Its a crime!!! Or is it? Breaking

[masterbateson]

I keep seeing what seem to be really nice cars in good or reasonable condition being broke on Ebay for example and other places.

A lot of the time I look at the car and think "what a shame another nice car being cannibalized "

I can understand it if it been in a shunt and front ends totally gone for example or if its completely rotted out beyond a point where too most people it would be uneconomical or possibly unsafe.

But when I see a really good looking car i do think its bordering on criminal.

On the flip side with out breakers, there would be a lot less parts for us so....

Still seems a shame in some cases as these cars get less and less on the road.

[SonicSW20]

Every time one gets broken, supply goes down.

Yours goes up in value just a little.

Could be worse I suppose!

[Martin F]

Money makes the world go round and that my friend is why people are breaking modified cars....

[2mad]

The problem is people dont want to pay what the cars worth so breaking is the best way to recoup money spent ... but yeah i agree its tragic

[pbmr2]

Being a member of 2 mr2 clubs I'd agree that breaking decent cars for a few extra quid is short sighted, greedy, bad for the environment and borderline criminally stupid.

Say a car is quite tired and the owner has had enough of maintenance task so chooses to break it. It may be only worth £1500 but if they break it AND sell everything it might make a little more. In most cases the special parts get sold and the rest get scrapped. Making the person less than they hoped and taking another car off the roads for good. If they had put it back to standard or spend a couple of hundred quid getting it repaired, it could have been sold for decent money and made them more money in the long run. Plus there would be another car still out there for someone else to enjoy.

I think the crux of it is these people just want money. They only got the mr2 because it was the fastest thing they could buy with the least amount of cash. they cheeped out on maintenance and ruined a semi decent car and then make the fatal choice to break it for parts. selling the wheels too so they have to pay £100 for someone to come and take it away for scrap. pointless.

sad.

[craig]

Back in 2013, I came across a red rev3 GT turbo. Pretty much standard bar wheels, exhaust and intercooler. No rust, just a tired, faded red 93 turbo.

It had a blown turbo, which the owner didn't want to fork out to fix it. I bought the car off him for £1500 and broke it for bits, netting me a £3000 return, after postage/paypal/ebay fees, and paying Pete to remove a few bits. So doubled my money on it.

To be honest, it's the owners prerogative what they do with a car. I don't see a problem with it to be fair.

The way I see it, breaking that car, kept other peoples on the road, so doing my bit for the community.

[2mad]

True your keeping cars on the road , making money and making other mr2 owners richer because of supply and demand.. still think its sad .. seen some b/chin cars get broke over the years

[aussieGT]

Being a member of 2 mr2 clubs I'd agree that breaking decent cars for a few extra quid is short sighted, greedy, bad for the environment and borderline criminally stupid.

Say a car is quite tired and the owner has had enough of maintenance task so chooses to break it. It may be only worth £1500 but if they break it AND sell everything it might make a little more. In most cases the special parts get sold and the rest get scrapped. Making the person less than they hoped and taking another car off the roads for good. If they had put it back to standard or spend a couple of hundred quid getting it repaired, it could have been sold for decent money and made them more money in the long run. Plus there would be another car still out there for someone else to enjoy.

I think the crux of it is these people just want money. They only got the mr2 because it was the fastest thing they could buy with the least amount of cash. they cheeped out on maintenance and ruined a semi decent car and then make the fatal choice to break it for parts. selling the wheels too so they have to pay £100 for someone to come and take it away for scrap. pointless.

sad.

I hate seeing nice cars being bought with ripping them apart being the idea. But hey, those with the money buy the cars are obviously free to decide to do whatever they like with them. It makes sense to grab any useful parts from cars that are damaged or rusted out, but good examples being bought just to part out is just uncool!

I'll be setting up a refuge home to save the hunted from the vultures! (one day, when I can front up the moolah to get some nice examples).

To the parterer outerers - save the shells! They are worth nothing in a scrap yard, one day they can be brought back to their glory.

[masterbateson]

Im a little bit sad in this respect possibly as I do get emotionally attached to inanimate objects.

I sometimes see these cars on ebay and here myself saying in my head "you poor thing, what have you done wrong to deserve this"
Then need to remind myself " it is just a car"

I think I'll still bee a little sad when I see a good car on ebay or else where being gradually sent to a rusty grave slowly piece by piece rather than being restored.

I'm not saying there is anything wrong with it of course, just that I feel a bit sad when I see it sometimes.

And here is the shocking bit......
I have been known to repair my car using donor transplants from errr Breakers.
I'd like to say thanks to those brave and selfless cars that have passed on their parts to keep mine and other cars alive, and I hope that any donor parts were ethically sourced from terminally ill cars

[Dame]

I think it all depends on why the car was bought / modified. I've met a few people who just buy the car as a play thing, throw a lot on money into it, get bored after a while and decide they want to move onto the next project. For them it's all about having the funds for their next infatuation.

There are others who are in it for the long haul, and I'm definitely one of those. I've had my Turbo since 1998 and am nearing the end of a complete restoration. The car isn't going to be worth the amount I'll end up inventing into it, but that's not the point. The point is that it survives and continues to give me the pleasure that it has provided for the last 18 years. Overall I have spent far less on it than I would on buying a much newer sports car!

[synXero]

I've had my Turbo since 1998 and am nearing the end of a complete restoration.

That is cool. Congratulations.

[gnzyza]

Its only a car. It is a shame to see good cars being taken apart but it's the owners choice and think it keeps our cars on the road by providing plenty of spares.

[masterbateson]

Its just the way they look at me from the web pages, like a sad pair of puppies eyes looking at me saying "help me"

Yep Im nuts.

[2mad]

Its just the way they look at me from the web pages, like a sad pair of puppies eyes looking at me saying "help me"

Yep Im nuts.

Your not nuts mate ... i get the same feeling mr2 ebay window shopping ... its good some give up there lives so others can live on ... but damn there becoming rare now ... id hate for the greater speckled turbo to go extinct

[Dame]

That is cool. Congratulations.

Thanks dude! If looked after, Toyotas last forever! It's actually looking better now than it ever has! More amazingly, it's still on the original clutch and Turbo and is now reading 142,000 miles. I've just replaced the entire ignition system (dodgy coil and ht leads) and it's running perfectly despite living outside in the British weather!

My only advice is to carefully monitor the body condition. They're generally good at resisting rust, in fact it was about 20 years old before I first saw the signs. Weak points are sills, bottom of the door panels and windscreen surround. Having said that putting it all right cost around two hundred notes short of £3k (including a full respray) but I expect it to last for many more years to come!