Check for "Flood" titles specifically. Electrical gremlins from saltwater are a slow-motion nightmare that no amount of mechanical skill can truly fix.
If you fix a totaled car, you can’t just drive it. You have to pass a state inspection to earn a buy totaled cars
This is the "wild west." You’re buying from individuals who either bought a salvage car and realized they were in over their heads, or someone trying to offload a wreck before the insurance company hauls it away. 2. The "Totaled" Spectrum Check for "Flood" titles specifically
Never buy a salvage car sight-unseen based on auction photos. Photos are notoriously good at hiding frame rail kinks and "alligator" ripples in the roof. If you can’t go in person, hire a local inspector to put eyes on it. You have to pass a state inspection to
These are the titans. They handle the vast majority of insurance write-offs. You often need a dealer’s license to bid on the best stuff, but many states allow "public" auctions for certain inventory.