Another Scrappage victim..........

[Mash]

I think we all realise there's no way that anyone would pay 2k for most of these cars we're seeing no matter how mint and I must admit that if I can't successfully sell my Accord it may have to go for scrap eventually. Shame, but it's only an average example after all, despite having useful life left. Not a big deal, plenty more mediocre J-tin about and no great sentimental attachment.The big gripe though is that many of the cars we're seeing through the scrappage scheme are excellent examples which many people would want to own. The Bluey is a perfect illustration of this. It's not a case of "put your money where your mouth is and save it then" - anybody would snap it up if it was offered for sale at the going rate but because it has a perceived value of 2 grand as part of the scrappage it makes it completely unjustifiable and no-one in their right mind would stump up that kind of cash. Ergo, the car is consigned to frag fodder and there's bugger all we can do about it. It's that what makes me so angry.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

The thing is, you can get a discount off a new car without cashing in a perfectly usable car (classic or otherwise) and still sell the car. The numbers add up the same, or better.

No they don't! Sorry. They just don't. In some odd cases of more expensive motors they might just, but check the logic, f you sell your bluey for £300 then turn up at the local Kia shop asking for £1700 off a 9 grand car, you're just gonna get the big FO. I read in the paper the other day a great long list of examples where new cars are cheaper than secondhand ones thanks to the scrappage.Plus the dealers are hardly overflowing woth unsold stock are they? Check the exchange rate, VW are gonna get 20% less euros back for every golf they sell in the UK now, compared to what they were getting a year ago, i dont see that they have upped their prices by 20% so they have got to be taking a hit. If I was running a VW Golf factory I would be making the smallest number of UK models possible.

[andrew e]

My motherinlaw scrappaged an MOT'd clio my wife bought new and gave to her mum, very good condition, high miles. But it was wort £600 tops. There is a Picanto parked in that spot now. SCRAPPAGED.Flip side my dad sold an MG Midget at the same time my mum spent 2x Picantos on a single Fiesta. He ebayed the Midget (for £1300) because of the effort he wanged in it. NOT SCRAPPAGED.

[FredTransit]

I read the new cars sold through the scheme have to be new manufacture, leaving those already in existence still standing on the back lots. So it seems it's immaterial if the dealers are overflowing with stock or not, this stupid wasteful scheme is churning out more cars.

[AnthonyG]

The thing is, you can get a discount off a new car without cashing in a perfectly usable car (classic or otherwise) and still sell the car. The numbers add up the same, or better.

If the list price is more than £15000, or the car is hard to sell for some reason, the above may be true.For most of the cars being bought on the scrappage scheme you're just talking rubbish, I'm afraid.Remember many makers offer more than £2k off the list price - up to 6-7k in some cases on the related discount. Although only the government only chips in a grand of that, the car needs to go into the scrappage scheme regardless.Additionally a lot of people don't want to sell cars privately - see the 'I hate selling cars thread'.

[r.welfare]

If I was running a VW Golf factory I would be making the smallest number of UK models possible.

Yup. Delivery time quoted for a Golf Plus with 1.4 supercharged engine and DSG box, with a couple of (fairly popular) factory options (winter pack and dual-zone climate)? NINE MONTHS. So Welfare Snr plumped for a Qashqai instead. No cars were scrappaged in this case study.

[andrew e]

Chap I work with has a 3 year old golf plus. Wants to test drive a new one. You can't sir

[retrogeezer]

The sad thing is, this scheme is not going to get the shitters off the road that it's intended to.The Bluebird is a fine example of this....probably one old giffer owner with a few quid in the bank. 35k on the clock so hardly used and only at weekends and bank holidays. But, he has the money to spend on a new car.Round the corner in the council estate, Kevin & Tracy in their shagged out old Fiesta that has never been serviced is still being used every day to run the kids to school with no seatbelts on as they don't have the money to buy a new car with, even with the 2k allowance.Who exactly is benefitting from this? Surely not the car manufacturers and the rich people with shares in said companies....And why should car manufacturers be getting this help? I know it's been said before but everywhere you go businesses and shops are closing down with no help from the government......Same with the bank bail-outs......all down to stocks and shares values I'm sure.Oh fuck, all those shares I had in Lloydstsb are worth fook all, better do something about it.IMHO...

