[s-cars] Salvage Title

[Scott Betzold]

There is a guy in town here that rebuilds totaled VWs, Audis and Volvos
and then sells them all day long for loan Value (typically about 15-20%
off mid level retail) if is done right it should not be an issue. It is
however quite illegal to not disclose a salvage history on a title, in
addition especially unethical for a dealer to do so. I also think it
would be pretty hard for a dealer to not be aware of a savage history on
a car that they have in their inventory. Many Audi parts have production
dates stamped on them, look for dates that predate the accident date.
This will give you an indication if new or used parts were used in the
repair and may be an indication of the quality of the work.

Scott Betzold
1995.5 S6 for sale (not repaired with Salvage title)

-----Original Message-----
From: s-car-list-admin at audifans.com
[mailto:s-car-list-admin at audifans.com] On Behalf Of Greg Johnson
Sent: Monday, February 10, 2003 10:46 PM
To: V8; QList; northwest audi enthusiasts; S Cars; Shayne
Subject: [s-cars] Salvage Title

<sigh>  I found what I thought was great V8Q today.   '93 4.2, Pearl
over black, 87K miles.    Looks good, drives nicely (seat of the pants
tells me it needs an 02 sensor).  Asked the Sales Mgr for a CarFax.  He
produces it no questions asked - we discover that in 10/98, with 48K, a
salvage title issued.  I really believe the guy didn't know, he seemed
as disappointed as I was (or he's a helluva an actor).  Took it by the
Audi dealer and pulled the service record.  The guy translated the code
for me, nothing usual, but he did confirm that the car had be totaled.
I took the car to my mechanic and spent an hour and a half picking it
over.  He confirmed the accident, left front and he found a few service
issues (e.g. the belly pan is missing and the rotors are warped) but he
also says whoever fixed it did a decent job and if the price were right,
he'd buy it.

Questions:

Is the rule you simply do not buy a car with a salvage title, or are
there exceptions?   I realize that if I buy this car, for all intents
and purposes, I am stuck with it.

What should the price be?   Are we talking parts car pricing here?

Can one get insurance for a such a car?  I'm betting not for the car
itself, but what about liability?

Any other thoughts?

Your collective help and wisdom is greatly appreciated.

Greg J



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