Buying advice - Is it easy to spot one thats been in a smash

[qwertyuiop7]

Hi again

I'm of to look at a standard S2 tomorrow night, I have done a HPI check and its clear. I am comfortable with the usual stuff, smoking engine, warped discs, gunk in the header tank etc but but it really worries me that it might have been in a smash, should it be easy to spot if it has? What kind of things do i look out for?

Tatty interior, leaking hood, stone chips, kerbed alloys, Is there much else to look out for, its only done 15,000 miles which checks out at the dealer.

Thanks again

Phil

[bogie]

hard to tell really - a good bodyshop will leave no trace of any repair....best thing you can do to put your mind at rest is spend £50-80 and have a Lotus specialist inspect the car I guess.......

[theRossatron]

It's quite easy to tell.

This one has been in a smash:



This one hasn't



seriously though - check the wishbone mounts as if these wont be perfectly straight if smashed and bodge repaired.