Salvage title....

[strawstreaker]

I just wanted to know everyone's take on salvage title cars, is this a no go across the board for everyone or are some people optimistic like me and realize some get totaled due to a small dent in the floor pan.....I ask because I want to know if its worth investing stage 3 parts into a salvage S4

[Royal769sr]

If you plan on keeping the car, go for it. If you want to resell for profit eh

Sent from my SGH-M919 using Tapatalk

[IbisB8.5S4]

^^ that

[GrapeBandit]

salvage/rebuit/rebuildable titled cars dont necessarily mean they were destroyed, or even in an accident.

im also with Royal769sr saying if its for self, go for it

[MacDaddy]

It's very seldom it's written off for no good reason, there is the odd time it got written off and salvaged due to cosmetic damage and the frame is straight and true, but usually it's because it has extensive damage or it can be repaired but will never be quite right and the insurance company knows it will be a PITA for them.

Also most people who rebuild don't have a clue what they are doing, so you have an unqualified person trying to fix something that someone who fixes cars for a living deemed way too much work to fix properly so there's a snowballs chance in hell of it being fixed properly or a better chance of a monkey on a typewriter writing a book, it might happen but the chances are near zero.

[FlyboyS4]

I just wanted to know everyone's take on salvage title cars, is this a no go across the board for everyone or are some people optimistic like me and realize some get totaled due to a small dent in the floor pan.....I ask because I want to know if its worth investing stage 3 parts into a salvage S4

Depends on the reason it got the salvage title and what you want to do with the car. Being stolen will earn a salvage title but it may have little to no damage. If you plan to keep it for a while that could be a nice find.

[GrapeBandit]

macdaddy, it is very very easy to total out an older model car like ours with just cosmetic damage, body and paint work cost more than the mechanical aspect of things. ask me how I know. I had an a4 totaled out because I had a missing front lower valance, bent rim, 2 popped tires, and a dent on the front passenger door, all this without an accident, I hit road debris that fell off someones trailer. full total because their estimates totaled 4k+ to fix. Reason being, it was quoted for all new parts at dealer price lol.

[vavJETTAw36]

Not to mention the insurance side of things. Most Insurance companies will not full coverage a salvage. Liability is usually the only way. The ones that will insure full coverage will only give you half of what they'd normally give you if it was to be totaled again.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[e30mclow]

Look in the classifieds, a well built laser red Stage 3 is being parted out for this reason.
If a stage 3 build is a false economy in itself, then a stage 3 build into a salvage car is likely worse - unless it is for your own use.

[ianwpb]

The only way I'll ever own a Salvage/Rebuilt title car is if it was my own vehicle prior to the branding of the title. That way I knew the extent of the damage. If it really was written off for something relatively stupid, then sure, I'd keep it.

[getslideways]

Its personal preference.

I dont pick up salvage title cars for many of the reasons listed above. Not to mention that in my experience they are harder to sell later, even when asking less. Like with anything, its a case by case basis, as there are certainly some clean title cars that have sustained heavy repairs but were just never reported. So it comes down to what you are comfortable with, and what your goals with the car are.

For me personally, rebuilt titles are for track cars. That is not an absolute statement, nor does it mean I look down on rebuilt title cars or their owners, it just means when I am picking a car for me, I rarely if ever consider a rebuilt/salvage title.

[GrapeBandit]

^if you are picking a car "just for you", not for resale, it would be stupid not to look at rebuilt titled cars. would you like paying more money for the same car? I wouldnt

[getslideways]

^if you are picking a car "just for you", not for resale, it would be stupid not to look at rebuilt titled cars. would you like paying more money for the same car? I wouldnt

"stupid" is relative

[adam044]

The only way I'll ever own a Salvage/Rebuilt title car is if it was my own vehicle prior to the branding of the title. That way I knew the extent of the damage. If it really was written off for something relatively stupid, then sure, I'd keep it.

Exactly. Like my motorcycle. It was totaled out last season. Road it the rest of the year and going to do the same this year. The worst thing that happened is the gas tank has a little dent in it.

Other small things broke like a mirror, foot shifter, blinker..but. Nothing major. The bike was valued at 6/7k totaled it. Only made one payment haha.

It still has a salvaged title so I don't know what that means when I go to register it in a month or so.

[christianb5s4]

My car has a salvage title only because it was stolen in 2008 and recovered the very same day with no damage, I do not view this as being an issue. Might affect resale value but honestly, I think any enthusiast would rather have a well built well maintained salvage title S4 (that isn't from an accident) than one that has a clean title but is beat to shit or less than obsessively taken care of.

