Worth of a '90 s50 325is SALVAGE?

[schuldt]

The car looks like it's in good condition, feels mechanically sound.
8/10 exterior, good paint no rust, a couple dings.
9/10 interior, nearly brand new seats, 3 thin cracks close together on the dash.
wheels/tires are fairly new.
all in all, looks sound.
100k on the s50, 250k+ on chassis w/ pretty standard repair/maintenance and replacement parts, oem+

How much would you pay for an s50 calypso 325is with a salvage title?
I want this car, but I don't want to shoot myself in the foot paying too much and losing a wad of cash in any future resale.

[e30vert]

Hmm...

Good question. Salvage always brings the value down for lots of folks.

Have you searched the Cars For Sale Tread here on R3V to search for a swapped S50 or S52 car with similar specifications? That would give you a good baseline and let you know what others were willing to pay for said vehicle.

[FLG]

The real question is why/how did it become a salvage titled car and how was the repair work done?

Some salvage cars that were pretty messed up if repaired correctly could be perfectly fine, other times you end up with a headache.

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[TurboJake]

Less than they're asking.

That is all.

[robo_trigger]

7-9k.

It's not strange for cars of this vintage to have a salvage title. Just do your due dilligence and look the thing over right. If you have half a clue about cars and you can't find the damage then it's probably fine. Make sure the car tracks straight, make sure the paint matches in a variety of light, and check rocker areas very thoroughly (most damage that totals these cars is a t-bone hit.).

I'd only be worried if the repair work was recent. It's easier to hide shoddy bodywork without the lens of time.

[smitche]

few things I take into mind when considering buying a salvage.
do you plan on keeping the car forever? if so, buy the car on the cheap and enjoy.
do you plan on goonin for only a minute and then selling again in the foreseeable future? if so, be prepared to take a loss, a heavy one.

This is how you should look at the situation, doesn't really matter why it's salvaged (unless it was badly damaged), the return value will be half to 2/3 of the same car with a clean title. At least here in California. So that is what I would base your offer on. Check for similar cars with a clean title and cut the price by half... and start there. Another thing to think about, has the swap been refereed? That could cause a huge headache as well.

7-9k.

It's not strange for cars of this vintage to have a salvage title. Just do your due dilligence and look the thing over right. If you have half a clue about cars and you can't find the damage then it's probably fine. Make sure the car tracks straight, make sure the paint matches in a variety of light, and check rocker areas very thoroughly (most damage that totals these cars is a t-bone hit.).

I'd only be worried if the repair work was recent. It's easier to hide shoddy bodywork without the lens of time.

This is not true in California. A salvage branding never goes away and decreases the value by a ton. Yes, as the car gets older the decrease in value will be less, but an e30 is still new enough to have a big impact.

[matthugie]

This is not true in California. A salvage branding never goes away and decreases the value by a ton. Yes, as the car gets older the decrease in value will be less, but an e30 is still new enough to have a big impact.

The same is true for a lot of states, but the point is that with e30 values where they have been, pretty much any accident, however small, will cause a salvage title. The question is whether it is a deserved salvage title, or if it was a fender bender when the repair cost was $500.

[rturbo 930]

The same is true for a lot of states, but the point is that with e30 values where they have been, pretty much any accident, however small, will cause a salvage title. The question is whether it is a deserved salvage title, or if it was a fender bender when the repair cost was $500.

This. My E30 has a salvage title because it got tapped in the rear. I can see in the trunk where the damage was... it wasn't much.

That said, I don't see why a salvage title matters so much on an old car like an E30. It's not a classic or collectible, and it's not worth enough to put full coverage on it, so who cares? WTF difference does it make what the title says if the car runs and drives fine? I'd be more concerned as to WHY it has the title. In the case of my car, I didn't think it was a big deal.

[ClayW]

Remember that with a salvage title car, you are only going to get the scrap price if you get in a wreck. Even if a drunk driver with a golden insurance policy runs a red light and hits you and totals your car, you won't get more than $500 for your car.

So, unless you plan on swapping the parts over to another body, you shouldn't buy it unless you're going to take that risk.

[Vivek]

Remember that with a salvage title car, you are only going to get the scrap price if you get in a wreck. Even if a drunk driver with a golden insurance policy runs a red light and hits you and totals your car, you won't get more than $500 for your car.

So, unless you plan on swapping the parts over to another body, you shouldn't buy it unless you're going to take that risk.

Why is that? If he had the car appraised for, say 5k even with a salvage title, would he get scrap prices?

[Killacortes]

Honestly with all the parts id do 3-4k. To me a damage title is pretty much a parts car

[schuldt]

Thanks guys, a lot of good thoughts and advice here.
Looks like it boils down to the price of the S50 swap + part out value, and to be passed on if there's any serious lasting damage from the wreck.

[ClayW]

Why is that? If he had the car appraised for, say 5k even with a salvage title, would he get scrap prices?

If the car has a salvage title, it generally means that someone has collected the insured value of the car with an insurance claim. So, basically, the car was devalued by getting totaled, someone collected the cash from an insurance claim, and the valueless car was meant to be sold for scrap. however, instead of ending up in a salvage yard for parts, someone kept it on the road. This is legal in most (if not all) states, but it does mean that the car will never be worth more than scrap value, unless it goes through the usually extensive rebuild process that some states offer to remove the "salvage" label.

Of course, I'm talking about insured values. You may know good and well that the parts are worth more, but you'll likely be hard-pressed to get an insurance policy that will pay out more than scrap value if you are hit.

[oliver.r]

If the car has a salvage title, it generally means that someone has collected the insured value of the car with an insurance claim. So, basically, the car was devalued by getting totaled, someone collected the cash from an insurance claim, and the valueless car was meant to be sold for scrap. however, instead of ending up in a salvage yard for parts, someone kept it on the road. This is legal in most (if not all) states, but it does mean that the car will never be worth more than scrap value, unless it goes through the usually extensive rebuild process that some states offer to remove the "salvage" label.

Of course, I'm talking about insured values. You may know good and well that the parts are worth more, but you'll likely be hard-pressed to get an insurance policy that will pay out more than scrap value if you are hit.

that's not true, I have dealt with insurance companies on cars that have been totaled multiple times. they don't take the title in to account when accessing the damage of a vehicle.
a few weeks ago I dealt with a older Honda accord that had been totaled twice and the value placed on it by the insurance company was comparable to a car in similar condition with a clean title.



on another note- don't buy a salvaged car unless youre keeping it for the rest of your life or its going to be a track car, resale is a headache and you will get beat on the price hard

[willworkfore30s]

The same is true for a lot of states, but the point is that with e30 values where they have been, pretty much any accident, however small, will cause a salvage title. The question is whether it is a deserved salvage title, or if it was a fender bender when the repair cost was $500.

This. I got my car on the cheap with a salvage title. The accident messed up the outer door skin and put a dent right in front of the rear tire. I replaced the door for $37 and kicked out the dent with my feet and 90% of the damage was fixed. The accident just happened at the lowest point of value for the car. I broken windshield probably would have totaled the car at that point.

Having the salvage title keeps me from wanting to put much money into things that can't be removed and transferred to another car should I decide to sell. It doesn't help the value for me to get a bunch of nice body work done and give it a nice paint job. Thats why I wrapped it and put my money in to removable parts. Should I decide to get rid of it, I will part it out and either scrap the shell or sell it to someone who wants to build a race car.