Pls I need ur candid pieces of advice. I'm about buying some salvage cars from the USA & I need to know if there are things i need to look out for or know. Thanks.

@ poster,

The world of salvage cars is a terrain that has to be navigated very lightly and carefully. The two major reason(s) that can salvage a car is Theft and accident. Others include, water damage, fire damage etc and the list goes on. Insurance company will decide to salvage a car when the amt to fix/correct the problem exceeds a particular % of the car's worth (Lets say 50%) for the purpose of this discussion.

In the US, insurance companies are not allowed by law to fix ur car with used parts. A private individual/dealer can do that. In case of accident, by the time they add the cost of fixing, it may be very economical (businesswise) to salvage the car. They will pay the owner the worth of the car and take the car to the auction for sale.

On the other hand, in theft cases, the insurance company will pay off the car to the owner. If the car is later found, it is then the property of the insurance company. Some cars may be found intact while others may have minor or major parts stolen.

And that is where your work begins. You wanna make sure that u inspect the car very well before buying. Most cars these days are made on UNIBODY platform. (Camry, Maxima, Accord etc). This means that they lack a solid frame that typical trucks/lorry or older cars have back in the days. So when they get in an accident, if its severe enough it might bend and damage.

A Unibody frame can be straightened but it usually not advisable. You might as well walk away from the car. You need a highly experienced people and expensive frame machine to do it. Even then, its not guaranteed that it will be perfect.

You might also be lucky to find theft vehicles with no damage. These vehicles, however attract other competitive bidders also which might end up driving up prices.

So, the moral of the story there is that you need someone who knows what they are doing to inspect the car before bidding on it. I am sorry to tell you that its not something that can be done from the computer screen in your living room. If a brainbox is missing, you will not know from the comfort of your home. How much do you think a brainbox on a 2005 BMW 750il cost? Or Infinity or Audi Q7? I don't know nor want to find out either. You wanna "feel, smell, taste, eat and shit" the car before you even know what  or how much to bid.

Don't get too attached/emotional with any car when evaluating the car's damage and repairs. Don't fall for the fancy color or leather seat or Navigation system. Remember, that profit is the end goal here.

Also, things like airbag, sensors, headlights, grill etc might need to be replaced (can be very expensive for newer cars). So be careful.

After all is said and done, you wanna make sure that the car is fixed properly. Are you fixing in US or Naija?. Either, way no shoddy work allowed (At least if you care about your reputation as a dealer). And you wanna disclose to your potential client. At least that's what i will do. Document your work and repairs to give confidence and calm to the buyer. Don't take a chance on them finding out on their own especially these days that most people are very accessible to VIN reports.

The salvage car deal is highly profitable and dangerous at the same time if you are not careful. Don't get swept up in the current. If you will be dealing with late model cars, it might be better to get clean title, ready to go car rather than the salvage route. Especially if you are not based in the US or at least have good connection and knowledgeable people to handle that end for you here. You will then have to hunt down the parts to fix it and give to good people to fix.

There are so many wild story in Naija how you can get late model 2007/2008 Jeeps/cars with "small dent"  for $500.    Please if you happen to know such place, pleeeeeaaaaaase pass me the address, i will be there tomorrow and will help you buy too. Dont believe the hype. Some of those rumor mongers have never even been to the Airport in their entire life.

Let me know if you have any other questions or how you plan in doing your project. The least i can do is tell you what i see from my Vantage point.

Good luck in your endeavor.

Do you live in califonia? can i have ur e mail

kusehin:

Do you live in califonia? can i have ur e mail

promise72@yahoo.com

Dear Kunle,

I will email you now.

@poster,
I just wanted to chip in that not all accidented vehicles are issued salvaged titles.The fact that a vehicle was involved in an accident does not automatically categorise it as salvaged.Factors that play a role in determining whether a vehicle is issued a salvaged title include the policy of the state,  insurance regulation and extent of damage.As I know it most insurance company would declare a car salvage if the extent of damage is 75% or more.
If you are an exporter with an export license,you may contact iaai (www.iaai.com),they have cars that are auctioned for insurance companies and it is definitely more economical to have the cars  fixed in Nigeria. 
One good thing about iaai is that you have the vin of the car you want to purchase and you can always check on the record before you buy.I would however not recommend Copart because they do not release the full vin of the car so it is difficult to check on the history of the car.
Finally if you are a registered dealer in Naija,you can register with Manheim international and would be able to access their dealer only auctions.
If you need any further assistance pls. do not hesitate to email support@jesarmyventures.com
Cheers and God Bless,
Jesarmy

@Jesarmy

I just sent you email now. Thanks

jordanese:

@Jesarmy

I just sent you email now. Thanks

I replied your email.
Regards,
Jesarmy

Check out:
https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-251650.0.html

@Jesarmy

You are a wonderful person and God bless you.

Please send your phone number to my email also.

Regards,
Jordan.

jordanese my guy.where u dey since?

@Jesarm

Thanks i will send u may and kindly send your phone number to my email also

@ Kunle-A
Thanks and would mail u later in d day .

Regard
Olusola - mail sonety2k@yahoo.com

@lomaxbien

my guy i dey Warri dey do my sales cos i nor want to receive insult from those boys on nairaland. I greet you.

Any car for me to buy?

One love.

@jordanese
i understand u brova,i remember that fight u had wit a fellow nairalander,some people no even gree comot for my tint permit post,na so so opposition i dey face,even as my permits na authentic and genuine them still dey counter me.
i see people working very hard to turn nairaland into battle-land, but they wont succeed.
hope u dey alright sha.
im expecting some cars soon,a 1998 mazda 626,a nissan maxima 99,ML 320(sold) and a nissan altima.
as soon as they arrive ill let u know.

My broda i want yoy to know something. Blacke men are always angry when they see their brodas and friends progressing.

I will send some Tinted permit job to you.

Them dey Envy you.

thanx mehn illl appreciate that.
heres my number
08038393151

@poster,
I believe you were the one that sent the email requesting for further info just in case since you did not post your email it is difficult to verify.Anyway you have a very rich thread with the contributions that have been made so far.
For further clarification I would like you to know that the insurance auction website I recommended also deal with vehicles that have clear titles (certificates) though they might have been involved in a collision which is not economically reasonable for the insurance company to fix.
I have included the picture of a 2004 toyota Camry with a clear new jersey title,mileage of about 16000 and the insurance report.It had a minor damage in the front but the actual value of the car was $13000 and the estimated cost of repair to the insurance company would be about $8000.00 which to the insurance company is not economical,hence they decide to auction the car.Now a dealer or a private individual may be able to fix the car more economically with used parts since they are not barred by law as the insurance company are to make use of new parts. (See Kunle-A's post) and for an exporter bringing this to Naija where labor cost are cheaper relatively,it looks like a very viable bussiness.
This is the type of vehicles I would recommend,for personal reasons I would avoid vehicles that have been issued salvage titles(except for theft recovery which may still be intact) or those that have clear titles but extensively damaged.
In a nutshell honesty is always the best policy in bussiness ,provide your customers with the carfax report which shows the history of the car and if you do believe in God,commit your ways in to His hands for guidance.
Cheers and Good luck,
Jesarmy

My broda i want yoy to know something. Blacke men are always angry when they see their brodas and friends progressing.

I will send some Tinted permit job to you.

Them dey Envy you.
I think it is a curse

Chima Arinze Automated Services Ltd
Phone: 0803 501 8807
Copart auction registered bidder in Lagos. I can help you buy an ship used cars from any where in the world.
Accident or brand new.
please feel free to contact me.

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