Salvage title question

[Guest baylor]

Hi. New user here and I have an issue. I'll try to make it brief.

A man in California had a 1976 BMW 2002. He died and left it to his sister in Cincinnati. She did not want the car and sold it to a guy in Ohio. Well the car has a salvage title. He did not have the money to put into the car and lost interest and therefore never got the tags for the car. So after a year of letting the car sit I bought it from him and brought it to Northern Ky just outside of Cincinnati. It just needed minor brake work and I got it on the road (and stopping). Well in KY to have the title changed from salvage to a restoration title you need proof of what was done to the car to get it road worthy, ie receipts of parts or work done. But the car is fine. Runs great. It appears to have some bondo work on the drivers quarter but that's it. The lady that it was left to has no paperwork and the p.o. died so obviously I won't get any answers there. Anybody have any advice as to what I can do? Should I just replace some suspension parts and say it was ran off the road and salvaged by the insurance co? Or should I say it was hit in the quarter and the insurance co thought the work needing to be done out weighed the cost of the car? I am really stuck and can figure out the best way to go about this.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

[dalef62]

Honesty is the best policy! I would get reciepts for the brake work and send it in with that. It is old and failed brakes could make it junk.

[Guest baylor]

Honesty is the best policy! I would get reciepts for the brake work and send it in with that. It is old and failed brakes could make it junk.

Well the car does appear to have had suspension problems, bent sway bar links and bent tow hooks in front. And the quarter panel was repaired. The brakes were an easy fix that i did myself so no reciepts for parts or labor. I just do not have any documentation. So I am being honest, just nothing to back up the reason for it being salvaged.

[bhclark]

I'm not sure what the Ohio rules are for Salvage vehicles, but you could always transfer the title to a "salvage friendly" state, then transfer it back?

[TexRiv_63]

A lot of flood cars wind up with salvage titles, any evidence that it might have been under water?

[R Walling]

I would suspect that the only reason to have the salvage title changed to a clear title is so that you may decieve the next buyer?

I would hope that you could give us a better answer than that!

[Guest baylor]

I would suspect that the only reason to have the salvage title changed to a clear title is so that you may decieve the next buyer?

I would hope that you could give us a better answer than that!

Umm, not hardly. I have had 4 of these cars and love them dearly. I can't drive it with a salvage title in ky or Ohio. The reason I got it in the first place is that the other one I have has major tin worm damage underneath and the cost to fix it would have cost way more than to buy this rust free CA car. In ky the title would become a "restoration" title. I didn't think I would have these difficulties but it still would not have deterred me from getting it. I just want to drive it legally.

[Guest baylor]

A lot of flood cars wind up with salvage titles, any evidence that it might have been under water?

There actually is. There is a line that runs along the carpet in the rear floor of the car that looks like a water line that has a faint appearance of water damage. Still the problem is that I don't have paperwork to back that up. Maybe if I take the car to a professional and get a statement stating what they think it is?

Thanks for the replies gents. You have been helpful.

[Shop Rat]

Would running a CARFAX have any merit?

[Guest baylor]

Would running a CARFAX have any merit?

I tried. These cars only have a 7 digit vin and car fax kicks it back saying "incorrect vin, 11 characters remaining".

[Shop Rat]

Well at least you tried that avenue to get more info. about it. Hmmm....

[joe_padavano]

I don't understand why you can't register the car with a salvage title. My 69 Hurst/Olds has a salvage title and I had no problems registering it.

[Guest baylor]

I don't understand why you can't register the car with a salvage title. My 69 Hurst/Olds has a salvage title and I had no problems registering it.

I guess different states have different laws. I think I can register it in ky, just can't drive it until I have it switched to a rebuilt title which requires taking care of the things that made it a salvaged car in the first place, which I do not know. Grrrrr!

[Shop Rat]

Would a BMW dealer be able to access the records on it for you? Or is there anyone left that knows what brand of insurance was on it?

I take it that the state knows why it was listed as salvage but won't share that information with you?? :confused:

[Guest baylor]

The Sacramento DMV does not have record of it. I found an old insurance card from 8 years ago but for one they do not have records back that far and could not divulge the info if they did and two I do not have the agent that wrote the policy. Dead ends everywhere. I think I just may need to replace parts, work on it and make sure it's safe to drive. Then submit all the info that I have and see what happens. If they kick it back then I will just have to start all over again. I will update as things transpire.

[Guest Xprefix28truck]

I have personally fixed over 40 salvage vehicles in the past 6 years. If you repaired the quarter panel in question and the brakes, the only receipts you need is for the brakes. On the form for the repair you only need to state that the rear quarter was repaired, not replaced. Therefore there is no need for the receipt. I have done several Ohio Salvage titles, bringing them to Indiana. I know Ky. is about the same as Indiana. We are now required to have before and after pictures included with the paperwork. You may not need the photos in Ky. You need to find out if they are required first. The county I live in will still let me slide on the photos, as long as I use the old style form. But I am sure this will end before long.

To the person that thought you were trying to "clean up the title". This can no longer be done in the US. Kentucky was the last state that you could do it in. But it is now illegal to try and "clean one up".

Edited August 9, 2010 by Xprefix28truck (see edit history)

[joe_padavano]

Different states have different requirements, but in my case I needed to have a special brake and light inspection on the car to get it registered. The hardest part was finding a certified brake and light inspection station.

[Guest Xprefix28truck]

A lot of flood cars wind up with salvage titles, any evidence that it might have been under water?

All Ohio Titles that were a flood vehicle, and sent to Salvage are "Branded" "FLOOD VEHICLE" on the title. It is clearly marked. If I am not mistaken, this is a Federal law required on all flood vehicles.

[Ovalrace25]

One of the HUGE problems we have in the INSURANCE INDUSTRY is the CLUELESS Claims adjusters. Most have NO idea that some "Old Cars" are collectible and have a value that does not compute in thier world....

So a 65 Mustang that has a rear 1/4 panel and bumper bent WILL BE DECLARED a TOTAL. UNLESS you know what your car is worth, have an appraisla or some documnetation to back it up and DO Not EVER let an adjuster "TOTAL" your collector car...

Your BMW PROBABLY had very little damage to it when some adjuster declared it a total loss. VERY COMMON.....

DONT make up some story about damage that really never happened.. Do what you need to do to make it right... But no stories...