Fluke Posted March 23, 2013 Share Posted March 23, 2013 I've been looking for a decent low mileage( upto about 60K) 350z and have come across loads of cat and cat d 350's that hav been repaired and they all seem fairly steep. Can anyone tell me what the difference between a cat C and a cat d? Are they worth buying? I have about £7000 to spend and I dont want anything in silver, because I've had quite a few cars in that colour. I really like The GT4 yellow and think the orange with orange interior looks stunning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
veilside z Posted March 23, 2013 Share Posted March 23, 2013 cat c cars require a vic test to ensure road worthiness after repair, while cat d cars don't. both catagories are worth less than a straight car while the cat d is worth more than the cat c. due to the cost of parts on these cars, more of them are being written off now. service history a good idea though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhackyWill Posted March 23, 2013 Share Posted March 23, 2013 With £7k to spend, you will get a good 350Z GT UK spec without having to buy a Cat C / D...! I would need to see photographic evidence of the repair and how much damage there was, to be honest I would touch one even though they are cheaper. Just a personal thing, :scare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fluke Posted March 23, 2013 Author Share Posted March 23, 2013 Thanks for the replies. One of my biggest problems with a cat c or d, is the resale value. I tend not to do a lot of miles, my Mk5 had 39k on the clock when I bought it 2 years ago and I've only done 7k since I've had it. The cat C and d or seem like they've got low mileage, but the resale value is going to be crap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Level 7 Boss Posted March 23, 2013 Share Posted March 23, 2013 As Will said, I would opt for a GT Coupe. Perhaps save an extra 500, and you'll be able to find a decent example. CAT C/D and JDM may potentially more difficult to sell on. Good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karlp Posted March 23, 2013 Share Posted March 23, 2013 As Will said, I would opt for a GT Coupe. Perhaps save an extra 500, and you'll be able to find a decent example. CAT C/D and JDM may potentially more difficult to sell on. Good luck Hi mate, I'll be putting my Ultra Yellow 350z with 19" Nismo LMGT4s and V1 Nismo Spoiler up shortly for sale prob around May/June if you would be interested has got 55000 on clock, FSH and just passed MOT yesterday with no advisories or failures PM if you want some pics or further details. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fluke Posted March 23, 2013 Author Share Posted March 23, 2013 As Will said, I would opt for a GT Coupe. Perhaps save an extra 500, and you'll be able to find a decent example. CAT C/D and JDM may potentially more difficult to sell on. Good luck Hi mate, I'll be putting my Ultra Yellow 350z with 19" Nismo LMGT4s and V1 Nismo Spoiler up shortly for sale prob around May/June if you would be interested has got 55000 on clock, FSH and just passed MOT yesterday with no advisories or failures PM if you want some pics or further details. PM sent. Is there any reason why imports are an issue? I know that with the MX5, insurance companies raped anyone that had one and Mazda dealerships, thought the parts were different. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnUKVetteNut Posted March 23, 2013 Share Posted March 23, 2013 HiMy JDM auto/roadster cost me £354 fully comp in January! Age 64, 9 years NCB if it had been a UK car it would have been £260 !! But could not find a UK roadster/auto! when i was looking. JohnUKVetteNut Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhackyWill Posted March 23, 2013 Share Posted March 23, 2013 You wont find a UK auto all autos are JDM's Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fluke Posted March 23, 2013 Author Share Posted March 23, 2013 You wont find a UK auto all autos are JDM's I dont want an auto. I've had a couple of quotes. I'm 48, full no claims, wife is a named driver, car would be fully comp and the highest I had was £356 for a 350z GT4. Its usually around the £300 mark, my SC'd MX5 with all mods declared is £329. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jmanji Posted March 23, 2013 Share Posted March 23, 2013 Just seen a cat c 2007 with mechanical problems, no crash damage but looks like may need an engine rebuild, anyone in Essex fancy doing a track car or group sharing this? Getting some more info on it Monday, wondering what it will go for. :scare: to whacky will Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Level 7 Boss Posted March 23, 2013 Share Posted March 23, 2013 As Will said, I would opt for a GT Coupe. Perhaps save an extra 500, and you'll be able to find a decent example. CAT C/D and JDM may potentially more difficult to sell on. Good luck Hi mate, I'll be putting my Ultra Yellow 350z with 19" Nismo LMGT4s and V1 Nismo Spoiler up shortly for sale prob around May/June if you would be interested has got 55000 on clock, FSH and just passed MOT yesterday with no advisories or failures PM if you want some pics or further details. PM sent. Is there any reason why imports are an issue? I know that with the MX5, insurance companies raped anyone that had one and Mazda dealerships, thought the parts were different. Not an issue per se, but some buyers will be put off if the car is an import. I also heard, not sure if it's just conjecture that not many companies have the correct software to check the JDM ECU making it harder to diagnose faults. Maybe someone more knowledgeable can confirm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JetSet Posted March 23, 2013 Share Posted March 23, 2013 One of my biggest problems with a cat c or d, is the resale value. Not really, you pay 3k less for a Cat D and you get 3k less when you sell it. Net loss is the same as U.K Zed. Might take you longer to sell it though. Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fluke Posted March 23, 2013 Author Share Posted March 23, 2013 One of my biggest problems with a cat c or d, is the resale value. Not really, you pay 3k less for a Cat D and you get 3k less when you sell it. Net loss is the same as U.K Zed. Might take you longer to sell it though. Pete Problem is that the cat c/d's I've seen are going for 6 - 7k. