So, this guy refered to a BMW as an E36, so I'm thinking he's a tuner and if so, hopefully is a member of CL.


Anyway, I'm lookin for a new SC, and I found one in Van Nuys. It's a salvage title and has 165K on it, but hes asking $5800. The guys nice and emailed me pictures of the car and it looks great. Interior and all, but sense I have to drive this car 200+ miles back to my town, I made a request to have Lexus run a full diagnostic on it out of my pocket. He seems hesitant. I do understand that due to work, it may be difficult to find time, but do you think I should insist on the test, or let it go?

 

let it go. Find one that's not salvaged. Also, You could find some salvage title SC's for way less than his posting price..

it seems he isn't confident that his car will pass inspection.

 

I got that feeling too. He did tell me how the salvage title occured, but I don't know. I'm just finding it hard to find a clean SC near me!!!

 

where are you located?

 

Central Valley right smack dab in Fresno

 

If it has lot's 'O mods it may be worth it, but really depends. 6 grand for a stock SC with a salvage title is too much by a long shot. They can be had for $3500 to $4500 (top end) in very good shape with a salvage title. As always it depends on the situation with the salvage. If it has been flooded or was damn near cut in half on impact you obviously do not want it.

Some SC's are salvaged by insurance over little of nothing when the mileage is higher. I've seen some get salvaged over a bumper and hood with no core damage. One of my SC's came to me like that. My Sandstone SC is clean all the way, my black one had been in a traffic accident where the hood was creased on the front edge, and the two very front of the fenders were bent at the tips, obviously the urethane nose was cracked. The damage using new parts was over half the cars valuue after labor and paint so the insurance totalled it.

The car dealer I bought it fron had taken pics when he bought it and then after the repair. If I had bought the new parts from Aliga, I'd have spent about $375 and if I had gotten black parts I could have bolted directly up and been done - no core damage at all.

Those are the salvage you wanna buy because the car is just a victim of circumstance with insurance bookwork. You will have a lower resale, but you SHOULD be buying it cheap enough to even the odds. Buy it a couple grand cheaper, sell it a couple grand cheaper.

As long as the frame and core don't get crushed and it is sheetmetal, you shouldn't be afraid of a salvage car, however at the price you are looking at I would absolutely pass on this one. That's way too much for a stock car.

 

yes i wouldn't buy it for that price.
also carfax works well to check if its salvaged or not. i think carfax will show u what type of salvage it is, but i can't exactly remember

 

Thanks for the input, it's a '95 and as O.L.T. stated, he described the salvaged title as a "victim of circumstance". I'm not 100% sure if posting the link would fall under a rule violation, so I won't post it just yet, but i do appreciate the help