Wouldn't this be enough damage to have a salvaged title?

[gypsychic]

http://portland.craigslist.org/mlt/cto/4730130973.html

This looks like a lot of damage to me but maybe because I'm not that learned yet about cars. I would have thought that with this much damage it would cost more to fix it and would have therefore had a salvaged title. If I'm wrong, would it just be the case of getting new doors and bumper from a pick-n-pull and installing them. What about the frame being damaged? That's a possibility or a probability?

Just trying to educate myself for what to look for and what to look out for. I'm looking for something that isn't a beauty but is mechanically sound. I have more time than money so I don't mind getting my hands dirty and doing some work that other people wouldn't be bothered with. That being said I don't want to get something that is a lost cause.

Are salvaged titles ever ok to buy?

Thanks, as always, for taking the time to educate a newbie.

GypsyChic

 

[Reducto]

The way a vehicle gets a salvage title is if it's insured and the insurance company declares it totaled. If it did not have collision coverage or the estimate came in under the value of the car, it won't get totaled. I once bought a car that had damage to EVERY body panel and the front end was shifted to one side a few inches but it had no salvage title because it wasn't insured. Other times, damage can be minor but the car has a low blue book value so it doesn't take much to get totaled.

Salvage title can cause hassles with registration and insurance - be sure to look up the regulations in your state and check with your insurance company before buying one. If the damage is superficial then I see no problem buying one. I'd actually be more concerned if it looked perfectly fine but had a salvage title - that would mean it was repaired but not necessarily done the right way. Rust and improper welding could cause problems down the line.

 

[SoulRaven]

A salvage title usually means its been totaled by an insurance company. Some body damage will not make it a salvage vehicle. But it would a red flag to check for a bent frame which would make it salvage.

I bought a salvage Honda Valkyrie and after I repaired it and retitled it it was still a salvage title, even though it was completely restored. Each state has their own rules, I live in Texas, wherever you are will be different I am sure.

Insurance will be hard to get and you can not get comprehensive insurance with a salvage title. Here in Texas we are getting a slew of "Katrina" cars, look great with a salvage title but they were underwater for awhile. I would avoid a salvage vehicle if I didn't know the history of it. You are going to be living in it. Know what you are buying.

Bob J.

 

[highdesertranger]

good advice so far. a lot of insurance companies will not insure a salvaged titled vehicle. however back on subject, that damage on that van doesn't look that bad all the damage that can be seen is on bolt on parts, so in theory you could just go to the junk yard get replacement parts and bolt them on. might have a lot of different colors though. but and this is a big but(did I just say big butt) anyway if the frame is damaged in anyway there is trouble because this is a unibody. there is really no way to repair an unibody frame. some will argue, but I have dealt with body and frame shops, honest ones will tell you that you can't repair them, none of them would own the vehicle themselves, although they might repair one and then sell it. highdesertranger

 

[LeeRevell]

A hard read (zero sentence structure, semi-illiterate) but not that much damage. I have seen much worse running the streets and highways. Of course, sunny Florida has no requirement for annual vehicle inspections. We see a lot of junk on our highways.
A good body man could have this van straight inside a weekend.

 

[Spirituallifetime]

Here in Nevada if a insurance company totals a car it will be difficult to register it. It has to go through an inspection to make sure it is safe to drive on the road. I tried this once with a motorcycle, the difficulty I had the motorcycle dealers that did the inspections let their DMV permits expire so the DMV would not except the inspection!

I would ask if they claimed the damage to insurance and if it was totaled. Then if you do buy it ask the seller to go to DMV with you in case there are problems that he/she might be able to resolve.

If all the doors open and close and it runs good I would think about buying it at that price.

 

[Patrick46]

Here in Oregon, salvage titles are not a big deal...and neither is that van.

I'd bet that it has a regular title as the title bar in the ad sais 'Clear'.

yeah...if it runs and drives well, I'd be interested.

 

[wagoneer]

If it's crabbin down the road it's hard to tell unless you get a savy person to follow you going at least 25 MPH, old time frame shops are disappearing.

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

. . . old time frame shops are disappearing.

Old time frames are disappearing. Is it even possible to straighten unibodies?

Regard
John

 

[LeeRevell]

Old time frames are disappearing. Is it even possible to straighten unibodies?

Regard
John

That's why cars these days are so easily 'totalled'. A body-on-frame car can be repaired after significant damage, a unibody cannot.

 

[Terry]

A uni body can be repaired. I used to buy cars and trucks at a salvage auction in Ms. and refurbish them. Look for welds to be where they should and looking like all the other welds on the car. If someone uses bondo to smooth out the looks of the area welded, it means it is not a good weld. There are other things to look for but to numerous to list. And my brain has slowed down so I'd have to think to remember them all.

 

[ccbreder]

The photos show only minor damage. Parking lot bumps. The biggest problem would be if the rear door doesn't seal and allows CO from the exhaust while driving.

 

[jdsackett]

I am retired from 35 years in auto body. It all comes down to repair cost to vehicle value. A vehicle will be totaled at 80% of acv. Actual cash value, not to be confused with blue book. Blue book means next to nothing in evaluating a vehicle. So....if the vehicle is new and it totals, leave it alone. It has problems. Also be aware that repair costs are rarely complete on an estimate. there is always something missed or once it reaches threshold, the estimator quits writing. You don't make any money on cars you aren't going to repair so you generally write till it's a total, add some god good luck and close the file. An older vehicle doesn't have as high an acv so can total with cosmetic damage. Buyer beware. I wouldn't worry too much about frame or unibody damage. Both can be repaired by a competent individuals. The important thing to remember is will your insurance company insure a salvage title? As previously mentioned in a prior post, many will not. Especially some of the so called aaa insurers. Depending on the state you live in, it could be mandatory to insure any vehicle. Not by your insurer, but by someone. Most are put in a high risk pool and will only be insured for liability. These are getting harder and harder to find. They just don't want the problems if something goes south. I have bought and sold/driven totaled cars on many occasions. But I knew who repaired them. It's a crapshoot at best, disaster at worst. I would be very careful.

---

The shown damage may not be enough for a salvage title depending on several factors. On the other hand, if it already has a salvage title, it may not be the damage that totaled it to begin with. It could have been bought as salvage, repaired and sold or driven. Think it would be worth your while to take someone with you that know what to look for.

 

[user 423]

The side door is just a bolt-on part but I'd be wary of unseen damage to the tracks,etc.on the van. Those sliders can be a real pain anyway but there may be alignment problems with a replacement door and getting it to open/shut right.

 

[ccbreder]

I had to go back and look at photos. Again, minor damage. Maybe rear door needs work. States Clean Title. This is not a salvage, not more than backing into a parked car. From the photo. Needs on site inspection but looks like a good deal and maybe offer less.

 

[idn88]

Its really hard to tell from the photo's, but it looks like it was rear-ended? If so, as many others as mentioned structural damage is impossible to repair (properly) and sometimes hard to identify easily. Collisions are difficult to determine exactly what all has been damaged until further down the road. Since a 2000 Astro in clean condition is not a whole lot more money, I might steer clear.

Having said that, if its mechanically pristine - ie they have service records and such, and the damage is superficial, it might be worth the chance.

 

[66788]

I've seen cars totaled for glass breakage only. Cost of repair exceeds the value of the vehicle.

 

[jdsackett]

Yep..seen that happen also.