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| salvage title...? Should we walk or buy? | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Jan 17 2011, 03:39 PM (1,397 Views) | |
| ralph | Jan 17 2011, 03:39 PM Post #1 |
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New Member
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Hi All.... someone has offered a geo metro to us that has salvage title....he said it was in an accident before he owned it.... he did not pull a carfax nor have a mechanic look at it before he bought it..... he says it has 177k miles, and will sell it for $1300 obo.....a/c does not work, heater does. all else is ok he says. is this something we should walk away from.....ie. a car that had an accident and has only salvage title.....? it will need to be registered in calif (and smogged) in may this year.... We like the seller, but are nervous about buying a metro with this history... any inputs? thk you ralph |
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| Alpine | Jan 17 2011, 03:42 PM Post #2 |
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1020cc G10 GOML
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i wouldnt buy a car with a salv title, thats just me. im in south cali. |
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| geogonfa | Jan 17 2011, 03:55 PM Post #3 |
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Insurance companies like to total out our little cars...even when the damage was only a fender... so it all depends on how long he had the car...is it wearing tires abnormally?...what is the reason he's selling it?... and will he be letting you bring it to a mechanic to check it out before you buy it?... |
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| work car | Jan 17 2011, 04:06 PM Post #4 |
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obsessed!!
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i have bought several salvage title cars/trucks over the years, some are as simple as some kids stealing the car and it gets a salvage title. take it to your mechanic, and have itr looked at i personally would only give them $1000 cash. a salvage title car/truck has a value 30%-50% less |
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| superduty5.9 | Jan 17 2011, 05:10 PM Post #5 |
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Metro Defender
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X2 |
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| Shinrin | Jan 17 2011, 06:18 PM Post #6 |
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Not for the price he's asking for sure. Now, get him to cut it and half and you may have a deal. |
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| Jim-Bob | Jan 17 2011, 06:27 PM Post #7 |
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Junkyard Engineer
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It all depends on if the car was in a collision that caused major structural damage or if it was superficial. You need to have a good hard look at the car under the hood and underneath to see how it was damaged and repaired. Frankly, for that money you could do better. I have seen salvage cars years after the repairs rot out at the weld points because the metal was not properly treated against corrosion after the accident. One Golf I saw was particularly bad in that the strut tower was hanging on by a thread. The car was 10 years old and from Florida, so this wasn't from road salt. The rot was hidden by seam sealer until it was too late and the car became structurally unsound. I also recently saw a rebuilt Metro in a junkyard (had a rebuilt VIN) that had been cut at the rocker just behind the front door. It had rough welds and guess where the floor was rotted out? Yup, at the seam. This is a popular place to weld two cars together as it lets you cut the windshield pillars instead of seaming at a much more difficult place. Likewise, the rocker and floor are easy joints because carpet covers the floor and all you have to finish nicely is a small part of the rocker below the line of sight. So... would I buy it? Maybe, but not for that price. $1300 is about full price for a Metro from a private party right now so I wouldn't pay much more than $700. Edited by Jim-Bob, Jan 17 2011, 06:28 PM.
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| Bad Bent | Jan 17 2011, 09:01 PM Post #8 |
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Facetious Educated Donkey
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I did a search and found How To Reregister a Salvaged Vehicle at the California DMV Web site.
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| Horn | Jan 17 2011, 09:08 PM Post #9 |
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| Alpine | Jan 17 2011, 09:08 PM Post #10 |
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1020cc G10 GOML
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its so cal. geo metros are a rare thing to find for sale around here. i look every day, san diego craigslist all the way up the cost. just to look |
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| Jim-Bob | Jan 17 2011, 11:13 PM Post #11 |
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Junkyard Engineer
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It will take a BUNCH of looking to find the good deals though. My 1991 Metro took me over a month to find-and I was checking Craigslist 5x a day, every day in 5 different locations. I paid $250 and drove it home. The good deals come to those who are persistent. It will probably take a month or two, but finding a good one is worth the wait. Just don't give up. You have to be in the right place at the right time to find a good deal on these cars. As for my $250 Metro, I am now forced to sell it and will probably ask $1200 and take anything north of $800 since that is about what I can get for it in my area.
Edited by Jim-Bob, Jan 17 2011, 11:15 PM.
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| GeoStalker | Jan 18 2011, 01:57 PM Post #12 |
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"Chicks dig me and guys think I'm cool."
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At that price you're paying for the mistake he made when he overpaid for it. I guess I would need more information to determine if the price is good (ie: 5 speed vs. auto, year of car, rust on the frame, etc.). It's possible he's a flipper who bought it, put a little work into it, and wants to profit with rising gas prices. Make sure you do your homework first. |
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