[Ob3R]

Other than the last two cars that I have owned/own (R32 & B5 S4) I never had a clean titled car and I've been through at least a dozen cars. They were always salvaged but I was the one that fixed them so I knew how I fixed it and with what. That being said, buying one from someone would be another story unless they had papers to prove that OEM parts were used and I could see the shop that fixed it.
Never was afraid of salvage and never will be though. Some salvage cars are better than clean titled ones especially if fixed right or if it was only like theft.
My dads W140 was flooded and he has daily driven it for 5 years with no issues with over 70k put on it. But personally I avoid Flood title cars at all costs. He just wanted a cheap challenge and even he agrees that he wouldn't do flood salvage again.

[MarlinFoundNemo]

Mine was purchased at an auction for $3k. There was no frame damage. Only things that were replaced/fixed were the drivers headlight and fender and it matches perfectly. The mirror caps were repainted though and you could tell. I got rid of those a month or so ago for silver caps though. Besides that, the only noticeable "damage as of now is my drivers door is like a mm low so theres rubbing in the door sill that rubbed off some paint. I'll fix the door eventually but idc right now. The car is 100% mechanically sound now and I will keep it forever since it's my first car.

Summary: Buy a salvage car if you plan to keep it forever. If not, don't.

[MyXbfS4]

Look in the classifieds, a well built laser red Stage 3 is being parted out for this reason.
If a stage 3 build is a false economy in itself, then a stage 3 build into a salvage car is likely worse - unless it is for your own use.

wait, what laser red in the classifieds? I need parts lol

[Bigsteiner5]

i am in a similar situation.... im looking at salvage titled vehicle that was rebuilt, inspected and now considered road worthy. the problem is, this is in another state and i have some worries. if i were to purchase, i would have to have the vehicle looked over at a special inspection station in PA before they will transfer the title. im guessing they would brand it with a rebuilt title. im also worried about a couple years down the road if i would decide to sell, it seems rebuilt titles are not everyones cup of tea.

[das4]

It's very seldom it's written off for no good reason, there is the odd time it got written off and salvaged due to cosmetic damage and the frame is straight and true, but usually it's because it has extensive damage or it can be repaired but will never be quite right and the insurance company knows it will be a PITA for them.

Also most people who rebuild don't have a clue what they are doing, so you have an unqualified person trying to fix something that someone who fixes cars for a living deemed way too much work to fix properly so there's a snowballs chance in hell of it being fixed properly or a better chance of a monkey on a typewriter writing a book, it might happen but the chances are near zero.

^^BOOM. this in a nut shell. it's possible that a car can be salvaged for a neglible reason, but the odds are not in the favor of the car being quality to the next owner. it's such a question mark. going stage 3, the proper way, requires and adequate amount of time and money. those two aren't worth investing into a platform that has such a question. unless you are CERTAIN the circumstances surrounding the salvaged/rebuilt history are minuscule, it's not worth taking the risk. the juice isn't worth the squeeze. it's simple: the prices on salvaged units are significantly reduced for a reason. that branded history carries such a negative connotation for a reason. I think people overpay for most salvaged cars, personally. unless you have a unique situation like christianB5s, which makes sense, stay away man. that's my humble, experienced, professional opinion.

[christianb5s4]

^^BOOM. this in a nut shell. it's possible that a car can be salvaged for a neglible reason, but the odds are not in the favor of the car being quality to the next owner. it's such a question mark. going stage 3, the proper way, requires and adequate amount of time and money. those two aren't worth investing into a platform that has such a question. unless you are CERTAIN the circumstances surrounding the salvaged/rebuilt history are minuscule, it's not worth taking the risk. the juice isn't worth the squeeze. it's simple: the prices on salvaged units are significantly reduced for a reason. that branded history carries such a negative connotation for a reason. I think people overpay for most salvaged cars, personally. unless you have a unique situation like christianB5s, which makes sense, stay away man. that's my humble, experienced, professional opinion.

Agreed, not every salvage title is the same. I wouldn't even consider a salvage title car unless I knew exactly what had happened, also the other thing working against us with these cars is the fact resale value is so low. One minor fender bender = most of our cars are write offs, so relatively minor issues can be cause for a salvage title but the car is still perfectly sound.

