wrenchtech

One wrecking yard has a very nice '92 xtra cab cab. Another has a clean, rust free frame. I already have a wrecked truck that has all the suspension and drive train parts for me to make one good truck out of these parts, but because my cab will be from a junkyard I won't have a title that matches the VIN#s. Are there states where I can title this parts vehicle. It will have an undamaged frame and an undamaged cab so it will be just as good as any other used Toyota truck. So where's the best place to get it titled if any? Best if I can get a title that isn't branded salvage. -- Matt

DeathCougar

iTrader: (23)

No matter what you do, it will have a branded salvage title. Anything else would be illegal.

stormin94

I've heard that some states don't brand "salvage".....

I don't know if there's anything to this, or not.

Mine's Salvaged.

Although it will likely be branded as salvaged, it won't affect you any if you plan on keeping it, since you know all the work that you did to it. Now, if you plan to resell, it will be worth a little less(usually 10-30%).

I personally think that if you get a salvaged car, which the damage that caused it to be salvaged in the first place is NOT repaired, you will get a deal on it. Also, if you do the work yourself, or at least supervise it, you won't have to worry about some hackjob repair, or subpar work. Far too many people choose not to report damage to their insurance for fear of higher rates, and just sell the car to someone, who then fixes the car. All this is done without anyone other than the seller of the car, and the person doing the repairs having any knowledge of the damage that occured.

Anyway, if you do the work, you should have a vehicle that is every bit as good(if not a little better) as a non salvaged one.

wrenchtech

Like with most things in the USA, fifty states often have fifty variations on the rules. The little I've seen so far by searching on the internet indicates that some states will title any vehicle that is over a certain age. I believe Minnesota only brands titles if the vehicle is less than 10 years old. Other states have, in the past, granted title to vehicles with only a bill of sale (New Hampshire and Alabama come to mind). I was just hoping somebody had some more current information.

Here's one question that comes to mind. What does a junkyard do with a title if they buy a vehicle from a private party? Do they turn in the title to the state and declare the vehicle permanently out of service? Maybe I could end up buying a cab that is not on the record as salvaged and rehabilitate it into a normal truck with a good title. It would be interesting to know the ins and outs of this process. As a person who studied to be a paralegal, I can tell you that there are always loopholes in the laws.

stormin94

As far as I know, in California, if a Junkyard or wrecker buys a car, it recieves a "junk" slip. I don't believe the junk slip is the same as a salvaged title. This may be from vehicles that are recovered, or towed. Also, if a vehicle is stolen, then recovered, it is branded as salvaged (in most cases).

I bought my 4Runner from a salvage yard. They gave me the title, and a bill of sale, although there was no "junk" slip that went with it. It was not running at the time either, so maybe that had something to do with it.

I know if you have to replace a door, or something from another car with a different VIN # in CA, they require a CHP(highway patrol) inspection to make sure the donor car hadn't been stolen. Then they sign off on the paperwork that says the numbers belong with the original vehicle.