Would you but TLC with rebuilt title? (1 Viewer)

[texdoc77]

I am in the process of building out my TLC and my son has decided he wants one too. We found one one with a rebuilt title. I ran the carfax and it showed flood damage in September 2008 (Hurricane Ike) with subsequent work later that month from a Toyota dealership. It had about 160K miles on it at that time and now has 210K miles. Am I crazy for entertaining purchasing it? I have asked for service records and am not sure if they are available. I have not been able to find miles quite that low and it seems to be in pretty good shape. Or is it? If I do go down to take a look at it I will check front and rear diff fluid, but what else? Here is the link Log into Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/3575078696063241/ I would not give more than 10K for it or it would not really be good enough of a deal for me.

Any thoughts appreciated.

 

[White Stripe]

The rebuilt title will always affect its resale value. As a flood vehicle there is a chance you may have weird electrical issues. If your ok with that then the next step would be to get a pre-purchase inspection done and go from there.

 

[shellb]

I agree with @White Stripe.

Personally, I’d pass on that particular rig. I’m ok with rebuilt, I don’t like flood damage however.

 

[Marvelicious]

I'm not afraid of a reconstructed rig - my 80 has a title brand. Flood damage gives me pause. There's a lot of electronics on these rigs and I would expect to deal with electrical gremlins for the life of the rig.

 

[Irish Reiver]

Another mudder who lives close to me in Florida has a '96 with a rebuilt title. All done by Toyota so would expect the best work. None of that mattered last summer when his insurance company dropped him saying they no long offer coverage for rebuilt or salvage titles. One to watch out for.

 

[rhc404]

Given it's been almost 16 years and 50k miles I think it's entertainable. $12k seems a bit much though for that condition.

 

[texdoc77]

I spoke with my uncle who is an insurance adjuster and he basically echoed the consensus here. The insurance companies will "total loss" with minimal flood damage, but you don't know how much flood damage and the electrical gremlins can get you. Getting insurance on the vehicle is another pause. In this particular case he has added a few accessories that I feel like he is trying to get to push the value of the vehicle. Even if we could get it for 8K, I just don't know how much I could trust it. Think I'm going to pass on this one. Thanks for the crowd source.

 

[Tachycardic]

If you have the skills to deal with a rebuilt vehicle, then it may be an affordable way into the 80-series community. If it were something like hail damage and the body was in poor state, but it had good bones and electrical, then it's probably worth the risk. But like others here, flood damage is where I draw the line. Somehow I keep hearing horror stories about electrical gremlins plaguing flood damaged vehicles. The insurance aspect is a good point--you may have difficulty initiating/maintaining coverage. Lastly, from a resale POV, it's going to be a tougher sell.

It's a good-looking truck, but 13.5K is too rich for a flood-damaged rebuilt TLC especially since you can get non-rebuilt TLCs for the same money or less.

 

[COYS]

 

[flintknapper]

Given it's been almost 16 years and 50k miles I think it's entertainable. $12k seems a bit much though for that condition.

Agreed on price (too high), but the miles driven (and time elapsed) from the flood incident would seem to indicate the flood damage was minimal.

There is a big difference between a rig that was 'submerged' and one that just had the floorboards and carpet involved.

I would want to have a pre-inspection done with a bent toward trying to determine the depth/extent of the flooding incident, surely there are clues. I wouldn't summarily write it off because of the 'flood' assessment.

Hurricanes and other flood events happen from time to time in Houston/ Gulf Coast area.....and a LOT of vehicles get 'totaled' by insurance companies. The vehicles having varying degrees of damage (or supposed damage).

Its just easier and safer for them to deal it with that way especially when they might have hundreds of claims going on.

 

[Tachycardic]

Agreed on price (too high), but the miles driven (and time elapsed) from the flood incident would seem to indicate the flood damage was minimal.

There is a big difference between a rig that was 'submerged' and one that just had the floorboards and carpet involved.

I would want to have a pre-inspection done with a bent toward trying to determine the depth/extent of the flooding incident, surely there are clues. I wouldn't summarily write it off because of the 'flood' assessment.

Hurricanes and other flood events happen from time to time in Houston/ Gulf Coast area.....and a LOT of vehicles get 'totaled' by insurance companies. The vehicles having varying degrees of damage (or supposed damage).

Its just easier and safer for them to deal it with that way especially when they might have hundreds of claims going on.

We don’t know that the flood damage was minimal. We don’t know what the seller is not telling potential buyers. Ads are meant to put merch in the best light for the sale.

Remember, an insurance agency and the state deemed this truck as salvage and someone decided to put in the wrench time to get it roadworthy again. There is a presumption of significant damage and, yes, there is a presumption that the vehicle is back in very good condition. Caveat emptor!

 

[Mark W]

Buy a rig based on what it is or is not. A rebuilt/salvage title is irrelevant unless you are buying it to flip. If that's the case... find a used car dealer forum to ask the question in.

Mark...

 

[Rusty Marlin]

Given it's been almost 16 years and 50k miles I think it's entertainable. $12k seems a bit much though for that condition.

This was my first thought as well. If it had water caused electrical gremlins, they would have showed up by now.
The $12K is 3x too much IMHO with that salvage title.

 

[Marvelicious]

This was my first thought as well. If it had water caused electrical gremlins, they would have showed up by now.
The $12K is 3x too much IMHO with that salvage title.

I was thinking about that, but who knows how many problems the current owner has had to fix, and who knows how many will recur. I've dealt with flooded rigs before and the only way I'd touch it is for parts and at an appropriate price. The question I was asked by insurance over a flooded vehicle was, "Did it go over the dash?" The answer was yes and they totaled it with no other questions, just an emailed picture of the rig in the water. That tells me it's too much of a hassle - insurance companies don't like writing checks unless it's necessary. I would consider every single electrical connection, switch contact and motor in the vehicle as suspect and prone to cause trouble sooner or later. That's to say nothing of mechanical parts...

 

[Broski]

I look at everything from a resale perspective!! And for that alone I would never buy a salvaged titled vehicle.

 

[Rusty Marlin]

I look at everything from a resale perspective!! And for that alone I would never buy a salvaged titled vehicle.

I don't hardly ever sell anything. Pretty sure I was a dragon in a past life.

 

[Broski]

I don't hardly ever sell anything. Pretty sure I was a dragon in a past life.

Maybe you should buy it

 

[ALX4X4]

We always had a saying never loan your dirtbike or your wife to someone else. They'll both come back in the same condition afterwards.
If its running fine today I'd buy it who cares about 16 years ago, if it was going to happen , its already happened.

 

[Rusty Marlin]

Maybe you should buy it

I'm good. Working on a pair of M170 FLA's to turn them into one runner.

 

[JoeCova]

Hard pass. Barely worth that price with a clean title.

50k in 16 years is also a big question mark. It’s quite possible that it was driven regularly within the first few years of the rebuild to get that 50k and spent the last 10-12 collecting dust because of issue chasing.