rebuilt salvage $$$$$

about 70% of what book value is on a clean title mustang gt

70% is being generous. I'd offer 50%.

if i were to buy a car to keep id pay 70 percent of blue book if it was in good shape, if it was fixed properly then its good.

I always use the 50% rule myself.

I'd have to agree with 50%. Even if it was factually 60 or 70% you could'nt get me to touch it. I saw this Mach 1 at a car show and it was a bright, sunny day. Someone had mentioned the Mach was salvage put back to new. On the passenger door, you could see through the paint on the door (because of the sun) and in grease pencil you could see the words "Cut Here".

It completely depends on the quality of the repair. My father owns a body shop and i've worked in it the last 11 years. If we repair a total loss it is just as good if not better then it was from the factory. So there are shops out there that do quality work but they are few and far between. Most are butchers. with that said.. here are a few things to look for.

Seams- see if the door was paneled... if it was walk away. Check the seams in the trunk jam and door jam to see if a quarter was put on... If a quarter was put on and you can see where it was put on.. walk away.

Core support - Look for factory spot wells on either side of core support.

Blisters / Lines - Look for blisters or lines in the paint or seams, If it were welded and the welds werent sand blasted they WILL come back. now or later.

Gaps - Look at headlight gaps, door gaps, fender gaps, hood gaps, windshield/rear glass/door glass gabs (especially if it got a roof.)

Interior- Look for busted interior pieces.. or loose interior pieces. to put on a roof that all has to come out..

Roof- Ask if it were welded or glued on. Dont be afraid of glue, some are stronger then weld.

Paint- Look for runs, dry spots, dirt hunks, orange peel, blends, color match... If it was a quality job you shouldnt be able to tell. dont be distracted by "its shiny"

Rear end/ suspension - Roll overs sometime bend rear ends... and bend other suspension parts. Make sure tire wear is even and it drives straight as an arrow with no vibrations. Look underneath, if you see metal with paint chipped off it was bent or stressed there... run away.

Make sure you get picture of it before it was fixed. Legally they have to disclose those. See what shop fixed it and research them. Also see how long ago it was fixed.. and any problems since then.


So.. if it is a perfect and quality repair i'd say 70% of book value. if it is nothing less then perfect leave it there... If you can see something wrong with it.. that's only 10% of what's wrong that you cant see. and dont get distracted by the aftermarket goods on it (tires/wheels, lights, ect)... look past those to see the real car.

A Salvage vehicle is never going to be "excellent condition", never! and the people selling them half the time think they will get it. but it all depends on the quality of the repair. I have saw some salvage vehicles that you would of never known they were ever wrecked, and others that you can spot before even really looking.

If the car is fixed right and you cant see any flaws I would say $80% of the value is as high as I would go, but most the time when you get a salvage you will see flaws...I would say 50-70% is about the average if you are going to be buying. Any salvage vehicle you have to really look at the details. I would say what 2006KJ mentioned is dead on, I couldn't make a better list myself and I have bought a number of salvage vehicles, because they were priced right.