KentuckyKITT: I would like to know that as well?

 

I had a new 2000 Z28 that my ex wife totalled, and I bought it back from the insurance company for $600. Since I bought it back and the title didn't transfer to anyone else, the car actually still had a CLEAN TITLE, even though it was 10 months old, completely destroyed, and had a total loss payout on it.

I did the same thing with a Harley that I hit a deer on. They totalled the bike, and I bought it back and still had a clean title.

Here's the clean title 2000 Z28..

 

Some states have (had) loopholes thru which a salvage title can be rebuilt, or washed. That's why Carfax exists. It's less common now than it was 20 years ago, but undoubtedly there are a ton of once smashed thirdgens around with clean titles. One of my cars has a Carfax issue, and I've identified where it was hit by a train and repaired, it's had a clean title for at least two states. Another of my cars has a mileage discrepancy on Carfax during the time that I owned the car, and all the papers have been on the up-and-up. In that case, Carfax is wrong. FWIW, Carfax is a source to check, just take it with a grain of salt.

 

A little clay bar and she’ll be good as new!

 

.

 

But that was after the claybar. Just a little residue left to buff off.

 

If a totaled car passes an inspection (usually needs proof of restoration as well) it can be re-sold with a good title. I think some states are different in how they do it.

It does look like this guy is claiming “hey guys, it just got a little wet, but look how brand new it looks!”

If the car was in water up to the center caps on the wheels let’s say for 7-10 days I can’t see an insurance company totaling the car. I’m assuming this car was considered a “collector car” with such low miles so it probably had an agreed value on it. Maybe the flooding wasn’t that bad and the previous owner really pushed for the payout but also had a policy where he got to keep the car. Probably sold the “salvage title” car as well. Maybe the guy was just after the payout. Maybe the car was seriously submerged and based on the flood line the insurance company totaled the car. Now it’s just detailed, and new-looking and upon being dried out everything seems to work. I can’t see an insurance company not sending an adjuster to check out a flood damaged total loss with an agreed value.

It sounds like this guy is claiming he didn’t know something about the history (um, salvage title?! Flood damage?!) and is trying to sell it to get some money back from a bad deal. I have a suspicion the new seller got the salvage car cheap and is trying to do a flip-a-roo..

I do think it looks like a legit low mile car from the pics... Someone is scamming someone though in this car’s history. Whether the insurance company, the current owner, or the next owner. That part’s hard to tell.

Even if it is a brand new car with brand new interior and all the dealer docs, etc... It’s a pretty common color, 15” wheels, auto 305... It’s not a super rare, exciting car, it has sketchball history, and it’s not a super low price compared to what’s out there.

 

Good lord man was she ok? Clean title, looks like most of it would buff out

 

She walked away from that car. She was bruised up really, REALLY bad, but not a single broken bone and not one single stitch. She was hammered, passed out and her foot went to the floor. It hit a driveway so hard the battery cables ripped out of the battery. No airbags deployed. The tach was stuck at around 5,800 rpms (I'm still not sure how the tach was stuck) and the car was in 5th gear. Probably a 150mph wipeout. The car was so far out in a bean field that my dad and I drove right past it looking for it when we got to the scene. It hit a field driveway sideways on the drivers side, flew up airborne for probably 30 yards, then barrel rolled several times before coming to rest on its roof. The guys that towed it sat the hatch and hood back on it at the tow yard....both were ripped completely off of it. You can see the hatch is still latched....it ripped the latch from the car

 

Oh wow. She definitely had something looking out for her! That’s amazing that the airbags didn’t deploy and that the hatch glass is still intact. The way the rest of the car looks you would think the glass would be gone

 

I know, right? The drivers t top survived, too. It ended up 14 rows in the bean field farther than the car, and was literally perfect lol

 

Look at the driver's side seat bolster, and the exhaust manifolds. If that car actually had 7500 miles on it, the manifolds would still have 99% of the black coating. The wrinkles in the seat cover tell you someone has been in and out of the driver's seat about a million times.

 

It's possible that it could have been started and ran to operating temp a million times, too....

 

Either way, the engine has run a lot. I'm not sure how many heat cycles it'd take to burn off the factory coating, but I'd expect idling up to temp would take more hours than driving on the interstate. Miles or hours, it's still use.

 

well hopefully the drivetrain was salvageable. 98-02 six speed F-cars is where it’s all. Been there lol

 

I observed these same things. The manifolds I figured could have rusted but the seat doesn’t support (literally) it. I think the rest of the car is presented so well that those thing may get overlooked. And to this point I was unaware the Camaros didn’t have the extra digit on the odometer these years. My 88 T/A has it I figured that would have been across the board

 

Yep, I sold the LS1 and 6 speed to a guy in Texas. The entire wiring harness was absolutely destroyed, along with the mass air flow sensor, etc, but the engine itself was untouched....and with the battery cables being torn out of the battery on impact, it didn't run upside down or anything.

