Buying Advice - '99 Integra, Salvage Title

Hey, all. Just want to get some input on what sort of deal this is.
I'm looking at a '99 Integra GS coupe, 59K miles - leather, spoiler,
new tires, AT, interior perfect and exterior fine except for a tiny
ding and a few scratches on rear bumper. All service records since
4500 miles and no major repairs.

Now here's the hitch - its a salvaged title. The seller claims that
they interior was stolen - seats, interior panels, stereo - and
replaced when the car was almost new. She bought it at 4500 miles and
has had no problems since. She wants $7500, and the KBB on this
vehicle is about $10K with a clean title. Obviously I'll have my
mechanic check it and see what he can see, but given all factors, is
this a good price? As I said, just looking for some experienced
feedback...

Thanks - Dan

"TeGGer®" > wrote in message
.. .
> "Deeg" > wrote in
> oups.com:
>
> > Hey, all. Just want to get some input on what sort of deal this is.
> > I'm looking at a '99 Integra GS coupe, 59K miles - leather, spoiler,
> > new tires, AT, interior perfect and exterior fine except for a tiny
> > ding and a few scratches on rear bumper. All service records since
> > 4500 miles and no major repairs.
> >
> > Now here's the hitch - its a salvaged title.
>
>
>
>
> Salvage means an insurance company wrote the car off in a collision or
> flood or other catastrophic event, then the car was repaired and re-
> certified for use on the road. It has NOTHING to do with the interior.
>
> I wouldn't buy it at any price.
>
>
>
> --
> TeGGeR®
>
> The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ
> www.tegger.com/hondafaq/

That's not true... a car can be have it interior stolen and still be
declared a total loss.
A write off is a result of a repair amount being to high, regards if it's
been accidented or not !!!!
Calculate the price of a radio, air bags, leather seats and door panels and
you'll easily be over 10 000$ of replacent parts.

The one thing you do need to know is that when the car was re-certified, the
owner was required to provide 5 pictures (each side and interior) of the car
before any repairs take place. I've seen many salvage titles and some have
been lemons while MANY others have NOT.

Ask for the pictures of the car... he should have 5 showing you a clean body
and no interior. If it's on;y the interior... I'd go for it.

Waving the right to remain silent, "TeGGer®" > wrote:

> Salvage means an insurance company wrote the car off in a collision or
> flood or other catastrophic event, then the car was repaired and re-
> certified for use on the road. It has NOTHING to do with the interior.

It *could have been* the interior theft which caused it to be written off
in the insurance settlement.

--
Larry J. - Remove spamtrap in ALLCAPS to e-mail

"If you take out the killings, Washington actually
has a very low crime rate."
- Marion Barry, mayor of Washington, D.C.

Deni wrote:
> Ask for the pictures of the car... he should have 5 showing you a clean body
> and no interior. If it's on;y the interior... I'd go for it.

id consider it, but only if i was going to drive that thing until it
gets junked.

Thanks for the advice, all. My inkling was that it was something to
steer clear of, but the temptation is strong - the car really is
immaculate and so are the service records.

Ler me ask this - if she can produce the photos showing a clean body
and no interior, is the price more or less fair? Or is it simply an
unacceptable risk at any cost, in your opinions?

"TeGGer" > wrote:
> It loooks like only Massachusetts will brand a car Salvage due to
> vandalism.
> http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/dan...ding/chart.htm

> The OP appears to be in California. He is on thin ice with that car.

I've never heard of the "pictures" thing in California.
A friend has bought and sold quite a few salvage vehicles, mostly for racing.
One was a Mazda Miata that just didn't look that bad, a crunch in the rear
that made the trunk hard to close. Must have tweaked the frame.
Many were motorcycles. If the ABS fairings get broken on motorcycles, the
factory replacement price is enough to total the bike, which might be
essentially unharmed and in good shape with aftermarket fairings.

