I heard if your car was in any kind of wreck, it gets this R-Title and the re sell price goes way down, and nobody really wants to buy your car...

Is this True?

I heard more things like if you have an R-Titled car, you should just work on the engine, then find a another car similar to it, such as another Thrirdgen Camaro, and you can swap the engine, along with the exhaust... Because why spend money on the cars paint/body when you can't sell it as much as it's worth...

Thats what I heard from some people, and I want to know, if buying an R-Titled car is a good or bad decision....

-Peace!

 

R-title must be your local term for a salvage car. The vin #, when searched, will tell you if the car has ever been in an accident. If the accident exceeds the value of the car, it's salvaged. So that means it was in a pretty bad accident. Then someone buys it as scrap, and either parts it out (like was suggested), or fixes that parts. But when someone buys it, you usually have to disclose if it's ever been totalled, and people pay less for that. Usually since they assume you're a hack who just threw it back together.
My car was totalled, didn't find out until just lately. No big deal, i've replaced everything on the car by now anyway.
I also don't plan on ever selling it.

 

My car was salvage titled just because when it was stolen much of the interior (factory leather) was slashed with a knife. It was never wreaked. The insurance company said that it would cost so much to re-upolster, that they totaled it. It has been repaired now, so on to other things!

 

The bottom front bumper got smashed up, and repaired....so how could my car be a R-Title?!?!!?!

 

R-title stands for RECONSTRUCTED title.
Like stated if it costs more than half to three quarter the value of the car to fix the insurance companies just total it.

To get a new title it will be a R-title. Your suposed to take pictures of before and after it's fixed so all the work can be inspected.
If you can find the parts cheep it's a way to get an expensive / newer car or truck at half the value.

 

exactly. These cars aren't worth much, so it's written off easily, based on high value of body shop work.
My 1987 delta 88 was stolen, door lock broken (some chipped paint around it), ignition cylinder broken. That's it. The door needed to be painted, new lock for the door, new ignition cylinder, new colum - $2200. Car was valued at $2800 due to mint condition, so I got a cheque for $2800 and was told to go home.
I wouldn't lose sleep over it. I have no idea why my current car was written off, and i'd rather not find out now..

 

Good point Sonix. What's that old saying: "everybody drives a used car". My GTA has a perfect title; but this is Alabama. It's had the front fenders and hood replaced from a donor car, new front bumper cover, and the left rear quarter repaired. I knew this when I bought it.
I also knew what I was going to do to it.
It would have been a crime to do what I have done, to a "minty fresh" pristine '88.
So these "reconstructed" cars can still have a life too.
(albeit, a strange and exciting one)
p.s. I also don't plan to sell it. I figure someone will inherit it, if it survives.

 

haha
yea, once they scrape my smiling remains out of it...hahaha...
Your car is far more minty than mine... boy, that's why I don't show off pictures my "box of shame". At least it's quick.

 

The general pattern....

1. Car gets wrecked (or other).
2. Insurance co. totals car.
3. Insurance pays you and gets a slavage title (generally) to the car and car.
4. Someone buys said car (gets another title which will be a salvage title) and fixes it up.
5. Said someone brings said car to a (typically) special inspection station to have it inspected and certified.
6. With certificate in hand (or done at the station) a new title is applied for and then issued as a reconstructed title (typicaly).

 

I'm going through this right now. Our 87 formula which we've had since 91 was recently rear ended. My wife was stopped at a light and a guy just plowed into the back of her with a jeep. It broke the taillights and the hatch. Didnt even break the bulbs out of the lights. Didnt hit the bumper and didnt do any damage to any visible sheetmetal. Insurance company totalled the car. I've got over $10k in parts receipts(no labor) in the last 4 years. All that did for me was raise their payout from $1400 to $1800. I bought everything but a new spoiler and hatch motor from a junkyard for $85. It really pisses me off, just as the car turns 20 years old and is starting to head towards collector status I get a rebuilt title, due to no fault of our own. After seeing how little damage can total a car, I wouldnt be scared of a rebuilt title.. Just look the car over real close to see how badly it had been wrecked.

 

Did you sign over your title to the insurance company? If you've had the car since 91, your title should be clear without a lean holder. I had a 71 Nova that was hit in '88. Left rear quarter panel, rear tail light, and bumper were damaged. I took it to "his" insurance company and was told the car wasn't worth the damage, $600 value of the car. There was nothing mechanically wrong with it. They did a "report of survey" (something like that), to find what a wrecking yard would pay for it. I got a check for $1407 with no change in title. The only way the car could be "totaled" would be if the title has a lean holder, or if the title is signed over to the insurance company. Don't sign it over. If there's a lean on it, (the car is not paid off) , then there's nothing you can do about it.

 

You let your wife drive your third gen???
You must love her a lot
I can see why your handle is kinda appropriate nowadays.
I got rearended a couple weeks ago in my work van. The girl was on the verge of tears, it was her first accident. I explained that I wasn't mad, that I was getting a new bumper, and that one was dirty anyway.
Thinking about beefing it up if I get to fix it. (ain't it strange how us 3rd genr's want to modify everything?)

 

That happened to me with a chevy pickup truck. I had $5k in reciepts over the past two years. The insurance company wanted to pay me $1800, I wouldn't accept it so they got an appraiser to look at the truck. He valued it at $5400 and so that's what they finally paid me.

With a car that has been restored you need to get it appraised!

 

Yea, I had my car insured for $1000, since I bought it for around that price. This spring I told my insurance company, I basically restored it, I want it insured for $6500. They asked why, and I told them because that's what it's worth now. I just had to fax them a list of what parts I put on the car, approx value, etc. I have the receipts at home. Now I pay a bit more insurance, but if I wake up one day and it's completely gone, (or totalled), I get $6500, not $1000.
anywhoo...

 

Dang. Y'all makin' me feel bad.
Maybe I should up mine from $0 to something.
I hate insurance...never had full coverage in my life.
(of course, I never had anything worth insuring either ...)

 

your car looks a hair nicer then mine! hahah.

 

I've still got the title to mine. But I guess this state works differently. I recieved a notice saying that the state had been notified that the car was totalled and was no longer licensed. In 3 to 4 weeks I'm supposed to recieve a letter from the state. I'm supposed to take this letter and the old registration to the state patrol to have it inspected and relicensed.


Weird thing is they didnt make me buy the car back either. They wrote a check for $1800 and gave it back to me.

As for letting the wife drive it. This is really her car. Her dad and I picked it out for her 18th birthday. I even took her to Prom in it back then. I've always had some other rod to run around in. Currently a 70 C10, but I also have a 67 C10, a 74 formula, and a 64 malibu SS. All but the 70 are projects but running.

She just got a corolla for a commuter.. so now I also get to play a bit more with the 87. Before I had to watch how radical I got things since she still had to drive it every day. So I kept the 327 pretty mild. 230rwhp.

Was working on it a bit today, getting things cleaned up. Other then the title, and wasting a bunch of my time fixing it instead of my other projects, I think i'm going to come out ahead on it. Going to put the glass aerowing on it and probably repaint again. Has gotten alot of rock chips in the last 4 years.

The phrase the insurance woman said that pissed me off most.. "That's a REALLY old car, but I guess 'you people' enjoy it" ... So I guess I'm a "you people" now for driving a 3d gen.

 

In 96 I had a personalized licence plate frame made. It reads:

My wife drives

My other car

She didn't get it at first when she told me, "the other car is mine".

And another lady was riding with her husband and gestured me to roll my window down. She said "I LIKE your licence plate frame LOL".