Why do I keep finding Civic HXes?
 

1997 honda Civic hx 5spd

I worried about the "28 mpg," I got twenty-seven in my Forester and it is rated twenty combined!

Long story short:
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Google could have saved me $40!

Salvage HONDA CIVIC 1997 for sale, vin: 1HGEJ7122VL035156 in TUCSON, AZ, 85706, USA, color: SILVER, price: 825.00

"Arizona law requires that any person who sells a vehicle for which a salvage title has been issued, must disclose to the buyer, before the completion of the sale, that it is a salvage vehicle."

Motor Vehicle Division

I literally had the money in my hand when I saw "Salvage." I guess that I could have sued him had I not noticed.

Wait a sec...people buy cars at auction for cheap, then sell them for profit? So THAT'S how it's supposed to work, I've just been sitting on them, hoping they somehow make me money ha ha.

It's amazing what people forget to tell you about used cars when you look at them. My mom bought a Mustang from a guy my dad worked with, he had had it since new. They didn't bother checking the history, as he said all that ever happened to it was "It got broken into once". As soon as I saw it, I thought to myself "Hmmm, nice car, but those seats are out of a '93 and this car is a '91." So I did an insurance check after the fact - $11,000 theft claim against it. So it got stolen, gutted, recovered, then put back together by the insurance company. Also explained why the inner fender bolts were finger tight. It's always waaaaaay easier to do your research up front, than to try and get your money back.

According to Carfax, this car was stolen twice! It was declared a total loss the second time. Ten weeks later it received the salvage title. The guy said that Arizona changes the title to "salvage" after a theft, but it was not stolen from him, it was not returned to him, and he certainly had not owned it for two years like he kept saying. It became salvage when it was recovered after the insurance paid the actual owner.

I kind of wondered when there was a consistent but small delay when asked about the history, like when the mechanic asked if the timing belt had been replaced.

When I walked up, money in hand, I went to see when the registration expired, and was surprised that he had a temporary registration.

Why would you have a temporary registration on a car that you have owned for two years?

None of his story made any sense.

Then I saw that the title was only two weeks old and for salvage, that seemed more important than the fact that it had the name of some auto and boat salvage company (I think). It had been signed over to him. He said that he asked the DMV and they said that it was fine without a notary stamp, but that I could talk to them, which sounded like a very good idea.

If you look at the salvage pictures, the car was in better shape than many cars on Craigslist (there are 25-30 salvage cars for sale in the Phoenix area right now). However Carfax says that it is worth $2,440 below Blue Book, which is $1,951.

I think the real victim here is the Civic!

I would never in a million years suggest that someone buy a salvage car. But, once in a while they can be ok. And they are dirt cheap. But it's like any gamble - don't spend anymore than you can afford to lose on one. And in this case, all I would say to the guy is "If you are going to tell me a story, at least make it a good one." His whole deal smells fishy from here. He didn't even bother to wash the title through someone else's name so it wouldn't have a salvage company name printed on it?? Man, that's just lazy! Curbers these days, they got no style I tells ya ha ha :snail:

https://www.nicb.org/theft_and_fraud_awareness/vincheck

Again, free to the rescue. Now I know!

people scrap cars sometimes just because they dont want the hassle of fixing them. my friend stopped by a junkyard that had an 81 amc concord sitting there with low mileage, garage kept, no rust!! someone scrapped it because it needed a radiator and they didnt think one could be found. because the junkyard accepted it the title had to be switched over to salvage even though all it needed was a radiator and headlight adjustment clips.

for this reason i wouldnt be afraid to buy a salvage car, you just have to do a thorough investigation of the car. sometimes you get lucky.

Yes, but how much would you pay for it?

Blue book is $1,951, Carfax says that its value is reduced $2,451 for being salvage so the car, as a whole, does not have value, but the guy asks $3,200.

This is a 2,004 Civic LX with a clean title. Starting bid is $2,150. With a clear title, it is worth four thousand.

I got my cx for 50O$ with a salvage title. It's got a dented fender like said don't buy a 20000$ salvage car. But there are good deals to be had. Just know what tO look for and what to avoid. As long as there is no frame damage and since we are talking about 3000$ cars it only takes 1900 or so damage to be a total loss. And really what is that a fender a hood and a light.

As I mentioned, doing a search for "salvage" gets plenty of results, but everyone seems to expect non-salvage money for them.

I guess that, in the end, I just would not want a salvage car for which I would want full insurance had it a clear title.

When I left on Saturday, that guy told me that he had two people coming to look at it within the hour. I wondered if I would get my hundred-dollar-deposit back if he chose another buyer without me backing out, not that I held out any hope.

List-alert notified me of a new post while I spent hours at school after class trying to organize study materials. I thought that it was the last thing that I needed, but it was the same guy, with the same car, asking the same price.

Now maybe the last thing that I need is a third-generation Prelude on my way to school.

As low as that car is, it would be relatively easy to boat-tail, and I keep thinking about how the foam rubber spoiler bolts to the end of the deck lid.

Get a 4'x8' sheet of Foamular, cut one end to match the angle of the trunk, fiberglass in bolts, trim the other end to fit the Template, and I should be started. I could do the same with the bolt holes for the tail lights and the "Prelude" piece between, although it sure would be awkward to use the tiny trunk... :D

On a car that already bottoms-out regularly, I would think that I would need an ABS undertray.

I thought that it was funny, when class started on Monday I was comparing Prelude and VX rims. They should fit, but they are narrower!

As far as I can tell, the owner has not posted on-line, but the Preludes that I have found are going for two to four thousand.

Mine was $2,500 in 2,000. Yes, used cars are going for more nowadays, but you should be able to find a car ten years newer for two thousand!

Oh, yeah, salvage should be fine if you are smart... :D