, as it doesn't look structural to me so it makes me wonder whether something else has happened previously and this is the cover?

I think the gut feeling is a no, given it's the same price or higher than others.

That inner arch is welded in and part of the lower door frame, so if thats got bent then it could have been a write-off. However it wouldnt affect the drive of the van. You could cut out a panel from a good one and get it welded in easy enough.

Looking at it I think its had a replacement door, wing, wheel and possibly a strut from a scrappy and then they have left the damage underneath which is harder to fix.

Its not the end of the world but I wouldnt be paying 6500 for it with that damage.

I agree, definitely overpriced based on that. I'm happy with a Cat N/Cat D as it'll be run into the ground and my current car is a Cat D, but a cat S I'm skeptical of. Even more so now.

Thanks everyone for the advice!

[Trevor555]

Powerfully Built Company Directors Secretary said:

I'm happy with a Cat N/Cat D

Make sure you take any Cat car/van up to 70mph and hit the brakes hardish to see if it brakes in a straight line.

Don't want to be finding out it's bent when you actually need to hit the brakes at 70mph.

So many "repaired" cars are deathtraps.

As for the photo, do they have photos of the other side? Front end?