Belmont stolen, recovered now?
in [Car Maintenance]
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From: Duncan Wood on 22 Jun 2010 11:33 On Tue, 22 Jun 2010 16:15:31 +0100, T i m <news(a)spaced.me.uk> wrote: > On Tue, 22 Jun 2010 15:37:26 +0100, "Mrcheerful" > <nbkm57(a)hotmail.co.uk> wrote: > > >> >> the lock will have been broken by brute force, there is every >> likelihood it >> will need a column complete (cheap from a breakers in any case.) > > Ok, encouraging. Are there any places in particular that would be > particularly good for such things do you know please (M25, J25 or > reasonable radius). Last time I bought one after it split whilst removing the steering wheel, it cam mail order for about �30. Of course if you get it from the scrappy yourself there's less chance it's also been forced.
From: T i m on 22 Jun 2010 11:50 On 22 Jun 2010 15:17:38 GMT, Adrian <toomany2cvs(a)gmail.com> wrote: >T i m <news(a)spaced.me.uk> gurgled happily, sounding much like they were >saying: > >>>> Alternatively we could claim, let them write it off and then buy it >>>> back? > >>>That's the least sensible option, by the time your excess, NCB and claim >>>history have been balanced against the likely payout. > >> Understood. FWIW The NCB is protected > >But a claim on your history will still raise the base premium. Ok. > >> and the last time it was written off (Sept 2008) > >Oops. Another claim on your history. Starting to show a pattern now... True, all be it not 'a pattern' as such. ;-) >Play with the comparison engine sites, see how no/one/two claims affects >the premium. I predict you'll be surprised. Having my car reversed into >while parked (other person's insurer paid in full) hikes my premium more >than two �60/3pt photos. With full NCB. I was erring on just doing it myself if poss (she actually likes the car etc) so probably will if I can. > >> we were paid out �275. > >Quite. And it didn't even have history showing it to have been written- >off before... Indeed, but it was damaged > repaired and wasn't of any bookable value in the first place so I'm not sure if that would make any difference would it (I know it wouldn't 'help' etc). > >IIWY, I'd just hand the �150 over, get it back, fix it and get on with >life on the quiet. Seems like a plan then. > And chain the frigging thing down from now on. If the witness's statements were of any value and fitted a known m.o. or SOCO found anything that could pin it to anyone in particular (they have dusted the car for prints etc apparently) maybe these particular scrotes might get chained down for a while (I'm not holding my breath of course). > >> The thing is that whilst she's happy driving the (daughters) Ka it isn't >> as handy as a 4 door saloon with a big boot and we won't get one in such >> a known / good condition for �275? > >You don't know what condition the scrotes have left this one in. True, other than know there isn't any obvious external or internal damage (other than the steering lock / ignition stuff) and all our possessions (and 20 quid) are still there etc. The interior trim / upholstery is still perfect and doesn't have the straw filled hole in the drivers seat the much later one was sporting that I looked at earlier! > And, >yes, you'll have a decent choice of stuff around that price point if >you're not too fussy. And, since you're happy with a Belmont, you can't >be very fussy... <grin> We aren't 'fussy' (and remember most our vehicles 'came along at a good price' rather than were chosen etc). As you spotted, we aren't 'into cars' in that way so CGAF what other people think of ours or any other vehicle, it works for us, end of <g>. This Astra was my Dads from 2 yrs old, then my nieces and ours for the last 7 years. It's clean, tidy, reliable and everything works as it should. I'm not sure I could get that and knowing how it had been used (and not abused) for most of it's life for �275 or that I wouldn't be buying someone else's 'problems'? (and that's not me being sentimental). I'm not saying we couldn't get that again of course, just that it's nice to know. Neither would I suggest that this one wouldn't let us down out of the blue but it hasn't (not once) over the 7 years we have had it to date. Even repairing the crash damage was cheap and easy (new bolt-on wing �25, indicator �5 etc). I also fitted new disks, pads and pins to this when it was my nieces and I did the cam belt (and a water pump) soon after we got it (for �350 with 6 months TAX) so they are other things I won't have to do again for a while because they are known. No rattles, squeaks or clonks, no chips in the glass and the body / paintwork was hardly marked either. In fact, it was actually the best (looking and running) car we had / have! ;-) Cheers, T i m
