Porschen993

I do not understand this.
I crashed in 01 November 2011, it was a total Loss, insurance offered me the vehicle as buy back but with a salvage Title, now it has been on some auto auction and as shown in the picture, it is for sale with a title which is clear and good to go.. How did that happend? I turned down the offer due to the title as Salvage, in addition to high repair cost.

Comment ?




For the record. here is how it was looking minutes after the crash

MarkD

someone "washed" the title?
I've heard that can be done in some states, can't recall how they get around it.

Or, it was never actually salvaged...

brucec59

The salvage title history should show up on CARFAX. You might contact the seller and ask them for the carfax, or if they have knowledge of the title history (they should). In any case, it's not as though they are hiding the damage under fresh paint (but the title does make a difference to potential buyers).

ilko

The seller looks like it's "Oklahoma Foreign." They specialize in selling "repairable" wrecks.

Carfax or Autocheck may not show the accident damage report and salvage title. It sometimes takes not months, but years for the "paperwork" to be processed and reach those agencies. That's why it's so important to have a trained eye look at the car for damage, even if it's been repaired properly.

CalvinC4S

Curious on what your buy back was at?

rsr91128

My wife totalled a car a few years ago and the other guys insurance paid me for it.

They would not send me the check until I signed the title and mailed it to them, but did not want any other info on the title.

The car was at an Auto Body shop near my house and I kind of know the guy, so when I saw it fixed up and for sale a few months later I asked him about it and if he had to get a salvage title.

He then produced MY signed title that the insurance company had sent him for the tow bill and storage.

He sold it to a local as a clean title car and simply filled in the new owners info on my original title.

I was shocked the insurance company sent him my title, it should be against the law IMO.

MDamen

In Washington, you don't have to salvage the title if the car is more than six years old and the fair market value before the accident was less than $6790. Other states may have different age/value thresholds.

In Texas, it is a salvage vehicle if the cost of repairs exceeds the fair market value just before the accident. The insurance company has to obtain a salvage title before selling the car. If the estimated cost of repairs was not greater than the market value, then it is not technically a salvage vehicle and they can sell it with a clean title. It would be interesting to see if carfax shows a record of a salvage title being applied for.

vjd3

When some old lady bolted out of a side street and totaled my 23k mile 95 C2 coupe in 2004, Oklahoma Foreign contacted me and offered to buy the salvage on the condition that I sign over the clean Massachusetts title to them without getting my insurance company involved in the transaction. I declined. It seemed obvious that they intended to repair the car and list it with a clean title and no record of the accident. If I recall correctly, they offered me a couple thousand more than I could have bought the wreck from the insurance company for myself had I wanted to part the car. Caveat emptor.

That car was bought by a bodyshop in Worcester, MA ... the owner of the shop called looking for the books and records. He said he was fixing it up for himself, but I wonder where that car is today, and what the Carfax might reveal.

PecosBill

Years ago I used to play around with rebuilding and selling salvaged pickups. It was a decent little side business, but I always made sure the buyers signed off knowing that the vehicle was formerly salvaged. There is a lot of liability there, I don't know why somebody would want an unmarked title unless they are trying to hide the damage from future buyers.

User 122821

Body shops commonly buy wrecks from salvage yards to fill in the slow periods. Oklahoma Foreign has an entire department just for selling wrecks. They have several cars displayed up front on the side of I-35 so all the traffic can see them.

95carrera

I would suspect Oklahoma Foreign purchased it and repaired the axle/suspension to make it a roller or driveable. Insurance company had to make a decision on cost of repairs vs replacement.

Porschen993

thanks all for comments.
I'm just surprised how te business is done in this country. Insurance are claiming compliance..than easily have a back up plan and there are someone out there colaborate with them for a win, win. Give me a break, where is the honest business attitude ?

I was offered to pay 15k for it. After ordered the car delivered to my local reliable workshop(btw, they handle it at the insurance bone yard with regular fork lifts..= even more damage done), than short examination confirms that it will be a 15k$ value before it is back on the road. =30k$ . That is not worth it.

Anyway, history now, I have got my replacement in the garage(1997 C2 S) the old one is a "goner".

Now I'm looking for a 1980-1985 SC Coupe, straight to play with. Anyone who has a object to sell?

Tom

User 122821

I see Oklahoma Foreign has a few available.....

Robert993TT

Rogue traders have imported damaged cars from the U.S. in recent years and put them together with the intention to sell them on here in Europe. Trading in used cars is a lucrative industry.

NP993

A paint thickness gauge tells all....caveat emptor.