Byprodriver

And it now has 47,000 miles

808Bill

We are still talking about 996's and factory warranty's are long gone.

Hangar13

That seems like such a waste to me, it must be like that here too maybe even worse. A tow truck driver told me that the owner has the choice of check vs repair I dont see how or why an insurance company would want to pay out large claim when something can be fixed for less but maybe there is some back door loophole they are making more money on. I just know from being around cars my entire life, dealing with dealerships, bodyshops, on the east coast these cars would not even been considered as salvaged. Here I do believe its similar where a repaired title is a car that was in an accident and met the standards and checklist to be considered safe again or however you want to word it but mist most people see repair on a title they don't want it. I'm definitely taking a closer look at everything now that 2013 4s was still a 50 to 60k car for half price and honestly the paint job that was on it was better than it had new.

Prelude Guy

I have a totalled 996.2. I'm considering rebuilding it. I'm going to document the rebuild. Without documentation, I completely understand why potential buyers wouldn't feel comfortable buying it.

One main reason why I'm considering rebuilding it is because many of the parts that were damaged should be replaced anyway due to age (radiators, hoses) or can easily be replaced with a parts car.

You will be surprised how little damage it takes to total these cars. I saw one that had a low impact to the frunk bottom that just dented it and damaged the bumper. That's it!

I would consider buying a rebuilt 911 if it had full documentation. Without it, I would be too worried shortcuts were taken.

Hangar13

I'm with you 100% once upon a time we use to repair appliances lol now we throw everything away. Build it there will always be someone with common sense that sees value in it beyond a mark on the title. Also depending on your location I have some 996 parts I'm currently doing a GT2RS BODY KIT,wheels tires,coil overs I have a a nice fender too, headlights I'm in Phoenix, where was it hit? Twist 18s , rear wing motor and lid not exactly sure the proper name lol.

motoo344

I think a lot of people don't realize that sometimes the parts to rebuild a car aren't that bad but the shop labor can be quite high. You see a lot of these DIY guys on youtube rebuild cars relatively cheap with DIY and getting hookups with all their other youtube buddies. So if you do have a documented history of the repairs and receipts it goes a long way.

Prelude Guy

Absolutely right!

So my car was hit low in the front. The headlights fell out during the accident. One had a little scuff mark on it and a tab broken off it. Both still work and mount fine. The insurance company was going to replace both headlights.

Like you said, us DIY guys can often fix and reuse damaged parts that the insurance adjuster will replace.

The car came with a Tubi Stlye exhaust as well! One of the exhaust tips was bent. The adjuster was going to replace the whole exhaust! I'm going to have an exhaust shop cut and weld on a new pipe.

The main issues with my car is the chassis definitely needs to be straightened, the frunk cut out and replaced, a new hood, the front crash beam and other random little parts, and a new rear bumper. The rest I can salvage, replace with new parts, or get from a donor car. I already had an OEM front bumper in the same color. Wooohooo!

I think.when the frame is straightened, the fenders will snap back into shape.

I will have complete confidence when its done, and have many pictures and receipts for it.

motoo344

This is definitely some involved work there, more than I would feel comfortable doing but can always make a good project if you are good with DIY.

Prelude Guy

You have to be a certain type of person to enjoy rebuilding cars. It's just like people who enjoy rebuilding houses. Most of my friends laugh at the crappy cars I like. Lol

I absolutely love imagining the possibilities of what a wrecked/neglected car could be. I enjoy turning a cool/rare car that was either neglected or wrecked into something better than it was from the factory, and having a legitimate reason to do it!

I don't like modifying nice well-kept cars. I like leaving them nice and just preserving them.

Its unfortunate that rebuilt cars get a bad reputation. I get it though. It's easier for unskilled people to flip wrecked cars for a quick profit by doing sub-par work than houses. Body work on cars is definitely more of an art and fewer people have the talent that it takes to repair them properly Tools to repair a car often are more expensive, too.