Looking for some gudiance regarding a viper with a rebuilt title

Kevin Stitely

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This is my first post. I'm currently in
the market for a viper rt/10, perferably, a
97-98 (I live in the east and need real
windows).

A 99 viper with a rebuilt title is on the
radar screen. The owner bought the
car from an insurance salvage auction.

The story goes like this; the original owner
lost control of the car and ran it off the road
creating some damage. The insurance company paid
off the owner and subsequently sold the car at auction.

The current owner describes the damage as
somewhat minor. All damages have been repaired
(i.e., cracked windsheild, repaint front bumper and
hood, and replaced rear view mirror).

I had the local dodge dealer check
out the car for piece of mind. Results
indicated the car is clean.

The warranty has been voided and the title
is now labeled as "rebuilt".

I have no experience with a buying car
that has a rebuilt title.

What am I getting myself in for? Any surprises!
Can I purchase a warranty on a car that
has a rebuilt title?
What about re-sale in the future?

Any and all advise would be appreciated!



<FONT COLOR="#ff0000" SIZE="1" FACE="Verdana, Arial">This message has been edited by viperwannabe on 03-17-2002 at 07:32 PM</font>
 

Viper Specialty

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This car is a 99 or 00 Silver RT/10 isnt it? I talked to the guy with that car. From my experience, you should not have any problems titling the car since it is ALREADY deemed rebuilt. if it was salvage titled, rebuilt, but NOT deemed rebuilt yet, you could run into problems because the states require an "inspection" to look for stolen parts, and those are a pain and can take some time to do. In NY state, I have heard these inspections are backed up for 4 months. As far as titling, you should be OK with this car if you do buy it.

BUT, since it HAS been damaged, I strongly suggest you see the car first hand, inspect it yourself, and take it to 1 or more inspectors and have them look it over to see if it was done right. also, it wouldnt hurt to have someone put it on an alignment machine to make sure there wasnt any frame damage. (if it's off a little, it's no biggie as it may have just moved one of the alignment bolts and it can be moved back. But, you should watch for any alignment measurements that cant be compensated for, as that means there is actual damage.
 

ggc

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A "rebuilt" car, even if perfect in other respects, will always have a lower resale value than a comparable car with a clean title. The rebuilt title will show up in any CARFAX report and I believe the void-warranty status would show up in the Dodge system (but I'm not sure about that part). It will be more difficult to resell.

There may be some companies which would write a warranty on a car with a rebuilt title, but I believe the Daimler-Chrysler warranty excludes such cars.

I think it all comes down to having the car carefully checked over by a very good tech, getting a price which is substantially below market ($3K to $5K?) and how you feel about the car.

My decision would be to pay a little more and not have this issue. You could also look at a nice '97 or '98. Good luck.
 

dansauto

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s a "rebuilder" my experance is that a rebuilt car is worth about wholesale when done (if it looks good) Exotics can be real hard to value depending on the market and history of the car. If you can look at the insurance report and find out who did the work (maybe see photos of damage) that really helps the resale. I take photos and document everything to reassure my customers. I have seen some real nice rebuilt vipers on this site and would not be afraid of them. Just rember if you move to another state you may have trouble titling the car. The fedral goverment is not imposing any state wide legislation and each state has differant requirments regarding salvage/rebuilt titles. Yes-NY is over 4 months behind!!
 

Bill Pemberton Woodhouse

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A rebuilt Viper will be substantially lower for resale purposes and an extended warranty will not be available thru any company. Many banks will not even finance a rebuilt/salvage car, so keep this in mind also. There are so many Vipers that have not had this type of situation occur, so you are much better off paying a little more, as you will be way ahead in the long run. Obviously, if the car is extremely cheap or if you plan on using it for just a track car, it would merit some review.
 

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