Salvage Title Cars???

Beemerboy

Beemerboy

Just One More Coat
I'm familiar with what it is, but has anyone bough one with a salvage title?

What are the questions that you should be asking about the car?

Is a carfax going to tell you anything?

I see them all the time on CL and avoid them
 
Carfax will usually tell you that the car is a salvage title, but that isn't always accurate. All I know is that the insurance on them is ridiculous. Rebuilt titles aren't as bad, but salvage titles are sometimes even difficult to find a company that will insure them for any price. There is just no way to know how safe they are and how reliable they will be, so I avoid them like the plague.
 
For the most part you should stay away from them, but I saw a bunch of Hondas come through here some years back that had been flooded out... all they needed was some interior cleaning and a new computer, or about $1800 worth of work for a brand new car that the insurance company sold for a few thousand each. I know a few people who bought them and had no trouble, as for reselling them, that's a whole other matter :hmmm:
 
There is a place that sells salvage cars in Connecticut, they tend to sell higher end cars...they have to disclose it to you the problem with the car, or why it was salvaged...well at least here they do...
 
CharlesW said:
Like the plague. :D

My friend that has the body shop and used car lot buys and sells some vehicles that I wouldn't want if they were free.
Even he draws the line at the salvage title cars. :D
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What kind of friend are you that you wouldn't take one off his hands for free :hmmm:
 
What about Motorcycles with a salvage title? Avoid those as well?

There's a place around here that sells salvage bikes and I have been looking for a project bike. As long as it has a good engine and straight frame, I can fix / replace the rest of the bike if the initial price is right. Bikes are a lot less confusing than cars so I'm not too worried about it breaking down on me -- if it does, it'll give me something to work on :).
 
budman3 said:
What about Motorcycles with a salvage title? Avoid those as well?

There's a place around here that sells salvage bikes and I have been looking for a project bike. As long as it has a good engine and straight frame, I can fix / replace the rest of the bike if the initial price is right. Bikes are a lot less confusing than cars so I'm not too worried about it breaking down on me -- if it does, it'll give me something to work on :).
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I agree that MC are a lot less confusing and you can work on them as a project then it would be a good thing...even if it was a car that you planned on restoring then that would be about the same IMO
 
holland_patrick said:
LINK?:yourrock
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I am looking for it now, its a place on rt 5 in Wallingford...I went there and was looking at a M3, mainly because of the price, thats when I discovered it was in some water...although I must say they did a good job removing that evidence, meaning you would never tell by the look of it...


I will see if I can find you a link...
 
I have bought a few vehicles that where salvage titles and never had any trouble getting insurance in NE it wasn't full coverage though. In fact I don't ever recall it being brought up same with a few of my friends too.
 
budman3 said:
What about Motorcycles with a salvage title? Avoid those as well?

There's a place around here that sells salvage bikes and I have been looking for a project bike. As long as it has a good engine and straight frame, I can fix / replace the rest of the bike if the initial price is right. Bikes are a lot less confusing than cars so I'm not too worried about it breaking down on me -- if it does, it'll give me something to work on :).
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Another of my friends has a large motorcycle dealership so I called and asked their thoughts on salvage title bikes.
1. Like salvage title cars, it kills the resale.
2. Like salvage title cars, they can be very difficult to finance and insure.
3. Like salvage title cars, the way to get the value out of them is drive them till the wheels fall off.
4. Unlike salvage title cars, most motorcycles can be repaired with just parts changing. The frame is such that it can be inspected for damage and most areas that could have structural damage can be visually inspected. Fork damage, frame damage, suspension damage, broken/cracked welds, wheel alignment are all pretty easy to check.

Having said all that, they will not buy, trade for or sell a motorcycle with a salvage title.
He feels it is something that might work for an end user, but it isn't a good business practice for a dealer.
He also questions if you can make much money buying salvage bikes, repairing them and selling them at a profit. Fixing one up for yourself would probably save you some money, though.
 
Dozerboy said:
I have bought a few vehicles that where salvage titles and never had any trouble getting insurance in NE it wasn't full coverage though. In fact I don't ever recall it being brought up same with a few of my friends too.
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It varies by state and by insurance company.
In most instances, liability only is available. Rates can vary considerably as well.
If you plan to insure a salvage title vehicle, you might want to check with your insurance company before you buy the vehicle.

Also if you buy the vehicle with a salvage title, getting a rebuilt/revived title is your responsibility. Again, it might be worth checking with your DMV before the purchase.
 
Thanks for the information Charles!! That makes a lot of sense.

I am in no rush to buy another bike. I would really like to find a salvaged bike and rebuild it to my tastes and customizations. If that were to happen, it'd be a perfect bike for me and I'd keep it for a long time, so re-sale won't be a big concern. Of course the main reason for that type of project would be to have a very cool bike for not a lot of money. Plus it'd be fun :).
 
I personally have had a lot of luck with salvage titled cars, selling them is harder, now a days it seems like insurance companies are totaling light hit vehicles especially if air bags have gone off. What to look for is same as any car. I am not a fan of Car-Fax as they do not show all we have a local body shop that buys terrible wrecks, infact one car cut in half and put together with another wreck, car should never have been allowed on road to top off it came up with clear WI title and that is how it was sold when done getting top dollar I saw this with own eyes, so I guess any car is questionable. But, again I have had great luck.
 
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