$70k for a 06` Gallardo with a salvage title - should I buy?

[David Fermani]

I don`t know about Lambo -but I know that after a benz is in an accident that the frames MUST be xray`d for any frame damage before the insurance company could make a call. In Pennsylvania (as of 2006) there were only 2 places in the entire state that could do that. If Lambo has similar protocol I would seriously stay away. - were talking microscopic frame damage can be MAJOR down the line. -and in car with that kind of power....

Huh? Sorry, but there`s no x-raying done on frames (full frames or uni-bodies). The info you`re hearing is wrong. Frames that are made of alloy can get checked with a special dye to show cracks, but that`s about it.

[HappyWax]

Huh? Sorry, but there`s no x-raying done on frames (full frames or uni-bodies). The info you`re hearing is wrong. Frames that are made of alloy can get checked with a special dye to show cracks, but that`s about it.

I don`t like to spread mis information or BS - so today I called my bodyshop guy just to ask -after all it had been a couple years since I remember the conversation and my memory sucks.



Anyway, here is what he told me - it all has to to with certain benz models that have aluminum sub frames -motor mounts - very internal and nothing that could be damaged from minor accidents on the outside of the sheet metal. He said these are cars that take a hard "slap" in the front.

Anyway, he said that the frames are measured on machine set up specifically for Benz and movement has to fall "within millimeters". why? Because of the bond between steal and aluminum -I forgot his exact wording but it was something about "Galvanic corrosion" -and it can make the car worthless apparently...



At any rate- he is HAS to ship the cars to a place in Philly that specializes in this type of high end repair. - He is Pittsburgh on the opposite side of the state.



He said he would avoid high end salvage cars for that reason. -It`s not just benz it`s all the high end cars that have aluminum frames and sub frames. Newer (manufactures last 5 or 6 years) BMW and Audis

[David Fermani]

Thanks for looking into this, but it sounds like your body shop friend isn`t certified to do late model Benz structural repairs? At any rate, most of these vehicles that suffer from *significant* uni-body misalignment are required (under MB recommendations) to be realigned via a dedicated bench system called Celette bench Celette North America Fixture Benches There`s actual holes cast into each unibody control point and the technician pulls each misaligned point until it fits/goes into the peg fixture. Once completed, it`s totally corrected. Galvanic corrosion isn`t relavent to this operation with frame straightening so I don`t quite understand the that point. Audi, Ferarri, Lamborghini, BMW, Jaguar and other higher end cars also recommend their vehicles to be repaired on "dedicated" frame benches. But again, I`m not clear on your statement about X-Raying frames?