Thread: Buying a £1k car.

Would you HPi/Vehicle check a car if you was buying it for one thousand pounds? On the basis you have a general good idea what you are looking at.

No.

Nah I wouldn't bother, maybe worth cross referencing the mot's on the DVLA site

I would, if it turns out it has been written off you can use it as leverage for a bit of bartering.

i always do a check
but it dont cost me
for a few quid do it as above ifs its on there you maybe got a few quid off

Only to see if it had been in a major accident. Remember the Top Gear episode when they bought an Audi 80, a Volvo 760 and a Rover ??? for a grand. Audi looked fine but Stig drove it and said it drove like 2 cars that had been welded together.

If it's going to carry your family it's worth a check.

Text service costs £3.00

Type in HPI Text Check in Google and it'll give you the number to text to - Comes up with everything, previous owners etc, and gives you a valuation.

^ +1 peace of mind is priceless.

Thing is, with cheaper/older cars its so easy for people to repair them after a 'write-off' etc without the details ever hitting HPI, so I always take the results with a pinch of salt.
But the check is cheap, so yeah I guess probably might as well do it.

if a car has been written off, generally it's worth half book. So if the car is worth 1k, then if it's written off it's 500 ish. So if u can afford to lose 500 then dont bother. Also if it has been written off then you cannot be sure of the quality of the repair and how safe it will be so personally i wouldn't even bother getting money off i'd just walk away. also a HPI will tell you whether it's been stolen...

Flip side, you pay £1000 for it and its still got 4k finance left on it.. For the sake of 3 quid i know what i'd be doing..

Originally Posted by 5ean

Flip side, you pay £1000 for it and its still got 4k finance left on it.. For the sake of 3 quid i know what i'd be doing..

This would be sick! I'm guessing 99% of cars worth a grand would have no finance on it!... someone please correct me!!

I wouldn't waste my money on an HPI check. Their database is flawed and as a result can be completely misleading e.g. example I know of where HPI said car was clear; car actually had stolen marker on DVLA database.

You ought to add a fourth option to the poll "I wouldn't waste my money on an HPI check irrespective of the cars value as they are a complete waste of money"

Go and see the car in bright light, on a dry day and if you have a good mate as a mechanic then use it's services ! If you have vag/com (assuming is a VAG car) then use it as a bartering tool, otherwise Hpi checks are just another waste of time ! Many accidents are not reported and unless you have an eye or work in the trade then it's not easy to spot ! I would not think a 1k car will still have finance, i'll break that car for parts long before the company will come to collect aqnd relieve me off it !
Make sure you check the logbook's name and the adress that the car is registered to and if in doubt just walk away !
If it gives you peace of mind then do the right thing and buy from a dealer's forecourt- less chance to get your money back in event of a claim and less chance of comeback as they'll use any excuse in the book to wiggle out of the deal !

Well, I can forget about VAGCOM, it's a 20 year old car!! A mk2 Golf GTI which I have some knowledge about! Went to look at loads with my cousin, finally found one for not bad money, car ran well, body was solid, and it had tasteful mods that you would get your money back if you was to break it anyways, so paid a grand and drove it away. Curiously, my cousin decided to 'mycarcheck' it online for £2.99, and it was registered as stolen recovered in 2002! lol

To be honest, he had the intention of buying the car as a keeper, so it doesn't really bother me.... but it's the fact he knows and keeps asking me if it's ok? I said it drives fine, and everything is straight, what are you worried about?

Car flew threw the MOT yesterday with no advisories also, the previous owner had spent £££s keeping the chassis and rear brakes in good nick, I'd be happy if it was my car.

Originally Posted by jojo

Well, I can forget about VAGCOM, it's a 20 year old car!! A mk2 Golf GTI which I have some knowledge about! Went to look at loads with my cousin, finally found one for not bad money, car ran well, body was solid, and it had tasteful mods that you would get your money back if you was to break it anyways, so paid a grand and drove it away. Curiously, my cousin decided to 'mycarcheck' it online for £2.99, and it was registered as stolen recovered in 2002! lol

To be honest, he had the intention of buying the car as a keeper, so it doesn't really bother me.... but it's the fact he knows and keeps asking me if it's ok? I said it drives fine, and everything is straight, what are you worried about?

Car flew threw the MOT yesterday with no advisories also, the previous owner had spent £££s keeping the chassis and rear brakes in good nick, I'd be happy if it was my car.

Thats alsmost 10 years ago and about 10 mots.
What is he worried about?
If it was last year I'd be a more worried but generally I would not worry.

I guess the other question is, how far in to the past do you worry about Write Offs (Cat D or C) or stolen recovered on a HPI check?

The text HPI's are flawed and they dont tell you if there is a finance outstanding on the vehicle.

For a car worth a grand I wouldnt think there would be any finance outstanding.

For the 3 odd quid I would do it though.

I would deffo do a check on any vehicle. My first ever car (red xr3i) was stolen after only having in 3 months. rang in to log it with the insurance, the next thing I knew I got a letter saying I will get no payout as it was on hp... Lost the car and my insurance didn't pay me out so I would deffo do it for piece of mind. Once bitten and all that.

Originally Posted by JtotheD

if a car has been written off, generally it's worth half book. So if the car is worth 1k, then if it's written off it's 500 ish. So if u can afford to lose 500 then dont bother. Also if it has been written off then you cannot be sure of the quality of the repair and how safe it will be so personally i wouldn't even bother getting money off i'd just walk away. also a HPI will tell you whether it's been stolen...

Not trying to pull you up on anything as i know this statement is based on a £1000 car, but why do all the cat C-D s3's (8p) make upwards of £13k on ebay, autotrader ect then? I reckon if i tried to sell my 56 plate s3 that is straight and very well spec'd, id get £14-15k for it..... So why are they not £7-8k?

Only wondering anyhow...

Louis

no i wouldn't.

i've never HPI i checked a car that i have bought (4 so far)

Originally Posted by Hanz

Not trying to pull you up on anything as i know this statement is based on a £1000 car, but why do all the cat C-D s3's (8p) make upwards of £13k on ebay, autotrader ect then? I reckon if i tried to sell my 56 plate s3 that is straight and very well spec'd, id get £14-15k for it..... So why are they not £7-8k?

Only wondering anyhow...

Louis

They are only worth as much as someone is willing to pay. As long as people keep buying CAT D S3's @ £12-13k, people will keep listing them. Personally, anyone who pays £12k (imo big money) for a car that's been written off, when, just for a couple grand more can get a straight one, must be mental!!!

I would just in case its been stolen .