Salvage and Rebuilt...

[v10enomous]

Still looking for my first Viper and it seems that there are a lot of Vipers on the market with Salvage and Rebuilt titles...

Why so many and what are the consequences of buying one ?

 

[ViperGeorge]

Because there are too many people that simply do not respect the car. It bites when you don't show it some respect. They don't save going fast for the track.

Rules for returning salvaged cars to use vary by state so check with your state; at the least there would likely be some kind of special inspection involved. The title would also likely be flagged as "salvage" which would reduce resale later.

You should also carefully consider the cost to repair. Is there any hidden damage that you might not know about when you buy the car? This could rapidly cause it to be uneconomical to repair. Of course if you can turn a wrench or do body work you may be able to reduce the cost of repairs. There are also a lot of vendors on this site that offer great prices on parts (JonB at Partsrack for example).

 

[GoCanes1]

I think there are many because the car so easily gets away from a driver and damage happens. Also, I believe insurance companies are supposed to (especially on high end cars) repair to new which means new parts and many times they are hard to come by and VERY expensive from DC. Remember a new hood from DC for a Gen 2 is $17,900 unpainted.

With the right shops, these cars can be repaired with used parts for a fraction of the price. Make sure you get before and after pics of the damage. Seek advice from some of the more reputable guys on here that repair these cars.

Mike

 

[ViperGeorge]

If you're looking at a salvage car that has already been rebuilt make sure to have a reputable shop check that the repairs were done properly. But still check with your state on requirements for returning the car to use.

 

[v10enomous]

$18k for a hood Are all of the other parts as relatively expensive ? What are some of the other potentially crazy expenses that a perspective buyer should know about ?

I think there are many because the car so easily gets away from a driver and damage happens. Also, I believe insurance companies are supposed to (especially on high end cars) repair to new which means new parts and many times they are hard to come by and VERY expensive from DC. Remember a new hood from DC for a Gen 2 is $17,900 unpainted.

With the right shops, these cars can be repaired with used parts for a fraction of the price. Make sure you get before and after pics of the damage. Seek advice from some of the more reputable guys on here that repair these cars.

Mike

 

[01sapphirebob]

If you havent read it yet get "The Viper Buyers Guide." Lots of useful info in that book especially if you are just getting into buying a viper. The Hood on a GEN I GEN II is going to be the most expensive @ $18k. Front bumper is another $3500. SO just remember you are over $20K at this point for two unpainted body parts and you havent even touched anything under the hood yet. Don't let this scare you away from a GEN I GEN II. Just learn to respect the car and it will reward you for it.

$18k for a hood Are all of the other parts as relatively expensive ? What are some of the other potentially crazy expenses that a perspective buyer should know about ?

 

[ViperGeorge]

Side sills on a Gen 1/2 are also crazy expensive. Nothing is really cheap but again there are some vendors on this site that provide good discounts on new and used parts.

Think about it though the insurance company totalled the car for a reason --> it was too expensive for them to fix. However, if you can turn a wrench, do body work, and get parts more cheaply then you can fix it more cheaply than the insurance company. If you can't do these things then maybe you should look for a lightly used non-salvage car. There are some good deals on them now.

I would be very cautious on buying a salvage car that has already been "repaired" since you don't know how bad it was or what short cuts may have been taken in its repair.

 

[michaelnouri]

they wrote of a 08 acr, because somebody stole the acr aero package off it and the seats, gps.
insurance companies hate viper supplements from repair shops, they write off about anything.

 

[terminator02]

Off question.. I am being charged 75 dollars a month for my gen 2 to have "genuine dodge parts" used and not aftermarket. But since DC discontinued production of gen 2 parts...am I paying 75 dollars for no reason? Should I scrap that protection for 75 bucks a month? Insurance Nub here....

 

[JonB]

Off question.. I am being charged 75 dollars a month for my gen 2 to have "genuine dodge parts" used and not aftermarket. But since DC discontinued production of gen 2 parts...am I paying 75 dollars for no reason? Should I scrap that protection for 75 bucks a month? Insurance Nub here....

If the insurance laws in your state require your car to be returned to 'pre-loss condition' as most do, then you are simply PAYING YOUR INSURANCE COMPANY EXTRA TO DO THE RIGHT THING !! Outrageous....

ps. 'false premise' that Dodge discontinued G2 parts....... some, yes.

 

[JonB]

Still looking for my first Viper and it seems that there are a lot of Vipers on the market with Salvage and Rebuilt titles...

Why so many and what are the consequences of buying one ?

Why? Car performance exceeds driving skills. Exacerbated by the fact that 'good looking' tires are worthless once they get hard after 5 years. Hard tires cause wrecks when 400-600HP tries to get traction. Even a GOOD driver has minimized control with hard tires. Difficult to evade a problem when your tires wont answer the call.....

