[s-cars] Salvage Title

[Robert Welch]

Greg,
Here's my $0.02

Salvage title cars can be great.  Here's the basics I see:
1)Price should be BELOW wholesale, I'd look for at least a couple
thousand below wholesale.  That car salesman now knows he's got tainted
goods which will be hard to move.  He should be willing to cut a pretty
good deal, especially if you wait till the end of the month.
2)Do you plan to drive it for a long time?  Reselling a car w/ a salvage
title is a challenge.  If you drive it 'till the wheels fall off', then
you don't really care.
3)If you're a fan of service warranty's you'll probably be disappointed.
I think all of these outfits specifically exclude salvage titles

Robert Welch
Golden, CO

-----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 8:46 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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