Comments on: Katrina Cars Still Around http://www.motoringfile.com/2008/09/15/katrina-cars-still-around/ MotoringFile | MINI news, reviews and opinion. MINI Cooper, Cooper S, Clubman, Countryman Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:48:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Leo http://www.motoringfile.com/2008/09/15/katrina-cars-still-around/comment-page-1/#comment-236251 Leo Mon, 29 Sep 2008 19:53:26 +0000 http://www.motoringfile.com/?p=7198#comment-236251 <p>Anyway..................</p> Anyway………………

]]> By: STIGG http://www.motoringfile.com/2008/09/15/katrina-cars-still-around/comment-page-1/#comment-235349 STIGG Tue, 16 Sep 2008 23:10:15 +0000 http://www.motoringfile.com/?p=7198#comment-235349 <p>CARFAX is a joke. When I sold my Toyota 4Runner 6 years ago CARFAX said the car was clean. Ha, it had $8000 worth of front end damage in it's second month out on the road. I checked it twice. My second MINI had similar damage and no mention of it on CARFAX. I have checked neighbors cars that have had damage... the same.</p> <p>I would like to get one of those "Spanking BIMMERs" though. ;-)</p> CARFAX is a joke. When I sold my Toyota 4Runner 6 years ago CARFAX said the car was clean. Ha, it had $8000 worth of front end damage in it’s second month out on the road. I checked it twice. My second MINI had similar damage and no mention of it on CARFAX. I have checked neighbors cars that have had damage… the same.

I would like to get one of those “Spanking BIMMERs” though. ;-)

]]> By: dr http://www.motoringfile.com/2008/09/15/katrina-cars-still-around/comment-page-1/#comment-235270 dr Tue, 16 Sep 2008 04:14:11 +0000 http://www.motoringfile.com/?p=7198#comment-235270 <p>7k is fair market value for a flooded MINI of that age, I remember the threads of the guys who have built race cars. just the unibody shell is like 5500</p> 7k is fair market value for a flooded MINI of that age, I remember the threads of the guys who have built race cars. just the unibody shell is like 5500

]]> By: dr http://www.motoringfile.com/2008/09/15/katrina-cars-still-around/comment-page-1/#comment-235269 dr Tue, 16 Sep 2008 04:06:00 +0000 http://www.motoringfile.com/?p=7198#comment-235269 <p>Its not even an S...</p> Its not even an S…

]]> By: SFRedMCc http://www.motoringfile.com/2008/09/15/katrina-cars-still-around/comment-page-1/#comment-235254 SFRedMCc Tue, 16 Sep 2008 00:52:29 +0000 http://www.motoringfile.com/?p=7198#comment-235254 <p>Why would anyone think they could get a decent used MINI of any age for only $7,000? This particular case is so absurd it seems to take away from the real problem, which is the "age-old" practice of reselling these water-logged or otherwise "totaled" cars. Usually it's not so obvious something might be wrong with the car. Sounds like the UK has the answer; however, so why don't we have a law like that here?</p> Why would anyone think they could get a decent used MINI of any age for only $7,000? This particular case is so absurd it seems to take away from the real problem, which is the “age-old” practice of reselling these water-logged or otherwise “totaled” cars. Usually it’s not so obvious something might be wrong with the car. Sounds like the UK has the answer; however, so why don’t we have a law like that here?

]]> By: C4 http://www.motoringfile.com/2008/09/15/katrina-cars-still-around/comment-page-1/#comment-235244 C4 Mon, 15 Sep 2008 20:45:17 +0000 http://www.motoringfile.com/?p=7198#comment-235244 <p>What would posess an individual to try to fix and restore a car that has been underwater?</p> What would posess an individual to try to fix and restore a car that has been underwater?

]]> By: GregW http://www.motoringfile.com/2008/09/15/katrina-cars-still-around/comment-page-1/#comment-235242 GregW Mon, 15 Sep 2008 20:28:18 +0000 http://www.motoringfile.com/?p=7198#comment-235242 <p>This is a worldwide problem where insurance companies write-off cars from floods and accidents then sell them through auctions to restorers. Cars like these should be crushed by insurance companies period. In the UK if a car has been damaged, it has to get a special plate number identifying that it has been re-registered - one of our UK based members may verify this.</p> This is a worldwide problem where insurance companies write-off cars from floods and accidents then sell them through auctions to restorers. Cars like these should be crushed by insurance companies period. In the UK if a car has been damaged, it has to get a special plate number identifying that it has been re-registered – one of our UK based members may verify this.

]]> By: Bill http://www.motoringfile.com/2008/09/15/katrina-cars-still-around/comment-page-1/#comment-235237 Bill Mon, 15 Sep 2008 19:29:33 +0000 http://www.motoringfile.com/?p=7198#comment-235237 <p>I find it somewhat interesting that ABC News took the time and effort to interview everyone involved except the "dealer in Bolivia" that committed the fraud to begin with.</p> I find it somewhat interesting that ABC News took the time and effort to interview everyone involved except the “dealer in Bolivia” that committed the fraud to begin with.

