Finding donor/wrecked vehicles
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Elder User
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 598
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From: Harrisburg, SD
Finding donor/wrecked vehicles
Someone mentioned to me the other day that you can talk with insurance companies and buy wrecked/totaled vehicles from them.
Around here the scrap/salvage yards end up with a lot of vehicles but literally want rediculous amounts of money, I'm talking new(er) vehicles. Not to mention they get bought up or stripped as soon as they arrive. My plan is to find a new eco boost f150 and do a transplant to my bronco. Or something similar. Any tips on finding new vehicles?
Around here the scrap/salvage yards end up with a lot of vehicles but literally want rediculous amounts of money, I'm talking new(er) vehicles. Not to mention they get bought up or stripped as soon as they arrive. My plan is to find a new eco boost f150 and do a transplant to my bronco. Or something similar. Any tips on finding new vehicles?
Hotshot
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 11,697
Likes: 3
From: Marengo, Iowa
you need to get a dealer's license, which involves having a set amount of showroom space, and other things. Each state is a little different on it. However, sometimes you can get in to some of the auctions where they sell off the vehicles. I don't know of any out your way, but there is one over at the Quad Cities area. qcsa.net I believe. They now have it where you have to pay $100 a year just for the privilege to bid, then there is another fee assessed for actually bidding, then the price of the vehicle itself. Used to be no annual fee, and the bid fee was set by the price. Now they have the minimum bid set higher too. Used to buy through them, but got to the point it was too expensive to just bid on the car, let alone buy the car itself. Look in the Argus Leader for insurance auctions, you might find something there. Otherwise, talk to the local dealers about any that are open to the public. They are fairly few...
Post Fiend
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 8,402
Likes: 10
Copart USA - The Source for Online Car Auctions - Home Page
Not sure how this works for buying.
Not sure how this works for buying.
Hotshot
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 18,488
Likes: 22
From: The Big, Oregon
You may luck into one at an abandoned auto auction. I got a few cars back in WA that way, the local towing company would hold an auction every month. Cars that were abandoned on the side of the road, impounded, or driving with a suspended license (automatic forfeiture there). Some decent cars, but my budget was low so I didn't pay a whole lot of attention to the newer stuff.
Hotshot
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 11,537
Likes: 27
From: Long Beach, Ms.
Manheim - North American Locations
Get a dealer license and visit an auction with a fist full of cash.
Vehicles are collected from towing companies by contract haulers for the insurance companies.
They are taken to auction companies; Copart and Manheim being two large players.
Then they are auctioned either Online or in person.
http://www.manheim.com/buy/online_event_sales
Here's how to become a dealer in South Dakota.
http://www.dmv.org/sd-south-dakota/b...-licensing.php
Get a dealer license and visit an auction with a fist full of cash.
Vehicles are collected from towing companies by contract haulers for the insurance companies.
They are taken to auction companies; Copart and Manheim being two large players.
Then they are auctioned either Online or in person.
http://www.manheim.com/buy/online_event_sales
Here's how to become a dealer in South Dakota.
http://www.dmv.org/sd-south-dakota/b...-licensing.php
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Elder User
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 727
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From: north shore, minnesota
Auto auctions. Anyone can go I believe. You'll pay high and have to pay all the fees on top of everything. Good luck finding a rollover ecoboost, you'll have to travel to get it as well.
-=the part about anyone can go may be wrong information. The only auctions I've been to were ATV, snowmobile, & boats. Buying repos and insurance losses, no licence needed for those.
-=the part about anyone can go may be wrong information. The only auctions I've been to were ATV, snowmobile, & boats. Buying repos and insurance losses, no licence needed for those.
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FTE Legend
Joined: Sep 2003
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From: NY and VA
Depends upon where you are, check local agencies. Some states/ cities have monthly impound auctions open to the public. In NY if a vehicle is totaled the owner can keep possession by deducting the salvage value.
FTE Legend
Joined: Sep 2003
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From: NY and VA
Fleet Owner
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 28,609
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From: Lake Tahoe, Nevada
Find out which dealers regularly buy cars from auctions. Get chummy with the person who does the bidding and get them to take you along. Bid to buy on his invoice, then figure on paying him a pre-agreed percentage on top of the cost.
Postmaster
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 2,703
Likes: 4
From: Harrisburg, NE
someone else you could consider getting chummy with would be the bodyshops themselves, when I filed a report for my car they had me take it to the bodyshop (it was still roadworthy though) to get a quote, but i'm also 2 hours from the closest major city. let the towing companies know your looking for one, offer a finding fee, and leave contact info to pass on to the vehicle owner, just in case they get the option to buy it back, although i'm not sure how that would work with a newer vehicle. my newest is a 2001
Cargo Master
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 2,220
Likes: 26
You can go to some auctions and pay a buyers fee. You can also make friends with smaller used car dealers and do whatever deal you can cut, which can go from splitting a donor, buying one outright and shooting him a tip, or whatever creative stuff you like.
Bring CASH or don't play.
The purchase will likely be on the down low between you and the dealer, and you don't need a title. Many vehicles go "bill of sale only/parts only" anyway.
One way to go would be to buy one through dealer (attend the auction, have him bid, you buy food and drinks and pay for transport) and strip the wreck on his premises with him keeping the hulk to crush plus whatever metal you can throw his way. Small dealers often wait until they have say 100 cars, then call the portable crusher who pays them a FLAT RATE per hull since the crusher doesn't bring a scale. More hulls, more money.
Salvage yards buy at auction. If you can add one to the pile, so to speak, you can leave the hull behind without any fuss.
Make friends with the right folks. Wrench with them, be low key and responsible.
I work for parts when helping my buddy. He doesn't like spending money and I like lots of parts. We both win.
Bring CASH or don't play.
The purchase will likely be on the down low between you and the dealer, and you don't need a title. Many vehicles go "bill of sale only/parts only" anyway.
One way to go would be to buy one through dealer (attend the auction, have him bid, you buy food and drinks and pay for transport) and strip the wreck on his premises with him keeping the hulk to crush plus whatever metal you can throw his way. Small dealers often wait until they have say 100 cars, then call the portable crusher who pays them a FLAT RATE per hull since the crusher doesn't bring a scale. More hulls, more money.
Salvage yards buy at auction. If you can add one to the pile, so to speak, you can leave the hull behind without any fuss.
Make friends with the right folks. Wrench with them, be low key and responsible.
I work for parts when helping my buddy. He doesn't like spending money and I like lots of parts. We both win.
Postmaster
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 4,517
Likes: 3
From: SE Wyoming
You are very close to a HUGE yard that sells every piece they can out of a wrecked car. Name is Nordstrom's in Garretson. I got my 5.4L from them VIA ebay. After all the auction hassle I bet you'd pay less to get an engine and anything else you'd need from them.
http://www.nordstromsauto.com/Default.aspx
http://www.nordstromsauto.com/Default.aspx
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