Which these kids did, which is why the cars were confiscated and destroyed. That's why the court order was required, determining that the cars were full of stolen parts, as indicated by the altered serials. Due process was served.
Were the entire cars stolen? Or was it just some of the parts? If the entire vehicle was stolen it should be returned to the insurance company who made good on the original claim for salvage. Likewise stolen parts. Suppose they had a stolen gear shift know. Does this mean that the state has the right to steal their whole car or just take the shift knob? If you unknowingly purchase a stolen DVD player at a flea market does this mean that the state has the right to burn your house to the ground?
What is going on here is an expansion of state power starting with an unpopular group - No one likes ricers except ricers.
But this is how the state always expands its power - a little at a time. Remember seat belt laws? First it was only if you were stopped for something else, and now we have the odious "clickit or ticket" where the seat belt gestapo can pull you over for something like this. And along this line, should they be able to take your car for not having your seat belt on? I see a future where this is on the agenda and the useful idiots going "yes! you're endangering yourself, you don't deserve to have a car, etc."