37 replies to this topic

[orangeLJ]

Put it this way, I bought my VT commodore as a "repairable write off"

payed 3k for it when VTs were still getting 8k easy.

It was a flood damaged car, had been fully detailed inside and out and was in perfect working order.

I had to take it to an RTA inspection station and have them inspect the car before I was able to get it blue slipped and registered.

They basically took it behind closed doors, but I managed to have a peak at them, all they did was check for rust etc in structural areas (chassis rails etc) and then left it there for 20 minutes and made me wait.

I thought the idea of this process and blue slips was to stop dodgy repairs?

maybe if they fixed the registration system then there couldnt be supposed "death traps" on the roads?

In all honesty though, how many people die from dodgily repaired vehicles each year? drink driving kills more and its met with a slap on the wrist, but dodgy repairs require new legislation! WTF!

[TerrA LX]

It would be a good idea if there were 3 types of writeoff :

Statutory writeoff - so badly damaged that it cannot be repaired and reregistered.
Repairable writeoff - mechanical/structural damage that can be safely repaired
Financial writeoff - miscellaneous damage that is not financially viable for the insurer to repair.

Maybe the line has been too blured between repairable and financial.
Maybe this new rule will stop the $4000 rear bumper repair.

[FastEHHolden]

Thats fine...because its the insurance companies and auction houses that are the big losers...but as has been pointed out...if the insurance company even looks like its going to take a hit in the pocket...bang..up goes the premium.

[S pack]

And it's all in the name of stopping stolen cars being rebirthed.
Lucky us, there will be a flood of repairable writeoffs from NSW coming to Queensland and the crooks rebirthing cars will follow unless the legislation prevents insurance companies from selling the wrecks interstate.

[FastEHHolden]

Which sort of means the rest of the states better pull their finger out and pass similar legislation or it will be for nothing...those states that don't get on board will get flooded with stolen/rebirthed and dodgy vehicles.

Did you see the one on the news the other night missing the section of bumper housing the airbag triggers?...just had a plastic bumber over it....and it had a white rag stuffed into the steering wheel.

[S pack]

Don't get to see the news as often as I would like, sounds like a horror story.

Commonwealth Govt should have come up with legislation decades ago requiring the destruction of ID tags on all written off vehicles. That surely would have almost stopped the rebirth industry in it's tracks and dodgy back yard repairers.
Or legislate so that write offs can not be sold to the general public, only to licensed motor dealers or repairers.
Then give them a mountain of paperwork, reports and intense inspection to get repaired vehicle registered. As well have a register with all details ie: vin number, eng number etc, plus damage and repair reports recorded so prospective buyers can search and find out if they might be looking at a repaired write off.

And yes people seem to lose all commonsense at auctions. There appears to be a syndrome where once at an auction you can't go home without having had the satisfaction of beating someone else over the head with your wallet. Must be an instinct that dates back to our cave dwelling ancestors.

[TerrA LX]

It used to be that only lic dealers, beaters etc could get their name down at salvage auctions, don't know why that changed.

Last auction a mate went to they have started recording detailed identification of bidders including eye scans.