A salvage title car. You have been looking for a new automobile for a long time. The model, the year, the make. Everything is perfect, just like you wanted and then your eyes see the price tag and it’s a fraction of the regular cost.
Usually, when that happens, there’s a couple of words you need to be aware of: salvage title. When a layperson first comes across this term around salvage title cars for sale in a Copart auction, the first reaction is to expect the worst happened to the salvage cars. Sometimes they are right on the money, and sometimes they can be a little wrong. Here are some reasons that can give a salvage title to an automobile:
1- The Vehicle Is Collector’s Item: A Restored Classic Or Antique Salvage Title Car
It is very possible that the title of the restored classic no longer exists. Or if it does, there is a pretty good chance that when the car was restored, they used major components from different vehicles to get the job done.
It would be nice to obtain bills of sale of every major component you purchase to restore the vehicle. These bills can help you out when you take the car to be registered.
2 – Kit Cars – Another Type Of Salvage Title Cars
We get it. Some people like to build their own cars, especially when they are rare and exotic. People have been building replicas of their favorite vehicles for years for different reasons. they can be very pricey but still cheaper than the originals, or simply for the challenge of building their own ride.
Kit cars must also pass the state inspection, which serves to make sure the car is safe to be on the road and also to ensure that none of the parts on it were stolen.
3 – Important Aftermarket Components Installed
If a substantial component of the car was replaced with an aftermarket part, it can get your car a salvage or rebuilt title. Parts like the motor, cowling, and floor pan are some of the examples that will get your car “downgraded” in some states.
4 – The Owner Is Hanging In There And Chooses Not To Have It Totaled
Some people fall in love with cars. We all have that one friend who is a total car lover. If the love of their life – the car – has been damaged in an accident, the owner would rather keep the car than have the insurance company total it and pay for a brand new one. I guess some things are just hard to let go.
5- Force Majeure. That’s French for “Oh, snap! Mother Nature happened”
Those are things you just can’t predict. I mean, some of them you can, but we are talking about wrecked cars for sale here.
Hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, pretty much every single natural disaster makes the list. The vehicle may have sustained some damage from staying underwater after a flood. Or it got tossed around because of a hurricane or tornado. Nature can get really creative in situations to get your vehicle a salvage title.
Make sure to check out part 2 of this article next week. If you haven’t been to a salvage car auction before, please read all about it right here!