Talk Morgan Forums Community The Malvern Arms Just a smile.

I liked that too

I had the misfortune to buy a third series Series 5 BMW that had been imported from England to Australia (not so easy these days). I needed an automatic because I was recovering from a rather nasty bike accident. As a car I liked it but I discovered that this particular car had a number of problems that resulted in water coming in, the main problem was rusted out drains around the sunroof, and some other rust issues, so I decided to get rid of it. I was lucky to get back the money I had paid for it.

A month later the young guy who bought it contacted me. Apparently he had had a minor accident and whilst the insurance company agreed to fix the damage they cancelled the future insurance. The reason was that inspection revealed that not only was it two cars that had been put together as a "cut and shut" but that the work was so dodgy that the car was potentially dangerous. His body shop said that the work could be fixed but the cost was probably more than the car was worth!

Naturally the buyer was very upset but I knew nothing of this when I sold him the car so, particularly given the low price, it was a matter of “caveat emptor” . I imagine that he would have either had the minor accident damage fixed and sold it on, or taken the insurance money and sold it as was.

I later learned that cars were often stolen and chopped up to provide parts for accident damaged vehicles. The "repaired" car with a shiny new coat of paint and underseal to cover the underbody welds is then put on the market, or in this case exported, and purchased by an unsuspecting buyer.

I lived in Kenya in the mid 90s. There was a National TV news item extoling the genius of a local mechanic who was welding two wrecks together to save a car and save hard currency. So state approved cut & shunt; but with a new twist the front could be one make but the back another!. I always remember the camera showing one of these wonder vehicles with none of the wheels aligned as it crabbed down the road.

Mind you there were cars onthe road where the tyres were literraly worn so badly the reinforcing wires in them were visible.

There was a story on the `BBC show, I think it was "That's Life", about a cut and shut job by a garage next to my school. A day or so later they displayed an "As advertised on the BBC" banner.

Ha ha - given the way F1 is now being media managed it is only a matter of time......

A Ferrari-Red Bull merger?
When two become one?

Premier moment here..
Made me smile..