Run away. Rebuilt and salvage title is a new thing in GA courtesy of our new Gov who managed to get a no bid contract for handling the salvage title business.... Scammy all up an down.

In NY pre OBDII gas cars can be changed to diesel same way you do the color (so I'm told), just register it at the DMV. To register it anyplace, a title showing the current engine would be needed. To transfer to another state, I'd check first, and see what history is needed.

My 240D was evidently a graymarket euro delivery. VIN lookup says 82, lady I bought it from said New York saw it as an 85 for whatever reason. That's how it worked for my at the DMV

check, it's unlikely...

One possibility to protect yourself if you really want to try to buy the vehicle is to buy it contingent on getting a valid title in your name. Agree on the price, put the money in escrow with escrow instruction to release the funds upon receiving the title in your name. I'd also stipulate that he accompany you to the DMV to effect the transaction, so if there is anything wrong, like a record of a stolen vehicle, he is right there to be handcuffed. If he refuses, run like heck, otherwise you might get a clean title to a nice car.

Not worth the trouble. This coming from someone who recently put a clean theft recovery (from 1990) through a DMV vin inspection and investigation when one tag was scrubbed. It's a pain, I think the only reason it worked for me is because I have a family friend who happened to be a lead DMV theft investigator...

This would fly in Vt with no questions asked-- mail in and drive!

Same with RI. You'd walk out with a plate in 10 minutes for that car. They might even give you a high five.

However, X2 on if you plan to move to NY, don't buy it, registering will be a hassle and a half.

I once had to sell my own car to myself with the written permission of a hostile ex girlfrient because NY didn't like some provision on my out of state title that listed her as automatic ownership transferee if I were deceased. This was a car with plates in my name, clear vin with a title in my name, and owned for over 5 years by me.

The slightest irregularity or something they are not familiar with will end up in paperwork hell

For what it's worth -I wouldn't touch it. Not a bargain even if the title/vin problem didn't exist.

Salvage titles always make a car worth less - and this one has all the earmarks of a phony. Maybe even stolen.

The SLS needs work - might be just air balls - but could run into a lot of money.

Why not get one with a good solid history and title to start with?

Joseph

Gotta agree with VSTech. My pillar and post match but the firewall has similar numbers but doesn't match. When I ordered keys and tumbler I used the firewall number and all the keys fit the locks the right way. I was also told that the VIN is a US vin and wouldn't match the firewall.

My 1980 didn't have that climate control panel, it was vertical not horizontal, and my center console panel was actually black plastic not wood. That could have been an option though.

All that being said, very, very, fishy. Keep your money safe.

Both of my SDs have a difference between metal VIN tags and the firewall. Tags are similar but not exact. The 85SD has been in the family since new.

Regarding salvage title, it does devalue the car to an extent but is insignificant when referring to an old almost valueless car. It can't go much lower. It is almost at $0 now. It also doesn't take much of a bump to result in a salvage title.

TN throws a salvage at 50% of value. Any little stop sign bump will cause that much damage. My 85 was hit from the back. Carrier paid me $3,000. My friend repaired to reasonable for $50 and I'm driving it. If I decide to strip and paint, I'll fix it. That would only be for sentimental reasons.

Salvage titles do highly effect the value of a car. A salvage title means that in case of another total the car is only worth have of its value. My car was salvaged and you would never know it....I got paid full value for the car...they now told me, that if the car is hit again....pay out value is 1500$ flat....so why pay multiple thousands for a car, knowing that if you are hit....your insurance company will only give you a tenth of the price....when you just spent 10k for it...

this is why one of the perks of no title on old car states is if you don't have a title anyway, they can't make it a salvage.

my van has been paid out on a couple times at this point from little traffic fender benders. The only record of it being totaled is in my filing cabinet, the stub from each check.

Oh that is really nice! I think I will have to move to one of the States for a year or so....I want to restore my car but the insurance value keeps me from wanting to sink money into a paint job..

My '84 Euro TD has the VIN on the radiadior-support tag and firewall. It has no VIN tag on the door-pillar, windshield-pillar or dash.
The Euro VIN begins with WDB123. The typical US VIN starts with WDBA23 and is different from the firewall number.

First, Because I've read on these Forums about some havng serious problems getting insurance on a grey-market car, I ran the VIN by my insurance carrier. They had no problem with it

I did have a problem titling this car in Virginia because the previous title issuers (Washington DC and Maryland) dropped the ball and titled the car without including the WDB prefix. Virginia requires vehicles after 1980 have a certain minimum number of characters in the VIN.
The solution was the seller took the car to Maryland MVA and had a state-trooper inspect the VIN so MVA could issue him a corrected title.
The supervisor at Virginia DMV also told me that, while according to their computer database, there were some other nonconforming numbers in the Euro VIN, if Maryland issued a corrected title, that information would go on the NCIC database, and it would be accepted when I presented the seller's title to virginia DMV.

Indeed, when I went to title and register the TD, the lady behind the DMV counter did stare at her computer-screen for what seemed to be an awfully long time. But it finally went through and I got my title & tags.

Now in my case, except for the missing WDB prefix, all the numbers on this car and seller's title matched.

OTOH, a friend was interesed in an '85 Euro W124 300D, so when I suggested he first run the title VIN by his insurance carrier, it came back to an 86 W124 300E! It also didn't match the car's VIN.
My friend ran away from that one!

By the way, I saw an interesting car on eBay recently that claimed it had a 'dismantle' title (either from Nevada or Arizona - I'm not sure).
Is that the same as a salvage title or does that mean the car can only be scrapped?

Happy Motoring, Mark

I live in Nevada. Arizona may be different. I used to work at a junkyard, and selling any car to a dismantler results in the car being issued a salvage title. In Nevada, a car can't be registered for road use with a salvage title, however a salvage title can be converted to a rebuilt title with completion of a safety inspection by a licensed garage ($25 if you know where to go) and an application for rebuilt title. This is how I picked up my '71 250, which was driven to the junkyard, sold to it, and then bought by me and driven home. "Rebuilding" consisted of me fixing a minor electrical problem with the lights.

I also traded my clean title for my '83 for $2200 in insurance money after it was rearended. The car was repaired and repainted at a cost of 4 grand and some change, and I'm still driving it. After two months, I haven't gotten anything from Nevada DMV. I might start a new thread on that.