Stolen Seats? Serious?!

[ashleyqprw12]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2007-VAUXHALL-CORSA-VXR-...


Just seen this, can people really be this intrested in the Recaro buckets?! I understand the front are 1k a pair but didn't realise people would take the time to sit and unbolt em?

[davepoth]

ashleyqprw12 said:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2007-VAUXHALL-CORSA-VXR-...


Just seen this, can people really be this intrested in the Recaro buckets?! I understand the front are 1k a pair but didn't realise people would take the time to sit and unbolt em?

4 bolts per seat I guess, if you know what you're doing it's a ten minute job and they won't be identifiable like a satnav or the car itself, so you can flog them on through "legal" channels.

[kambites]

Does seem rather odd...

I'd have thought they could theoretically be traced via the airbag serial numbers.

[CampDavid]

A mate had his 535D gutten by thieves, dash, steering wheel ets, all mugged out of it.

Nasty

[TonyHetherington]

Yes yes, but....I've seen a few like this. Not accusing this car per se, but "awesome car, mint condition. Wiper blade tore, so insurance classified it as cat D".

Adverts often try and suggest that it's minor things that cause the Cat D. It could well be - it doesn't take much these days to make a car uneconomical to repair, but equally people also are happy to mislead the reasons why.

[DanDC5]

Surprised it went down as a Cat D for seats and a window. Then I suppose it depends on what Vauxhall charge for them brand new.

[kambites]

DanDC5 said:

Surprised it went down as a Cat D for seats and a window. Then I suppose it depends on what Vauxhall charge for them brand new.

Including fitting, it will run a long way into four figures, I'd imagine.

[ashleyqprw12]

TonyHetherington said:

Yes yes, but....I've seen a few like this. Not accusing this car per se, but "awesome car, mint condition. Wiper blade tore, so insurance classified it as cat D".

Adverts often try and suggest that it's minor things that cause the Cat D. It could well be - it doesn't take much these days to make a car uneconomical to repair, but equally people also are happy to mislead the reasons why.

This could be a very good point, would a hpi check show up any reasons for the cat d? Or is it just that?

Edit: Also if it's CAT D insurance would of surely had to replace like for like..?

[trashbat]

I always thought seats were basically worthless. It's a couple of hundred quid for the Recaros in my car, and most of that would be going towards the labour of getting them out, storing them etc.

An Alfa specialist told me that they took the Recaro leather seats out of a 166 and put them on eBay with no reserve. They sold for £2. The bloke came to collect them and he said, 'oh, they don't have the memory function, not interested'.

[kambites]

I'd guessing that your Alfa doesn't have airbags in the seats, if they're that cheap?

[trashbat]

kambites said:

I'd guessing that your Alfa doesn't have airbags in the seats, if they're that cheap?

They do. The 166 might not have, I don't know.

[dhariwab]

Never used the memory function on the standard seats on any of mine, can't be bothered to wade through the manuals and read up how to do it. Pointless feature on my past three cars. Certainly wouldnt hunt around on ebay for seats that had it

[kambites]

trashbat said:

kambites said:

I'd guessing that your Alfa doesn't have airbags in the seats, if they're that cheap?

They do. The 166 might not have, I don't know.

I can't imagine you'd get much change from 500 quid for one airbag alone if you bought it straight from the manufacturer.

[trashbat]

kambites said:

I can't imagine you'd get much change from 500 quid for one airbag alone if you bought it straight from the manufacturer.

True, but it doesn't seem to count for much. Steering wheels are the same. Some of the airbags in mine notionally expire next year so maybe that has something to do with it.

[Shuvi McTupya]

kambites said:

I'd guessing that your Alfa doesn't have airbags in the seats, if they're that cheap?

I wasn't even aware that seats had airbags in them these days!

They are not in the headrests in assume?

[TonyHetherington]

Shuvi McTupya said:

I wasn't even aware that seats had airbags in them these days!

Down the side, for the side impact normally.

[trashbat]

Example, full GT interior for £275: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ALFA-ROMEO-GT-1-9JTD-200...

I've seen them for less. I guess there won't be so many Corsa VXRs at breakers (?), but still: not a lot of money for what you get. I'd make a sofa out of them if they didn't suck as actual furniture.

[kambites]

Yes but that's second-hand, so is irrelevant to the write-off question. Insurers have to use new parts.

[trashbat]

kambites said:

Yes but that's second-hand, so is irrelevant to the write-off question.

True, but relevant to the likelihood of them being stolen. I suppose they'll nick anything.

[thinfourth2]

Easily be a write off

Once you add in the brand new cora VXR hire car at 500pounds a day while the seats come from somewhere