buying rebuilt/salvage title ISF
12-29-17, 08:45 PM
#16
^^ LOL
Several months ago I went to see a 2008 for sale for $20k with 100k miles. It sold quick. I didnt get it because I was on the fence about 08-10 or 11+. Clean title, very good condition. Not surprised it was sold in less than a week
And yes, you CAN find clean 2011's in the high $20s. My car is proof of that. Im actually not going to bother proving what I paid, because it really is amusing to see you get all worked up because someone disagrees with you. lol. And frankly, I just dont have to. I'll continue to give my advice and continue to see others disagree as well as agree and you can continue thinking Im a liar. Only thing that matters is that there's one in my garage, and I didnt overpay
Have fun talking to yourself from this point on. lol
Several months ago I went to see a 2008 for sale for $20k with 100k miles. It sold quick. I didnt get it because I was on the fence about 08-10 or 11+. Clean title, very good condition. Not surprised it was sold in less than a week
And yes, you CAN find clean 2011's in the high $20s. My car is proof of that. Im actually not going to bother proving what I paid, because it really is amusing to see you get all worked up because someone disagrees with you. lol. And frankly, I just dont have to. I'll continue to give my advice and continue to see others disagree as well as agree and you can continue thinking Im a liar. Only thing that matters is that there's one in my garage, and I didnt overpay
Have fun talking to yourself from this point on. lol
12-30-17, 04:31 PM
#17
Mine is not selling perfect interior and exterior
Clean title, 2008, 68k miles. Had a minor fender bender on the passenger door that that fixed at the local Lexus body shop and have pics before and after and receipts.
Clean title, 2008, 68k miles. Had a minor fender bender on the passenger door that that fixed at the local Lexus body shop and have pics before and after and receipts.
01-02-18, 10:42 PM
#19
Tech Info Resource
iTrader: (2)
This thread has wandered off into a bad place and once again we have silly arguments about how other people should or should not spend their money. I haven't seen a single comment about salvage or rebuilt cars for quite a while. If the discussion stays on topic, I will leave the thread open. If not, I will close it again.
We have enough threads arguing the "value pricing" of the IS F, and I think that horse is quite dead from all the threads that have come and gone in that realm. Let's not make this another one.
We have enough threads arguing the "value pricing" of the IS F, and I think that horse is quite dead from all the threads that have come and gone in that realm. Let's not make this another one.
Last edited by lobuxracer; 01-05-18 at 07:45 PM.
01-08-18, 11:19 AM
#20
Thanks Lance for unlocking so I might share my experience.
OP - Your approach is exactly the one I took... Last May, I picked up a salvaged 2011 IS-F in USB w/67k miles for exactly $23.8k.
Coming from both a FSAE/PE background and another IS-350 of 190k miles w/track time, said IS-350 was getting a little long in the tooth, and it was time to join my other FSAE alumni brethren and step over to something a bit more track-focused. I'd always loved the IS-F, but had assumed mod support was similar to the IS-350, i.e. minimal. Then RR Racing unlocked the CPU, and folks were approaching 400whp with a simple tune, de-cat, and exhaust. Other track mods were aplenty, and many of all kinds were more frequently hitting the used market as well. Suddenly, I was in a unique experience to *possibly* find a salvaged example for solid track duty without getting burned. It's not for everyone, and certainly there are a lot of suicide cages under the polished-pig guise of salvaged/rebuilt, an even more daunting thought if you're planning to track.
That's all to say,YMMV!!!
Preamble aside, here are the details of my experience.
The GOOD:
The IS-F I found had been sold as a CPO for $40k just 15 months earlier and had a flawless dealership maintenance history. It then allegedly had gone over a curb on the passenger side. Ugly, yes, but no frame damage and no airbags deployed. Previous owner had numerous pictures from the salvage yard showing the seemingly minor damage. I took her to two Lexus dealerships and a body shop I trust prior to purchase. All said "how/why on Earth did insurance total this?!". In fact, I then subsequently pulled VIN reports from two different sources, as from the Lexus service history, it was obvious the F had lived in Florida and Houston for most of its days, and I wanted to be sure the seller wasn't hiding a flood-salvaged swamp donkey under the mask of some minor crash damage. No such issues, thankfully! It seemed like the perfect "donor" car, as I plan to drive her to 200k+ just like my previous IS, during which I'll track the **** out of her. The difference in value will have dropped to nil if/when it comes time to sell. Plus, what I saved in "clean title" value can go towards prepping her just as I want!