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

turn up at the local Kia shop asking for £1700 off a 9 grand car, you're just gonna get the big FO.

The answer to that is quite simple - don't buy a new Picanto. Buy one that's 6 months old, or an ex demo Fiesta or any of the small cars being punted out for £5495 by the big dealer groups. You'll still get 4-500 quid for your R reg shitbox and a decent almost new car.My local Ford dealer was doing last of the line Ka's for £5995 brand new. I'd far rather own that that any Korean turd.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

I bet a new picanto, if you are scrappageing something against it, is cheaper than a 6-month old one.

[mnde]

The Bluebird is a fine example of this....probably one old giffer owner with a few quid in the bank. 35k on the clock so hardly used and only at weekends and bank holidays. But, he has the money to spend on a new car.

Not picking on you directly retro, but this Bluey is an interesting example. From the pictures it looks mint, granted, and I'm cringing that such a fine example has ended up being scrappaged But... who's to say that (assuming here it is belt rather than chain) at 35K it's not got a snapped cambelt? Or a shagged clutch? Or something else that a garage quoted £££ to do, more than the car's market value, and said old giffer didn't want to stump up the cash... and was persuaded (or decided) that a new car would be the way to go. Speculation, I know. Does U-Pull-It only take in Scrappage stock - or could it have ended up there after the previous owner passed away and the family got rid...? Speculation again. Either way it's a crying shame, but none of us have the true story behind this car.I had a Citroen BX identical to my current one (16 petrol) that on the face of it was a minter: lovely interior, 90% shiny paint... but one look under the bonnet... ah, kippered HG, welding required to rear floor next to fuel tank, front inner wings, seized heater tap, leaky rad, needed new front pads, general recommissioning needed after 3 years storage on SORN = not worth it and it was scrapped.Mark.

[Pete-M]

Basically, for the Government scrappage is a great scheme. Visitors to the UK don't see many shite old cars about - and face it, when you go to another country you do judge how well the country seems to be doing by the cars on the roads, I'm as guilty of this as anyone- the muppets who buy the new ones feel all proud of themselves for a year or so, manufacturers don't shut up shop in the UK for a while and there's a load of highly financed new cars about to keep the banks and credit people feeling a bit happier.Unfortunately, when that's all translated into the real world all it means is there are a load of poeple who've chopped in cars with a few years life left in 'em for new ones and a load of payments because the government made it easier for them to have a new motor.Truly skint people will still be driving old sheds about, people with a bit more money will be paying a bit more to drive, people with a lot of money don't care about it, and there will be a load of young people who can't wait for grandad to pop his clogs because he's paid cash for his new Fiesta and it's in the will...

[brammy777]

in all fairness, i havent seen a reduction in the amount of shite i see daily at all in the past year.Id say ive seen more, but i do look a lot harder.But all the cars ive noticed parked in places havent moved or dissappeared.That Nissan Cherry in old basing is a case in point, its less than a mile from two car delearships and still exists. But i rarely see stuff on H plate for example, and K-N has got a lot rarer around here too. Not everyone with shite is chopping it in, if anything its all the stuff around 12-15 years old getting chopped.I thought id not see another sierra or cavalier when the scheme started, but i see about 5 sierras a day and 7 cavs a day (at least). I would make some comment about how their replacement models arent too good, but I havent experianced them, so i wont.

[CortinaDave]

Cars live a lot longer in the south though. Up here sierras are near extinct now.. i only see them very occasionally.. cavaliers are pretty thin on the ground too. N reg is about the oldest I see regularly.I agree about it being disturbing to see some of the tidy motors turning up at U Pull it, but I suspect its only because they list all their cars on the web that we actually see all the nice ones they take in.I bet most yards smash up a fair few minters a year, just dont post pics of them on the web!U Pull It is great for shitehawks, very friendly and reasonably priced.. and it's not their fault that the cars have to be destroyed, we can blame that slug Gordon Brown for that one.

