shwuz

Well, my situation was such that I was arranging to drive all day (5hr each way) to meet the seller and do my regular used car inspection. I'm comfortable with that in most cases, and has served me well in the past. Once I found out about the title situation, that changed the depth of inspection that was going to be required, and made it impractical for to drive that far, get it fully checked out, then have time to do the deal and drive home.

I might have been inclined to go forward if I had been armed with some good information from the start, but as soon as I found out about the title, my warning lights started going off. I recently had a big hassle with another car that I traveled too far to get and as a result ignored my instincts, I wasn't going to do that again this time.

In all fairness it was probably a good car I just passed up, but what can you do? Gotta go with the gut.

Now, anyone have a 5spd/22re 4runner for sale within a day's drive of Tuscaloosa, AL?

isaac338

good call on listening to your gut - imagine how you'd kick yourself if the truck lit on fire on your way home

when i was shopping for my pickup i found a pretty nice truck for sale locally. i went to look at it.. it had fresh paint, a lift, 33s, a nice stereo, it was a pretty nice truck, for a bomb price. the clutch felt squirrely to me, though, and i hesitated. the guy refused to let me take it into town for a day to have it checked over, even with a 100% cash deposit. i walked away right there. probably tossed a good deal but who knows what that guy was hiding?

when i bought the truck i own now, the clutch felt exactly the same, so that other rig was probably sound, but it still wierds me out that he wouldn't let me have it looked at..

edit: and i actually saw that same truck for sale by someone else in another part of town last year, so who knows?

ovrrdrive

You made the right decision...

Never buy a rebuilt vehicle especially if it was in a front end collision that's already been fixed. If its still raw and you're going to do the work yourself maybe, but never if its already done and been hidden like that one.

If it looked perfect and I just had to have one like that, I'd start at 50% of NADA loan value and work down from there... It just isn't worth it.

I bet in a few months he'll sell that for $1500. It might make a nice buggy for that.

Btw, have you looked much here in FL?

I see a bunch of decent 4runners for that price around Ocala. The trucks are pretty rare though, but they still come up from time to time.

shwuz

Thanks overdrive, I might have to add that to my craigslist search zone...

Hmmm Ocala is pushing it just a little. I might arrange something at that distance with a yotatech member, but for craigslist I just don't trust anything I can't go look at and say no to within an easy day's drive.

ovrrdrive

If you start patrolling Ocala, forget craigslist. For some reason people around here rarely use it. Try Ocala4Sale instead.

http://ocala4sale.com/

olharleyman

Talked with my insurance guy today and he say's that STATE FARM will only pay what the buy back price of the vehicle was when issued a rebuild/salvage title is issued no matter what has been done to the vehicle.

The exception to that rule is if you rebuild it with one of there shops and can document it and bring the vehicle to there adjusters and have it gone thru by them and they can deem it 100% corrected then you can pay a fee set by the agent and have insured back to N.A.D.A. value.

He also states that by the time you have jumped thru all of there hoops you have spent enough money to replace it with a new vehicle that has none of the issues your rebuild/salvage title would have , so if its not a collectible/rare vehicle then its most likely not worth it.

But they will insure it upto what you payed for it from them in a buy back deal. He also says its pretty standard practice in the insurace industry to go by these guidelines. Hope that helps you somewhat