This car is no longer for sale due to misinformation on my part. Thanks everyone...

I'll stick around..curious to hear what people say a salvage is worth

looking for any trades?

Can anyone with Carfax tell us (and the owner) why and when it was salvaged?

Maybe you could contact the original owner and find out WHY it was issued a salvage title? If you could get proof it was a small thing like a repo, etc, then you'd get a hell of a lot more for the car. If it was in an accident and totaled/frame damaged, you'll be looking at probably 50% less (if that) than a clear titled car. Most dealers wouldn't even take it and if they did, it'd be for sub 15k. A wrecked car never drives the same as a car that hasn't been, no matter how well it's been repaired. Its a shame though, its a damn good looking car.

carfax says it had front and rear damage. frame damage. salvage title was issued in 2002, as was a "mileage not actual" title. 4 owners.

Thanks Byzanzilla for the carfax report. I'll try and get more details but I'm sure I'll just end up keeping this thing. But thanks everyone for clearing this up for me :)

carfax says it had front and rear damage. frame damage. salvage title was issued in 2002, as was a "mileage not actual" title. 4 owners.

Thanks.

You may just want to hang on to it... I would estimate it's value to be between $14-18k.

No offense dude... but you bought a car without knowing it's history? A crash bad enough to salvage a car a year after it was released had to have been horrific...

Thanks.

You may just want to hang on to it... I would estimate it's value to be between $14-18k.

No offense dude... but you bought a car without knowing it's history? A crash bad enough to salvage a car a year after it was released had to have been horrific...

Yeah no offense taken, it was actually a gift from a family member (some gift huh?), so I did not do the typical research I do on my other vehicles.

But sorry everyone, knowing this now I'll just keep the car, so it is no longer for sale. Thanks everyone for the help as always.

Thanks.

You may just want to hang on to it... I would estimate it's value to be between $14-18k.

No offense dude... but you bought a car without knowing it's history? A crash bad enough to salvage a car a year after it was released had to have been horrific...

That's not necessarily true. The car could have been borderline, or it could have gone over after an unscrupulous (HA!) body shop asked for several supplements. The car may have been a theft recovery that wasn't recovered until after the ins. claim was settled.

It could have belonged to an owner who refused to have a brand new wrecked car - especially if the accident wasn't his fault. Insurance companies total cars for a variety of reasons.

the carfax already proves that the car was in an accident to get the salvage notation on the title.

Yes, but the point is - insurance companies total cars for a variety of reasons. I listed some of them above.

I've rebuilt 5 or 6 totals, and several of them had no business being totalled.

One was a loaded '94 Miata that had 22,000 miles on it. The car ran and drove, but the cost of the passenger's side airbag put the car over the top. The airbag alone was over $2500.

I paid $2400 for the car back in '98, and it looked perfect when I sold it - rebuilt title and all. Carfax would call it 'frame damage', but there was no damage past the shock towers.

I also bought a totalled '86 325es for $2800 back in 1993. The car had 52,000 miles on it, and I drove it 60 miles immediately after I bought it. The car had been vandalized and nearly every body panel was bent, but had no real damage. Still totalled, and described as 'wrecked'.