Mechanics warn even the cars that are still functional after a flood could start seeing problems later on.
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I remember when Katrina happened, Central California got a shitload of hurricane cars and the dealers didn't even bother trying to hide the signs.
I've heard first hand stories of prospective buyers lifting the hoods on vehicles in the lots and seeing high water marks on the firewalls, and this was in an area that got 12 inches of rainfall in a good year.
We even saw some of them up here in Michigan. The same warnings were posted on people's facebook pages that had seen them at our local dealers who sold the lower tier cars.
ReplyDeleteTip from someone who was in the car biz for decades. Buy a mechanics mirror at any auto parts store or Harbor Freight. Using a flashlight, look up and under the dashboard. That is the one place even the best detailer can't clean. Do it on used and new! Same set up look under the seats, especially the rear seat even if you need to lift it.. Look at the seat tracks for either rust or new shiny paint. On any vehicle you want to look under the vehicle. Is the catalytic converter(s) missing? Does the exhaust system have fresh welds?
ReplyDeleteThere are other things to look at but after you have appraised several hundred trade ins you get a "feel".
Soon after Katrina, Texas began to receive staggering amounts of the poor and all their’chilluns. God flushed New Orlean’s toilet and all the turds ended up here.
ReplyDeleteAnymore, I won't buy a used car unless a carfax report shows it to have been owned and serviced locally its entire life. I've seen too many flood damaged vehicles, or from a rental fleet in Michigan.
ReplyDeleteI had a friend who relied on a clean "Carfax" report. It had repaired body damage that wasn't listed. Beware of only relying on someone else "word".
DeleteThe two best cars I ever owned were rental cars from Michigan. I wrecked the first one, an 84 Ford LTD, after I put almost 200,000 miles on it. I'm still driving the other one, a 2004 Chevy Classic that I've driven almost 350,000 miles so far.
DeleteShip the water logged vehicles to the Ukraine and tell 'em it's part of Biden's war aid package..
ReplyDeleteI like the way you're thinkin' there, Boggie, those fucks deserve it!
DeleteOnce upon a time, I bought a flood car, but it was a '72 Corvette with tee-tops. I don't think it was totally submerged but there were a few rust issues. I replaced the carpet and backing, seat belts, radio, and rebuilt the engine with a 3/4 cam. It was hard to take off w/o barkin' the tires. Too bad about that black streak down your driveway (hehe).
We had a flood in Kansas a few years back. Friend had a vintage Chevy that got totally submerged. Insurance totaled it. Some months later he saw an identical car, different color, for sale in Oklahoma and got it.
ReplyDeleteWhen he called his insurance company to add it they said sorry, you just bought back the car we totaled and scrapped.
He took it to his mechanic, they pulled the pan. Motor was garbage.