Would you buy a rebuilt salvage title truck?

[TheCougarine]

Originally Posted by James the III

Welp I put more value in my enjoyment of using the vehicle than what I might get if and when I sell it..
If I worried about what I might get at time of selling it..
I'd never bother putting money into it..
To many are in the hobby for the wrong reasons.. and enjoying the vehicle doesn't seem to have any worth to these types..

I don't really think I'm in the hobby for the wrong reason. I love my trucks, I've daily driven the last three I've had. That being said, I also don't see anything wrong with being concerned about the amount of time and money I put into my vehicles and what their value will be if I need or want to sell them.

Originally Posted by fecklessgadfly

Closer to 10%-25% in my experience. Sure, you can get them for half if you're the one doing the rebuild, but the resale value of a complete vehicle doesn't take that big of a hit.

Every salvage titled vehicle I've sold has been within $2000 of KBB and all have been sold for over $5000.

I've always heard half was the rule but yes, generally when people are selling them it seems to be right around that 10 to 25 percent mark. That for me is part of the reason I personally wouldn't buy one, 10 to 25 percent off just isn't enough for me to justify a vehicle without a clean title.

All this is obviously just my opinion. I really do not care if other people want to buy trucks with rebuilt titles, its their money and they can do with it what they want and if that makes them happy then thats great. Its just not something I'd do personally unless it was just a killer deal.

[fecklessgadfly]

My experience has normally been buying and rebuilding wrecks with my family, driving them until we're done and selling them. Usually 100k or more later. With that lifespan, we usually care more about front end saving over eventual resale. That Dodge we had $10K in had 20k miles, sold it years later with 165K for $5000. We got our money's worth on that one, and in the others.

However, I can understand your reasoning, in your situation. Different strokes for different folks. Buy the truck that you want, that's worth the price to you.

[James the III]

Originally Posted by TheCougarine

I don't really think I'm in the hobby for the wrong reason. I love my trucks, I've daily driven the last three I've had. That being said, I also don't see anything wrong with being concerned about the amount of time and money I put into my vehicles and what their value will be if I need or want to sell them.



.

Maybe so.. still didn't see anything in that post putting enjoyment as part of the value..
Everyone is different so this is an opinion.. but The enjoyment of wrenching/building and driving my older vehicles.. even my daily (it's 30+ years old)is worth more to me than what I might get if I sell it..
Sure I'd like to get something for it when it's time, so I can get the next project. but I don't worry about it.. It doesn't rule my choices of upgrades or changes..
If I thought like that, there would've been no reason to put a new motor in it.. as the one in it ran just fine, just a little underpowered, or the o/d trans. etc...

I hear way to much that " I got 6500.00 in it and only got 5000.00 and lost money.." but the person had it for four years and puts no value on that enjoyment.. It's all through the hobby..
The miles of smiles never is added to the formula when they add up what they had in it and what they sold it for, and what they see as a loss..
They only see the dollar $$$ of it..
Maybe that isn't you.. the post wasn't personally towards you, just in general..