Salvage Research Archives

Buying Tips: Repairable Motorcycles

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Salvage title motorcycles are bikes that have been wrecked and bought from the owners by a salvage yard or insurance company. At this point, the bike is declared a "write-off" and loses the legal title.  This effectively reduces the motorcycle to a collection of used spare bike parts.

The new owner will have to have a new title created which will be marked as "salvage" by most state DMVs. Some state DMV's will allow the bike title to reclaimed as "clean" after a vigorous inspection, but this is more an exception to the rule. In the end, the wrecked motorcycle is marked as a salvage title, which will forever affect the value.

A "write-off" means the cost to fix the damage is more than the value of the motorcycle. A "write-off" or "total loss" can be declared by an insurance adjuster looking at superficial damage.  It's always buyer beware as there are sometimes hidden issues with a salvaged bike that the salvage yard might not know about.  It's your due diligence to inspect all aspects, get as much history on the bike as you can and ask lots of questions.  Ask if you can open the bike up to see if there is any internal damage. 

You must research registering a salvage motorcycle before you buy. If the red tape and inspection to reclaim the title is more time, work and money then you can afford it might be worth it to buy a clean titled bike. There might be expensive parts required to pass a safety check that aren't available used. Your insurance company might not insure your newly titled salvaged motorcycle or the cost of insurance so expensive it just wouldn't make sense.  Always check with your insurance company before making a buying a wrecked or salvageable motorcycle.

You really can save money and get a good motorcycle buying salvage, but it's easy to get wrapped in a money pit.  The main point is to do your research and be especially wary of the "to good to be true" deals out there.  For those of us that do find the "golden egg", enjoy!

Auto Body Repair: Frame Straightening

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Not everyone has the garage, tools and know-how to take a bad wreck and turn it into a gem. However the specialty tools that were once only affordable by large companies are now making their way into homeowner garages and shops. You can now pick up a frame straightener used for between $2000-$8000 depending on the make, model and options. Now I'm not saying this is for everyone but if you were every thinking of getting one it will pay for itself in a few jobs for sure.

First off, get the proper training. If you think you can just throw one of these in your garage and start straightening you're in for a mighty surprise and more damage then good. Check your local trade school or community college for classes or go chat with your local collision center mechanics. They love to talk about their tools ;o) The following is a pretty neat video that will give you a rough description and idea of frame straightening a wrecked car.

I am not affiliated with the product in this video, but found it to be helpful in researching affordable frame straighteners. Nice little unit for the home shop.

 

This next video is a training video, part 1, of the BlackJack Frame Straightening machine.  This is the "cats meow" of the frame straightening units.  If there's interest I'll post all the parts with comments and tips, or check out all 5 training videos from YouTube.com

I think I'll follow up this on this post as a mini series for auto body and salvaged car rebuild tips and techniques I've found helpful while doing research on the net. In the meant time I hope you stay tuned and while your waiting for the next post check out our store for the best deals on repairable cars

Tools of the Trade

Buying Salvaged Cars & Trucks

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Buying a salvaged car can be a great deal or your worst nightmare. If you have the skills and tools to buy a rebuildable car then you most likely have the know-how and ability to find a good deal and turn it around for a profit or buy a very inexpensive repairable car or truck for yourself. If you are buying a salvaged, rebuilt car or truck then the following article will shed a bit of light.

What is a Totaled or Salvage Title Car?
Insurance companies often declare accident-damaged vehicles as total losses rather than pay for repairs. A car can be totaled by accidents, fire, vandalism, hurricanes, or other natural disasters. The typical rule is that if the cost of repairs will exceed 75% of the pre-damaged value, then the vehicle will be totaled.

In cases such as those in which a large number of vehicles are damaged at the same time, as in a flood or hurricane, an insurance company may survey only a few vehicles and then, to save time and expense, declare large groups of similar vehicles as total losses.

Oftentimes there are vehicles among the group that actually have only minor damage, or no damage at all. In some states these vehicles end up with salvage or flood titles. Rebuilding such vehicles may only require some minor body work and paint.

In some states, if a car has been salvaged after reaching the point of no return, the title should contain a comment saying that the car is a salvage car. In many states, this is not required and a salvaged car may carry a clean title. Because of these geographical inconsistencies in law, many car dealers move totaled cars to states where they can get a good title and then sell them without any hassle.

What happens to wrecked vehicles?
Insurance companies sell wrecked, recovered, and damaged vehicles at salvage auctions where they can be purchased by individuals, used car dealers, and rebuilders.

Salvage auctions are conducted on regular schedules by professional auction companies in cities in every state. Most are open to the public. Such auctions are good place to pick up wrecked and rebuildable cars but remember that there will other people attending and looking for good deals too.

Buying rebuildable cars & trucks
Buying rebuildable cars and trucks can be risky if you don't know what you're doing. It's difficult in many cases to be able to determine the full extent of the damage or estimate the cost of repairs. Vehicles that may seem driveable may actually have hidden damages that could be costly to fix. What initially seemed like a great deal might turn out to be just the opposite.

There can also be safety problems. Airbags may be missing or disabled. Anti-lock brake systems may not work. Seat belts may have become unsafe. Warning indicators may not work. Steering system and wheel alignment may be damaged.

In Summary
There are pros and cons to buying a salvaged vehicle. Tread lightly and safely, inspect all points and become a material expert so you know what to look for in the vehicle. Don't get caught up in the emotion of a potential good deal. If you are not a material expert in rebuilding salvaged cars, bring someone with you who is or you might not have a good experience.

Check out our store for more salvage cars for sale

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