Vipers total with minimal damage due to extreme parts costs. Some rebuilds are NOT badly damaged! Serious Cosmetics can total the car

 

[v10enomous]

I'm starting to see why most have such low mileage...

 

[gofastr]

Salvage or rebuilt............run away as fast as possible!

 

[michaelnouri]

I Dont't Know About Running Away
I Have Sold Many Salvage Vipers, However, I Have Seen Over 300 Clean Title Vipers Come And Go By The Shop, And Most Have Had Severe Work Done On Them.
Many Viper Get Fixed Without Insurance Claims Or Turn It.

 

[Fatboy 18]

The only way I would touch a Salvaged Rebuilt Viper is if there is a full rebuild document with the car, showing the state of the car before work was done on it, then a step by step photo journal of the car being repaired by a fully qualified Viper tech and workshop.

If you cant find anything like that, walk away, don't even bother looking. The problem is you might get a cheap car but would you be happy driving it at speed with your partner in the car

Then when you decide to move on to another Viper, you may have trouble selling it on

I wish you well in your search

Mark

 

[plumcrazy]

vipers are cheap enough now without having to buy a salvage. its not worth the trouble

 

[ViperGeorge]

+1 on what plumcrazy said.

 

[v10enomous]

I would probably steer clear of a salvaged vehicle unless it was too good to be true... I believe any car can be fixed correctly but I agree that the resale value will always be compromised just like a muscle car without the matching numbers block even though the car is really just as good. I was more interested in why such a high percentage of cars get wrecked but I guess it's kinda obvious...

 

[Kaya]

$18k for a hood Are all of the other parts as relatively expensive ? What are some of the other potentially crazy expenses that a perspective buyer should know about ?

YES! My Viper was in a hit an run, the tub, hatch, bumper and passenger quarter were all damaged and all replaced.

A hatch new was like $7500 and Chrysler didn't have one and had no body parts supplier in January. We got a hatch, quarter panel and bumper from Jon at Parts Rack that were basically new/ minor flaws. It was much cheaper to go this route and Jon had the parts we needed. If you buy from Chrysler the parts are VERY expensive and sometimes not available.

The total bill was still around $20k....

My car looks great, I have a great body guy. It took me 4 months to get it fixed. So if you have a great body guy and a great parts supplier you can fix the car back to new condition and ALOT OF PATIENCE. I am super picky, so you can be sure the car was perfect when I brought it home.

I thought about flipping my car wrecked because of carfax. I claimed it on my insurance. I decided that I really loved my car and will probably keep it forever, so I had it repaired. I repaired it right. So I have no doubt about the safety. A great repair can be done if you want it riight.

As for why so many get wrecked.....driver error! My husband has sold many Vipers. In 2006 he sold 3 of the 6 sold at the dealer. 3 of the cars were totaled in the first year, 1 person had died as a result and only 3 are left, including mine, but I was in a bad accident. So only 2 are unharmed after the first 3 years. Thise cars both have less than 6k miles on them in 3 years and my car only has 9k miles.

I think my husband sold 6 Vipers in 2008 and all are still alive to our knowledge, but most of the buyers in 2008 were performance enthusiasts and bought because they got a chance to ride in my car. (Its a small dealership)

 

[mbccenter]

I love the resale comment. You buy it for less and sell it for less. Simple. I have had many Salvage cars. Just take it to a good Viper tech and have it checked out.

 

[v10enomous]

Sometimes the issue is not taking less but even finding a buyer without giving the car away. These cars are pretty much all collector's items and will be under a microscope as a result. I plan to drive the car on weekends and to some of these events maybe paying less and selling for less makes sense...

I love the resale comment. You buy it for less and sell it for less. Simple. I have had many Salvage cars. Just take it to a good Viper tech and have it checked out.

 

[treesnake]

I would recommend finding out WHY the car has a "salvaged title"

I have seen "totaled" cars that were put in that class because:

-the top was left open during a rainstorm in a new vert.

-seat caught fire. That's it, badly burnt drivers seat.
(Surely the driver wasn't smoking in their car...)

-front fender cracked on delivery to dealership.........

-etc...

Just do a little research and find out the reason. Might be a good deal if you aren't afraid to do a little work to save some money.

Good luck

 

[viperdrummer]

Why? Car performance exceeds driving skills. Exacerbated by the fact that 'good looking' tires are worthless once they get hard after 5 years. Hard tires cause wrecks when 400-600HP tries to get traction. Even a GOOD driver has minimized control with hard tires. Difficult to evade a problem when your tires wont answer the call.....

Vipers total with minimal damage due to extreme parts costs. Some rebuilds are NOT badly damaged! Serious Cosmetics can total the car

So you are saying the 17 year old tires on my 92 might need changing? They look great.

 

[JonB]

So you are saying the 17 year old tires on my 92 might need changing? They look great.

PERFECT....for trailering to car shows! [ps I do have some NOS-stickered XGT-Zs !!! ]