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Author Topic: VFM vehicle check  (Read 3883 times)

Dave Y

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VFM vehicle check
« on: February 08, 2019, 06:41:41 pm »
going to look at an edition 30 in the morning.
What is a good HPI etc check ?

Offline Octoparrot

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Re: VFM vehicle check
« Reply #1 on: February 11, 2019, 08:34:16 am »
You've answered your own question.  :happy2:

Offline pudding

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Re: VFM vehicle check
« Reply #2 on: February 15, 2019, 06:19:51 pm »
Bear in mind HPI won't record damage fixed 'off the books'.  I got stung with that in the past.


2007 ED30 | 2009 TDI 140 | 2016 BMW 330D

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Re: VFM vehicle check
« Reply #3 on: February 15, 2019, 07:55:57 pm »
Bear in mind HPI won't record damage fixed 'off the books'.  I got stung with that in the past.

Will any check record that?

Offline bobby_fodge

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Re: VFM vehicle check
« Reply #4 on: February 15, 2019, 08:37:07 pm »
Nope

Offline pudding

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Re: VFM vehicle check
« Reply #5 on: March 01, 2019, 04:31:07 pm »
Yeah it's completely under the radar. 

I bought a 'HPI clear' Corrado VR6 back in 2003.  Shortly after purchase, I wondered why paint match rattle cans were way off, but I put it down to the paint shop's blend being off.  Roll on a couple of years.  As I was parking up at B&Q, some random bloke approached me and told me the car used to be his Son's, which he duly wrote off.  I couldn't work out what this chap had to gain by telling me that, but thought to myself "Bullsheet, it's HPI clear, what a weirdo".

I never could confirm the truth of it, but it later transpired the reason the rattle cans weren't matching was because the car was repainted down one side at some point, so I think the man was telling the truth.  Further confirmed by the same paint code ordered from 4 different mixers.  None of them matched the car, but all matched each other.  Smoking gun right there.  I was fuming.  I hate being duped, but it just goes to show you can't rely on 'the system' at all.  Always trust your instincts.

The body shop did a very good job to be fair, which would have cost the fool £1000s of his own money. This guy must have had a very good reason for doing it off the books.  Drunk driving probably.  Better to lose a few grand than your license if your job depends on it.

And if that wasn't bad enough, I bought a mint low mileage MK4 R32 about 6 years ago, also HPI clear, and that turned out to be dodgy as well.

So be vigilant peeps.  I'm done with s/hand cars as people prove to be untrustworthy time and time again.  My next one will be brand new, or newly new from a main dealer.









2007 ED30 | 2009 TDI 140 | 2016 BMW 330D

willni

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Re: VFM vehicle check
« Reply #6 on: March 01, 2019, 07:42:16 pm »
Bear in mind HPI won't record damage fixed 'off the books'.  I got stung with that in the past.

Will any check record that?

A paint gauge can show damage but even at that it can be dodgy. I looked at a golf yesterday and could instantly tell the front end was resprayed ( i didn't bring my paint gauge, this time ), the front end had much less 'orange peel' in the paint than the rest of the body.

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Re: VFM vehicle check
« Reply #7 on: March 04, 2019, 12:29:56 pm »
That's what annoyed me about the Corrado and R32.  I can also spot a repair a mile away.  Not with my own cars it seems  :grin:


2007 ED30 | 2009 TDI 140 | 2016 BMW 330D