Let's talk salvage titles if we may Options

[Tdskip]

First off let me say that I know they'll be lots of room for personal opinions here, with some people holding the opinion that with cars of our vintage a salvage title isn't that big of a deal if it comes from a non-critical issue back when the cars weren't worth much.

I just looked at exactly such a car that was totaled by the insurance company over what today we would look at as a minor bump. Back when it happened, close to 15 years ago, I'm sure a $1500 repair was probably enough of a threshold to total the car so the insurance company wrote it off and the previous owner bought it back and then never restored it like he thought he was going to when he bought it back.

So all that brings us to today - otherwise clean car that had some rust repair done to a solid but not cosmetically attractive level, just needs an engine to be back on the road. 17's that are ready to Bolton can be readily had for not a whole lot money and you can see where the rest of this thought process goes. Except, except, except the shell has a salvage title.

I was thinking I would just throw this thing together and then drive it for six months and sell it, which I do in a heartbeat if I didn't have a salvage title but I'm worried that even at driver pricing ($4000?) i'll get stuck with it because other people will get the heebie-jeebies about the salvage title just like me.

What do you all think?

[90quattrocoupe]

Insurance companies are ready to total out cars these days.
About 6 years ago my son had his 89 MKII GLI hit in a parking lot. Light tap. Dented the left front fender, broke the grill and the left headlight. Got an estimate on it and it was $750. Too much I thought, but not my call.
My son had had the car for 6 years already and like it. It was in perfect running condition and everything worked.
The insurance company would not have it fixed. Instead they totaled it for $2450. We bought back for $125, so he got $2300 for the car.
The next week, we went to a pick an pull, got a fender, a headlight, lower valence(because his was previously dented) and I had a NOS grill. Bought some new fender sealer and fixed the car. Since the parts we got were the same color, no paint was needed. Total cost was $85.
He drove the car for another 4 years and sold it for $2700. Now some of the buyer were concerned about the salvage title, but others weren't. We had pictures of the damage, the parts we replaced them with, and the car sold.
As cars, that are desirable get older, the salvage title, becomes less of an obstacle. If a car has been repaired properly, then it will be ok.

My 2 cents.

Greg W.

This is video from when we sold it.
16V GLI