Has anyone bought a Cat S or Cat N car and how did it go?

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Beginning_Work_4626@reddit

Doesn't answer your question but I asked ChatGPT to ELI5 Cat S or Cat N car and it said: # So here’s the simple version: * You have a cat 🐱. * You're checking if it’s not just a cat, but actually a **sports car** 🚗! * That’s a pretty funny cat! 😂

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ToPractise@reddit

What a useless comment

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Beginning_Work_4626@reddit

Yes that's the point- it was humorous to see how wildly incorrect AI was. It's okay we can't all have a sense of humour!

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Flashy-Ambition4840@reddit

I bought a bunch from Copart and repaired them myself over the years. It went well.

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ToPractise@reddit

Could you talk me through the process? Would you recommend doing it? How much was saved

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MajorTurbo@reddit

Hi Mat!

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BirthdayFrequent7823@reddit

Cat S car owner here YX56 UNR Held all bodywork together with zip ties. Sills sank straight into the floor jack. Good engine though, exhaust fell off.

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EUskeptik@reddit

I would avoid Cat S - structural damage - unless you know the car and owner very well indeed. Cat N - non-structural - is a much safer bet. I bought a Cat N car and my insurer accepted it without question and with no increased premium. The same insurer would have refused to cover Cat S.

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startexed@reddit

I’d only caveat that cat N also covers flood damage which could have a very real impact on the lifespan of the car.

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EUskeptik@reddit

Thank you, I didn’t realise that. Though a seller is obliged to state what caused the vehicle to be written off.

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startexed@reddit

I don’t think that’s true, most of the time sellers don’t know what caused it to be written off. You can find out through MIAFTR but not sure whether you can use the service before you own the car.

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HotelPuzzleheaded654@reddit

You’ve got to add on the cost of getting it repaired to a standard they pass an MOT which is why most just buy a car that aren’t CAT S or N.

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Trifusi0n@reddit

There’s plenty of cat N cars on the used market which have already been repaired.

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rogue-nebula@reddit

Check out Matt Armstrong on YouTube

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Acubeofdurp@reddit

Oh it went very well for him.

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Eafhawwy2727@reddit

I’ve had CAT D and C cars in the past, I did my due diligence and made sure I was happy with the quality of the repair (rear damage on relatively low value and all 3 vehicles). I had no issues related to the previous accident, car reliability was not an issue for me. Issues came on re-sale apart from the obvious that it’s worth less than a car without a CAT marker. My experience was that most places won’t take part exchange, WBAC offer stupidly low money for them and some buying services won’t touch them at all. This left me selling a low value write off car privately, which is a joy all of its own.

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Legitimate_Finger_69@reddit

It works fine UNLESS someone crashes into you in which case the insurance company will tell you it's worth sod all because it's already been written off. I got T-boned in a VW Golf, insurance would only pay £238 for it which is essentially scrap.

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benh2@reddit

If you’ve got a mechanic mate who can look it over for you then it can be a great choice. I wouldn’t take the chance without a professional opinion.

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sockhead99@reddit

It depends on whether it is a historic catn/s repair or a munted car from the auctions that needs repairing. If the latter, there is both a huge amount of risk and reward. Mat Armstrong on YouTube is an extreme example, but there are others that will give a more realistic/DIY view on repairing a crash damaged car. If you are buying a car that has been previously repaired, there is an argument to say an older repair is a safer option (will have gone through Mots etc), but there is always the danger of a bodged repair or a repair done on the cheap. In these cases, I would suggest a professional inspection before purchase.

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Has anyone bought a Cat S or Cat N car and how did it go?

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20 Comments

Beginning_Work_4626@reddit

ToPractise@reddit

Beginning_Work_4626@reddit

Flashy-Ambition4840@reddit

ToPractise@reddit

MajorTurbo@reddit

BirthdayFrequent7823@reddit

EUskeptik@reddit

startexed@reddit

EUskeptik@reddit

startexed@reddit

HotelPuzzleheaded654@reddit

Trifusi0n@reddit

rogue-nebula@reddit

Acubeofdurp@reddit

Eafhawwy2727@reddit

Legitimate_Finger_69@reddit

benh2@reddit

sockhead99@reddit

AutoModerator@reddit