Rebuilt cars

If you are looking at a car with a rebuilt title, what should I look for? Should I try to get records of where it was rebuilt or what? Will Carfax tell me if it is a wreck or a stolen vehicle?

In a word, Everything! Carfax should tell you if it was a wreck or flood or stolen. I guess the one that would scare me the most would be flood. Hopefully the price has been discounted heavily.

In reply to The poster formally known as 96DXCivic:

FWIW, I bought a rebuilt 2005 Ford Focus about six months ago. It had been hit hard in the front. Usually I would avoid a car with a history like this, but it was the best Focus I looked at and the price was good. Although I've only had it a short time, it's been a great car so far with no issues.

I mean it is a '97 Miata with 77k miles on it, a Torsen and a new top. He is asking $4000 which seems high to me. Here is the ad.

http://nashville.craigslist.org/cto/2087637804.html

$4,000 would be right - but not if the car has a rebuilt title. And if he paid $1,600 to get a new soft top installed I need his number, because I've got a bridge I'd like to sell him.

Honestly the going rate for clean Miatas seems to be about $4000 around here.

In reply to The poster formally known as 96DXCivic:

Clean Miatas with a clean title, sure. Clean Miatas with branded titles, not so much.

The only way I'd buy a rebuilt car is if it had a build book similar to what you'd see for a restoration at a car show. Before, during, and after photos with receipts. Because a restoration is exactly what it is.

I tryed to talk him down but he isn't moving so I think I am going to go after another car. Next question would you rather have a '90 blue Miata with hardtop or a '91 Miata SE (aka it is painted BRG). They have the same mileage and the one with hardtop is $500 more but I don't like the color. I am working on finding out if they either of them have had new timing belts.

The poster formally known as 96DXCivic wrote: Honestly the going rate for clean Miatas seems to be about $4000 around here.

A rebuilt title should dictate a lower price all other things being equal.

The poster formally known as 96DXCivic wrote: I tryed to talk him down but he isn't moving so I think I am going to go after another car. Next question would you rather have a '90 blue Miata with hardtop or a '91 Miata SE (aka it is painted BRG). They have the same mileage and the one with hardtop is $500 more but I don't like the color. I am working on finding out if they either of them have had new timing belts.

You can sell hardtops for more than $500-how much does a paint job cost these days?

Better yet: buy, keep the hardtop and resell the car.

Buy the hardtop car. I always found the tiny interior a bit noisy with just the soft top. I bet it would hold heat a little better in the winter too.

I would also add that rebuilt titled vehicles get excluded on certain insurance coverages.

Nitroracer wrote: Buy the hardtop car. I always found the tiny interior a bit noisy with just the soft top. I bet it would hold heat a little better in the winter too.

I honestly don't think that the better heat in Huntsville, Alabama, is going to be a big deal. Well, unless he decides to drive up north to watch the hockey team.

former Civic- I assume that your paitence is being tried on this? Or I would suggest to define your ideal car, and just look for it. This ADD of car choices is really messing with the process. If you need a car, quick, just get one. most cars can be made to be entertaining. Remember, if you find a perfect Festiva, you can find a trashed Capri, and drop in the motor. Or Escort. Or whatever. Many cars have the same benefit.

Who cares if the title has been rebuilt, the title is just a piece of paper. You can print out another copy easily enough, I wouldn't let that scare you. If the car has been rebuilt, then that may be cause for concern...but not the title.

Typically a rebuilt car is worth about 60% of a non-branded car. The problem comes when you try to sell it. Years ago I had a rebuilt car, and there was nothing wrong with it at all, until I tried to sell it. It was also a Miata...a very very tough sell. You've been warned.

With a hardtop I might pay as much as $3,500 for a REALLY nice one, about $2,500 without a hardtop. Having a new softtop does not add value in my opinion. Bad ones take value away.

In reply to alfadriver:

I have a list of cars I would like to get and I am having trouble finding clean examples of the cars except Miatas. So I am more a less going after them. I am talking to the guy with the '90 Miata and I would be surprised if I don't end up with that car. I am driving my dad's pickup now so I am fine for the time being while I try to find a car. I really wish my insurance had of come through one day sooner or else I would be driving a 94 Miata R Spec.

What is your price range these days?

I am looking for up to $5000 plus some for maintenance when I get the car. My parents said they would give me more but I would rather have them help me pay for finishing college then buy a car.

Ranger50 wrote: I would also add that rebuilt titled vehicles get excluded on certain insurance coverages.

Yup, in OK, you can get liability only on a car with a "salvage" title.

for 5 grand, i don't see why you need to be looking at rebuilt title cars, down here, that should get you anything from a 90 on up to some 99s with around 125kmi

In reply to Strizzo:

The only reason I was thinking about it was because I thought I could talk him down a lot and would give me money to go to spend at Flyin' Miata and also it is a 1.8 NA with a Torsen.

In reply to The poster formally known as 96DXCivic:

kinda what i figured. i really should have jumped on the 99 i found last year priced at 4k, all it needed was a top...

z31maniac wrote:

Ranger50 wrote: I would also add that rebuilt titled vehicles get excluded on certain insurance coverages.

Yup, in OK, you can get liability only on a car with a "salvage" title.

I did ask my agent here in KY about a total loss coverage, as in built up street car kind of thing, and as long as I had receipts, I was OK even with the rebuilt title. Just can't get anything more the PL/PD or liability "over the road" coverage.

Brian

The MX6 has a rebuilt title, was branded in KY. Had no problems insuring it in Indiana.

And really, it being rebuilt, it's in WAY better shape than most 1st gen MX6s you see.

There's good rebuilds, and bad ones. The good ones are nothing to shy away from.