To buy a salvage title? (Yay or nay?)

[alohaspirit]

so you buy a car with a salvage title
get it safety inspected
then you file paperwork with the dmv/city hall
they give you the title which says salvage (reconstructed?)
then youre good to go?


does that include private sellers (who hopefully already went through the process)

[jamesqf]

The point about safety inspections depends on what state you live in. Here (Nevada) there's no such thing, only an annual smog check. Insurance is the same (unless you want collision, which I wouldn't know about), since it pays when you hit the other guy.

I've been driving an Insight with a salvage title for six years now. It'd been stolen, then recovered after the insurance company paid off. I've had very little trouble with the car at all, and nothing that's in any way related to the titling.

[Christ]

We're really getting past what could be considered discussion here, to the point that you should probably contact your local DMV to get specific information for your state.

I can tell you that if you get a title with the vehicle (it will say "Certificate of Title" somewhere on it), then you're cleared. If you get a "salvage certificate", then you'll have to go through whatever inspection you have locally.

[alohaspirit]

Originally Posted by Christ

I can tell you that if you get a title with the vehicle (it will say "Certificate of Title" somewhere on it), then you're cleared. If you get a "salvage certificate", then you'll have to go through whatever inspection you have locally.

thats the info i was looking for

there was an 02 kia with 30k miles for $2k
(salvage due to fender bender, with all dmg already fixed)
its sold now but no worry

good for future ref

[bgd73]

there is a scary non-myth to salvage, to me it is not banged up metal or dog hair stench anthraxed in the back seat, it is not cigarette butts, holes in the floor or even a battery /chemistry damage...

I have literally encountered a free car I called nuclear. shrugging it off as mental patient worthy adjectives, I ignored it until I got bit by a seven legged spider that liked to live in the bumper..and it was 3 times bigger than its species...the pieces fit in to nuclear genetic alteration..and it had seven legs...of an 8 legged type. the icing on the cake was a dizzy spell and fainting to get out of the car..with no chemicals...and finding baby spiders, unafraid of anything...with 7 legs one stubby 8th one and translucent in light...looking exactly as fierce as the mother. The other strange traits I do not even want to mention, it had physics one could swear was backwards. The electrical..all at once..more than once...kiling new plug wires, sparking off the engine.. ...it defierd hertz that is supposed to be in wiring...gained powers the fixed itself as fast as it came..without even blowing a 10 amp fuse.. it defied fluids flows even under pump pressure... it defied common sense...I found it one day...The invisible "it" was inside the EGR valve...with an "aurora" I knew not to touch...and the car glowed in the rain...on cheap paint...the windshield peeled away from the body...with no heat right behind the egr valve on the engine...it still swells my head to describe it...the aurora...
If you get a bad vibe just looking at salvage, especially steel,do not touch it, walk away...it is truly all done...

[alohaspirit]

[alohaspirit]

Originally Posted by Christ

You can't register a salvage certificate, you need to get a state safety inspection, and then there is paperwork that gets filed, then they send you a reconstructed title, at which point, you're legal (registration and insurance notwithstanding.)

In Hawaii, it might be something different, but that's how I've always known it.

What if the guy bought it "totalled", fixed it and now it needs a safety inspection (pink paper)


Is that the same as the state inspection mentioned?

[Christ]

Yep, you just need to get a state safety inspection, then they'll stamp your "title" which you'll have to send in to get a real state title for it.

[alohaspirit]

Originally Posted by Christ

Yep, you just need to get a state safety inspection, then they'll stamp your "title" which you'll have to send in to get a real state title for it.

basically im worried about that first inspection you mentioned


he bought it, fixed it, but now it doesnt have a safety

now if its a regular safety that no problem

but ive heard those other state inspections are in depth and costly

basically i dont want to get stuck having to do that one

[Christ]

That's what you're going to have to do, unless he has an actual R title for it.

If he has an R title, it will look exactly like the title for your car that you drive now, except under "endorsements" or "tags" or whatever, it will have an R.

If he's just got paperwork, it must go through an in depth inspection, after which the mechanic must sign the salvage certificate, and send it, with his report, to the DOT in your state, who will then issue an R title on his recommendation.