i know i'd be scared of a flood damaged car.

I know that sometimes sportbikes are totally just for scraped up fairings, and are legitimately ok.


what about wrecked cars? i've always been gun shy, but there are some cheeeaap ones out there with salvage titles (i've seen a bunch of cheap S2000s, particularly).

8/10/2008 12:09:39 AM

I've bought/sold/fixed several.

What do you want to know in particular?

I had one motorcycle I bought from out of state as a salvage title but the title came back as normal in NC..I'm guessing that was a fuck up..but I def came out good on that deal

8/10/2008 12:16:57 AM

http://charlotte.craigslist.org/car/731330990.html

for example, would be be scared of something like that? is it a rat bastard to sell them when you get ready to move on to something else?

i don't really want that particular one unless he'll damn near give it to me...i really don't like the blue/blue scheme...but i see similar deals all along.

8/10/2008 12:42:07 AM

yeah, just depends on the vehicle and that particular case. generally i'd say take off around 25% off the KBB value and you're in the ball park of what you can expect. personally i bought some salvage title vehicles because it was what I could afford at the time and the background for the ones I bought didn't involve anything damage wise. i bought a 3000GT VR4 that was previously owned by an attorney--He reported it stolen after some kids took it for a joy ride for their prom ride and that ended up in a salvage title--but it also ended up in brand new seats and a brand new engine because he thought it was knocking a little and the seats had some smoke smell in them. obviously only a lawyer could pull some BS like that off.

so, in the end i got a 3000GT with a new engine and new interior for less than the market value of one with those components used...

8/10/2008 1:00:43 AM

I would think that salvage titles would hurt the value a little more than 25%. I know they'd have to drop the price more than that for me to buy.

8/10/2008 1:20:02 AM

hah, ive messed with salvage cars for the past 10-12 years... it all depends on where you get it fixed.

the shop i worked at,all they did was buy, fix and sell cars like that. they have a lot of experience in it. some shops will do it but do it half ass.

a salvage car can be just as good as a non salvage car. but it all depends on your insurance and the car.

toyota has the best all around deals with salvage cars.. they still honor the factory warranty and most insurances like them. ask your insurance how much they will cover.

and it also depends on what salvage means... flood/wrecked/stolen....

8/10/2008 1:46:01 AM

i don't want to deal with flood.

stolen is no big deal, in and of itself.

wrecked is a mixed bag...i'm more concerned about stuff like the chassis not being quite straight, etc. i don't really care if it just had to have some bodywork replaced and painted.

8/10/2008 1:55:17 AM

yea i'd say 25% is the minimum.. def could be a lot more depending on the exact situation

8/10/2008 1:58:13 AM

One of my bimmers has a salvage title, but I bought it for less than the price of a good BMX bike. From what I can tell it looks like it was hit in the right rear quarter panel and they totaled it. The rear axle and suspension looks original and undamaged, so I'm guessing it didn't take much to total it due to age (it's a 91 318is.)

I just looked at the body work and it looked acceptable. There is a slightly larger gap where the quarter panel meets the trunk, but very little other evidence of damage. All the glass was original BMW glass with the logo etched on it. The whole car had been re-painted at the time of the wreck, so that was probably a good thing and it got a new set of wheels.

I'd say you really need to think about your goal. If you just want a good vehicle at a good price then you might want to consider some salvaged vehicles. If you're planning to buy it and keep it forever then consider the damage/repairs and decide if you want to pull the trigger. They're a bitch to re-sell though and I wouldn't count on making any money on them unless they're next to free by comparison to similar vehicles.

[Edited on August 10, 2008 at 9:30 PM. Reason : l]

8/10/2008 9:30:13 PM

if you don't know what to look for though in a fucked up car i wouldn't buy a car that could be fucked up

8/10/2008 9:51:30 PM

Troo. I'd be more worried on an expensive/newer vehicle. Pricing is much more volatile when you're dealing with people who are buying what they desire rather than what they need. On an older vehicle people are going to be more concerned with how it looks and runs.

8/10/2008 10:04:35 PM

if you're worried about the frame, take it to a body shop and get them to put it on the rack and check it with the laser setup prior to buying it, shouldn't be more than $50 and if it is straight, ou have proof of that when you go to sell it

8/11/2008 8:09:07 AM

ahh, good call

8/11/2008 3:07:41 PM

beat me to it^^

8/11/2008 5:22:03 PM

i play with myself

8/13/2008 11:36:49 AM