oops! bought a cat B!!!

[Alyman]

went out last night and bought a daytona yellow (yuck!) 325i convertible for the princely sum of Ԛ£400

ran a check on the reg number this morning and it turns out the car was written off as a category B in 1998

I'm not too fussed as I should be able to make my money back by selling off the nicer bits (full black leather interior etc)

But before I go tearing it apart I was wondering if anyone knows if its possible that the car might have actually been repaired to a roadworthy standard after the accident? Is there any way back onto the road for a cat b car? I only ask as I know that a lot of money has been spent on the car since the accident (in fact, among the reciepts I have there is one for the sale of the car in 2001 for Ԛ£4500!).

[Falkster]

I thought Cat B couldnt go back on the road....only C and D could!

[alan325i]

im sure a CAT B has to be checked out before being put back onto the road like an MOT on steriods
Body alignment and the repair is inspected with a microscope LOL if it wasnt up to sratch then it would not have been allowed back on the road.

[Brianmoooore]

Where's it been for the last eight years?

[Alyman]

changing hands by the look if it! the report that i got back stated that the car has had 9 owners and three colour changes...

[SPADGE]

I bet that car could tell you some storys lol
I thought cat B 's also wern't supposed to go back on the road but have no idea when that law if i'm right came in?

[kam-325i]

Cat B's can be put back on the road, but after the repairs have been done, the vehcle is inpected by VOSA, call it a HypersuperMot, The car is checked against original specs, everything is checked, down to the mm... All parts used in the repair must be logged and be from the vehicle manufacturer.....No OeM parts...

[Alyman]

So how would I go about checking to see if the car had been properly repaired? Would the DVLA have a record of that kind of stuff?

looking through some of the paperwork, and i've just noticed that the VIN number on a couple of the MOTs doesn't match up! Using the online BMW vin decoder thing brings up the correct details for one of the vin numbers:

Vehicle code BB22
Series E30
Model 325i
Body type convertible
Catalog model ECE
Production date 1989 / 02
Engine M20
Transmission Automatic
Steering Right
Catalyzer YES

The other VIN number brings up this:

Vehicle code DD51
Series E39
Model 528i
Body type saloon
Catalog model ECE
Production date 1995 / 02
Engine M52
Transmission Manual
Steering Left
Catalyzer YES

Seems to have had a colourful history, and not just the resprays

[Falkster]

So its gone from an E30 to an E39??

[kam-325i]

If it has been done properly, then DVLA and VOSA will have the details, there should also be a certificate with the paperwork from the VOSA.

Which VIN has it got now ?

[Falkster]

Makes no difference mate.

Im trying to add some info but wont let me cut n paste, saying Cat A and B cant 'ever' be put back on the road but C and D with correct paperwork (MOT on steroids) can. So I have no idea how it has been sold before and been on the road for so long....more so why the f**k would anyone spend 4,500 on it after the stuff knowing its been staved?

[Simon]

VIN's on the MOT's I wouldn't worry about too much, they often get a couple of digits wrong along the line, unless they are seriously out, i.e. more then 1 or 2 digits wrong.

[beardymat]

there is nothing illegal about putting cat b cars back on the road. i know a salvage repairer who mostly repairs cat b cars,he takes them for a vic check (vehicle identity check) as you would with a cat c car.they only check to make sure it has not been repaired with stolen bits but would not pass it if it was seriously unroadworthy. after that a log book is issued and off you go.

the problem is some insurance companys are not keen on insuring these cars but if you had an independant engineers report stating that the repairs were good i cant see this being too much hassle.

the other thing to consider about your particular car is if its had up to eight MOTs it would not have passed if it was seriously unsafe.also it could have been cat b for flood damage or light fire

i am currently repairing a cat b car for one of my customers (he wants it for himself) and i must say the damage is not as horrendous as you might imagine,i have seen a mercedes SLR on a cat d where you could just about recognise the rear wheel but because the catagories work on value and the engineers own (often missguided) opinion its not as simple as cat d = scratch on bumper and cat b = car ripped in half and driver torn into pieces.

another example is a new golf R32 i have just put a new roof skin on due to fire damage.the car needs a wiring loom and an interior and has had a little shot blasting to get rid of the fire damage = cat b.mostly nuts and bolts. when i worked at the dealers i was replacing no end of panels,sometimes full front ends or rear ends when cars were new enough.a year later they were traded in and back on the pitch of the dealer and it would not show up as damaged on any check .

[320iAN]

if it's dealt with proper it should be on the front page (bottom) printed that it has been accident damaged, CAT: B and also (not always) if insurance have payed out on the car

[Alyman]

Thats some good info lads, cheers - I'm gonna get in touch with VOSA/DVLA and see if they have any records for the car..I've just been down and checked the VIN on the car, it's the right one (matches up with the number on the MOT from last year). No idea whats going on with the strange VIN number on the MOT from 2000 - a left hand drive E39? Bizzare -

[Gortour]

At least it was cheap and the bits will return your money. Good luck.
Anything in the paperwork relating to MOT or safety checks or anything since? You could see what DVLA have on the car. Try http://www.vehiclelicence.gov.uk/EvlPor ... le+Enquiry

May have changed since 1998, but as far as I can find...

