Buying a hail damaged car

mooseman · 26-02-2012, 06:22 AM

Hi All, sorry if this has been covered I did do some searching but to no avail.

I'm currently without a job and without a car and need to get a set of wheels as cheap as possible. I was looking at picking up an e-series from the pickles auctions with hail damage. I am not worried about aesthetics and fixing any mechanical problems will not be an issue. My questions are;

- What is required to register a vehicle that has been written off due to hail damage (if hail damage is the only damage, no water/etc)?

- What costs are involved? One site I read mentioned a cost of around $500 to get the car inspected, this will kind of kill the budget idea as I was looking for a max spend of $1000.

- Am I right in assuming the hail damage does not need to be fixed and as long as the rest of the car is in RW condition then you can just get it inspected and then registered?

Also, has anyone been to the auctions so far and seen what prices the hail damaged eseries are going for? I'll be looking for either an e-series sedan or perhaps an XF/XG Ute.

z80 · 26-02-2012, 06:27 AM

I have bought several cars from Pickles auctions and re-registered them.

Some people will say you don't need a VIV for cosmetic damage, but I have found that when the car is purchased at a damaged car auction it always needs a VIV.

mooseman · 26-02-2012, 06:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by z80

I have bought several cars from Pickles auctions and re-registered them.

Some people will say you don't need a VIV for cosmetic damage, but I have found that when the car is purchased at a damaged car auction it always needs a VIV.

I found a few more sites with people that had brought the cars and they said the same thing. The $1000 budget is excluding rego too.

I was hoping to pick up a XF/XG ute for under $500 that hopefully doesn't need much for a RWC and then another $500 for the VIV. Not sure if it is worth the hassle and I'd be better off just stalking eBay for a cheap runabout.

Yellow_Festiva · 26-02-2012, 08:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by z80

I have bought several cars from Pickles auctions and re-registered them.

Some people will say you don't need a VIV for cosmetic damage, but I have found that when the car is purchased at a damaged car auction it always needs a VIV.

I have seen many cheap cars advertised like that on ebay and the seller (who knows damn well it needs a VIV) says things like "Buy the car, clean it up and you are ready for rego.... you MAY need a simple inspection, but once that is done you are set to have it on the road..."

I don't know what the rules are now with write off's etc as they are always changing. But, if it is a repairable write off and sold you are up for a VIV inspection (around $450-$500 now I would assume) as well as rego and compulsory insurance.

My advice.... get something that is registered and running already. A cheap written off car may cost you a lot more than you think.

XR8AU2121 · 26-02-2012, 10:16 AM

It states very clearly on Vic Roads website that the Minister has exempted vehicles damaged in the 25/12/2010 hail storm from requiring a VIV if they have sustained only cosmetic hail damage. They require only a Roadworthy. The RACV wil insure them for basic Third Property Damage, no problems.

XR8AU2121 · 26-02-2012, 10:23 AM

I was at the auction yesterday and 97% of the E-series sold for $400, a few went for $600-$800 mainly fairmonts. AU sedans $600-$800.

Auslandau · 26-02-2012, 10:40 AM

This is what you must do! On Monday ring Vic Roads and get the definitive answer.
There is alot of wrong info given on this subject on the forums and cannot understand why as it is clear from VR's but if the car was damaged in the Xmas day hail storm, you DO NOT require a VIV to re register a car damaged ONLY by hail that is cosmetic. They have been exempt from this and only require a RWC. Speak to Vic Roads to confirm this and also the insurance company you go with as insurence is also limited. If you don't care about the dents on a car it is a very cheap way to pick up a car BUT speak to Vic Roads so you know exactly what is going on.

IF the car has hail AND water damage then it is a totally different story and then the standard procedure applies

mooseman · 26-02-2012, 04:41 PM

Thanks for all the help guys. I might head down to the auctions this week and see how I go.

Can someone provide a link to the vicroads website that states you do not need a VIV for those hail damaged cars? I can't seem to find it.

mooseman · 26-02-2012, 04:49 PM

Sorry for the double post, found it!
http://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/Home/...1HailStorm.htm

Q. I’ve purchased a car that was damaged in the storms on 6 or 7 March 2010, or the 25 December 2011 storm. It is not currently registered and is recorded on the Victorian WOVR. How do I get it registered?
A. Registration requirements are dependent on the type of damage recorded on the WOVR.
The Minister for Roads has exempted vehicles that have only sustained cosmetic hail damage, based on the damage codes recorded on the Written-off Vehicles Register (WOVR), from the requirement to obtain a VIV certificate. In addition, you will not have to repair any cosmetic damage caused by the direct impact of hail stones provided it does not compromise a vehicle’s safety systems or structural integrity. A RWC will be required to register the vehicle as per current registration practice.
If a vehicle has sustained hail damage plus other damage (for example water or accident damage), based on the damage codes recorded on the Written-off Vehicles Register (WOVR), a VIV certificate and RWC must be obtained for the vehicle to be registered. However, you will not have to repair any cosmetic damage caused by the direct impact of hail stones provided it does not compromise a vehicle’s safety systems or structural integrity.

80rs · 26-02-2012, 05:49 PM

it depends on what the damage codes are on the car. If you pick a few your interested in then ring vicroads they will tell you if it needs a viv or not. There are a lot of variables like if it has hail damage aswell as broken windows then it will be written off for water damage and will require a viv. If the car has any other body damage like dents on the guards or doors from old accidents it will need a viv. Also severe hail damage to the pillar areas of the roof is also a viv job even if it is just dents. You can usually buy clearance cars from manheims lane 4 and 5 for around 1000-1500 with rego so that might be a better option

XR8AU2121 · 26-02-2012, 09:46 PM

On the VIC Roads website go to "What has to be registered", then click on "Written off Vehicles" the click on "hail damaged 25/12/2010".

kyro_02 · 26-02-2012, 09:53 PM

back up until a couple of weeks ago, you could actually buy a car from pickles that still has registration on it, show the receipt to vicroads and they will transfer it in to your name without the actually registered owner signing the paper work. than all you do is get a roadworthy.. actually have a vr calais 5spd manual and it got transferred