]]> By: Craig http://www.motoringfile.com/2008/09/15/katrina-cars-still-around/comment-page-1/#comment-235224 Craig Mon, 15 Sep 2008 15:39:58 +0000 http://www.motoringfile.com/?p=7198#comment-235224 <p>Wow! While $12,000 is not a terribly large ammount of money in the USA that is a huge ammount in Bolivia where the GDP per capita is about 1/30th that of the USA. It sucks that such shady dealings are unlikely to come back and bite the seller.</p> Wow! While $12,000 is not a terribly large ammount of money in the USA that is a huge ammount in Bolivia where the GDP per capita is about 1/30th that of the USA. It sucks that such shady dealings are unlikely to come back and bite the seller.

]]> By: Josh http://www.motoringfile.com/2008/09/15/katrina-cars-still-around/comment-page-1/#comment-235223 Josh Mon, 15 Sep 2008 15:37:50 +0000 http://www.motoringfile.com/?p=7198#comment-235223 <p>WOW, THAT SUCKS. BUT IS THERE ANYTHING WRONG WITH THEM? THEY OBVIOUSLY WORK, MAYBE NOT AS WELL AS NEW, BUT NONE THE LESS.</p> WOW, THAT SUCKS. BUT IS THERE ANYTHING WRONG WITH THEM? THEY OBVIOUSLY WORK, MAYBE NOT AS WELL AS NEW, BUT NONE THE LESS.

]]> By: C4 http://www.motoringfile.com/2008/09/15/katrina-cars-still-around/comment-page-1/#comment-235222 C4 Mon, 15 Sep 2008 15:37:09 +0000 http://www.motoringfile.com/?p=7198#comment-235222 <p>I might add that Mr. Vargas appears to be a wealthy man by Bolivian standards. If he has spent US$30K to restore this water damaged dud, he certainly had the money to either import a brand new one from the US or from Venezuela where they can be purchased brand new as well.</p> <p>I think this guy has lots of money and little common sense. Why he hasn't gone after the local car dealer/agent that helped them lock into this piece of junk?</p> <p>Another caveat with this article...They claimed that MINIs are not sold in Bolivia because they are little cars with complex electronics...Total BS! BMW sells brand new spanking Bimmers in Bolivia as does Mercedes Benz, Audi, etc which are vehicles also riddled with expensive and complex electronics.</p> <p>The US media never ceases to amaze me.... Always wanting to portray South America as some 3rd world dump. Actually some of the best mechanics come from there...Those people can build a car FROM SCRATCH if you let them lose in Home Depot....</p> I might add that Mr. Vargas appears to be a wealthy man by Bolivian standards. If he has spent US$30K to restore this water damaged dud, he certainly had the money to either import a brand new one from the US or from Venezuela where they can be purchased brand new as well.

I think this guy has lots of money and little common sense. Why he hasn’t gone after the local car dealer/agent that helped them lock into this piece of junk?

Another caveat with this article…They claimed that MINIs are not sold in Bolivia because they are little cars with complex electronics…Total BS! BMW sells brand new spanking Bimmers in Bolivia as does Mercedes Benz, Audi, etc which are vehicles also riddled with expensive and complex electronics.

The US media never ceases to amaze me…. Always wanting to portray South America as some 3rd world dump. Actually some of the best mechanics come from there…Those people can build a car FROM SCRATCH if you let them lose in Home Depot….

]]> By: M. Dillon http://www.motoringfile.com/2008/09/15/katrina-cars-still-around/comment-page-1/#comment-235221 M. Dillon Mon, 15 Sep 2008 15:35:18 +0000 http://www.motoringfile.com/?p=7198#comment-235221 <p>I guess that MINI,to quote Mike Tyson,"...faded into Bolivia."</p> I guess that MINI,to quote Mike Tyson,”…faded into Bolivia.”

]]> By: C4 http://www.motoringfile.com/2008/09/15/katrina-cars-still-around/comment-page-1/#comment-235219 C4 Mon, 15 Sep 2008 15:24:14 +0000 http://www.motoringfile.com/?p=7198#comment-235219 <p>And this problem is also compounded by the fact that most of these buyers are not fully aware of internet tools available to them to check the integrity of the car they are buying, like CarFax.com.</p> <p>If I lived in Latin America, I would never buy an used car long distance, period.</p> <p>The MINI is a grey market import for most of Latin America except, Mexico, Venezuela, Chile and Argentina where there are authorized MINI dealers. New MINIs sold in South America are mostly European spec models. The vast majority of MINIs sold in non-supported countries are mostly US spec imports.</p> And this problem is also compounded by the fact that most of these buyers are not fully aware of internet tools available to them to check the integrity of the car they are buying, like CarFax.com.

If I lived in Latin America, I would never buy an used car long distance, period.

The MINI is a grey market import for most of Latin America except, Mexico, Venezuela, Chile and Argentina where there are authorized MINI dealers. New MINIs sold in South America are mostly European spec models. The vast majority of MINIs sold in non-supported countries are mostly US spec imports.

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