How Bad is the Damage?

The owner should have done this before offering the car for sale as a matter of good business; failure to do it may be a sign that there’s something else wrong with the car. The demand on insurers to evaluate these vehicles can overwhelm the insurance – bangkok.thaibounty.com – system; even though the vehicles are often supposed to be pulled from circulation due to the damage, they can slip through the organizational cracks — whether through fraud or a simple honest mistake — and end up on used car lots. A car tossed on its roof by a massive temblor is going to sustain a fair bit of damage, as is a car that spends a day half-submerged in a hurricane. Widespread natural disasters like earthquakes and hurricanes wreak havoc on vehicles.

Like salvage-title cars, component-built cars often must pass state inspections to receive roadworthy titles and registration. If the car has no title — or worse, has a salvage title — suspect that there may be something amiss, and start asking questions. One of the restrictions on salvage-title cars in most states is that they cannot be legally operated on the road. If you’re planning on buying a kit car, a responsible seller will have already taken care of the inspection and had the vehicle properly registered. Some states go one step further, declaring certain salvage-title cars as being too damaged to rebuild.

The drawback to buying a salvaged car for parts comes when you complete the sale. If you can purchase the salvage-title car, think before you act: How will you get it home (it’s not licensed, so you can’t drive it)? Do you have the tools, time and knowledge to disassemble it, and do you have a plan to store the parts until you need them? Do you have room to store it without violating any “junk car” ordinances in your community? In some states, only licensed rebuilders can purchase salvaged cars.

In some states, a car may receive a rebuilt or salvage title if its owner has replaced a substantial component with an aftermarket part. The parts in question are often large items that the car requires to run properly, like the motor, cowling, floor pan or other substantial part of the bodywork. An aftermarket component in the car of your dreams may not be a bad thing; if you’re a car enthusiast and want a car with certain upgrades, it may even be a major selling incentive.

It’s very possible you were looking at a kit car. Titling kit cars, however, can present some unique challenges. Car enthusiasts with strong mechanical skills have been building replicas of rare and classic cars for years, and an industry of component manufacturers supplies all the parts they need to build their own Porsche Speedsters, Shelby Cobras and roadworthy versions of classic Le Mans racers. Kit car builders often pick and choose components for their cars, customizing them to their unique tastes.