[Mr Lobster]

Does U-Pull-It only take in Scrappage stock - or could it have ended up there after the previous owner passed away and the family got rid...?

UPI only buys in cars that are 'written off'. Scrappage cars are (IIRC) Cat B write offs so that they can only be used for parts and not returned to the road. They don't buy scrap so if the owner had decided to scrap it for some expensive mechanical defect it wouldn't end up there.The amount of decent, interesting stuff getting scrapped is relatively small though. Look through UPIs stock list - its all mid '90's Polos, Clios, Fiestas that sort of thing. Yes the odd older car gets scrapped but that was always going to happen.Theres a Citroen dealer next door to where I work. Every week a transporter from a local salvage company (Hills of Skelmersdale if you are interested) turns up to take their scrappage stuff away. Every week I have a bit of a look to see what they take - I'm yet to see anything interesting, it's all tatty Xsaras, Mondeos, Escorts, 206s, Astras, that sort of thing - not to say that that makes it right as they all still have useable life in them but they are not taking all the really clean, interesting old cars off the road either.

[andrew e]

Dollywobbler, there is a 2cv on U-pull see there not all bad

[dollywobbler]

Is it the burgundy one still?

[Mr H Sceptre]

Just seen a Datsun 260Z on an S plate round the back of my local Jaguar/Land Rover dealer. Looked to be in decent nick. Surely not......?

[Guest]

I thought Tony Hawks was a skateboarder...

 

Morris Minor and the Majors was a band led by the comedian and writer Tony Hawks (not to be confused with the skater Tony Hawk).

Tony Hawks also wrote the excellent book 'Round Ireland With A Fridge' and was the gamesmaster in the Red Dwarf episode Better Than Life.

[Vin]

I thought Tony Hawks was a skateboarder...

 

Morris Minor and the Majors was a band led by the comedian and writer Tony Hawks (not to be confused with the skater Tony Hawk).

Tony Hawks also wrote the excellent book 'Round Ireland With A Fridge' and was the gamesmaster in the Red Dwarf episode Better Than Life.

I remember seeing 'Room 101' or the like (I rarely watch TV anymore ) where Tony Hawks talked about all the emails he gets, from young skateboarders asking their idol questions....To which he then replies. Mainly in the negative

 

There is a page on his website http://www.tony-hawks.com/skateboarding.php about this skateboarding confusion, with emails and responses

[Mash]

Been having a look at what a few other forums are saying and I found this article. The pics are very interesting and give you a good idea of the kind of stuff being scrapped. Check out the white Brava

 

http://www.autocar.co.uk/News/NewsArtic ... rs/243548/

[vicsmith]

Maybe the Brava has had a new clock set at some point?

[trigger]

This post on the autocar forum sums up what most of the great unwash who buy into this are like for me:

The scrappage scheme is a good thing because,If you buy a british made new car it stimulates our economy and everyone benefits when the recession is over quicker.Old cars can be recycled into better cleaner ones, new cars are cleaner than even a few years ago.Manufacturers will invest more in electric cars so our cities will have clean air.As your pictures show we will eradicate rubbish obsolete dagenham dustbins and gas guzzlers as soon as possible.This time the government is investing sensibly to stimulate prosperity, that's what we all want isn't it?Fred.

Fred. You are a cock. One thing though, wasn't Autocar behind the scrappage scheme at the start, It's only now they are noticing it's a fuck up.

[trigger]

Ive been out looking for a car for my wife today to replace her Puma, I popped into a local Kia garage eariler to see what they had and spotted a really mint Blue T-reg Micra 1.3i Inspiration in the parking lot, Still with tax, Had air con and only 44k on the clock, a real minter.I went to the showroom and saw the Manager standing there and i asked him about it to see if it was a trade-in and see if they would sell it for cash, He said no, It had been traded in in this scrappage scheme and had to be scrapped. Told him what a waste I was going to offer you £1000 for it, He just shrugged his shoulders and said if you give me £2000 you can have it.Poke it.

