Advice needed. Bought car, didn't realize it had a salvage title.

[UNC033]

Just yesterday I bought a 1968 Toyota Corona for $2,600. Engine sounds good. Couldn't test drive, too many cars blocking it in (end of a long driveway), and reg not current. Moves back and forth. Owner says she's driven it. She's owned it close to 10 years.
Seller is a nice woman to deal with. The ad for the car didn't mention a salvage title. She also never mentioned it in person. I paid, she signed over the title, and I left (car is still there, I had a plan to pick it up in a week, currently some construction here). Last night I was looking through the folder of some service records from a previous owner, and saw the title says salvage. I didn't look closely enough when buying it. To be clear, in California, a salvage title means it can be registered and driven (no inspection needed).

I haven't yet mentioned it to her.

So, just want some thoughts, and what you'd do.
- Should she have mentioned it?
- Is it completely on me not checking closely enough? (we were talking, etc.)
- Would you just take the car?
- Ask to undo the deal?

She doesn't seem like the kind of person to have intentionally withheld it, although she is a bit of a car person. I looked at her Facebook sales history, and she did sell a newer Mercedes SUV, and in that ad she mentions in the first sentence that it had a salvage title. So, either she just forgot on the Corona (old car, owned a while), or something else. Also, from what I see from the paperwork and old registration cards going back to the previous owner, it has been salvaged at least 15 years. There's no way to know why.

Thoughts?

 

[duck__dodgers]

you have to check your state's laws.

some states, seller has a duty to disclose stuff; other states it's buyer beware.

maybe it was an honest mistake and she'll undo it.

tread politely first. automatically escalating to angry mama bear gets no one anything.

 

[dishdude]

A 1968 car with a salvage title is meaningless as long as you can register it which it sounds like you can. I'm assuming there is no major structural damage?

 

[DemoFly]

No disclosure laws in California for private sale of a vehicle.

 

[DemoFly]

A 1968 car with a salvage title is meaningless as long as you can register it which it sounds like you can. I'm assuming there is no major structural damage?

Not if you plan to sell it to someone who may register it in another state.

 

[2strokeNorthstar]

No disclosure laws in California for private sale of a vehicle.

The title clearly says Salvage on the title in CA too

 

[UNC033]

A 1968 car with a salvage title is meaningless as long as you can register it which it sounds like you can. I'm assuming there is no major structural damage?

Not that I can see. But, it's low to the ground and I just glanced quickly underneath, looking for rust.

 

[dishdude]

Not that I can see. But, it's low to the ground and I just glanced quickly underneath, looking for rust.

There can't be many 1968 Coronas out there, so I wouldn't let this stop the sale. It would be nice to get it on a rack and inspected so you know what you're dealing with and that goes for anything this old.

 

[dogememe]

We're not talking about a 2005 Corolla here that you can buy on every street corner... I can't imagine there are too many of those, especially at a price you determine to be reasonable.

I have had a salvage title vehicle before and had no issues. I bought it from a guy who bought it from pick-n-pull which in California at least means it's salvage title (even though it had never been wrecked as far as I could tell).

 

[GON]

I am surprised to hear California allows salvage titles to be registered and driven. Most states require a salvage title to be updated to a rebuilt title for the vehicle to be registered and driven. A quick google search returned the following:

To change a salvage title to a "rebuilt" status in California, you must repair the vehicle, get it inspected by the California Highway Patrol (CHP) or authorized station for VIN/safety, pass emissions, and then submit forms (REG 343, REG 488C), proof of repairs, and fees to the DMV, essentially getting a "Revived Salvage" certificate, though CA keeps the "Salvage" brand but allows registration as drivable once cleared.

 

[The_Jeff]

The buyer literally has the right to examine the title before handing over the money. That should be disclosure enough.

The "bigger" scam, IMO, is that a repossessed car usually keeps a clean title. These show up at dealers more than private parties (obviously) and since the dealer puts the paperwork through, the buyer wouldn't know. I've only known because I was an out-of-state buyer and got the old title. As a buyer I'd want to know a car was potentially neglected, but of course no one else in the chain thinks that's a big deal.

There are many ways to offer up a car for sale, a dealer here Atikovi took 200 pictures and made breathlessly lengthy walls of text in his ads. I preemptively answer important questions in my ads because I hate stupid questions. Buyers like something as advertised. This is on commodity beater cars though, not one-of-a-kind classics.

Sounds like a neat car, have fun with it.

 

[dogememe]

I am surprised to hear California allows salvage titles to be registered and driven. Most states require a salvage title to be updated to a rebuilt title for the vehicle to be registered and driven. A quick google search returned the following:

To change a salvage title to a "rebuilt" status in California, you must repair the vehicle, get it inspected by the California Highway Patrol (CHP) or authorized station for VIN/safety, pass emissions, and then submit forms (REG 343, REG 488C), proof of repairs, and fees to the DMV, essentially getting a "Revived Salvage" certificate, though CA keeps the "Salvage" brand but allows registration as drivable once cleared.

it's not a huge process apparently. Like I mentioned in my previous post I bought a Suburban from someone who bought it from PNP so it did have the salvage title. That was his business... get those vehicles, do the minimum repairs, mark them up a little, and sell them. There was some paperwork issue and I had to do a "brake and lamp inspection" to complete the registration and there was only ONE place in town that would do it and cost me over $100 if I remember right? But took like 20 mins and really was no trouble at all (and the vehicle overall was a great deal). I don't remember having an issues getting it insured either?

 

[awguy]

It doesn't take much damage to total an older car and hence a salvage title.

 

[UNC033]

I am surprised to hear California allows salvage titles to be registered and driven. Most states require a salvage title to be updated to a rebuilt title for the vehicle to be registered and driven. A quick google search returned the following:

To change a salvage title to a "rebuilt" status in California, you must repair the vehicle, get it inspected by the California Highway Patrol (CHP) or authorized station for VIN/safety, pass emissions, and then submit forms (REG 343, REG 488C), proof of repairs, and fees to the DMV, essentially getting a "Revived Salvage" certificate, though CA keeps the "Salvage" brand but allows registration as drivable once cleared.

The process in California is that you initially get a salvage certificate. This isn't a title, and doesn't allow for registration.
To get a salvage title, and the ability to register it, you currently need to do those things.
When the Corona was salvaged, it was less stringent. You had to get a brake/lamp inspection, which literally means do the lights work, no broken covers, and a check of the brakes. If it needed a smog, you'd get that (pre-1976 doesn't). Then you got the vin verification. The more detailed CHP inspection is a relatively new thing, and wasn't done when the Corona went through the process.

 

[Fattylocks]

A 1968 Toyota? That's a project car. Consider the title a project title.

 

[dishdude]

A 1968 Toyota? That's a project car. Consider the title a project title.

Exactly.

 

[meep]

We had a 77. It was a solid little beastie. I saw it years after we sold it and spoke with the owner. It had been hit, rolled on its side, had over 400k miles on it, on the original engine and transmission and drove straight and true.

 

[Chris142]

It doesn't take much damage to total an older car and hence a salvage title.

Especially something like that with zero parts availability

 

[KrisZ]

It’s on you. Same thing goes for any liens against the title, you need to ask. Even if the law is on your side, it’s just a good practice and of course pay attention to what’s on the title before you exchange funds.

 

[andrew_j]

Do you really need title anyway? NH older than 99 is considered exempt.