[MacDaddy]

macdaddy, it is very very easy to total out an older model car like ours with just cosmetic damage, body and paint work cost more than the mechanical aspect of things. ask me how I know. I had an a4 totaled out because I had a missing front lower valance, bent rim, 2 popped tires, and a dent on the front passenger door, all this without an accident, I hit road debris that fell off someones trailer. full total because their estimates totaled 4k+ to fix. Reason being, it was quoted for all new parts at dealer price lol.

The way you look at it is the same as most rebuilders, just needs a valance, wheels and tires and paint on door.

It was written off because it's probably going to have wheel bearing issues in a couple months, front shocks could start leaking, any damage on the control arms and they need to be replaced (liability, a scuff on an aluminum arm can turn into a crack and cause a crash/death) damaged lower valance, may be damage to rad support, it's composite and not repairable, may be electrical damage, dent in oil pan, undercarriage damage. Door needs to be pulled, repaired, two adjacent panels need to be blended, re and re door cards, beltstrip, de per strip, lower moulding, etc etc etc.

An insurance company has to fix things properly and they are responsible for it after the repairs or anything that was missed so that's why it was written off, to you it looked like just some wheels tires a bumper valance and bondo and paint but there is much more involved than that.

[Drehmoment]

Lol the B5S4 crowd has moved now to 2-3 k salvage turds......combine that with Chinese knock off turbos for stage XXXX powah and we finally found the Unicorn

[tar]

^ that. Buying a salvage car is like dating/marrying a chick that has a few kids with another dude. Pass on damaged goods and unneeded baggage.

It's different if you salvage the car but only slightly.

I bought a theft titled car few years ago and it got stolen from me 2 weeks later.

[MyXbfS4]

^ that. Buying a salvage car is like dating/marrying a chick that has a few kids with another dude. Pass on damaged goods and unneeded baggage.

.

WOW

[MyXbfS4]

my S4 is salvaged because my bf hit a Power Wheels mini ATV on the fwy that must have fell off someones truck. it kinda scratched the already messed up bumper no damage underneath and still they totaled it.

to me its more like a spouse that has an annoying habit...no matter how much you love it, its still going to irritate the shit out of you. and then you think about the ride and you're happy again.

I think all Audi's owners experience this though

[das4]

Lol the B5S4 crowd has moved now to 2-3 k salvage turds......combine that with Chinese knock off turbos for stage XXXX powah and we finally found the Unicorn

not everyone.. but yes, a majority are approaching hack job city

[Nizmo]

There is a difference between Salvage and Rebuilt in most states.

Salvage = Damage not repaired
Rebuilt = Damage Repaired/Certified by the State Inspector (In my case State Police HQ)

[GrapeBandit]

The way you look at it is the same as most rebuilders, just needs a valance, wheels and tires and paint on door.

It was written off because it's probably going to have wheel bearing issues in a couple months, front shocks could start leaking, any damage on the control arms and they need to be replaced (liability, a scuff on an aluminum arm can turn into a crack and cause a crash/death) damaged lower valance, may be damage to rad support, it's composite and not repairable, may be electrical damage, dent in oil pan, undercarriage damage. Door needs to be pulled, repaired, two adjacent panels need to be blended, re and re door cards, beltstrip, de per strip, lower moulding, etc etc etc.

An insurance company has to fix things properly and they are responsible for it after the repairs or anything that was missed so that's why it was written off, to you it looked like just some wheels tires a bumper valance and bondo and paint but there is much more involved than that.

I love your rant on how you are telling me whats wrong with my car everything you said after your first sentence was 100% incorrect.

my car was so damaged it passed the state rebuilt title inspection without even fixing it(minus tires and a valance I had laying around). was all cosmetic, like I said from the beginning

[getslideways]

OP I think it boils down to this:

People with clean titles will defend that clean titles are the only way to go
People with Salvage titles will defend that Salvage titles are the only way to go

Its a case of Dr. Seuss' "Star Bellied Sneetches"

Every car is a case by case basis and should be judged individually, some salvage cars are good, and some clean title cars are crap, and obviously vice versa. I know where I stand on the issue, but where I stand doesn't matter. The only thing that should matter is where you stand on the issue and what you are comfortable with, and what your opinions are with regards to ease of sale and resell value down the line. No matter what someone says, someone else will jump in here with a case trying to state the opposite. So again, the end choice comes down to you.

[MacDaddy]

I love your rant on how you are telling me whats wrong with my car everything you said after your first sentence was 100% incorrect.

my car was so damaged it passed the state rebuilt title inspection without even fixing it(minus tires and a valance I had laying around). was all cosmetic, like I said from the beginning

It wasn't a rant, insurance can't cut corners, I love how you think you know everything despite never working in a shop.