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Would you buy a car with past "flood damage"

pushrod-racing

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Jan 8, 2013
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284
Location
Sparta,Tennessee
Ok long story short..... I buy and part out/flip mustangs fairly regular. I usually stick with 94-95's . I recently bought a 95 GTS which is a slightly rare car. I bought it knowing the title shows it has flood damage in the remarks section. According to carfax on may 2nd, 2010 it was issued total loss due to flood in Nashville. Then on June 14th it was certified and inspected with a new title number. This car shows no signs anywhere, ive had carpet out, ineer fenders, back seat, kick panels and so on. The are no signs of damage. Im aware this kills the value of the car but I have to ask how many of you wouldn't even go look at a car knowing this.
 
Just sold a mercedes with the exact same flood damage, looked good, people don't care as long as your honest, and the car look and runs good, they were calling even after i sold it...L
 
I would hesitate on buying one with flood damage due to all the possible headaches down the road dealing with corroded connections. I do hear of people having good luck with them though. Its just a gamble.
 
I'd buy one to sell if it was a good deal but I'd never own one for my self unless it was a crazy crazy good deal. I've worked on some flood cars and **** can go from small simple issue to miles of wiring repairs quick.
 
I won't go as far as saying I stole it. But I can part it out for more than I paid and honestly that was the plan. But after driving it and all I just can't tear it apart. The car is really tight susp wise and is very dependable. It's hard to find mustangs that are close to stock. I was wondering others opinions so I know if it's even worth tryin to sell
 
Some of the cars branded flood damage may be questionable. Probably a little water up to the floor board. There are plenty of trucks and jeeps that have been sunk up to the windows in a mud hole or creek, that never were turned in on insurance and people buy them all day. i am sure a few of us are driving one now.
 
The number one issue with flood titles is resale value. On a 95 GTS id buy it all day long. The market for those, people aren't getting a loan on them. Those are cash buyers. I wouldn't hesitate in your case.

I own a flood damage daily driver. I had buddies tell me when it showed up at my shop as a no start that it was no "cream puff" and that I shouldn't buy it.

Now I own a $26,000 diesel pick up that I paid cash for 4 years ago. I did all of the work 100%, passes DOT inspection to pull CDL trailers and I have put 64k miles on it.

But..... Like I said in the beginning. Where I am hurt permanently is on resale value. With the remarks on my title alone, it loses $10,000 in trade value, snap of the fingers. That means a bank won't loan more than what the salvage value is worth so that just means I cant sell for the amount a clean title would sell for.

It's a bummer cause I see my truck at auctions and on my lots occasionally. They are ragged piles of garbage bringing top dollar. I feel like mine is twice as dependable and very clean.

I'd say never buy a flood damage in a year model that is currently retailed on large lots but I'd pull the trigger in a heart beat on a small note lot car or typical cash cars. :)

Pics?
 
Well before I post picture I guess I may have come off as this is a nice car but i didn't mean to. It's a 95 gts 5.0 5spd. Factory hand crank windows,no abs, no power anything except mirrors. Cars in need of paint and body work. Has Mac headers, h pipe and flowmaster. Other than that basically stock.
 
LightBnDr said:
The number one issue with flood titles is resale value. On a 95 GTS id buy it all day long. The market for those, people aren't getting a loan on them. Those are cash buyers. I wouldn't hesitate in your case.

I own a flood damage daily driver. I had buddies tell me when it showed up at my shop as a no start that it was no "cream puff" and that I shouldn't buy it.

Now I own a $26,000 diesel pick up that I paid cash for 4 years ago. I did all of the work 100%, passes DOT inspection to pull CDL trailers and I have put 64k miles on it.

But..... Like I said in the beginning. Where I am hurt permanently is on resale value. With the remarks on my title alone, it loses $10,000 in trade value, snap of the fingers. That means a bank won't loan more than what the salvage value is worth so that just means I cant sell for the amount a clean title would sell for.

It's a bummer cause I see my truck at auctions and on my lots occasionally. They are ragged piles of garbage bringing top dollar. I feel like mine is twice as dependable and very clean.

I'd say never buy a flood damage in a year model that is currently retailed on large lots but I'd pull the trigger in a heart beat on a small note lot car or typical cash cars. :)

Pics?

I have a buddy that got burned on a water damage dmax. Every damn electrical thing that could go wrong with it, went wrong. It was "rebuilt" by a dealer. He got the shaft on it. My dad was a wrecked car dealer most all my life up until a few years ago. I've seen him buy and sale lots of water damage vehicles, mostly for parts, not to fix and use daily. I'm sure there are cases where the extent of the water damage is not as bad as the next one and might end up being fine, but I've seen too much bad come from water cars, and like mentioned before, everybody is afraid to buy one, so don't plan on being able to sell it fast if you ever plan on getting rid of it. I've just set a personal self rule to never ever own anything with water damage. I'd take a wrecked and repaired one with a rebuilt title over a water car any day :****:
 
I can part it out for around 2-2500.00. As soon as I get title back and complete a few other small things like change the Honda looking headlights and tail lights. I may put it on the market. Right now it's serving great as my daily driver.
 
Just depends on the overall condition of the car.

Something to consider is a lot of the horror stories of flooded cars come from older cars that had poor wiring, insulators, connectors, etc. As well as many times, flood cars come from hurricane stricken areas and that's not just water, but salt water. I'd probably buy a freshwater flooded car if it was decent. But no way in hell I would buy a salt water damaged car.

If it was that mustang in the picture, I would say fawk no. :****:
 
Got a friend that bought a Katrina hurricane Corvette, before he drove the car he disassembled 95% of it. Took all the wiring out and cleaned/replaced damaged connections.
He hasn't had any issues out of it and been driving it for years, he got a smoking deal on it in a "as is" condition.

I would buy only from someone I trusted or if i planned to completely disassemble as my friend did.
 
Yeah with technology with weatherpack connectors and so on im honestly not concerned about wiring until saltwater comes into play. Main reason I made this topic is consideration of an opportunity I've come upon to start buying wrecked/floods as total losses. From information I have been reading the total loss just means until its inspected and state decides different its a total loss, once inspection passes then its retitled as rebuilt/flood. Car in question was a no brainer for what i paid for it but like said im just kinda feeling out the topic for other things I am looking into.
 
If it's been flooded into the interior and left to sit it can get bad. Any way to do a carfax and see the insurance pics?
 
I drive and will continue to drive rebuilt wrecks. The flood damage has always scared me. If you can get them quick and run a dehumidifier in them for alone time you might be ok , but I ve seen them not have any problems, and then have all problems.
 

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