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ricey Posted March 23, 2013 Share Posted March 23, 2013 It's not so much resale value as it is the fact that it puts buyers off. If you have to price your cat d car 2k less for it to sell you still run the risk of people thinking 'nah I'll just save up/get a bigger loan'. Imports are similar but to a much lesser extent. They have a stigma attached that they're some sort of time bomb waiting to go off which outs SOME people off (far less that a write off would). Not to say you shouldn't buy either but be warned you are definitely restricting you resale target market. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jetpilot Posted March 23, 2013 Share Posted March 23, 2013 One of my biggest problems with a cat c or d, is the resale value. Not really, you pay 3k less for a Cat D and you get 3k less when you sell it. Net loss is the same as U.K Zed. Might take you longer to sell it though. Pete Problem is that the cat c/d's I've seen are going for 6 - 7k. There is a big difference between advertised price and selling price as i am sure you know. Are they actually selling at that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fluke Posted March 23, 2013 Author Share Posted March 23, 2013 It's not so much resale value as it is the fact that it puts buyers off. If you have to price your cat d car 2k less for it to sell you still run the risk of people thinking 'nah I'll just save up/get a bigger loan'. Imports are similar but to a much lesser extent. They have a stigma attached that they're some sort of time bomb waiting to go off which outs SOME people off (far less that a write off would). Not to say you shouldn't buy either but be warned you are definitely restricting you resale target market. My thoughts exactly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ricey Posted March 23, 2013 Share Posted March 23, 2013 It's not so much resale value as it is the fact that it puts buyers off. If you have to price your cat d car 2k less for it to sell you still run the risk of people thinking 'nah I'll just save up/get a bigger loan'. Imports are similar but to a much lesser extent. They have a stigma attached that they're some sort of time bomb waiting to go off which outs SOME people off (far less that a write off would). Not to say you shouldn't buy either but be warned you are definitely restricting you resale target market. My thoughts exactly. Which wouldn't be so bad if your target market wasn't someone who wants to buy a 3.5l 280 bhp rear wheel drive 2 seater sports car with an open boot and a Nissan badge. There are only so many weirdos like us to go around! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JetSet Posted March 23, 2013 Share Posted March 23, 2013 One of my biggest problems with a cat c or d, is the resale value. Not really, you pay 3k less for a Cat D and you get 3k less when you sell it. Net loss is the same as U.K Zed. Might take you longer to sell it though. Pete Problem is that the cat c/d's I've seen are going for 6 - 7k. 3k was just a number I plucked out of the air, could be 2k, 4k anything really. Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fluke Posted March 23, 2013 Author Share Posted March 23, 2013 One of my biggest problems with a cat c or d, is the resale value. Not really, you pay 3k less for a Cat D and you get 3k less when you sell it. Net loss is the same as U.K Zed. Might take you longer to sell it though. Pete Problem is that the cat c/d's I've seen are going for 6 - 7k. 3k was just a number I plucked out of the air, could be 2k, 4k anything really. Pete Most of the ones I've seen with about 60 -70k miles on them are around the £7.5 - £8k mark. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MidnightRacer Posted March 23, 2013 Share Posted March 23, 2013 (edited) A repaired cat C should realistically be worth 25% to 30% less than an undamaged example. The grim truth is most people run a mile from anything thats on the register be it cat c or d.... Often a great cheap buy but also a cheap sell. Some of these people asking top money for a cat car are living in a dream world IMHO! Edited March 23, 2013 by MidnightRacer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ewan221 Posted March 23, 2013 Share Posted March 23, 2013 cat c cars require a vic test to ensure road worthiness after repair, while cat d cars don't. both catagories are worth less than a straight car while the cat d is worth more than the cat c. due to the cost of parts on these cars, more of them are being written off now. service history a good idea though. VIC test is an identity check to deter fraud on cat C cars, Cat C is when repairs are greater than value of car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonbather Posted April 8, 2013 Share Posted April 8, 2013 Hello all, first post here. Been eyeing up a 350Z for a while and hope to be in a position to get one in the next few months. Ideal is a moderate mileage (sub 80k) 05 plate (pre tax hike) ideally black with tan interior, but also like silver and gun-metal grey. I noticed this: http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201303025578446/sort/default/usedcars/body-type/coupe/transmission/manual/maximum-mileage/up_to_60000_miles/colour/black/maximum-age/up_to_7_years_old/model/350_z/make/nissan/postcode/rh163nz/saved-search-id/2c92998936a0f1810136a7ab91a8001a/page/1/radius/200?logcode=p The car spec is ideal, but it has an engine issue and snuck in the description is Cat C. I phoned the guy up who said he didn't know what was wrong with it, just there was a rattle from the engine. My initial thought is there must be some catastrophic engine failure to right the car off, but I then wondered if it is a Cat C from a crash and it has now developed an engine problem. Not sure which is the case. I wanted to investigate to see if I could save myself a grand or two and get a perfect spec car as well. I know Cat C's aren't ideal but enough of a saving and I'll have a pop. A friend of mine who's changed engines for me before (at minimal cost!) was v sceptical about it but said I should try to get as much info as possible. Anyone know the car or got any advice? Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flex Posted April 8, 2013 Share Posted April 8, 2013 Personally I think if I was keeping it long term and all repairs had been fully certified then it would not bother me. In fact I was toying with this idea to take the step up to a 370. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greg tl Posted April 8, 2013 Share Posted April 8, 2013 Read the ad. It's not only a cat c. It's it mechanical issues too... Someone will be duped by that car. Make sure it's not you!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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