When an eight-year age rule was proposed for taxis in my area, a councillor claimed that this would encourage taxi owners to buy insurance write-offs and cut and shuts.
As regards insurance write-offs, are they more likely to be less safe in an accident (for example), or are there adequate procedures that ensure they are repaired to an adequate standard?
As regards cut and shuts, are they actually legal?
Would they get past an MOT or taxi test?
Stuart
There were perfectly legal 'cut and shut' London taxis on the roads a few years ago - complete with Q plates. They were up with some new and some secondhand parts from different vehicles.
Any 'write off' can be repaired, if done properly. Written off means it's just beyond *economic* repair. The degree of damage where this occurs will vary from model to model and with age. A perfectly safe car that's a few years old could be written off with purely cosmetic damage, while a near new one might be repairable but not drivable or safe at all until this is done.
It depends on why it was a "write off". If it was purely down to age and cost of repair then the repair could just be "uneconomical" for the insurance company but there's nothing stopping a garage or and individual from buying and repairing these "write offs" legally (as far as I know) and then putting them through the MOT.
That's how they make most, if not all, of the "stretch" limo's that you see shooting about.
Yes IF the repair is CORRECTLY carried out - and they must be tested before the DVLA will issue the relevant documentation.
Brian G
my 77Gt Celica was wrote off 4 years ago when i damaged the wing, bumper and lights. cosmetic and now fine.
I just got a standard MOT, the dvla never questioned it when i went for the tax disc when i went to the local office for my free road tax.
I thought that Category A and B were by law not allowed to be repaired.
Thanks for the replies - it's obviously not a straightforward area!
I should have said that it was standard saloon car taxis that I was talking about, not purpose-built/black cabs, but I don't suppose it would really change any of the replies.
The remark was probably made by a councillor making a political point without knowing much about the subject. So nothing new there.
Cutting two cars 'in half' and welding the bits together *could* be done properly - after all, as Brian said, it's the basis of making a stretch limo. But it's not economical to do this *properly*. If you think about it, some of the internal structure of the sill box sections etc won't be accessible for welding without complete removal of some panels. Then there's the problem of making sure the important dimensions are within original tolerances. So cheaper to just buy a new shell when labour costs are taken into account.
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