[scrappylad]

Does U-Pull-It only take in Scrappage stock - or could it have ended up there after the previous owner passed away and the family got rid...?

UPI only buys in cars that are 'written off'. Scrappage cars are (IIRC) Cat B write offs so that they can only be used for parts and not returned to the road. They don't buy scrap so if the owner had decided to scrap it for some expensive mechanical defect it wouldn't end up there.The amount of decent, interesting stuff getting scrapped is relatively small though. Look through UPIs stock list - its all mid '90's Polos, Clios, Fiestas that sort of thing. Yes the odd older car gets scrapped but that was always going to happen.Theres a Citroen dealer next door to where I work. Every week a transporter from a local salvage company (Hills of Skelmersdale if you are interested) turns up to take their scrappage stuff away. Every week I have a bit of a look to see what they take - I'm yet to see anything interesting, it's all tatty Xsaras, Mondeos, Escorts, 206s, Astras, that sort of thing - not to say that that makes it right as they all still have useable life in them but they are not taking all the really clean, interesting old cars off the road either.

Upullit do buy in scrap cars... so if your car is past its best or fails its MOT you know who to call!

[scrappylad]

I am really getting disturbed by U pull it, I know they are o9nly doing a job but I am not too sure I happy could dismantle a car or van that's better than one I have on the road.

Please don't be disturbed by U-pull-it. We are recycling parts that could otherwise simply end up in the crusher which would be more wasteful. Personally if I could save some of these cars I would! I am happy, given the cirumstances, to see cars getting stripped to the shell for the parts... far, far better this than the whole lot getting crushed.The scrappage scheme has good & bad points... the cars you generally see posted on here are the bad points in my personal opinion, but you've got to make the best out of a bad situation...

[Mr H Sceptre]

I thought Tony Hawks was a skateboarder...

 

Morris Minor and the Majors was a band led by the comedian and writer Tony Hawks (not to be confused with the skater Tony Hawk).

Tony Hawks also wrote the excellent book 'Round Ireland With A Fridge' and was the gamesmaster in the Red Dwarf episode Better Than Life.

And also the excellent 'Playing the Moldovans at Tennis'

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

I was at U Pull It York on Saturday with a BMW mad mate, and we noticed hordes of Polish/Easties stripping dozens of cars. Audis, BMW's, a bit of Rice and Fiat/French stuff. All the panels were off and they're coming back for the engines and drivetrains.A complete Audi A4 1.8 5v on a P plate to be stripped was £175 - get a gang of Polacks stripping them down and that must be a few quids worth back in Poland/Romania etc.

[FredTransit]

I am really getting disturbed by U pull it, I know they are o9nly doing a job but I am not too sure I happy could dismantle a car or van that's better than one I have on the road.

Please don't be disturbed by U-pull-it. We are recycling parts that could otherwise simply end up in the crusher which would be more wasteful. Personally if I could save some of these cars I would! I am happy, given the cirumstances, to see cars getting stripped to the shell for the parts... far, far better this than the whole lot getting crushed.The scrappage scheme has good & bad points... the cars you generally see posted on here are the bad points in my personal opinion, but you've got to make the best out of a bad situation...

I accept it's better the parts are at least re used, but it doesn't make me any happier about the car bding there in the first place.

[retrogeezer]

I was at U Pull It York on Saturday with a BMW mad mate, and we noticed hordes of Polish/Easties stripping dozens of cars. Audis, BMW's, a bit of Rice and Fiat/French stuff. All the panels were off and they're coming back for the engines and drivetrains.A complete Audi A4 1.8 5v on a P plate to be stripped was £175 - get a gang of Polacks stripping them down and that must be a few quids worth back in Poland/Romania etc.

Oh, how this scheme is helping the UK economy.....