Help support Wrecks to Riches .co.uk

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This site is intented as an online resource for anyone looking to buy, repair and sell crash damaged cars.

As time goes on we will be adding expert posts and hints and tips on how best too source the best auto salvage and also get it repaired as best and cheaply as possible.

However, in order for us to be able to continue and be able to become the best salvage website on the web, we need your support, here are something you can do to help support wrecks to riches .co.uk

• Dont be a lurker – If you have read a post which is of interest to you, or you have a comment or opinion, dont just leave the site, post a comment or reply! In doing so your helping others who read these posts, which ultimately is the core goal of the site!

• Click on any links that may be of interest – by doing so your helping support this site – It takes money to run a website, and building content doest come for free! By clickin our sponsors links, it helps keep the site up and running.

• Are you an expert salvage repairer, bodyshop, or salvage yard? Would you like to get some free traffic to your website from wreckstoriches.co.uk – In exchange for a useful hint / tip, or post that would be of use to our readers I will add your site link.

• Advertising opportunities on wrecks to riches .co.uk, if you would like to drive some serious quality traffic to your salvage related website, we have advertising opportunities available, at very reasonable rates. Post reply to this thread and I will be in contact.

Thanks for all your help and support in keeping wrecks to riches .co.uk running. Our base of avid readers is growing all the time, and I’m sure it wont be long till we are the biggest auto salvage resource online!

Vehicle Identity check – VIC Required for all Cat C Cars

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Following on from previous posts on auto salvage categories, I thought it would be useful to dig into Vehicle identity checks in more detail.

Any cat C or B car (if and when repaired) will require a VOSA Vehicle check. This essentially ensures that the vehicle is indeed genuine and is the car which it actually is. I.e. Not been a cut and shut, or had its identity changed for that of another car.

The VIC scheme was introduced in 2003. In any instance where a car is written off the insurer will notify the DVLA – this will apply for salvage categories A, B or C.

The car is then flagged at the DVLA and will be given a ‘VIC marker’ against the DVLA vehicle record. Whilst a VIC marker is set against a car the DVLA will not issue a V5 registration document. One will only be issued once the car has passed a VIC.

The VIC check is carried about in about 20 or so minutes, and costs around £36. Its important to note the VIC check purely assess the car’s identity and by no means gives and steer on the quality of the repair work carried out – Just that repairs have been carried out to a satisfactory standard, and that the car is considered road worthy.
So if you are buying a car which was previously a CAT C make sure you thoroughly check all repairs.

Personally if I were to buy a car to repair and sell, I’d try and avoid Cat C cars which require a VIC, not only are these cars usually significantly more damaged than a Cat D car. There is the added hassle of a VIC check, and the subsequent resale value is that much less.

More detailed information on VIC checks are available here at direct.gov.uk

Salvage of the Week – Damaged Repairable Lotus Elise

admin    Salvage car of the week    

Salvage of the Week.

2003 / 53 Lotus Elise 111s
Damage to drvers side clam shell. Had also hd suspension damage but this has been repaired by the salvage yard – Quality Salvage.

Its currently up for £8,875 and seems likea bit of a bargain consdering other examples on autotrader are going for around £12-13k. replacement clam shells are readily available through e-Bay, and can sometimes be bought for as little as £250. Add on a bit extra for new clam shell bolts and attachements, and possibly a matching wheel and tyre, and yo have yourself a very cheap Lotus Elise ready for the summer!

Looks like a very good car for the price.

Available at Quality Salvage .net

Salvage Catagories – Cat D, Cat C, Cat B, Cat X

admin    Salvage    

Some useful tips when buying damaged cars with the view to repair – Take heed of the Category of the damage, as this will affect your resale, and future cars value!

When an insurer takes the decision that a damaged car is an uneconomical repair, and writes it off, they assign a salvage category.

You will pretty much always see the classification of the salvage category on all the auto Salvage websites, and when buying a damaged car to repair and later sell, its very important to take the salvage category into consideration. Ultimately the category will affect the final value of the car, and what you can sell for!

Cat A - Not for resale. Fire damaged (burnt-out), flood damaged (contaminated or salt water), severely damaged with no serviceable parts, or heavily stripped (shell).
Notification of Destruction required. (To be crushed). Recorded at DVLA & HPI.

Cat B – Not for resale. Damaged beyond economical repair and/or severe structural damage.
Notification of Destruction required. (Parts can be removed and sold). Recorded at DVLA & HPI.

Cat C – Repairable salvage. Generally applies to older vehicles. Can be sold for repair but must now have VIC inspection.
Recorded at DVLA & HPI.

Cat 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.

Cat X – Repairable salvage. Not recorded on any registers such as HPI. Limited or very light damage, or vehicle is new or less than 12 months old. Usually requires minimal repair work.
NOT Recorded with HPI.

If you are buying to repair and sell, your more than likely to opt for the simplest, Cat X, which is not recorded on HPI, once repaired to a high standard no one will ever know its been an uneconomical repair from an Insurer. There are loads of reasons an Insurance company might not be able to repair, and may decide to write it off, it may not necessarily always be because its uneconomical to do so. Often customers with new cars, will demand a brand new replacement or for Hire car companies, who just don’t want to up their insurance premium by claiming.

Cat D is still good for repair, and can still be very light damage which is easily repaired. Just it will be recorded on HPI – When you come to sell you must make sure to tell any buyers it is a CAT D damaged repaired car.

Cat C is also still OK for repair, but once repaired will require a DVLA VIC (vehicle identity check) This is a fairly simple process, but may take some time to complete being that its the DVLA. Again, when you come to sell the car you need to make it very clear that the car was CAT C salvage, and that the car has had damaged and been repaired.

Damaged Repairable – Porsche 911 GT3 RS – Awesome Salvage

admin    Salvage car of the week    

Salvage of the Week!

Porsche 911 (997) GT3 RS – on www.bluecycle.com

Auction ends 3/3/08
Current price £25,515

Admittedly at the moment ist is in quite bad shape, and parts from Porsche would cost a small fortune! That said, even then you would still have one of the greatest bargains on the road! It a near enough brand new car, fully specced, and in possibly the best colour for GT3’s!

If only I had £25k I would snap it up in an instant..

This has got to be one of the best Damaged/Repairable cars I have seen, its very rare to get such exotica available as auto salvage. Mostly because these cars are so expensive, it takes a hell of a lot of damage for an insurance company to not want to repair. That said, you do get the odd once in a lifetime opportunity, and this could well be it!

Whoever buys this car, and subsequently repairs, is a very lucky person indeed!