Is a car with salvage title worth fixing? Just plain jane cutlass. Nothing special. Not looking like major damage but who knows what's lurking in the details.

 

Not sure about real old one. But I bought a 89 Pontiac Convet years ago. Insurance company did not really like it but they did insure me, being I had all ready bought, but they said they usually want to see the car first. If you do buy one, I would only do it if you can get it real cheap. I found out they are hard to sell, takes a long time, and a cheap price. Don't think I will do it again.

 

I have rebuilt many salvage vehicles and have never had a problem selling them or insuring them... The only one problem I ever had was when a 1994 Cutlass Supreme SL I rebuilt was a total loss after being hit by a truck... The insurance company (of the truck driver) wanted to reduce the payout because the vehicle was rebuilt salvage... After detailing the fact that the Cutlass was a very low mileage well maintained vehicle and had passed the state salvage inspection requirements, they eventually paid me a value I was satisfied with and I was able to keep the vehicle... I still drive it today, damage and all...

 

Salvage title. Body looks decent.
It's a big project that has sat for years. Came with some new parts and boxes of old and new stuff. Will have to learn on the fly with this one. First time with the title issue. Think I should find out how to see if the frame is good before I get too far in.

 

Salvage title isn't a problem for me providing there is some history available. I.e. I wouldn't necessarily want a flood car, except for maybe an old car like that, I owned a car I bought new for 10 years before a girl left turned across 2 lanes of oncoming traffic and totaled it. I bought it back from the insco for cheap, bought a matching cheap parts car and drove it for another couple years. The car was totaled so I had to get an owner retained title for it to replace the std title. OR title is a form of salvage title. When I sold it I knew the history of the car since day one and the car looked nice so it sold quickly.

I also bought a truck from a body shop w salvage title, seller has pics of the body damage and the donor truck was on site, in that case 8 year old low mileage truck in very good shape that only had sheet metal replaced (bed n door) no frame damage or water damage.

So yeah I would buy and or sell and older simpler car like the vert as a salvage as long as the price is reasonable

 

Going through that now. My work car 91 jetta diesel. Hit a deer and of course the ins co totalled car. They don't like old cars or anything over like 60k. Wasn't bad so I bought back for 128 bucks. They weren't giving me crap anyway. Well, I just bought another one, same year diesel etc and I'm gonna take the body parts I need and re-sell the donor. I'll get more than what I pd even after removing what I need. Car has recaros, coil overs, blacked out lenses, rims, and a good motor/Trans/body.
Why not just fix that one? Well, mine was maintained very well and runs perfect etc. That one has some electrical issues. I don't want all that coil over garbage and spliced wires etc..I don't care for surprises.
I didn't want a newer one because of all the sensors etc and I get 50 mpg with mine whereas the newer ones only get around 40-42.

 

I wouldn't. On a plain jane cutlass the value isn't there to fix everything right. So they are going to have to cut corners to come out even. You don't want to deal with the problems down the road. It's not worth it. There are so many things that can be hidden. You'd have to get it for a song, and be able to have a nice driver for 60% of what it would cost to just buy one that doesn't have a salvage title.

I don't want someone else's hack job.

 

I wouldn't be scared of a old car like that at all. Use it as a way to get it at the right price. Does the owner have pictures of what damage caused this car to end up with a salvage title. Sometime a salvage yard buys these type of cars and just get salvage titles.

 

Can't readily tell why the salvage but the Vincheck website saved not stolen or totaled or flooded. Am going to haul it to a shop for frame condition check and estimate to replace entire floor pan. A past owner atempted to put in a new one but i know it will not pass the salvage inspection. Can see rivits. This cars most recent owner bought lots of new stuff and generously passed them on to me. This car may be permanently branded salvage or rebuilt salvage which will effect the value but I think it needs saving and I have more options because I won't care that it is not original. A four speed and 455 motor may be in the plan and it came with all new 442 emblems/ wing/ grills. Etc. Might as well enjoy it. The only people who know it is a salvage are the ones who see the title.

 

Personally I don't buy anything with a salvage title. The way I see it, if I'm going to pour money into something, I need to be able to sell it (if I ever needed it to) and at least recoup some of the money. I know everybody says "I'm never gonna sell it", but you never know what life brings.

 

So true!

 

To get rid of the salvage title drive it to Alabama and register it, take the Al. paper work back to your home state and you will be given a clean title.
Not trying to be dishonest but if it is a stolen recovery with a branded salvage title you can get around that. Food for thought.


Johnny

 

That may not work in all states... In NY, once a VIN is branded as "Rebuilt Salvage", it will remain that way forever in the DMV system... Even if a vehicle has been retitled in another state, once it is returned to NY, the DMV system will issue another NY title as "Rebuilt Salvage"...

 

Exactly what I said about my other convertible. (I'll never sell) now its gone, unfortunately