The Official CraigsList Thread...

GrimmJeeper said:
I remember seeing that rig for sale a while back with some body damage. buyer beware.
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I honestly don't see what the big deal over a salvaged car is. My buddy's Jeep is salvaged and you can't tell why. My sister-in-laws Jeep is salvaged and it looks/drives great. I personally owned a salvaged Rx-7 for years without any problems. I've seen the aftermath of my friends destroyed truck after an accident (should have been totaled) and come out with a clear title. Salvaged just means the damage exceeded more than half the value of the car at the time, if I'm not mistaken.
 
4wheel98cherokee said:
Salvaged just means the damage exceeded more than half the value of the car at the time, if I'm not mistaken.
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Not on a unibody vehicle. 9 times out of 10 an XJ gets a salvage title because there is damage to the unibody itself. Once the unibody is tweaked it is extremely difficult (and expensive) to repair correctly, which is why the insurance companies total it out. The main issue is structural integrity, I'm not saying everything with a salvage title is ruined, but it's much more likely on an XJ to start developing stress cracks all over the vehicle - not just in the area that was damaged. The unibody transfers the force of an accident through the entire structure.
 
4wheel98cherokee said:
I honestly don't see what the big deal over a salvaged car is. My buddy's Jeep is salvaged and you can't tell why. My sister-in-laws Jeep is salvaged and it looks/drives great. I personally owned a salvaged Rx-7 for years without any problems. I've seen the aftermath of my friends destroyed truck after an accident (should have been totaled) and come out with a clear title. Salvaged just means the damage exceeded more than half the value of the car at the time, if I'm not mistaken.
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In California, damage has to exceed 70% of the vehicles fair market value to earn a salvage title. Some insurance companies won't insure salvage title vehicles and those that do, in the event of another accident, will only cover up to about 40% of the cars fair market value. That math would definitely have a bearing on an insurance companies decision to total out a vehicle in the event of another accident as well as the ensuing cash out offer.

Also, take into account the XJ unibody - With what "we" put our XJs through, would the potential for a weakened or tweaked frame be a good idea?
 
i hate to add to this thread hijack, but i cant help it. vehicles get salvage titles for alot of reasons. a recovered theft vehicle missing the drive train , or the power plant, trans/TC, ect, will most likely be salvaged by the insurance. it doesnt allways have to be a damaged vehicle. also in the case were the insurance adjuster cannot see a portion of the vehicle, he/she must consider that portion of the vehicle is totalled. like if the hood was stuck after a front or side collision. even if the damage seems minor, if they cant open the hood to check for damage inside, it is then all considered totalled. i had this happen to me. i got a $5500 check and bought back the truck for $1000 because the hood pin was stuck. a new fender, grill insert, and a hood and it was all fixed. though i got lucky and they never actually took the truck so i never reliquished the title. so no salvage was recorded on it. but you get the idea.
 
GrimmJeeper said:
Not on a unibody vehicle. 9 times out of 10 an XJ gets a salvage title because there is damage to the unibody itself. Once the unibody is tweaked it is extremely difficult (and expensive) to repair correctly, which is why the insurance companies total it out. The main issue is structural integrity, I'm not saying everything with a salvage title is ruined, but it's much more likely on an XJ to start developing stress cracks all over the vehicle - not just in the area that was damaged. The unibody transfers the force of an accident through the entire structure.
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Yup, this is one of the reasons the crash safety data is so positive for the XJ. I've studied crash data for many, many vehicles and Cherokee's never fail to impress me with their ability to mitigate the forces involved in a bad crash.

Safe cars are the ones that absorb and transfer the energy, while maintaining cabin space, so that when the deceleration gets to you, it's survivable. Same reason old volvos and old mercedes cars are still considered so safe.

The downside is that I'd never buy a salvage XJ or car, simply because I believe the underlying structure is good for one good hit, and one only. After that, if it's pulled back to shape, I'm convinced the damaged parts are, at least in small part, work-hardened and unable to provide the same level of safety as before the wreck.

Just my thoughts, anyways. sorry for the hijack...just wouldn't anyone to get hurt with so many clean titled rigs out there.
 
