Cars and Salvage titles? (lock me)

Bendery It Like Beckham · July 2009

So, I'm looking in to buying a used car, as my car was just taken as a total loss. I've got roughly $9,000 and was looking in to this.

http://sandiego.craigslist.org/ssd/cto/1291632345.html

The only problem is that he has it listed as a salvage title. What kind of flack am I looking at from an insurance company? My buddy who used to be a head mechanic at a local honda dealer is going to go look at it with me. But before I decide to purchase this or not I need to know what precautions i can take to protect myself in this transaction.

Is it even legal to sell a car as a salvage title and then re-register it? If a car has been totaled out as a salvage title what are the odds that it has been stolen and is still stolen?

Really, what am I getting in to here?

exoplasm · July 2009

It's worth spending the money on a CARFAX (get the unlimited for 1 month thing) when buying a used car, no matter where you're buying it from. If they won't give you the VIN to look it up, don't bother looking at the car.

This does sound kind of suspicious, and given the area it's being sold in it could have all kinds of stuff wrong with it (mechanically and legally).

Edit: the whole purpose of a salvage title is that the buyer gets to know up front the car isn't 100% anymore. insurance companies may charge extra for coverage on it.

Wezoin · July 2009

Also, I'd avoid buying a modified car. Car companies spend millions of dollars in research figuring out the way to make a car the best it can be at its price point, a guy in a garage with $100 - (maybe optimistically) $2500 isn't going to be able to improve on what they've done. That + salvage title indicates this was probably a back street racer type car, and the owner probably didn't treat it very well and would probably be willing to lie to you to try and sell it for more.

Bendery It Like Beckham · July 2009

Wezoin wrote: »

$2500 isn't going to be able to improve on what they've done.

Actually, with an extra $2500 and a stock SI I could add a minimum of another 100 horsepower. I'm pretty sure it would improve on what they've done.

But like I said, I've got someone who knows what goes wrong on all these models, and know about the popular mods and can spot when they've been done incorrectly so the possible state of the car is not what I'm concerned about, I can deal with that when i go assess it. What I'm worried about is the possible legal/insurance backlash of a salvaged title car.

saint2e · July 2009

Note: I live in Ontario, Canada

Because my dad is by trade a mechanic and knows a lot of people who do body work, frame work, etc. on cars, alot of my cars have been found at wrecking yards, listed as salvaged titles, and then fixed up. I've gotten some really good cars for dirt cheap through this method.

I'm currently driving a salvage title now, in fact. So while I'm not from California, I would say it's legal. Now I haven't done any studies on Insurance costs for salvage vs. non-salvage, so I can't comment there.

PeregrineFalcon · July 2009

Bendery It Like Beckham wrote: »

Wezoin wrote: »

$2500 isn't going to be able to improve on what they've done.

Actually, with an extra $2500 and a stock SI I could add a minimum of another 100 horsepower. I'm pretty sure it would improve on what they've done.

But like I said, I've got someone who knows what goes wrong on all these models, and know about the popular mods and can spot when they've been done incorrectly so the possible state of the car is not what I'm concerned about, I can deal with that when i go assess it. What I'm worried about is the possible legal/insurance backlash of a salvaged title car.

Unless you're talking about turbo or nitrous, I find that hard to believe. And both of those have a pretty significant change on how the car drives and how reliable it is.

Dunadan019 · July 2009

the biggest problem is that since its not registered, you won't be able to take it for a test drive.

don't buy a car without test driving it.

Thanatos · July 2009

My car has a salvage title, because a guy rear-ended me three or four years ago (the car is 14 years old), and even though I drove the car home, it did enough damage that to restore the car to its previous condition would cost more than the value of the car.

I found a body shop that actually got it to better than its previous condition for my insurance check. It still has a salvage title, though. So, really, all a salvage title means is that it's been through something that did some damage to it at some point.

PeregrineFalcon · July 2009

Thanatos wrote: »

My car has a salvage title, because a guy rear-ended me three or four years ago (the car is 14 years old), and even though I drove the car home, it did enough damage that to restore the car to its previous condition would cost more than the value of the car.

I found a body shop that actually got it to better than its previous condition for my insurance check. It still has a salvage title, though. So, really, all a salvage title means is that it's been through something that did some damage to it at some point.

Ad says "theft recovery" but no one jacks an SI and just takes the IC pod/climate control/seats. If you're digging out the A/C, you've got time to take everything under the hood, and definitely time for your buddy to yank the wheels off.

That or the seller is the thief. :P

Smurph · July 2009

If you have $9000 to work with and you wind up buying a $5000 salvage title car, you will probably regret it. I would pay $30 to get access to Carfax reports and go and try to find a similar car with a clean title for a little more money. Salvage titles are really risky, especially when buying from shady private sellers.

kitch · July 2009

I've been told that, in California, a vehicle with a salvage title cannot have Collision & Comprehensive coverage. Totally not sure if that is correct though.

illig · July 2009

check KBB.... a 2000 Civic Si in fair condition (but NOT salvage) is worth around $5400... why would you pay that for a salvage car?

VisionOfClarity · July 2009

So I went to wiki and while that isn't the best place for info it does tell me something is off with his description as to how/why the car was given a salvage title and tells me he's charging way too much.

Iceman.USAF · July 2009

PeregrineFalcon wrote: »

Bendery It Like Beckham wrote: »

Wezoin wrote: »

$2500 isn't going to be able to improve on what they've done.

Actually, with an extra $2500 and a stock SI I could add a minimum of another 100 horsepower. I'm pretty sure it would improve on what they've done.

But like I said, I've got someone who knows what goes wrong on all these models, and know about the popular mods and can spot when they've been done incorrectly so the possible state of the car is not what I'm concerned about, I can deal with that when i go assess it. What I'm worried about is the possible legal/insurance backlash of a salvaged title car.

Unless you're talking about turbo or nitrous, I find that hard to believe. And both of those have a pretty significant change on how the car drives and how reliable it is.

Falcon, no offense, but nothing you've said is true. There are many, MANY aftermarket modifications that one can do with $100-$500 that can increase power/performance in a variety of ways from handling to horsepower to fuel efficiency.

You're right, car engineers do their best up to a certain price point. That doesn't mean it's the best possible configuration though.

Anywho, salvage titles can be fun cars to have as their generally dirt cheap, so you can mess around with them and learn a ton in the process without worrying about a new $20,000 baby.

That being said, it doesn't sound like it's a good idea for YOU in particular. Just ask yourself if you can handle it if it starts to develop "issues"...and how much you can really afford.

PeregrineFalcon · July 2009

Iceman.USAF wrote: »

PeregrineFalcon wrote: »

Bendery It Like Beckham wrote: »

Actually, with an extra $2500 and a stock SI I could add a minimum of another 100 horsepower.

Unless you're talking about turbo or nitrous, I find that hard to believe. And both of those have a pretty significant change on how the car drives and how reliable it is.

Falcon, no offense, but nothing you've said is true. There are many, MANY aftermarket modifications that one can do with $100-$500 that can increase power/performance in a variety of ways from handling to horsepower to fuel efficiency.

Yes, you can improve power/performance for $2500. What I'm debating is that he can add 100hp for that little money without going to boost or nitrous, as he stated.

Bendery It Like Beckham · July 2009

Well i found a clean title up in LA, I'm gonna give em a call. Thanks for all the advice (this thread is done)

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