crash repair

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Discussion

PaulR

Original Poster:

76 posts

260 months

Monday 23rd May 2005
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What do the different catergorys mean ie cat c or cat d when they are crash repaired

ninemeister

1,146 posts

259 months

Tuesday 24th May 2005
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In theory, the following would appear on the HPI "condition alert" register as:

Cat D = light damage

Cat C = medium/heavy damage

Cat B = very heavy damage, break only (car must be stripped for parts, shell usually destroyed)

Cat X = whole car destroyed, no parts recovered

Once a car of condition D or C is repaired, it can be taken for inspection to the Ministry of Transport approved Autolign. Assuming that the repairs are satisfactory (this is meticulous, even checking wheel alignment, tyres, undertrays, etc) a certificate of inspection is issued and the car then removed from the "condition alert" register and placed on the "condition inspected" register. According to Autolign the vehicle should then be worth market value, but in practise would be worth around 10% less.



However, before everyone rushes to pan accident repaired cars, all I can add is that we very often do more work repairing a car for an insurance company than in repairing a Cat D or C, so just because your P&J is HPI clear do not assume that it has never had a major repair.

Henry-F

4,791 posts

246 months

Tuesday 24th May 2005
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I would also add don`t assume just because the car is showing on the "condition inspected" register all is well thought it does show willing on someone`s part to have had it inspected.

Autolign, and their competitor Popplewells who used to inspect cars (not sure if they still do), were/are predominantly checking the wheel alignment and that the cars weren`t/aren`t ringers. As to the quality of repair providing it wasn`t dangerous the car would normally pass inspection, (they were/are only ministry of transport "certified" in the same way an MOT testing station are certified).

We have seen a good many cars on the "condition inspected" register that are horrible. The rules are always the same, buy every car on condition and on it`s own merits.

Keep smiling - Henry

leosayer

7,308 posts

245 months

Tuesday 24th May 2005
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So how does a car end up being classified as a Cat C or D - is this because the the insurance company decided it was a write-off?

rubystone

11,254 posts

260 months

Tuesday 24th May 2005
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leosayer said:
So how does a car end up being classified as a Cat C or D - is this because the the insurance company decided it was a write-off?


Yes