GrimmJeeper said:
Not on a unibody vehicle. 9 times out of 10 an XJ gets a salvage title because there is damage to the unibody itself. Once the unibody is tweaked it is extremely difficult (and expensive) to repair correctly, which is why the insurance companies total it out. The main issue is structural integrity, I'm not saying everything with a salvage title is ruined, but it's much more likely on an XJ to start developing stress cracks all over the vehicle - not just in the area that was damaged. The unibody transfers the force of an accident through the entire structure.
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I understand your argument and I love XJ's; however doesn't wheeling in itself compromise the structural integrity of the uni-body over time? Someone could weld braces, or frame rail stiffeners, to remedy this, no? Those who have wheeled their rig enough to experience cracking could hopefully concede that their rig has taken the abuse of hard wheeling and that uni-bodies aren't meant for long-term use like that anyway? I know my Jeep isn't going to last forever at the rate I am destroying it, and it has a clean title. :roll:

TA2Jeep said:
In California, damage has to exceed 70% of the vehicles fair market value to earn a salvage title. Some insurance companies won't insure salvage title vehicles and those that do, in the event of another accident, will only cover up to about 40% of the cars fair market value. That math would definitely have a bearing on an insurance companies decision to total out a vehicle in the event of another accident as well as the ensuing cash out offer.

Also, take into account the XJ unibody - With what "we" put our XJs through, would the potential for a weakened or tweaked frame be a good idea?
Click to expand...

Some people would say 70 percent is more than half, even with that said as cars age they depreciate in value, so if the said vehicle is involved in an accident, flood, fire, or stolen, it doesn't take much for 70 percent to add up. I maybe mistaken, but I thought a salvaged vehicle is disqualified for full coverage insurance, so if you were involved in an accident you wouldn't receive any compensation? Besides, with the cost of a salvaged vehicle, generally being less than one with a clean title, wouldn't the risks be worth it meanings cars are expendable?

*** I am not trying to fight with anyone or be mean, I was just curious, I know how computers cannot express emotions:spin1:
 
4wheel98cherokee said:
I understand your argument and I love XJ's; however doesn't wheeling in itself compromise the structural integrity of the uni-body over time? Someone could weld braces, or frame rail stiffeners, to remedy this, no? Those who have wheeled their rig enough to experience cracking could hopefully concede that their rig has taken the abuse of hard wheeling and that uni-bodies aren't meant for long-term use like that anyway? I know my Jeep isn't going to last forever at the rate I am destroying it, and it has a clean title. :roll:



Some people would say 70 percent is more than half, even with that said as cars age they depreciate in value, so if the said vehicle is involved in an accident, flood, fire, or stolen, it doesn't take much for 70 percent to add up. I maybe mistaken, but I thought a salvaged vehicle is disqualified for full coverage insurance, so if you were involved in an accident you wouldn't receive any compensation? Besides, with the cost of a salvaged vehicle, generally being less than one with a clean title, wouldn't the risks be worth it meanings cars are expendable?

*** I am not trying to fight with anyone or be mean, I was just curious, I know how computers cannot express emotions:spin1:
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that is correct i think all insurance companies will not coverage a full on a salvaged title
 
4wheel98cherokee said:
Some people would say 70 percent is more than half, even with that said as cars age they depreciate in value, so if the said vehicle is involved in an accident, flood, fire, or stolen, it doesn't take much for 70 percent to add up. I maybe mistaken, but I thought a salvaged vehicle is disqualified for full coverage insurance, so if you were involved in an accident you wouldn't receive any compensation? Besides, with the cost of a salvaged vehicle, generally being less than one with a clean title, wouldn't the risks be worth it meanings cars are expendable?
Click to expand...

I would like to think that ALL people would say that 70% is more than half. :dunno:

The 70% figure is the norm for insurance companies to use when making the total / not to total decision e.g. damage would need to exceed 70% of the cars FMV to be totaled, not 51%(AKA more than half) :).

A salvage title in CA is not automatically disqualified form full coverage; some insurance carriers will do it and others won't. Even with the full coverage though, insurance companies will value the vehicle at approximately 40% of FMV, due to the salvage title. Let's say you're carrying liability only on a salvage title vehicle and you're involved in an accident where the other party was determined to be at fault - the other parties insurance carrier would also devalue your vehicle because of the salvage title and this devaluation would in turn affect the decision to total / not total as well as any ensuing cash out amount. So you now end up looking at FMV X 40% = Adjusted value of the vehicle. This new adjusted value is what the insurance companies will apply the 70% against to determine whether to salvage or save.