The BAD:
The seller had obviously pulled a used bumper from another IS-F and half-*** painted it. She was beer goggles gorgeous and fine for track duty, but as my DD, she deserved a little love. The lower radiator support was trashed, a few suspension pieces were loose/tweaked, and a side rocker panel showed a minor puncture via a quarter-size splay of FRP. The rear seat divider had seen some toddler-toting abuse, and the front passenger mat was missing. There was no spare key fob. Fogs were yellow, non-LED, and...foggy. The non-damage side headlight was also hazy. After about $2k, I had her looking and driving as well as a well-loved example should. I proceeded to buy all parts to do the 60k mile service, the only thing missing from the history, and somehow when checking in with Lexus of Houston on another bit of history info, they informed me the 60k service was in fact done but somehow hadn't made it onto the online database. Oh well, now I've *extra* fresh diff fluid and an extra set of plugs, I suppose.
The UGLY:
There are a few remaining niggles to work out. Caster is tweaked enough to feel a bit of side to side sway during large freeway dips. A FIGS offset LCA bushing should correct this. The sunroof opens and closes perfectly, but there's some kind of heavy rattle on the right side, and the wind noise is more than I recall there being in the IS-350 with the moon roof slid back... and in certain lights, there is an almost perceptible warp in the roof sheet metal around the edge of the sunroof. Is it related to the curb damage? Perhaps. Does it bother me? Not really. I've also read track duty has been known to warp the roof sheet metal ever so slightly, so who knows. Maybe an opportunity for a CF replacement if they ever drop below grey market kidney pricing. Besides, it's a little tight in there with my helmet on!
Finally, after getting her all track-prepped, if something should happen to her and she's total'd again, from what I understand I'd not get clear-title value from insurance... so it'd be on me to find another bargain example and then swap over all my farkles.
Summary:
You usually get what you pay for. If you're careful, thorough, patient, and with some luck, sometimes you can get a little more...
If I could have done it over, would I have made the same decision? I think so. I'm intrigued by the CL thread following the '08 w/333k miles ultimately bought by a member here for under $10k. If I'd known I'd be changing the suspension entirely w/coilovers and such, perhaps the chance of putting an OS Giken diff in something older but in better shape would have made for a more bargain-rich track build. On the other hand, I do like knowing I've only a gentle 70k on mill I plan on flogging the next 3-6 years.
Good luck!
Nick
OP - Your approach is exactly the one I took... Last May, I picked up a salvaged 2011 IS-F in USB w/67k miles for exactly $23.8k.
Coming from both a FSAE/PE background and another IS-350 of 190k miles w/track time, said IS-350 was getting a little long in the tooth, and it was time to join my other FSAE alumni brethren and step over to something a bit more track-focused. I'd always loved the IS-F, but had assumed mod support was similar to the IS-350, i.e. minimal. Then RR Racing unlocked the CPU, and folks were approaching 400whp with a simple tune, de-cat, and exhaust. Other track mods were aplenty, and many of all kinds were more frequently hitting the used market as well. Suddenly, I was in a unique experience to *possibly* find a salvaged example for solid track duty without getting burned. It's not for everyone, and certainly there are a lot of suicide cages under the polished-pig guise of salvaged/rebuilt, an even more daunting thought if you're planning to track.
That's all to say,YMMV!!!
Preamble aside, here are the details of my experience.
