Salvage Title?
Salvage Title?
I am looking at buying a 93 hatch, and it has a salvage title because of a slight front end collision. the fenders are off just a little, but he says it is freshly alligned and drives straight. Of course I would have my mechanic check it out first, but what exactly does a salvage title mean? Would it affect insurance rates, and could I get it changed back to a clean title or is it doomed forever? How much is involved in a DOHC to SOHC swap, just general difficulty.....
You are doomed forever in terms of getting it back to a clean title. Depending on your insurance company, you might not be able to insure a salvaged title. In the unlikely event that you do find a company who will insure it, you will never get it's "full value" back in the event of theft or collision.
Unless you are building a race car or don't care about insurance then you should stay away from salvaged vehicles.
Unless you are building a race car or don't care about insurance then you should stay away from salvaged vehicles.
a salvage title means the car has been damaged enough that an insurance company has declared it a total. This usually will drop the resale value of the car tremendously, but this does not necessarily mean that you are getting a junker.
I had an '89 Probe GT (i miss the turbo
) that had light front end damage...body shop said it would be $4000 to fix so they totalled it. I bought the car back for $200 and fixed it myself. All vehicles on salvage titles have to be taken to a state highway patrol inspection station, where you will expect to pay about $80 if memory serves correctly (this was about 4 years ago), but the Staties will put it through a fairly rigorous inspection, and make sure that the entire car is roadworthy.
My friend's dad is a SHP (State Highway Patrolman) and he says that these inspections really are no joke. The SHPs that do them are really strict (at least in Ohio) and they don't mess around with it. If they declare it non-roadworthy you are permitted to drive it home that day, and that's it. If you are caught driving it after that day before it's been inspected they impound the car and it's likely to just be crushed.
Anyways, i'm off topic here...odds are if your state is as particular as Ohio is on these inspections the car is fine. I found a '90 turbo MR2 that bluebook was over $5k on for only $2k simply because of the salvage title. The only thing to watch out for is just make sure you know what it was salvaged for. It could have also been flooded, or caught fire, or anything else. I'd avoid a flood car like the plague, simply because you don't know what all of that water got into and shorted out.
Just my humble $.02
I had an '89 Probe GT (i miss the turbo
) that had light front end damage...body shop said it would be $4000 to fix so they totalled it. I bought the car back for $200 and fixed it myself. All vehicles on salvage titles have to be taken to a state highway patrol inspection station, where you will expect to pay about $80 if memory serves correctly (this was about 4 years ago), but the Staties will put it through a fairly rigorous inspection, and make sure that the entire car is roadworthy.My friend's dad is a SHP (State Highway Patrolman) and he says that these inspections really are no joke. The SHPs that do them are really strict (at least in Ohio) and they don't mess around with it. If they declare it non-roadworthy you are permitted to drive it home that day, and that's it. If you are caught driving it after that day before it's been inspected they impound the car and it's likely to just be crushed.
Anyways, i'm off topic here...odds are if your state is as particular as Ohio is on these inspections the car is fine. I found a '90 turbo MR2 that bluebook was over $5k on for only $2k simply because of the salvage title. The only thing to watch out for is just make sure you know what it was salvaged for. It could have also been flooded, or caught fire, or anything else. I'd avoid a flood car like the plague, simply because you don't know what all of that water got into and shorted out.
Just my humble $.02
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AZhitman
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Phax and Warren are BOTH right (good info, gents!)
Biggest drawback in my opinion is you can't get full coverage insurance, only liability.
This means if you get it all fixed up, and you're in an accident, you have lost ALL your hard work. No insurance company to file a claim with... In addition, if someone else hits YOU, their insurance company may not pay out on a claim. Your state's laws may vary somewhat.
Florida and Texas are "title-washing" states. Aside from NEVER buying a used car there, you MAY be able to get a clean title by registering it in one of these places.... Morally wrong, but feasible.
Biggest drawback in my opinion is you can't get full coverage insurance, only liability.
This means if you get it all fixed up, and you're in an accident, you have lost ALL your hard work. No insurance company to file a claim with... In addition, if someone else hits YOU, their insurance company may not pay out on a claim. Your state's laws may vary somewhat.
Florida and Texas are "title-washing" states. Aside from NEVER buying a used car there, you MAY be able to get a clean title by registering it in one of these places.... Morally wrong, but feasible.
i don't know where you guys get your insurance through, but I was able to get full coverage on mine. They had no problem with it at all, they just informed me that my vehicle would not be worth whatever the blue book/NADA book said it was worth.
In Ohio you can never get your salvaged car back to a clean title. But there was no problem getting full coverage insurance on your vehicle. But, as AZ pointed out, there are all kinds of different laws in all different states...insurance stipulations may be and probably are different state-to-state
In Ohio you can never get your salvaged car back to a clean title. But there was no problem getting full coverage insurance on your vehicle. But, as AZ pointed out, there are all kinds of different laws in all different states...insurance stipulations may be and probably are different state-to-state
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AZhitman
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UTWarrenG wrote:i don't know where you guys get your insurance through, but I was able to get full coverage on mine. They had no problem with it at all, they just informed me that my vehicle would not be worth whatever the blue book/NADA book said it was worth.
Right - And the scary part of THAT is, by agreeing to it, they could theoretically offer you next to nothing if you're ever in an accident. Certainly not enough to repair your car....
Then you have to ask yourself, what's the purpose of having full coverage?
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GoldZenkiS14
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if it has a salvage title you will have to fix w/e is wrong with it and make sure theres no safety hazards with it or anything. Then take it to get inspected . There youll have to show befroe and fter pics and you have to show reciepts for all the new parts and if there used you have to supply the vin of the car they came off of. You will be issued a rebuilt title and then after that you have to pay for the tag and all the other normal stuff... My s14 had a slavage title when i bought it because of theft .. i think it ended up costing around 300 when all was said and done for the tax, title and the state inspection etc. and all that..
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GoldZenkiS14
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^when they issue a rebuilt title is when you dont have to inspect ... salvage is when the insurance company sells the car off (usually in an action). There dealers can buy them, fix them, inspect them and resale or just get it and resell it with the salvage title for a smaller profit and then have the buyer do all the work
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GoldZenkiS14
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Goldzenkis14 is correct in regards to COD- But Salvage can me anything from rebuild to theft. If a car is stolen and insurance paid premium and then vehicle was recovered after the fact, a salvage title would be issued. Most titles at least in florida will have to say salvage rebuild. As far as COD goes, apparently you can get a COD title washed in NJ somehow. I personally would stay away from salvage unless you are ok with the risk. Body panels mismatched could mean frame repair. Get it on a lift and see if you can see anything. For the money you have spent, I would not worry about it. Beat the hell out of it and enjoy it.....just dont make it a show car 
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GoldZenkiS14
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yes my car was salvage because of theft .. just make sure you inspect the car right and make sure theres nothing wrong with the frame and all that .. i didnt have to worry to much with mine since it was theft and had no exterior damage ..just missing seats, radio and other small interior things.. .. what im trying to say is that once you get a slavage title your only option to drive the car legally on the road is to get it turned to a "rebuilt" title car