What Do You Think About HPI's?

[ant_8u]

Just wondering what you guys think about HPI checks when looking to purchase our cars?

Is there anything worthwhile on them, or are they just a waste of time when buying cars such as a Williams?

Thanks in advance

[16v_paddy]

Complete & utter waste of time on these cars, insurance companies would class 1 as a cat d write off for a scratch down the side

[ant_8u]

Thanks mate

I was actually thinking non of the info on the HPI would be important......other than the insurance bit

But what you've said makes complete sense
i won't bother getting one done now, I'll just give the car a thorough going over before purchase

[Hoppo1979]

Sorry got to completely disagree. HPI check can tell you quite a bit. Would you not want to know if the car you're buying has been written off? You can track ownership changes, whether its stolen, plate changes, theres the option to add a mileage check if you want, and you can cross check VIN and engine numbers to the V5 and the car. For the sake of £5 or whatever they cost I would never buy a car without running one first.

Plus if you pay cash and buy a stolen car, you will lose the car and your cash.

[ant_8u]

Hadn't thought of that

Ive checked some info on the DVLA vehicle enquiry website already
hadnt even thought about the other bits you mentioned


I'm not bothered about number of owners or mileage and things like that
But, it'd be nice to know it's not been written off or stolen


Anyone know the best place for HPIs, or are they all the same?

[MatBrown]

And if it has been classed as a write-off it will effect the value of the car.

[ant_8u]

How quick do you get the details from a HPI?

Ive heard some of them ask for a chassis number, and mileage details

I'm wondering if I could do one while I'm viewing the car, or if I need to do it before the viewing?

thanks again

[16v_paddy]

And if it has been classed as a write-off it will effect the value of the car.

Got to be bollocks though as at 1 point an insurer would write one of these cars off for something as minor as a scratch down the side. We're at the stage with these cars now that it's a serious collectors car that insurance write off's shouldn't be an issue as they were write offs based on an old value of the car that simply isn't relavent anymore.

I wouldn't be surprised if my williams was an insurance write off at some point, but if someone came to buy it when it's done & wanted money off because it was once written off they'd be going home without the car and their teeth

[Dean250]

I have HPI checked a lot of Williams, I would say around 12/13, there is loads of write offs out there, personally I wouldn't buy one, depending upon what you wanted the car for, sure there will be cars that have had a little un recorded bump that might have been more expensive to repair than the tarnished ones but as a future classic its not great

One that particularly stands out to me was a Williams 3, it was up for 5k and I had agreed to view it and got the seller down quite a bit, I HPI Checked it one Friday before I was about to travel to find it was wrote off in 1998 which at the time it will have still been worth around 9/10/11k and back then that will have been a decent bit of money on a hot hatch to write it off!

[ant_8u]

Dean, who do you use for your HPIs?
for the sake of £20 I might as well get one done just to see what pops up


what information will I need to get from the seller to get the most info out of the HPI?
ive heard I need to get the reg number, the fabrication number, and the mileage?

it that correct, or are there other things I need to ask for aswell?

thank you