KuHL 951

Juan-I'd like to agree with you but price histories just don't back it up. I paid $5900 for mine over 2 years ago with a Turbo S upgrade, new killer rims/tires, $2000 sound system, and custom interior. I then bought another 86 for $4600 that was a rare Sapphire Metallic and that was a 8/10 with MAP and full Link setup. Both of these cars had clean titles. It would be a great car at the price if someone was going keep it as a daily driver though; that's not my intent. After spending $350 on DMV transfer/sales tax, $50 on smog it just isn't worth it. I know the guy is asking $4800 but I think he knows the title drops it to $4K tops and will probably let it go for that. As someone posted above, there are many 951's here in Cali available for almost the same price. If anyone else is interested in the car shoot me a PM, I won't post the info here in respect for actual RL members selling their own cars.

Scuba Steve

Mine has a note on the title that says that it was in a serious accident, but it was 15 years ago, the car was $500, and I bought it to play around with. I'll probably wind up keeping it a long time and it was fixed well so it doesn't matter.

my84-944

Seems like some on this post are saying that if you could prove it was "just a theft recovery" than no big deal. Well please STOP. This is horrible advice for a couple of reasons. A salvage title is a HUGE deal. What you all need to do is look at what that means. Branded and salvaged, buy-back and lemon are all different things, in terms of why the title is marked.
If this was a theft recovery, than there some thing seriously out of synchronization here.

If someone steals your car and they do not find it after some time and the insurance settles on this as theft, it will not automatically mark your title as salvage or even brand it yet. What happens is if they settle, and for some reason your old car shows up with a little damage and a missing seat or stereo, they may offer it back to you or sell it on their own at an auction to recoup their loss on your claim. However this still will not brand your/ now their title. Now if it washes up on the beach or some cop finds the VIN plate attached to an abandoned and then torched wreck and they identify it as your old 944, well then the title will be branded. If by chance the 944 was in an accident, say during the cop chasing the stolen vehicle and is in such condition that the insurance company totals out this 944, but says you can buy it back from them again to help recoup their loss, than the title you will get from them will be marked as "salvage only" or Parts only. Now this is likely what happened, only the owner who had it and got it back, or perhaps the person who bought the car at an insurance or recovery auction, JUST FIXED IT AND SOLD IT.
The moral of this story?
You do not know if it was salvaged or stolen and then salvaged. But it is still SALVAGED. So even IF you have a video of the car being stolen and the crook is holding a newspaper with the date on it and says on camera, “I am taking this bitch for a ride” (said like Dave Chappell) you still do not know what damage was done to it, and who fixed it. The only thing that is sure is that the insurance company sold it as Salvage for a reason. Would they not sell it that way at a loss for no reason? Think about it man.
Worth less than 50% of wholesale, not retail Book? ABSOLUTELY. If at all.
I know there are a few exceptions, but don’t take the chance.

tifosiman

Great visual! LOL.

KuHL 951

So what you are saying is buy the car but pay him twice what he is asking as long as the seller has a video clip showing a cop, a crack ho, and the host of Amazing Police Chases?

Serge944

My e30 will have a salvaged title soon. Look at the MONSTROUS damage from the break in...

If everything goes well, I'll will be buying this 951. Just waiting for pending funds.

bleucamaro

Serge, whats with you and getting cars stolen?

KuHL 951

Serge-It must have been the peanut shells on the floor, those are so hard to correct properly. I know for a fact it doesn't take squat for insurance companies to total a car. My son 'totalled' my 91 Cherokee (drove completely over the hood of a Geo), no body damage at all, just suspension, we actually drove it home with one wheel pushed back 3" and it didn't even pull. Body shop put repairs at $4800. I bought it back and had a shop replace a control arm mounting bracket on the axle for $165. The car was in mint condition. I still see it around town and it looks great. Insurance companies are lazy and body shops fluff up the estimates like no tomorrow. A Porsche with a salvage title is different than a Jeep. Someone is going to steal this car, I hope it's a local RL'er.

hacker-pschorr

I own two cars that came with salvage titles, I knew their history so it was not a big deal. After registration the "salvage" fell off (came from other states) and carfax doesn't list it either.

Tom R.

back in 97 i was dating a gal who had an accord sedan, the first year with leather. it was stolen from the lot of the JHS in Howard Beach she teaches in. a day later they found it in Bushwick with no door panels or seats. just a folding chair where the drivers seat was.

The car was totalled. i called a couple junkyards and one was able to get immediately sell me two fronts in one color a rear in another color and four door panels (not all same color) for about $400. She had two year old triplets, so color didnt matter, she was the original owner etc. the insurance co wouldnt sell her the car.

moral, they do total cars for things like seats. the seats on our 944s were probably 2000 each, door panels 700 each, radio 700, thats 5400 right there. rims $400 each, tires 200 each thats another 2400, total 7800, add a few other small things like a knife to the headliner and a few scratches.... you get the idea.

KuHL 951

Thanks Tom, I couldn't have said it better. Serge's BMW break-in photos are a prime example, a few nicks on the dash($1000+), repair the door handle mounts($900+), lock cylinders($800+) and the car is called a total. Everything is based upon dealer price repair with new parts. During a break-in last Summer we lost both keys to my Q45 and one set with alarm fob to my 951 with no physical damage...that part of the claim alone came out to over $3600. Luckily they didn't total either car. A salvage title does not always mean the car was in an accident but it is still a black mark for any collector car.

FYI: That 67 Firebird HO is still mine if I want it.

KLR

Old cars can certainly be totaled at the drop of a hat given the retail cost of replacement parts and the piddling blue book. That said, I'm a bit scared of cars that got a salvage title when they were relatively new (e.g., this car, which got one in 1993 when it was actually worth something). My 951 could easily be totaled in a fender bender today, but for one of these cars to have been totaled in 1993, it had to be pretty significant damage. On the flip, if the repairs were totally shoddy, it should be plenty obvious 12 years later. All that said, this car sounds like it would make the most sense for someone who has no reason to care (i.e., someone looking for a track car or modification project). I'd pass if my intent were to flip it for a profit.

Serge944

I dunno - must be the tasteful modifications.

josephsc

Let me know if it doesn't go well -- I might be interested, but not if another RLer is going for it.

Serge944

You'll be the first to know if it falls through. Thanks.