you could sell a car that ’s been under water — as long as you ’re good about it , and the claim is branded as a outpouring salvage . Oh , and as long as you have realistic expectations . Really , though , if your machine gets damaged in a flood , take the insurance policy money and do n’t face back .
honestly , not many people want a car that ’s been flooded , which is probably why you ’re trying to deal yours in the first situation . policy companies are quick to total a car with water damage because the entire car is often dissemble . The inside will get musty and , eventually , musty . The body and other alloy parts will start to rust . If the water get inside the locomotive engine , it can sometimes be fixate — but only after it ’s been good dry out out before being started . And even if your locomotive is salvageable , it ’s not always potential to save the drivetrain — and neither is really a do - it - yourself project [ source : Car Talk ] .
Further , the electrical system is credibly the biggest source of post - submersion worry . This system flow throughout the full car , so even if the water only went up to the floor , consider it a near foregone conclusion that some electrical parts got soused . Wires get damaged , connections corrode , computers short out . It ’s just not a good situation [ beginning : Car talking ] .
Note that we ’re yield a high - story overview here ; really , everything want to be looked at and replaced . And even if everything seems like it ’s fine when you start the car up ( which is unlikely ) , the linger moisture is trusted to create an interesting cocktail of job down the road . Insurance companieswould rather just wash their hands of the whole thing up front than heap with a tenacious and expensive diagnosis procedure , all the haunt , and the problems that will continue to come up throughout the rest of the car ’s life .
You ordinarily have the option of grease one’s palms the automobile back from the indemnity company for its salvage economic value , but it ’ll get back with asalvage form of address , entail that you ’re only hypothecate to use the car for parts . However , if you strip the car down and rebuild it ( a challenging project , but not unheard of ) , most states will issue a rebuilt claim . These branded titles will alert buyers that the motorcar ’s suffered extensive damage and is not deserving comely market time value . you could not endeavor to confuse that fact during the sale [ source : Gladstone ] .
If you own a elevator car that ’s been swamp and you require to deal it , it ’s indispensable that you tell potential buyers about it up front , even if the railroad car seems to be running well . Someone might want to buy it for parts or as a undertaking . But if you are n’t dependable about the water scathe , it ’s fraud , because you ’re importantly misrepresent the motorcar ’s condition . Some masses go a footprint further and illegally alter the machine ’s title to make it look sporty . Do n’t be one of those masses .