 

dagwood, damn... I saw you post that before, but it never gets easier to look at... Glad everyone is ok!

I looked at the seats again... I don’t know, you’d have to inspect the car in person... I’m sure people have sat in it and what if one of the owners was a big/heavy person...? I’ve detailed 1-year old cars where big people have a hard time getting in/out and the driver seat looks like crap in 10,000 miles... Worn bolster and wrinkled leather..

I don’t know about the manifolds either... I saw a documented 3k mile IROC at a cruise night where the owner passed away and his wife put the car outside for years before selling it because she didn’t think it was worth anything... It was an 87 5-speed TPI hard-top... also red... The manifolds and underside don’t look like a 3k mile car, but the guy has extensive documentation and the interior does look brand new.. I mean this car was flooded and they had to detail it and run the engine...

You can’t tell much from the pictures...

It is another example of “are super low mile cars worth it?”. That 3k mile 5speed looked like a 103k mile car from sitting outside. He even had it repainted... So are those low miles really worth it in that case? Probably not...

The more I read about flood damaged cars the less I think this car is worth brand new or not... Its not really sell-able...

 

It's a nothing car AND it has a salvage title. The only reason it's the topic of a thread is the mileage, that is suspect as well.

It serves a purpose though, reminding people to look at the details before assuming a too good to be true deal is really a deal.

 

Personally, I think the miles are real. Or rather the driver's seat and exhaust manifolds don't make me feel they are not real.

 

I agree. The car is a little too much together overall for 100k miles.

 

I'm with ya, too. It's just too perfect for 100k miles

 

There is one born every minute.

 

I'd need to see pics of the underside.....that would help a lot !!

 

So who’s gonna go buy it?

 

You ever wish a thread would just die already? Sick of seeing this thread in the new posts list. It's right up there with Rustoleum paint jobs and Lambo door conversions. There's nothing left to say about this car that hasn't been said.

 

Say the underside looks spotless... I’m curious, what would you be willing to offer given the history issues? One reason I ask is because you usually sell the cars...

Say a dude buys it because he always wanted a red IROC... Puts bigger wheels on it, puts 1000-2000 miles/year enjoying the car. Let’s say it’s problem free and brand new. The guy pays $15k but in 2070 he kicks the bucket and leaves it to his kid with 57k miles on it and it’s still mint. That guy makes out in that scenario.

If you buy it. Even if it’s legit and spotless like a brand new car with no issues, but you go to sell it next year. I don’t know if that ends up that great.

The other scenario is the car is a total scam and full of gremlins from the flood damage and no one makes out.

 

I'd consider it in the $10-$12 range......and yes, it could have a lot of issues.
Another thing I'd consider is giving it to Drew

 

Good answer!

 

And then this thread could go on, and on, and on....

 

 

The undercarriage looked good from what I can remember from the CL pics. There were a couple of spots that looked like the owner wanted to "improve" by spraying some rust converter or something. Also, exhaust wasn't completely stock.

 

Could be!

 

I'm still waiting for the paint overspray to be discovered so this thread can really take off into the 7th circle of insinuations, lawyers, glaring ceiling tiles and the fact that there's actually 2 cars and the other was quickly whisked away before the pics were taken.

 

I will 2nd that.....too funny!

 

The sound of the unmasking is going to be deafening.

 

This thing is horrible looking, but can we just give some attention to you hitting a deer *on a motorcycle* and living to tell the tale??

 

Oh that even gets better, LOL. I hit that deer around 70mph at night on my Harley. It killed the deer, totalled my bike, and I DIDN'T WIPE OUT. Somehow, by the grace of God, I managed to keep the thing on 2 wheels.

I also blew a front tire on a Red Horse custom motorcycle at about 70mph, and somehow managed to keep that one upright, too. I had my work cut out for me on that one....all it wanted to do was go down.

My Guardian Angel works overtime!

I no longer own a Harley....

 

I guess the bearded wonder upstairs new to keep you around as some day, there will be a 91' vert Trans Am that would need your magic touch

 

Well there's 5 minutes of my life i can't get back, lol! After some of the comments tho, maybe I'll take some pics of the IROC and play "guess the mileage"

 

If you have more than 5 minutes, there’s a wonderful tale about claybar residue and trick lighting!

 

Depending on the state, the title might still be clear. In Michigan if you total a car and if it is older than 7 years old, and you buy it back, you retain the original title, and a new one is not issued. I had this happen with my 2005 Buick Rainier, in 2014 my wife spun out on ice and backed into a ditch at 40 mph, the car was a total loss, but because I bought it back for parts, and I still have the original title, it still has a clear title.

With that being said, the owner might have pocketed the money for the car, then kept the car and cleaned it up, later they sold it and if someone did not do a carfax would not have known it was totaled at one time.