[bheinen74]

its what i do
purchased this salvaged here

fixed it and sold it

this was my parents when they bought it, and it has been fixed and DD since

awaiting when the doors were located

And this one is my Dad's, it is NOT salvaged. He bought it like this

and fixed it, again good title

And this was mine i bought salvaged like this with 798 miles, also had some rear damage

and i fixed it and sold it

I bought this last fall, CLEAN title but wrecked

and still work in progress, not done yet

And my brother bought this with CLEAN title

And he finally found the correct color code door and we installed the door last night it is a work in progress too

and there are many more i have done or helped fix. When i was 15 (24 years ago) I bought a '79 Monte Carlo that a tractor pulling a plow hit the back left end. It looked like the disc essentially can opened the whole back side. fixed it and drove it for like 5 years then sold it.

I am not a professional body man, I do this as a amateur, on the side. I spend time to find correct colored replacement panels for the most part.
As you can see by the variety of my pics, some of the ones that got salvaged were less damaged than the ones that titles stayed clean. Remember, when you buy a clean title car, it may have been badly damaged, and vice versa, a salvage may have been almost nothing.

I prefer front wrecked. Can get matching panels and come-along the rails to get stuff to fit. No paint work needed, I do not paint. My brother and parents, have more money and can afford to pay a painter on their cars.

 

[bheinen74]

oh and this is one my brother purchased, it has a salvage, he has since fixed it and it is his summer car.

Most of the cars pictured would have been scrapped and taken off the road. I wish more people would try and save them it is not that hard to save them and make them a driver again.
I stay away from stuff that gets into the roof line, or rocker panel, B Pillar.
When i buy these, most are at auction, going off pictures. Look for REAL Clean cars, except the damage, if the picture shows a clean engine compartment, clean carpet, interior, etc, and the car has low miles, go for it.

 

[bheinen74]

and now this car, is fixed/done
before when my brother bought it at auction wrecked

and just got it finished at the body shop for paint and quarter panel last week

 

[bheinen74]

I was just thinking more on this thread on the drive home from work.
I actually think there is a "group/category" of people who SHOULD buy salvage vehicles, and fix them.
that group includes:
-any new driver age 16-20 cause they are just going to wreck anyway
-any young kid who wants to rice there ride out, ie they want to paint the car a different color, or mod a perfectly fine automobile. Why ruin a perfectly good one, with entire car wrap, plastidip, etc. Take a wrecked one, fix it, and then make it the way you want, the color you want, the ground effects rice crap, wings spoilers, lowered with wide tires and rolled fenders etc..
-people who want to race, rally, or interested in motor swaps, again all this ruins the resale value of the car, so start with one already having a lower resale.
just my 2 cents.