Scrh1

You roll the dice on salvage and be prepared to re wire the car if any water damage or chase electrical issues for life. When my previous car was totaled it looked fine. Had internal motor damage and was submerged briefly due to improper storage by the insurance company and it was totaled. Someone picked it up cheap but will likely spend the next decade chasing electrical problems or waiting for the motor to grenade. Insurance is not that easy to acquire on rebuilt cars / definitely available just not a usual occurrence. I would price the car at part out value. 30k max and I would not buy from a friend if I intended on staying friends with them. Causes lots of problems and not worth the headache or lost friendship imo ( depending again ).

Lazurus

^^ That.

KC-CarGuy

Decisions decisions decisions. If the salvage was from 10 years ago and the car has been running fine ever since, I would not be worried about the "salvage" fix. BUT, in the picky-purchse-porche market a tile with "salvage" on it will make a difference when it comes to resale time. That time could be a long way off in the future.

Pick a price that is fair - with the VERY good input already given - they take a small % off for the salvage. .... drive and enjoy.

connect_yvr

Update on the Turbo! I was able to check it out yesterday in person.

It's a 2002 with 100k km (65k mi). The accident happened at the right rear quarter panel in 2006, but engine components were intact. The current owner did the repairs and has been using it as a daily driver since then. No major mechanical failures during his ownership although apparently an ABS fault has been identified and he would be fixing that before selling.

It's a really nicely optioned example: arctic silver with metropole blue interior, matching painted center console and heated sports seats.

The main reassurance for me is that the owner has been running it without major issues for nearly 20 years. I'm hoping we can come to an agreement somewhere around 40k, but we're still in discussions.

Lazurus

$40K reads like "wholesale" and $50k reads like "retail" pricing. Assuming that no major issues exist? I would think you'd be coming out on top, if you can end up at a $40k purchase price. GL.

QwikKotaTX

Did you get clarification on salvage vs rebuilt title?

connect_yvr

It was a salvage

KC-CarGuy

Best of luck on striking a deal!!!!

QwikKotaTX

But it was repaired, no? It should be rebuilt now. I think if it's salvage and has been repaired you can apply for a rebuilt title if it doesn't already have one.

T10Chris

Title status and whether a repaired car is branded salvage/rebuilt/etc varies from state to state.

racer959

Correct

JohnAnthony

not sure how any number of years would make up for a bad repair? the only thing that is valid is the integrity of the repair. Anytime there is damage history the best re-assurance are photos of the damage and documentation of the repair. Even then, if it was repaired by someone other than the manufacturer's certified collision center all you have is a piece of paper from ABC-Body & Collision, claiming XYZ-repairs were performed (no welder certifications, no weld-inspections, no frame measurements, etc)

Maybe if you're some old-timer that just cruises down to the local donut shop on Sunday for the next 20yrs the quality of the repair doesn't matter. The one time the repair both matters and is tested is when you get punted by someone else:
https://www.thedrive.com/news/15027/...placement-roof


To add a little context here, every state just requires passing a visual inspection, some form of safety equipment check, and receipts for new replacement parts (seatbelts, lights, airbags, brakes, etc.). I have not seen any state that requires proof the frame was repaired by a qualified facility and/or meets the manufacturer's standards.


This post may seem pessimistic, but the reality is, buyers tend convince themselves of every excuse in the book to buy these cars. Then after buying the car they start seeing the true state of things: the alignment adjusters don't have the full factory range, brackets under the body panels are bent, new/replacement parts leave gaps because the originals were deformed... and that's the stuff you can work-around.

connect_yvr

Yes I think there might be confusion about this term "salvage title". In BC, Canada, where I am this means the car was originally a write off and now has rebuilt status and can be fully insured; essentially treated as a normal car but with the branded title indicating it had a significant accident. These cars have to be inspected and approved to be insured (since BC only has one auto insurance company and of course insurance is required to drive a car on public roads).

connect_yvr

Totally appreciate this perspective. I'm approaching this with eyes wide open and ready to walk away at any point if any red or yellow flags are seen.

With that said, I do have a good amount of trust in the seller (good friend's father) and we have talked extensively about the importance of doing a thorough PPI and both parties feeling comfortable with the transaction so that I'm not left with a car that falls apart 6 months after purchase.

The seller is also looking for photos of the original accident and his repairs (it was done over 15 years ago) which I hope will give me some perspective on the severity of the initial damage. The seller actually has had a previous business of buying and restoring salvage cars. My friend (son of the seller) continues to drive a rebuilt and modded E46 that he's quite happy with and he did some of the work with his dad back in the day.

Hoping that things will work out, but as mentioned, if anything smells risky, I'm comfortable moving on (and actually have found a good 40th AE as an alternative purchase option in the price bracket I'm looking)

QwikKotaTX

Only one insurance company in BC? That's crazy.