Both the 75 and ZT have a large gap in insurance ratings. In January 2010 the insurance companies switched from the traditional 20 groupings of insurance to a more modern 50 groupings of insurance.
Below is the website and complete and updated listing for the Rover 75 and 75-T covering all variants and specifications directly from Thatchum UK who approve the ratings for the BSA standards all insurance companies follow.
http://www.thatcham.org/abigrouprati...x.jsp?page=343
You can search either Rover 75 or MG ZT using that service and you will find EXACTLY the group, the old group and current group. It is very worth checking and comparing these before purchasing your car!
Making an insurance claim / Buying a write off
An interesting point to raise is how many cat C/D Rover 75's and MG ZT's there are.
Now Cat C/D write offs mean the car is too expensive to be put back on the road for repairs, however as many owners in the club have discovered something as small a smashed rear bumper only will have the insurance company writing the car off totally.
Case in point a car with a V8 premium grill. Because you can not buy the chrome surround part new, the insurance company might write the car off. For the sake of a £50 piece of fake chrome plastic!
So before you phone the insurance company for a small bump, it is well worth seing if you can source a second hand repair. However some insurance companies will work with you on this if you are persistant.
Points to remember when buying a write off are
Cat A and B are scheduled for destruction and should never be on the roads again.
C -
Repairable salvage. Generally applies to older vehicles. Can be sold for repair but must now have Vehicle Identification Inspection. If the cars repairs pass it will be issued a VIC pass certificate (which will be validated against the DVLA record)
Recorded at DVLA & HPI.
D -
Repairable salvage. Minimal damage sometimes stolen and found after claim has been paid, or cost of repair combined with difficulty obtaining new parts to enable a swift repair.
Recorded with HPI.
It should be noted when a vehicle has passed the VIC, the result will be stored on computer by the DVLA (Or DVLA NI for Irish buyers). The person who took the vehicle for the VIC will be given a certificate to show that the vehicle has been through the identity check and has passed. A vehicle can be sold with a VIC pass certificate (the authenticity can be checked with VOSA on 0870 6060 440). The certificate is proof that the vehicle has passed, although should be checked before purchase.
The check is designed to confirm as far as possible the identity of the vehicle and check for signs of repaired accident damage. If VOSA cannot confirm the vehicle’s identity, it will fail the check. VOSA will also tell the police if the vehicle’s identity appears to have been altered in any way. This doesn't mean that you will automatically be in trouble with the police! It is part of the system for discouraging criminals from passing off stolen vehicles as repaired vehicles.
From 7 April 2003, the registration document of any vehicle that has passed a VIC will be marked to confirm that the vehicle has been accident damaged and / or substantially repaired. It will also confirm the date when VOSA checked it.
Again a simple HPI check will give you all the details
http://www.HPIcheck.com and they stand over their work with an industry standard warrenty on cars that slip through their network which is very very few!
Dont be affraid of buying a Cat C or D. Several members have bought cars that where destroyed and repaired them to be perfectly safe and suitable cars when done correctly.
The best example of how easy it is to grab a salvage bargain is AlanF's diesel tourer.
http://www.the75andztclub.co.uk/foru...ad.php?t=67873
Should you be concerned about the repairs, ask the buyer for a for the car to be put throught a VOSA test station so it can undergo a VIC. Before taking your car to be checked, you will need to pay a fee in advance.
On receipt of the fee VOSA will book an appointment for you and tell you where and when you should take your car to be checked. You will also need to give certain information about your car to VOSA before the check takes place. This will allow them to confirm that the information you have given matches with their records.
If the owner of the repaired car is not willing to do this, walk away as simply, the car isnt repaired to standard.