I disagree with Tegger about the required cause for salvage. I think it is
any time the repair of a vehicle, plus its salvage value, exceeds the blue
book on the vehicle. It is registered with the state of California as
"unrepairable". It may, however, then be repaired and registered again,
with the words "salvage" appearing on the title. Often, all this requires
is a cursory inspection by any Highway Patrol officer. At this point, it
is no longer a Salvage Certificate. It is referred to as a "revived total
salvage vehicle".


The Canadian web site above refers to the vehicle during the time it is
registered as unrepairable. A California page:
http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/d05/vc11515.htm

I do agree that it is a vehicle that should only be purchased as a
throwaway unless you can really determine the original cause. Flooding,
for instance, usually results in a salvage vehicle. Repair of that vehicle
for cosmetic purposes usually involves steam cleaning, and a replacement of
the interior. That doesn't leave you with a vehicle with long term value.

--
---
Clarence A Dold - Hidden Valley (Lake County) CA USA 38.8-122.5

TeGGer® wrote:
> "Larry J." > wrote in
> news:1105736778.e541b99e935fb75b42ae31cbf90a2f88@t eranews:
>
>
>>Waving the right to remain silent, "TeGGer®" > wrote:
>>
>>
>>>Salvage means an insurance company wrote the car off in a collision
>>>or flood or other catastrophic event, then the car was repaired and
>>>re- certified for use on the road. It has NOTHING to do with the
>>>interior.
>>
>>It *could have been* the interior theft which caused it to be written
>>off in the insurance settlement.
>>
>
>
>
>
> It loooks like only Massachusetts will brand a car Salvage due to
> vandalism.
> http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/dan...ding/chart.htm
>
> The OP appears to be in California. He is on thin ice with that car.
>
>
doesnt seem to me to be vandalism, just theft. if, instead of the
leather seats and interior panels being stolen it was the engine/tranny
and wheels would it have still been vandalism?

TeGGer® wrote:
>>That's not true... a car can be have it interior stolen and still be
>>declared a total loss.
>
>
>
>
> Total Loss is not the same as a Salvage brand.
>
> Salvage means very badly damaged, then resurrected.
>

from what i understand, if the insurance pays off the loan for any
reason-wrecked, or stolen/stripped and the car is put back into service,
its going to have a salvage title. ive seen stolen/stripped cars for
sale that have been repaired, and they have salvage titles. why? the
cost to replace the missing parts was more than 50% of the book value of
the car.

if my 98 CX was stolen and the interior gutted, it would definately cost
more than half the $5000 book value for an excellent condition car.
replacement carpet alone is about $500. add in a couple seats, door
panels, miscellaneous trim, screws, fasteners.

now, if i recover the car and dont claim it to my insurance? then the
title is "clean" and i can replace the interior parts myself.

> That car is trouble looking for a target.

id agree with that.

TeGGer® wrote:
> Cars are not branded Salvage because their interiors were stripped, they're
> branded because the front bumper ended up embedded in the firewall, or
> because somebody else's front bumper ended up in the trunk.
>

if the car was that tacoed, putting it on a lift and inspecting all the
seams, etc should prove that. you cant make a totalled car perfectly
straight again. there will be wrinkled panels, bondo, weird weld marks, etc.

> You need to find out why Salvage was branded on the car. That means talking
> to your insurance company, giving them the VIN of that vehicle. I've never
> actually had to do this, but it seems to me they'd be the ones with access
> to the details of the Salvage brand.

plus, the insurance co is NOT going to pay full coverage on a car like
that. ie: no "replacement cost" coverage.
>
> Unless you know EXACTLY (from a trusted party) what happened to brand that
> car, you're risking being rooked of $7,500.

should be easy enough if the original owner has all the insurance
paperwork, police report, impound recovery slip, etc.
>

wrote:
> I do agree that it is a vehicle that should only be purchased as a
> throwaway unless you can really determine the original cause. Flooding,
> for instance, usually results in a salvage vehicle. Repair of that vehicle
> for cosmetic purposes usually involves steam cleaning, and a replacement of
> the interior. That doesn't leave you with a vehicle with long term value.

itd be worth a carfax to see whether the car has been a california car
all its life. there was a while after the floods in texas where cars
were being sent to california to be resold.