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Lots of flooded cars for sale in UK

  • 23-01-2008 12:11am
    #1
    mick.fr
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,974 ✭✭✭


    I have seen on many UK websites cars for sale.
    Remember last July, Reading and other places.
    Like I have seen an almost brand new 5 series, in perfect condition for 5000 pounds on sale.
    The only problem is that the car was like 1 m under water.

    Might be interesting for some people here who are looking for parts.


Comments

  • #2
    peasant
    Registered Users Posts: 17,819 ✭✭✭✭peasant


    You do not want to buy a car that was flooded.

    First off, it wasn't flooded with nice clear water, but with silt and sewage ...so it stinks and EVERYTHING has to be ripped out and cleaned or most likely replaced.

    Secondly the water gets in everywhere, cavities in panels, wiring, electronics, you name it.

    Moisture and silt will sit in places where you will never, ever get at and quietly corrode everything in sight.

    While the car (or parts of it) might work fine for a while after a total clean, the unseen corrosion will have it destroyed or disabled a few months later.


    Insurance companies do write these cars off for a reason.


  • #3
    unkel
    Registered Users Posts: 64,760 ✭✭✭✭unkel


    peasant wrote: »
    You do not want to buy a car that was flooded.

    That's it, end of story. Might look great but it is fooked...


  • #4
    Mr.Diagnostic
    Registered Users Posts: 937 ✭✭✭Mr.Diagnostic


    There have been a few brought over that I know of. I have seen 2 07 Mercs and a mate of mine saw one other. All 3 were same spec, colour etc so probably came from the same source. To look at you would never know they had been flooded because they had been very well cleaned up but under the carpets, behind the dash etc there was plenty of damage.

    I wouldn’t dream of buying one.


  • #5
    mick.fr
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,974 ✭✭✭mick.fr


    Well as I said for parts:-)


  • #6
    Biro
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,091 ✭✭✭Biro


    Surely there's some 5 year old 540i or S500 over there that was flood damaged that someone could pick up for a few hundred quid for some mountain fun!!! :D


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  • #7
    Mr.Boots
    Registered Users Posts: 1,313 ✭✭✭Mr.Boots


    Saw a UK reg white Range Rover on the back of a lorry last week, it looked like it had come out of a canal....maybe it was one of these flood damaged ones.


  • #8
    Seth Brundle
    Moderators, Politics Moderators Posts: 38,834 Mod ✭✭✭✭Seth Brundle


    Isn't part of the logic in condeming flodded cars down to leptospirosis?


  • #9
    Guy:Incognito
    Registered Users Posts: 38,247 ✭✭✭✭Guy:Incognito


    kbannon wrote: »
    Isn't part of the logic in condeming flodded cars down to leptospirosis?

    Maybe someone in a dodgy imprt drove their carthrough a puddle that drainned into a river Galway and thats what all the fuss has been about.:)


  • #10
    peasant
    Registered Users Posts: 17,819 ✭✭✭✭peasant


    mick.fr wrote: »
    Well as I said for parts:-)

    The only parts you could confidently use out of a flooded car would be the interior rooflight and the grab handles maybe, everything else is a gamble


  • #11
    Tea drinker
    Registered Users Posts: 2,818 ✭✭✭Tea drinker


    Suspension, wheels and tyres are always exposed to water and cow**** and would be perfectly usable.
    Major mechanicals in the engine would be fine as well, for someone who had a need for them.
    But yeah, as a whole the car would be a write off. All the many electronics of a modern car would be fubar.


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  • #12
    peasant
    Registered Users Posts: 17,819 ✭✭✭✭peasant


    Even with suspension bits I'd be careful. Everything in a suspension that is lubricated (bearings, dampers, etc) is designed to withstand water spray, but not submersion.


    On engine internals it very much depends if some eejit tried to start the car at some stage and sucked in all the water and grit in the process.


  • #13
    JohnCleary
    Registered Users Posts: 10,206 ✭✭✭✭JohnCleary


    I can just imagine them on the Irish forecourts now:

    "Very 'clean' car, never crashed" ... I said 'clean' ... geddit?! :D


  • #14
    Tea drinker
    Registered Users Posts: 2,818 ✭✭✭Tea drinker


    peasant wrote: »
    On engine internals it very much depends if some eejit tried to start the car at some stage and sucked in all the water and grit in the process.

