MR2 Championship

Hey guys, those of you who've caught up with me on the LSD thread will know I'm thinking of getting into the championship with a roadster if funds allow.

I've done a deal with a guy on a 2000 car that needs the engine doing for £1850. I've arranged to collect it but having just checked on HPI, it's showing as a cat C

Question is, do you think that really matters for racing? I'll obviously need to give the car a good going over, is there anything specific I should look out for? I'd obviously like to get it even cheaper but I don't think that's likely....

Appreciate any advice
Cheers
Paul

cat c tends to indecate that the damage to the car was more structural than a cat d would be. If the car was put back on the road it would have had to pass a vosa inspection, but in reallity this can amount to checking numbers on the car to see if they match, and may not tell you if the car is straight. This is, natrally, the most important thing. Bent car = shit handeling.You may be lucky and get a bargain, but its a risk. I would like to check old tyres for odd wear patterns and follow it up the road to see if it looks odd. look for crimps on roof or door pillers. distorted suspension turrets. if you can get under it check the suspension mounts for distortion. any distortion of the suspension will be magnefied and could cause your car to have odd handling charicteristics. hard enough to get the things to round courners at speed as it is! my advise would be have a good hard look (with someone who knows cars if your unsure yourself) and if your unsure walk away and look for another bargain or save for a bit longer.

hope this helps a little, good luck, get racing!

Thanks for the advice Buba. I was conscious a cat C could mean much worse damage than a cat D and so head has over ruled heart and I've given it a miss. I was obviously concerned about potential misalignments but also the risk of dodgy welds that aren't apparent on viewing. It also puzzled me that the seller claimed the car was registered in his name but the HPI check states the car hasn't been reinspected (which I thought meant no V5 could be issued).

Anyway, quite disappointing but if anyone knows of a sub £1800 mk3 with a broken engine, let me know!!

Cheers
Paul

Def sounds dubious. Think you made a good choice. good luck