Category A: SCRAP
Where a vehicle has been destroyed by fire or so badly damaged, destroyed or deformed that it has no commercial salvageable parts, or the vehicle has been involved in a flood over seat level. The vehicle must be decontaminated and then the bodyshell crushed.

Category B: BREAKER
Where a vehicle has sustained serious damage, is beyond economical repair and cannot be safely repaired. The vehicle should not be repaired but sold for parts only to authorised breakers / dismantlers. These vehicles can be purchased only by authorised breakers / dismantlers.

Category C: REPAIRER
A vehicle where the repairs are assessed by the inspecting engineer as, exceeding the pre-accident market value.

Category D: REPAIRER
Where the cost of repairs do not exceed the value of the vehicle but either the insurer or the insured does not want to repair the vehicle. These vehicles are repairable.

STOLEN RECOVERED: MINIMAL DAMAGE
Where the insurer has settled the claim with the policyholder and then the stolen vehicle is found and the vehicle has no damage or very little damage in respect of the value of the vehicle. These vehicles can be purchased at Stolen Recovered auctions.

[Falkster]

Write-off

This is a term for a vehicle that has been declared a total loss by an insurer following accident damage or theft.

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.

[Falkster]

ooops beat me

[kam-325i]

How many numbers were wrong on the Vin ?

[Alyman]

there were two digits wrong, both of them letters - E and C had been written as B and O

[Sanchez]

do you no anyone in the force that could check up on the reg and let you no if its good or not. Dont tell him you bought the car just an enquiry.

[kam-325i]

Could of been a lazy MoT Tester, not reading the Vin right, most of the time the will copy it of an old MoT certificate.

[Sanchez]

do you have any idea what the damage was?

[Alyman]

just ran an info check on the DVLA site, it just gave me the vehicle details, nothing about it having been condemned/repaired. Think I'll drop them an email anyway, see if they have anything more on file.

[Sanchez]

is it not strange the E39 is a left hand drive?

[jmc330i]

May have changed since 1998, but as far as I can find...

Category A: SCRAP
or the vehicle has been involved in a flood over seat level. The vehicle must be decontaminated and then the bodyshell crushed.

A few years ago my Grandmothers Rover Metro was flooded halfway up the windows - pretty much the only thing not to be covered by water was the roof lining. Insurance company took the car away and 2-3 weeks later delivered it back with new seats, carpets etc

[Alyman]

"do you have any idea what the damage was?"

I've no idea what the damage was, but the car has been converted from an auto into a manual and has the earlier M20 engine instead of the later one it would have had originally.. but that was done within the last three years (the guy i got the car off had owned it since 2003 and he did the work himself).

[Sanchez]

does it have a private plate starting with a and a M3 body kit. Ive seen this car around the newington area but its nore golden yellow than bright yellow.

[zaust]

I thought Cat B couldnt go back on the road....only C and D could!

Cat C Beyond economical repair but can go back on the road.

Cat B the part's can be used but the car cannot go back on the road.

Cat A scrape it and nothing can be used.

[Sanchez]

this is from the Fabdirect website.



* All parts are sold on a 1st come 1st served basis

* All vehicles shown are Cat B, Break only,
unless otherwise stated.
Shells/chassis will be crushed.
No exceptions!


* For all inquiries and orders, please see our Orders page

[Alyman]

Sanchez, I think I know the car you're talking about, nice looking motor, think its been sprayed phoenix gold, one of the newer BMW colours. - its not the one I bought though, this one is a terrible colour (i was gonna get it sprayed) - daytona (pale) yellow, not even metallic!

[Sanchez]

ive only seen it in the dark. Bodykit looks good though. Good luck with it hope it turns out lidgit.

Im of down the pub for the footy.

[Falkster]

I thought Cat B couldnt go back on the road....only C and D could!

Cat C Beyond economical repair but can go back on the road.

Cat B the part's can be used but the car cannot go back on the road.

Cat A scrape it and nothing can be used.

Are you agreeing with me or are you trying to saying Im made a grammatical error?

[zaust]

Im agreeing, and anyway my gramma is crap..lol

[beardymat]

Cat B the part's can be used but the car cannot go back on the road.

one of my customers has spent 15 years putting cat b cars back on the road and says its even easier now the vic check is around.before it had to be inspected by the police whereas now you just take it to vosa for a vic.

if the dvla dont have a problem with issueing a log book and vosa will happily vic check them and the police have been responsible for checking them in the past who is saying they cant go back on the road?

i think you will find it is the insurance companies getting arsey about people making cash from them since a cat b car will fetch nowhere near what a cat c or d car will fetch when auctioned off as a damaged vehicle.therefore they recover less money when selling cat b cars so why should someone else profit.

bottom line is cat b cars DO go back on the road and the authorities have plenty of chances to stop this but they dont.