im looking at a 98 ford truck with a rebuilt title and is fixed, and would like to know if i can tell if its ok??? it was hit in the pass side front, if it drives straight is that good enough ???

 

Was it written off ?
If yes, you will need to get a safety inspection before they let you put it back on the road

 

Be aware that a salvage vehicle is worth roughly 33% less than one with a clear title. That 33% can go up to 50% if the repairs are of poor quality. This will apply to that truck for as long as it's on the road. As was noted, they need to be inspected then a branded title is issued. There used to be a few states that don't have branded titles.

It that truck ok? I don't know; I can't see it . But begin by looking for odd tire wear. Then scrutinize the fit of the body panels. Look at EVERYTHING very carefully, look for overspray on stuff. I hate shoddy bodywork, and overspray is, IMO, tacky. Look for missing bolts and oddly crinkled metal that has been beat back into shape rather than replaced. Be aware that not all people that fix totalled cars/trucks are exactly honest about the damages either so with that in mind consider every square inch of that truck suspect until proven otherwise. Oh, make sure the airbags were replaced and that the system passes test. Airbags are expensive and that's a good corner to cut when trying to save money.

I'm a perfectionist and could never be happy owning a totalled vehicle. I just don't wanna worry about title issues, bondo applied with a trowel, poor restoration of corrosion protection, compromised frame, future resale etc etc. But on the other hand there really are people out there that can do a quality job, given the right vehicle to begin with. If you wish to pursue this truck, have a buddy of yours that is highly knowledgeable in body repair look at it and scrutinize it for you.