Thoughts on reconstructed title

  • My work van now has a reconstructed title. It rear ended a stopped car and bent the fender, bumper, and some grille stuff, and set off the airbags. The replacement cost of the airbags and seatbelt pretensioners and computer is real high so they totaled it. With the insurance money we bought it back and fixed it for way less than a shop would charge. The frame wasn't even bent, drives great now even ten years later. We had to take it to state police and show receipts for all the replacement parts to get the reconstructed title. They don't want to certify it if you rebuild with chop shop parts!
    That's all I know.

  • do a car fax and make sure its not a flood car. Once salt water gets in u are asking for problems.

  • They can be good deals but like astape said check the history to see why it was totaled in the first place also realize a reconstructed title normally kills the value by roughly 50%.

    Neill


    In a perfect world every dog would have a home and every home would have a dog.

  • it looks like it was totalled for mostly body work, it wasnt from a flood or anything, it's extremely clean, and a solid 10k less hand book value

    Sounds like a buy. Check for frame damage .. excessive Bondo. But if it's just metal, no worries, it's a Rubi. Off road the hell out of it.


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    Nobody belongs anywhere, nobody exists on purpose, everybody's going to die. Have a beer.


    Jeeps Owned... 89YJ, 81CJ-8, 99XJ, 93XJ, 00WJ, 05LJ, 22Bronco Badlands !

  • Keep in mind there's a reason they are selling it after it was all fixed up. Maybe just to flip it. Or maybe something didn't go right with the restoration. Could be a something small like a vibration they can't (or won"t) fix or an electrical gremline they can't find. $10,000 below book value gives you some investment room if that's the case.

    Member since 2000

    Jeeps Owned'79 CJ5:

    Specs-

    - 258 I6

    - '93 Cherokee fuel injection and HO head,

    - bored 30 over

    - with 4x4 cam

    T18 tranny with granny low / Dana 18 t-case

    Dana 44 front and back from late '70s Wagoneer, both locked and loaded with 4.88 gears

    SOA on modified YJ springs with shackle reversa

    Fiberglass tub with 6 point cage mounted to the frame


    2015 Grand Cherokee Limited
    Spec-

    Quadratec Floor mats

  • my one XJ from DE was reconstructed title and was just more expensive to get inspected for PA that's all, nothing wrong with one

  • He has a dealers license and apparently purchases vehicles that are salvaged that only need non structural repair. It shows the carfax that it was repaired in the beginning of 07 and has been driving it since, I'm going to take my uncle with me who's been doing auto body repair for 20 years and make sure he doesn't see anything that should throw any red flags, but it is a rubicon so I should hopefully be back on the trails soon

  • Look underneath at the skid plates, frame, and what not to see if there are any scrapes that may have been caused by scraping up against rocks. If there are it's a sign that it has been off roaded.

    Member since 2000

    Jeeps Owned'79 CJ5:

    Specs-

    - 258 I6

    - '93 Cherokee fuel injection and HO head,

    - bored 30 over

    - with 4x4 cam

    T18 tranny with granny low / Dana 18 t-case

    Dana 44 front and back from late '70s Wagoneer, both locked and loaded with 4.88 gears

    SOA on modified YJ springs with shackle reversa

    Fiberglass tub with 6 point cage mounted to the frame


    2015 Grand Cherokee Limited
    Spec-

    Quadratec Floor mats

  • I'm going to throw this out there because I know it's been done. Since this is a reconstructed vehicle make sure it has all the stuff that a Rubicon would have. Especially check that the transfer case is the correct one 241J and the axles have the lines for the lockers. Its kinda of hard to check them and see if they work so your just going to have to go with the visual on them. You didn't mention what year but the TJ had air lockers and the JK's have electric ones.

  • I'm going to throw this out there because I know it's been done. Since this is a reconstructed vehicle make sure it has all the stuff that a Rubicon would have. Especially check that the transfer case is the correct one 241J and the axles have the lines for the lockers. Its kinda of hard to check them and see if they work so your just going to have to go with the visual on them. You didn't mention what year but the TJ had air lockers and the JK's have electric ones.

    WORD! Good thinking. It's not the word RUBICON on the hood that makes it a Rubicon. Could be the hood was one of the things he got from the salvage yard.


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    Member since 2000

    Jeeps Owned'79 CJ5:

    Specs-

    - 258 I6

    - '93 Cherokee fuel injection and HO head,

    - bored 30 over

    - with 4x4 cam

    T18 tranny with granny low / Dana 18 t-case

    Dana 44 front and back from late '70s Wagoneer, both locked and loaded with 4.88 gears

    SOA on modified YJ springs with shackle reversa

    Fiberglass tub with 6 point cage mounted to the frame


    2015 Grand Cherokee Limited
    Spec-

    Quadratec Floor mats

  • I checked everything over a few times, activated the lockers and sway bar disconnect, had my friends that's a mechanic check everything, then my uncle who does body work check the body and frame over, everything checks out and looks like I'll be purchasing today

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