    Good point!


  • #15
    Earth Worm Jim
    Closed Accounts Posts: 251 ✭✭Earth Worm Jim


    Most flood damaged cars are Classed as Cat B and can not be put back on the roads - while they look ok the electric's are more than likely ****ed - and as new cars have electronic parts as part of the steering and brakes etc is it worth it?? And to replace these parts cost $$$$$s - check out the back pages in the Autotrader and you will see some "bargains"??


  • #16
    L1011
    Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 67,615 Mod ✭✭✭✭L1011


    peasant wrote: »
    The only parts you could confidently use out of a flooded car would be the interior rooflight and the grab handles maybe, everything else is a gamble

    The roofllight could have shorted if the ignition was on when it flooded :D Or capillary action up the headliner depending how high it got...


  • #17
    WHITE_P
    Closed Accounts Posts: 619 ✭✭✭WHITE_P


    Read in AutoExpress a few months ago, that alot of people in England with high value cars, that got flood damaged were selling them off cheap, rather than claiming the insurance, had to do with their insurance excess being fairly high. Don't think they were declaring the fact that the car was flooded either. So if it sounds too good to be true it probably is !!!


  • #18
    r0nn13
    Closed Accounts Posts: 99 ✭✭r0nn13


    WHITE_P wrote: »
    Read in AutoExpress a few months ago, that alot of people in England with high value cars, that got flood damaged were selling them off cheap, rather than claiming the insurance, had to do with their insurance excess being fairly high. Don't think they were declaring the fact that the car was flooded either. So if it sounds too good to be true it probably is !!!

    Is this flood damage recorded on any HPI checks or insurance claims that Joe Public can see?


  • #19
    thetaxman
    Closed Accounts Posts: 53 ✭✭thetaxman


    Yeah, this is a common problem. We have all seen the spate of floods occuring in the U.K.


  • #20
    WHITE_P
    Closed Accounts Posts: 619 ✭✭✭WHITE_P


    r0nn13 wrote: »
    Is this flood damage recorded on any HPI checks or insurance claims that Joe Public can see?

    Wouldn't think so :mad:


  • #21
    r0nn13
    Closed Accounts Posts: 99 ✭✭r0nn13


    WHITE_P wrote: »
    Wouldn't think so :mad:

    so if they get the car fully valeted then there is nothing to tell if it was flooded... :eek:


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  • #22
    llatsni
    Registered Users Posts: 525 ✭✭✭llatsni


    a lad on one of the US bmw forums bought a flood damaged e46 m3 for peanuts... stripped it back to the shell, sold off all the parts that were ok and made enough money to buy fancy racing bits and bobs to make it into a SAVAGE track-day car.


  • #23
    Del2005
    Registered Users Posts: 18,871 ✭✭✭✭Del2005


    r0nn13 wrote: »
    so if they get the car fully valeted then there is nothing to tell if it was flooded... :eek:

    Not quite true. If you knew where to look you'd still see water damage/marks. If in doubt get an AA/RAC check, I'd hope they would be able to spot flood damage.


  • #24
    jhegarty
    Registered Users Posts: 6,434 ✭✭✭jhegarty


    Won't you still get done for lots on for VRT...


  • #25
    thetaxman
    Closed Accounts Posts: 53 ✭✭thetaxman


    llatsni wrote: »
    a lad on one of the US bmw forums bought a flood damaged e46 m3 for peanuts... stripped it back to the shell, sold off all the parts that were ok and made enough money to buy fancy racing bits and bobs to make it into a SAVAGE track-day car.

    Great skill to have.


  • #26
    Seth Brundle
    Moderators, Politics Moderators Posts: 38,834 Mod ✭✭✭✭Seth Brundle


    jhegarty wrote: »
    Won't you still get done for lots on for VRT...
    If the car is used on the roads then yes! If its not used on the roads then there is no VRT requirement.


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