Salvage costs Cat D Clio Trophy

[J_A_R_B]

Hi All

Unfortunately somebody hit my Trophy a couple of weeks ago and as a result the car is a right off.
To summarise the damage amounts to a new rear left quarter panel possible new passenger door. On the right side I was pushed into the curb which has bent the stub axle and knackered the wheel.
On the estimates from the repair shop they have included the rear axle sub frame. Due to this part being over £1000 +VAT this has meant it is a CAT D . Repair costs are coming in at £4085 + VAT

I have been offered a settlement, which I think I am going to take having knocked them back with their first offer.
I am now keen to buy the vehicle back from my insurer and repair it. Only problem is I am not happy with the price to buy back. I have been told that the price is set as their "Guide" says so. I have asked them again to check as having spoken to a friend who has worked in the industry normally they are keen to sell them back to the owner for less hassle and expense of going to auction etc..

First of all what are peoples opinions on CAT D and their general worth compared to the same car that isn't written off.
Also what should I be looking to pay in peoples opinion's?

The car has a full service history which is Renault main dealer until the cambelt which was done by a specialist . The car has done 82,000 miles and was a good example.

I would appreciate anybodies comments

 

[Jamie]

I don't have much experience but will whack down my thoughts....

Firstly, if you repair it and buy it back I think it'll be impossible to sell in the future as the market for category registered cars is limited.

It also sounds as if the damage is substantial which means you could find more hidden costs and problems post repairal.

The value of the car I'd be going for from the insurance co would be circa £6,500.

To buy the car back I'd be pissed if it were more than £1,500 as otherwise you'll be worse of buying back and repairing at the huge £4,000 repair bill.

After repair costs I cannot see you being able to sell the car for much more than £5,000.

If you broke the car yourself I guess you could make a few k on the car.

Easiest and best way to go I think is to buy another and sack this off. Do take note which breakers yard it's going to though, as I want the bonnet and bumper as mine has a few stone chips....!

 

[hoolio]

82k I think I would cut and run unless you can get it back for less than a couple of grand. How much do they want?

 

[TTTrophy]

From a dealers point of view, your car in "retail" condition would be approx £5000-£5500, If you are quoted £4k to put it right after you have bought it back you should wave byebye to it and get another! I don't think it would be worth your while or heartache to put it right. Sorry!

 

[Ash87]

think your valuation is way off for a 82k trophy you would be looking more at 5k trade in and thats what they go with market value.

as for repairing it ,if you can buy it cheap enough do it ,as you know the car.find a friendly bodyshop and do a deal
im sure they will be glad of the work.

 

[Jonc]

What would the total spend be of buying it back and repairing it compared with taking their payment and buying another Trophy?

 

[eljeffo64]

Depending on price- I'd buy and break it, sad with such a car but a good earner if you do it correctly :-(

 

[TTTrophy]

Sorry Ash87, but if somebody is giving 5k+ plus for an 82k Trophy as a trade-in, then the car you are buying is well overpriced! Dealers are selling 40-50k Trophys for £7k, the majority of private Trophys are 6-7k with less miles on it.
I'm basing my info on guides the industry use so I think they should be close to the mark.

 

[J_A_R_B]

If I sourced the parts myself I could get all the parts for £1300 approx then £1500 would cover the labour and painting for the repair.
I am looking at around £1500 to buy back but based on the damage I think that is a bit high.
I am so annoyed about the situation as I have only had the motor a couple of months and it's not like I was driving like an idiot and deserved it.

There does seem a divided opinion about buying a CAT D cars I would be ok with it if I saw the evidence of what happened and it wasn't that bad then it would be ok with me. However if the owner didn't know the history to why/how it was written off then I wouldn't bother.

 

[eljeffo64]

If you do buy it back and repair it you will need to have comprehensive photos of before and after, plus an independant engineers report on file - if not selling it on will be impossible without taking a huge loss: even then it wont be easy! If you are planning on keeping it then maybe.....

 

[Sir_Dave]

We just broke a PH1 172 and cleared just under £2k in parts.

A Trophy would break for at least £3k, so id buy it back & do that ...

 

[Cue]

i was just about to suggest what sir_dave has said - buy back for £1200 and break it for parts, you'll be looking at £2500 at least i'd have though so could double you money.

 

[Jamie]

You should get what you paid for it, if you only bought it a small period of time ago.

 

[Gordon]

Sad to hear this JARB. My view would be to take the settlement; presuming it's not a joke and the 'fair' trade value for a T. Although sadly fair and trade never go together it seems. Then buy the chassis back and break it. There is no way the insurance firm should want much for it. To you the Sachs, Recaro's and Speedlines will be worth a fair amount on their own. Then there's the engine, 'box, lights, panels and bits and bobs like steering wheel, if grips not melted already.

I would hesitate on the rebuild based on various parameters, including finding other gremlins when you strip it to put it back together (could it need to go on a jig), it never quite being the same again, people staying well away from CAT D's and more importantly; if the rear quarter needs replacing that is a major chop job.

I once faced a similar problem (although it wasn't written off and I only needed the skin of the rear quarter) and I was shocked at the level of repair that had to be performed. I was told by the bodyshop that to conform to Thatcham safety stipulations most of the side of the car had to be removed. The external skin panel was chopped from halfway along the door sill and corresponding roof section above, along the roof panel line, all the way to the boot, down boot to wheel arch, and from the rear wheel arch, along the rear quarter sill, back to the door still...major surgery.

Doors, bonnets, wings, boots, and roofs to a certain extent, are easy repairs. You can get the panels seperately. If it's a rear quarter you could in effect need a new shell to get a straight car...bummer.

Here's another idea. Take the settlement, but a new car with that. Buy the T back, reshell/repair it and turn it into an awesome rally or track day car. Good luck with whatever outcome you choose.

 

[big balls]

cat d is fine if repaired correctly after all cat d is only panel damage and in most cases its labour costs and the price of parts that push it over price of repair

 

[Cue]

problem for me is that very often cars that should be catorgorised as C's are put down by lazy insurance companies as D's..... I've seen a few Cat D's that could even be described as B's. There's 'not economical', then there's 'not sensible' then there's 'no way, but some parts can be sold'.