texas94z

Give me a percentage estimate. If both cars are identical, I'm guessing that a salvage titled car would be about 25% less valuable than a clean titled car. More or less?

scj

iTrader: (89)

It may have 25% less in value to an interested buyer, but trying to sell it will be much more difficult because it will be harder to find someone interested. One thing most people know, even people who don't know **** about cars is not to buy a car with a salvage title as it will just be a problem car to them. Even if the car was wrecked, and fixed professionally to be 100% in factory specs the person doing the repair will be the only one who actually knows if the car was fixed properly, and the sad reality is, a lot of "insurance" collision body shops will half *** a job to turn a profit quicker, so the likelihood of an unsuspecting buyer getting a car that wasn't fixed properly are a lot higher than them buying a car that is salvage titled and fixed 100%, so the majority of people will stay away from buying a salvage car. Hell even an experienced car guy could look at a chassis with his bare eyes and not be able to tell if it was straight or not without actually putting it on a frame machine.

Sorry for the novel, just my $0.02.

lsxtreme17268

iTrader: (2)

From what I've seen ,a salvage title makes it worth half of the non salvage title .

sway99bird

iTrader: (22)

Banks will only loan 80% of the cars value my TA has a rebuilt title and I have owned other cars as well with rebuilt titles. But I know the guy that repaires them and actually watched the process at the body shop .

LeadfootDuramax

iTrader: (6)

This is closer to my experience. As already stated, finding a buyer willing to purchase salvage at all will be a challenge as well.

Texfinn

iTrader: (39)

Except that sellers tend to ignore that fact quite often.

Jay Gadsby

iTrader: (3)

It does depreciate it quite a bit. I have a Salvaged 240SX right now that I bought for a decent price, and am currently repairing the damage that the collision shop covered up. In Texas it is possible to "clean up" a salvage title, which is my goal right now. You need to repair the damage that put it in that status, take it to an inspection station and they will look at the repairs. If they are satisfied, they will issue a memo stating the car is now fully rebuilt, then you take it to the registration office and pay 25-30 dollars depending on the county. Hope this helps.

CySevans

Anyone who buys a car where the seller doesn't have the title is asking for trouble. The salvage title in Texas is a different color from the regular titles, so it is instantly recognizable as a salvage.

I would never buy a salvage car, especially around Houston where flooding is common.

Texfinn

iTrader: (39)

Me, neither.

I'm sure there are plenty of people who have good luck with them and good for them. Not wanting to buy one is just a personal preference of mine.

lsxtreme17268

iTrader: (2)

I'd buy one to drive and keep but not to try and flip for profit.

Cam72aro

iTrader: (28)

I think he meant price wise, they still ask the same price regardless.

ggriffin59

iTrader: (7)

25-30% discount, with a more limited pool of buyers, was my experience in the 80s-90s. With more awareness now than then about salvage titles, I might agree with a higher discount appropriate.

I did do several to keep & drive, rather than flip, which can make it easier to justify buying salvage.

texas94z

Thanks for the info, dudes.

Mike96z

iTrader: (78)

People have been brainwashed by people to believe a salvage titled car is worthless when it's not. Run a vehicle history on it then make a decision based on what happened to it. It can sell for what you want for it if you wait around for the right buyer and shake off all the low ballers. I don't think it's worth full value but it's not worth nothing either. Speaking from experience, had a salvage titled car that was flawless. Waited for the right buyer and boom, SOLD.

imma_stocker

iTrader: (19)

Non-clean titles have fewer potential buyers. Opposite of something like a perfect diamond that everyone wants, price for salvage title drops a LOT. Really depends on what buyer wants to do with the vehicle and how it got salvage status.

Something like a rear-end collision behind rear strut towers I would pay closer to clean title. Front end collision and t-boned I'd prolly pay half of comparable clean title, regardless of claimed damages and repairs.

leech

I know this is a carmaro-firebird site but i have a question about a salvage title on a motorhome, was sitting in flood zone, i know salvage titles are crap but how much would it lower the cost 50-75%????

JC316

iTrader: (1)

Depends on a lot of factors. If it's true salvage, or rebuilt, what kind of salvage, and what kind of car. On a rebuilt title for a daily driver shitbox, no one really cares that much.

On something that's older and harder to find like a 3rd gen camaro or fox mustang, it takes 20-30% off. On something more modern and available like a C5/C6 vette or 4th gen camaro, it takes a LOT off the value, 50% easy.

B52bombardier1

On a flooded vehicle, you can expect electrical problems. That nasty water gets into every electrical connection and it starts to corrode.

Rick

LSX Power Tuning

iTrader: (4)

50-60% but also depends on the vehicle. Our insurance company wont do full coverage on a salvage/flood vehicle, only liability.

Thats not 100% accurate. Most of the connectors are water tight. We have a really good friends who has been buying flood vehicles for 30+ years. He currently has 10+ flood vehicles of his own that the he drives and you would never know they are flood vehilces. Some he did have to replace a few electrical components like door modules or seat motors but most of the time very little has to be replaced. Hee also doesnt buy the ones fully submerged so that helps a lot Im sure.

1FastBrick

iTrader: (16)

I have built a few salvage title vehicles and currently own one that I rebuilt and drive daily. It is also fully insured. Every state may have different rules and regulations for salvage vehicles.

In my case The Insurance company will only Pay Up To 75% of what the vehicle would be worth as a clean title vehicle in my area. There is no guarantee that they will pay a full 75%. The only exception would be unless I want to have an inspection and appraisal done and have an agreed upon amount for pay out. That would also cost more to insure in the long run.

Any way, my advice would be it's best to find out why it was totaled and see if the person has any documentation of before and after repairs. If they can't offer you that, They may have something to hide.