thoughts on salvaged vehicles

Just curious what others thoughts and experiences are on buying salvaged vehicles, as in before it's repaired. What i'm looking at is wrecked vehicles that i can turn into a trail rig. Anyone have previous experience with doing this, know someone who did or have any input/advice ?

 

im curious on this to, but in no way am i mechanically inclined at all haha so i think its not going to happen for me. Would you do the repairs yourself or have a place do it?

 

If it is going to be a strictly trail rig it might not be that bad of an idea. I would NEVER buy a salvaged vehicle to drive on the road. But that's just me

 

There's a couple of threads on here for people rebuilding salvaged trucks.

 

Yea, that is actually what gave me the idea, i just didn't want to corrupt what was turning into a build thread with questions ..

I'm looking at stuff like this by the way

http://www.copart.com/c2/homeSearch.html?_eventId=getLot&execution=e2s6&lotId=19556261&returnPage=SEARCH_RESULTS

seems the be the best way to get a 2nd gen as a trail rig

 

i would'nt touch one with a ten foot pole...but thats just me

 

If it's a trail rig it won't be too bad.

I would be cautious with newer cars/trucks though, a lot more to go wrong. Definitely check it out or have a mechanic buddy check it out.

 

unfortunately i will be buying it almost blind (internet)... but most things should be fixable (depends on how frisky i feel, i have a chevy 350 with about 25k on it in the back of my garage).. but im looking to turn this in to a fairly built trail rig so there will be quite a bit of cutting and welding going on. i'm not looking to have a like new truck, i'm looking to have a 2'nd get i can run 37's + on...

 

But how are you gettting TO the trail? Are you towing it or is it still going to have to drive on the highway. Like other's said, I'd never buy salvaged if it's going on the road. But I'd do it if I were rebuilding it strictly for trail....except maybe for frame damage.

This one is flood damaged. Assume water in the engine, rust everywhere, electrical problems, wow, is this worth it?

 

I took my chances twice with them...both ended bad..its like "buying someones problems to make it your problem". Its really up to you,if you trust the people or not..I thought i could trust the last people i bought a truck from because they were all for honesty,but in the end,they were some damn liars.

 

Salvage titles are such a hit or miss thing. Could have rolled 6 times then sunk in a lake or it could just be hail damage.

I'd buy a salvage vehicle for off road if the price was right and it wasn't fixed yet so I could see the damage. A fixed salvage vehicle would be different, you don't really know what's underneath in that case and I don't want to be in a wreck in a vehicle that's not structurally sound. If I was going to try and fix and drive something like a hail damaged vehicle I think my primary concern would be the cost/hassle of registration. I'd want to know all the costs to fix/inspect/register up front before I laid out a couple thousand bucks on a potential yard decoration or money pit.

 

^^ Somewhat agree.

In some states a car that is stolen has to have a salvaged title because they can not asses damages that "could" have happened. In other states a salvaged title means that there is damage to the vehicle HIGHER than the cost of the vehicle it self, and lastly some states say that salvaged titles only go to vehicles that have frame damage.

For myself I would buy a salvaged vehicle based on 3 things. 1. No repairs have been made so I can see the extent of the damage. 2. NO WATER DAMAGE AT ALL 3. No frame damage.

For offloading you need a solid frame. Lots of people were buying Katrina vehicles, cleaning them and passing them to other states to receive clean titles..... scary stuff!

 

Ok, I guess you''d have to know the state requirements too then. Here I think a salvage goes on anything that was written off by insurance. So it could be a big wreck or just a small fender bender with a bad angle on an older car. You hit a car on the corner just enough to get the fender, bumper, hood, headlight, turn signal and you can write it off if the book value on the car is low enough. I know a guy with a 2 year old Envoy that backed it into the water launching a boat and they wrote it off. Water was halfway up the back door I guess but enough to get a couple computers and stuff, rear end obviously too.

 

i have a salvged tuck nd theres not one thing wrong with! jus know what you buying and repaired it

 

I used to go to auctions with a friend who bought, fixed, and sold vehicles that had been in wrecks. He specialized in Toyotas. The prices he could get them for were ridiculously cheap. I bought several vehicles. In fact, until a couple of years ago, all I have owned have been salvaged vehicles, but I was able to look them over before buying. They were all less than two years old, low miles and easy fixes. I’ve put thousands of miles on them for very little investment. My last one which I just sold was a 1993 SR5 4x4. It was rolled, but I fixed it, and drove it for 17 years with no problems. It had 11k miles on it when I bought it. It is my avatar.

However, today he does it all thru the internet. His business has grown to where he now has over 10 acres of cars. When I first met him, he worked out of his garage at home and went to auctions every week. I would still have no problem buying a salvaged vehicle IF I could see before purchasing. Not being able to see in person before buying would be a crap shoot. I’d probably look for a private party selling an old beater, and fix it up for the trail.

 

as long as it's a strickly trail rig i wouldn't mind buying a salvo title. But if you want it road legal as well salvaged vehicles are a huge huge pain in the ass to get back on the road, you need proof and receipts for everything and everything must be bought from a dealer or junkward. You basically need to prove that every nut and bolt on the car is not stolen.

As far as fixing a wreck car goes, i've done it and it's not bad as long as your mechanical and have the time. I build a s2000 this winter, clear title though so it was easy for me to get it on the road

 

that's pretty much exactly what im looking for, the one i listed was just an example, although i'm scared of there being frame damage i can't see in the pictures

That was another one of my questions, i know it varies by state but i've heard it takes a lot to get a salvaged vehicle back on the road, i will want to have this vehicle drive able on the street for going two and from trails, and seeing as i will be doing all the repairs myself the danger factor of driving it will all be in the quality of my work.