Would you buy a car with frame damage?

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Old 08-23-2005 | 08:37 PM
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estrada42's Avatar
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Would you buy a car with frame damage?

If the car was priced right, and it's exactly what you've been looking for for about 2 years would you buy it?

I've been westling with that one in my head all day.

All I know about te incident is that


07/18/2003 Collision Repair Facility
California
Frame inspection performed
after an accident or other incident
Frame damage reported

The car is at a dealership, and I doubt that they will know whats up because they got it at auction.
Old 08-23-2005 | 08:47 PM
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Honestly, no.

The frame is one thing that is very rarely properly restored. I don't think its worth it for any car.

But, how rare is the car, and how long have you been wanting it?
Old 08-23-2005 | 08:49 PM
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Car has a clean title, by the way.
Old 08-23-2005 | 08:50 PM
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And what do you want to do with it?
If the plan is to weld in a cage, put in a fully adjustable suspension and make a track/rally car out of it, I'd look close, but I might get it if the price was right, after all you'd be having that stuff straightened out in the rebuild.

But for a street car I would reccomend against it.
Old 08-23-2005 | 08:52 PM
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I've been looking for an 03 WRB WRX with under 15K miles since I test drove one in September of 2003. This one has 9k, and I can can really get a good deal since the dealer has had it for almost 8 months and with the frame damage. I should mention that is an assumtion. I assume I can barter them down quite a bit.
Old 08-23-2005 | 08:54 PM
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It's kind of funny what some people call a frame....I bent a fender going less than 5 mphm, guy pulled out of a parking space without truning his head, broke my turn signal and put a crease in the fender....the insurace adjuster called it a "bent fender frame" It was just a dent in the fender, but maybe if you have a unibody car they call everything metal the frame?

Anyways, if it doesn't have a salvage title, then I'd buy it if it looks good.

I would NEVER buy anything with a salvage title that I wanted to drive on the freeway or faster.
Old 08-23-2005 | 09:03 PM
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the same thing happened to a friend of mine. someone hit his camaro lightly while it was parked. there was a small dent on the side skirt and they called it frame damage. if the car drives right and the price is considerably less than one without this problem id buy it. see if the dealer will let you take it to an independent shop so they can check the car over.
Old 08-23-2005 | 09:07 PM
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estrada42's Avatar
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I'm going to see if tey'll let me drive it to my shop to have it checked out. The only problem is, the car is in Hayward, my shop is in Orinda.
Old 08-23-2005 | 09:11 PM
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Originally Posted by estrada42
I'm going to see if tey'll let me drive it to my shop to have it checked out. The only problem is, the car is in Hayward, my shop is in Orinda.
They might allow that if the car has been sitting for 8 months. Definitely don't buy it if you can't get it checked out first.
Old 08-23-2005 | 11:30 PM
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NO, I think you should pass...... patience is a virtue.. maybe something better will come up later?

Last edited by 1fastGC; 08-23-2005 at 11:33 PM.
Old 08-24-2005 | 12:59 AM
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Where in Hayward is the car?
When my Legacy wagon got hit in the rear it bent the floor of the trunk and the tail light mounting area a little. It would have been more than the value of the car to fix, so it was totaled out. How do you feel about owning the car?
Old 08-24-2005 | 01:00 AM
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No !
Old 08-24-2005 | 03:16 AM
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I'd take the car to a pro to get it inspected. There are some seriously shoddy collision repair shops out there. If it was a front end crash, I'd have to look at it without the fenders, and anywhere else I'd want to see it up on a lift.
Old 08-24-2005 | 09:51 AM
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I had a Mitsu Eclipse with frame damage a number of years ago. Had a constant shudder above 70 mph, and despite many repair attempts never ran straight. Had a clean title too. If I were you, I'd pass on this one, it's not worth the potential trouble.
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