How to check provenance of your intended Caterham before your purchase

[Sean Toms]

Hello all 

Members may not know that it is possible to check the provenance of your prospective purchase. 

If you provide Martin Phipps at Caterham the chassis number and engine number of your intended purchase he can advise you whether it left the factory as the same specification as what you are buying. 

If you are keen to purchase a car that has a particular provenance and not a vehicle that was later upgraded without advance pre purchase knowledge that the vehicle was later upgraded then this may be of value. 

 

 

 

[Andrew 21 Edney]

Or, if you want to check things very quickly yourself (before contacting Martin), then try this guide:

Chassis Numbers - what do they mean?

The guide could do with a bit of an updated to cover later cars, but for older ones it should be good.

[Wrightpayne]

There is often a correlation between the chassis and engine numbers - mine has 5 numbers in common between engine and chassis.

On a K series, this doesnt necessarily mean the engine is as per the original spec - with the bore being the same between 1.6 & 1.8 engines, a change of pistons, rods and crank would gain the extra 200cc. 
 

On this and other forums I've seen people post asking 'what do you think of this vehicle as I'm thinking of buying...?' With a sellers description and a few good photos, the expert knowledge on the forum usually comes up with some questions to ask / observations on the vehicle.

 

[K7 VCT]

I had the check done with Martin before buying my 7.

Nice to get extra information 

[MartinPhipps]

I am more than happy to help members with provenance questions, but please be aware that most weeks I am at Caterham on just one day each week - so it make take up to a week to get back to you.

[Atelier]

As a newbie I need help, wanting to buy a 7, but MOT mileage shows mileage going backwards at a certain point. Have had a reassurance from seller but generally what do you think. Will the discrepancy affect future saleability? It is a lovely car but should I walk away?

[OldAndrewE]

What was the seller's explanation?  Do you have the reg number so we can have a look at the MOT history

[Atelier]

PM'd you

[John Vine]

#7:  Agree with that.  Perhaps the speedo was replaced?

But won't you also need the V5C # to access the MOT history?

JV

[ChrisC]

You only need the V5C to access where the MOT was carried out, the history is available online with only the registration number. 

[John Vine]

#10  Quite correct.  I was trying to get at the certificates!

JV

[Golf Juliet Tango]

MOT mileage shows mileage going backwards at a certain point.

I think a couple of my MOT certificates miss off the leading 100,000 miles! I put that leading 1 in in pen on my copy.

[Roger Ford]

As a newbie I need help, wanting to buy a 7, but MOT mileage shows mileage going backwards at a certain point. Have had a reassurance from seller but generally what do you think. Will the discrepancy affect future saleability? It is a lovely car but should I walk away?

When you sell it the buyer may have the same question, but it's really not unusual to replace a speedo on a car like this. So yes, it might have a slight effect on future saleability, but if it's the car you want I really wouldn't let it put you off.

[OldAndrewE]

CATERHAM SERIES 5 - Check MOT history – GOV.UK (check-mot.service.gov.uk)

This is the car in question. Slightly odd intervals between MOTs and the two where the mileage goes back are 6 months apart in the same year!!

[Roger Ford]

That is a bit odd. If a replacement speedo it must presumably have been a secondhand one. Possible explanation for the early June MOT was if the car was being sold and the owner wanted to sell it with a full year's MOT. But that doesn't explain why it had another one the following January. Unless, maybe, he decided not to sell it and then forgot he'd done the extra MOT!

 

[ChrisC]

It's also common for cars of that age to be presented as R or S models, and owners could have purchased instruments to make it look like an R or S model.

Have you got a link to the advert?

[John Vine]

#13  ...but it's really not unusual to replace a speedo on a car like this.

Indeed.  I've had two replacements in 15 years, but could show a prospective buyer a full audit trail of incrementing mileage plus bills.  I can't imagine how, with that sort of evidence, secondhand value would be adversely affected at all.

@Atelier:  What actual evidence/reassurance did the seller offer you?

JV

[7 wonders of the world]

dont see the issue with new speedos the mileage can be checked to confirm this on the MOT checker site....