2001 XJ FMV $5200 x .4 = $2080 Adj value
The 70% threshold for damage repair = $1456

How quickly could a repair bill get to $1500?? At that point you're likely looking a totaled vehicle and a $2k cash out..
 
TA2Jeep said:
I would like to think that ALL people would say that 70% is more than half. :dunno:

The 70% figure is the norm for insurance companies to use when making the total / not to total decision e.g. damage would need to exceed 70% of the cars FMV to be totaled, not 51%(AKA more than half) :).

A salvage title in CA is not automatically disqualified form full coverage; some insurance carriers will do it and others won't. Even with the full coverage though, insurance companies will value the vehicle at approximately 40% of FMV, due to the salvage title. Let's say you're carrying liability only on a salvage title vehicle and you're involved in an accident where the other party was determined to be at fault - the other parties insurance carrier would also devalue your vehicle because of the salvage title and this devaluation would in turn affect the decision to total / not total as well as any ensuing cash out amount. So you now end up looking at FMV X 40% = Adjusted value of the vehicle. This new adjusted value is what the insurance companies will apply the 70% against to determine whether to salvage or save.

2001 XJ FMV $5200 x .4 = $2080 Adj value
The 70% threshold for damage repair = $1456

How quickly could a repair bill get to $1500?? At that point you're likely looking a totaled vehicle and a $2k cash out..
Click to expand...

So you don't want a salvaged vehicle because you cannot collect full value on it after an accident?
 
Speedbump96 said:
that is correct i think all insurance companies will not coverage a full on a salvaged title
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allstate does full coverage on salvaged vehicles, they said you might get a couple hundred bucks less than you would if it werent salvaged when you crash it a second time, but it wouldnt be that big of a difference.
 
I was merely discussing that 1 aspect of it; there seemed to be some question re: whether it can carry full coverage or not as well as the process the insurance companies process for value determinations. It something to keep in mind though that something that you may have paid $4k for only has an insurable value of $2k.

The other aspect of consternation with a salvage title XJ is the gamble on the possible damage or stress to a major component that is tested rigorously when we play in the dirt - the unibody frame. Not to mention that if you get into an accident with a vehicle that already has a damaged / stressed frame, how much worse will the effects of that accident be than if you had a rig that had a perfect frame..

With those items under consideration, at what pricepoint does it become worth it to purchase a salvage title vehicle. I am definitely not knocking those who buy salvage vehicles and am happy for those have had great luck with theirs - just trying to put EVERYTHING out there to consider when contemplating this type of purchase.

I like this rig: http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/cto/2270887697.html

Love the miles, and I'm ok with the procomp lift. I would like a 4 door, but can survive with 2, but I do have another possible hesitancy with the potential 0331 head it should have. Also, looking at the pics, if these 2 pics were taken at the same time, how much confidence do I have in a salvage title rig that the wheels are straight, but steering wheel is a 1/4 turned..

3k33p23l05T65Z05S2b3h5bf226c12eca140d.jpg


3nd3k73o65T35U05S6b3h06d9a2f6a87a17b6.jpg


Also, when there's a test drive and the owner attributes the shake / wobble / vibration / pull to the new lift, will that be truth or an effect of the previous wreck?

I was just trying to bring all points into consideration re: a salvage title vehicle and there was also some questions re: insurance and money items that I tried to answer as well.

At what pricepoint does this vehicle become worth the gamble?
 
These 2, I think, were taken on the same day..

3k63oc3pa5O05V65U2b3h9b279baa593018d2.jpg


3nd3k73o65T35U05S6b3h06d9a2f6a87a17b6.jpg



I did call my agent and shared the info that I got..
 
Thats how my steering wheel looks when my wheels are streight.
 
Just to be clear, that white 2 door with a 3 inch lift is a pile of crap. My brother and i Have looked at it twice in the last month under two different owners, with the lift and without. The new guy wants a grand more now and lies about the quality of repairs and how long he has owned it.

Caveat Emptor
 
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