The GOOD:
The IS-F I found had been sold as a CPO for $40k just 15 months earlier and had a flawless dealership maintenance history. It then allegedly had gone over a curb on the passenger side. Ugly, yes, but no frame damage and no airbags deployed. Previous owner had numerous pictures from the salvage yard showing the seemingly minor damage. I took her to two Lexus dealerships and a body shop I trust prior to purchase. All said "how/why on Earth did insurance total this?!". In fact, I then subsequently pulled VIN reports from two different sources, as from the Lexus service history, it was obvious the F had lived in Florida and Houston for most of its days, and I wanted to be sure the seller wasn't hiding a flood-salvaged swamp donkey under the mask of some minor crash damage. No such issues, thankfully! It seemed like the perfect "donor" car, as I plan to drive her to 200k+ just like my previous IS, during which I'll track the **** out of her. The difference in value will have dropped to nil if/when it comes time to sell. Plus, what I saved in "clean title" value can go towards prepping her just as I want!
The BAD:
The seller had obviously pulled a used bumper from another IS-F and half-*** painted it. She was beer goggles gorgeous and fine for track duty, but as my DD, she deserved a little love. The lower radiator support was trashed, a few suspension pieces were loose/tweaked, and a side rocker panel showed a minor puncture via a quarter-size splay of FRP. The rear seat divider had seen some toddler-toting abuse, and the front passenger mat was missing. There was no spare key fob. Fogs were yellow, non-LED, and...foggy. The non-damage side headlight was also hazy. After about $2k, I had her looking and driving as well as a well-loved example should. I proceeded to buy all parts to do the 60k mile service, the only thing missing from the history, and somehow when checking in with Lexus of Houston on another bit of history info, they informed me the 60k service was in fact done but somehow hadn't made it onto the online database. Oh well, now I've *extra* fresh diff fluid and an extra set of plugs, I suppose.
The UGLY:
There are a few remaining niggles to work out. Caster is tweaked enough to feel a bit of side to side sway during large freeway dips. A FIGS offset LCA bushing should correct this. The sunroof opens and closes perfectly, but there's some kind of heavy rattle on the right side, and the wind noise is more than I recall there being in the IS-350 with the moon roof slid back... and in certain lights, there is an almost perceptible warp in the roof sheet metal around the edge of the sunroof. Is it related to the curb damage? Perhaps. Does it bother me? Not really. I've also read track duty has been known to warp the roof sheet metal ever so slightly, so who knows. Maybe an opportunity for a CF replacement if they ever drop below grey market kidney pricing. Besides, it's a little tight in there with my helmet on!
Finally, after getting her all track-prepped, if something should happen to her and she's total'd again, from what I understand I'd not get clear-title value from insurance... so it'd be on me to find another bargain example and then swap over all my farkles.
Summary:
You usually get what you pay for. If you're careful, thorough, patient, and with some luck, sometimes you can get a little more...
If I could have done it over, would I have made the same decision? I think so. I'm intrigued by the CL thread following the '08 w/333k miles ultimately bought by a member here for under $10k. If I'd known I'd be changing the suspension entirely w/coilovers and such, perhaps the chance of putting an OS Giken diff in something older but in better shape would have made for a more bargain-rich track build. On the other hand, I do like knowing I've only a gentle 70k on mill I plan on flogging the next 3-6 years.
Good luck!
Nick
Last edited by Leander311; 01-08-18 at 11:35 AM.
01-08-18, 06:05 PM
#21
Driver School Candidate
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Agree with the folks saying you need to look harder.
I'm going to throw my 11 up in the next couple of months and it has under 50k and will most likely be less than $30k..
I'm going to throw my 11 up in the next couple of months and it has under 50k and will most likely be less than $30k..
01-10-18, 08:17 AM
#22
I got my 2012 with 62k on the odometer and with Borla catback, ppe intake, RR Racing AOS, and 600 watt subwoofer and 12"JL w6 subwoofer all for 28k back in October. I thought it was a good deal considering I'd gotten all the extra mods for an extra 1k. It just needed some wetsanding on the fender and some paint/bondo behind the passenger rear door and it looks good as new now (spent 1k fixing it). I guess if you're trying to pay as little as possible, finding car with a minor issue that can easily be sorted is the best way to go in my opinion for a cheap 2011+. That's more money on mods for the track lol! Best of luck!
01-11-18, 08:11 AM
#24
Pole Position
^^^^^I was going to say the same thing? PPE makes an intake now
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