From: T i m on 22 Jun 2010 11:53 On Tue, 22 Jun 2010 16:33:18 +0100, "Duncan Wood" <nntpnews(a)dmx512.co.uk> wrote: >On Tue, 22 Jun 2010 16:15:31 +0100, T i m <news(a)spaced.me.uk> wrote: > >> On Tue, 22 Jun 2010 15:37:26 +0100, "Mrcheerful" >> <nbkm57(a)hotmail.co.uk> wrote: >> >> >>> >>> the lock will have been broken by brute force, there is every >>> likelihood it >>> will need a column complete (cheap from a breakers in any case.) >> >> Ok, encouraging. Are there any places in particular that would be >> particularly good for such things do you know please (M25, J25 or >> reasonable radius). > >Last time I bought one after it split whilst removing the steering wheel, >it cam mail order for about �30. Not bad then. > Of course if you get it from the scrappy >yourself there's less chance it's also been forced. True. Would the marks made by it being forced be pretty obvious (over the std wear and tear I mean)? I would be expecting a big burr one or both sides of the hole and possibly scoring around the rest of the shaft? Cheers, T i m
From: Adrian on 22 Jun 2010 12:05 T i m <news(a)spaced.me.uk> gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying: >>> we were paid out £275. >>Quite. And it didn't even have history showing it to have been written- >>off before... > Indeed, but it was damaged > repaired and wasn't of any bookable value > in the first place so I'm not sure if that would make any difference > would it (I know it wouldn't 'help' etc). You think that'll stop the insurers just trying to restrict the payout to two buttons and a fluff-covered half-chewed toffee? >> And chain the frigging thing down from now on. > If the witness's statements were of any value and fitted a known m.o. or > SOCO found anything that could pin it to anyone in particular (they have > dusted the car for prints etc apparently) maybe these particular scrotes > might get chained down for a while (I'm not holding my breath of > course). Scrotes. Easy-to-nick lift home that won't attract any unwanted plod attention. Except now they (and their mates) KNOW where to find that nice easy-to-nick lift home. > In fact, it was actually the best (looking and running) car we had / > have! ;-) Considering it's a Vauxhall Belmont, I think that says quite a lot about your other choices...
From: Mrcheerful on 22 Jun 2010 12:15
T i m wrote: > On Tue, 22 Jun 2010 16:33:18 +0100, "Duncan Wood" > <nntpnews(a)dmx512.co.uk> wrote: > >> On Tue, 22 Jun 2010 16:15:31 +0100, T i m <news(a)spaced.me.uk> wrote: >> >>> On Tue, 22 Jun 2010 15:37:26 +0100, "Mrcheerful" >>> <nbkm57(a)hotmail.co.uk> wrote: >>> >>> >>>> >>>> the lock will have been broken by brute force, there is every >>>> likelihood it >>>> will need a column complete (cheap from a breakers in any case.) >>> >>> Ok, encouraging. Are there any places in particular that would be >>> particularly good for such things do you know please (M25, J25 or >>> reasonable radius). >> >> Last time I bought one after it split whilst removing the steering >> wheel, it cam mail order for about �30. > > Not bad then. > >> Of course if you get it from the scrappy >> yourself there's less chance it's also been forced. > > True. > > Would the marks made by it being forced be pretty obvious (over the > std wear and tear I mean)? I would be expecting a big burr one or both > sides of the hole and possibly scoring around the rest of the shaft? > > Cheers, T i m They break the lock by getting a couple of hooligans one each side with their feet in the wheel and wrench it back and forth, so damage can be major. you will usually find that the hole the lock goes through has been damaged and widened, in the actual column is the slot that the lock actually goes into, the edges of this will be damaged. It may be quite possible to just bolt another lock onto your column, but it will not be as strong as original when locked. It is also difficult to check for stray bits of metal that will be between the column inner and outer. Replace the lot in one go is easy and quick. |