How to Choose a Salvage Car

While there are many risks associated with purchasing a salvage title car, there are also plenty of opportunities to save money and restore a car to its original condition. Before we talk about specific of buying a salvage car in Califorinia, let's dive into genral best practices. The success of your salvage car rebuild project depends on many factors, including:

• Picking the right candidate vehicle from salvage auctions located near You
• Purchasing through a reliable broker or auto dealer company to ensure a smooth transaction
• Carefully inspecting the candidate vehicle with a professional mechanic and accurately estimating repair costs
• Finding a professional technician to rebuild the project (unless you plan to tackle it yourself)
• Having access to a repair shop with a lift and necessary tools
• Allotting enough time for repairs
• Finding a safe place to store your car while waiting for your parts delivery

Since you are reading this article, we assume you are investigating options for buying a salvage vehicle for a rebuild project for yourself or resale purposes and probably wondering where to buy crashed cars or salvage title cars near you? For teh purpose of this article we will focus on two most popular auctions like Copart and IAAI, which offer instant access to their inventories. If you are considering using one of the major online brokers like ABETTER.BID or SCA.AUCTION don’t rush to purchase online subscription directly from copart or IAAI as you can get same level of instant access to auction inventory including ability to bid online through brokers sites which will save you some dollars. 

Still, purchasing a membership directly from Copart and IAAI auctions has its benefits, such as providing you with the opportunity to physically visit their location and inspect the vehicles in person.. 

While there are many options available through online auctions, it can be overwhelming to navigate the process and choose a salvage car that meets your specific needs and budget. At SF Auto Labs, we specialize in helping California residents select the right salvage car near them, whether it's located in Santa Clara or elsewhere in the SF Bay Area. In this guide, we'll share some tips and strategies for finding the perfect salvage car for your project.

To select the right salvage car near you, it's important to set your goals and criteria before approaching the market. Consider factors like price limits, salvage criteria (e.g. “runs and drive”, “starts only”, “airbags intact on deployed”, “flooded damage”, "theft cars”), and seller type (insurance company or dealers). Stick with lots submitted by insurance companies only to avoid obvious scams and staged cars.

To check for dealers’ staged cars and validate seller info, consider using online bid history tools like stat.vin (free bid history checking tool for date of writing this article) and autoastats.com (paid service, but we found it extremely insightful when it comes to exposure of staged items). It's also recommended to inspect the car in person before bidding, and at SF Auto Labs, we offer salvage vehicle inspection at a competitive fee (call to set an inspection appointment). Our experienced mechanics provide full reports, videos, and repair estimates to help you make an informed decision.