Thanks to All That answered my CA SALVAGE TITLE QUESTIONS>

[Michael Tarver <tarvma02@xxxxxxx>]

    Hello Everyone,
    I truly appreciate all who answered my question about CA salvage
title issues.  Here is the conclusion that I have drawn from my info.  A
98 ///M3 with only 8K mls with TONS of options for only $29,500.  How is
this possible???  Well, we've already established that the title is a
salvage and that the owner claims only a quarter panel was replaced.
   Here's what I think.  OK, the owner is full of caca (shit) because
the car would not have been assigned a salvage title if it only took
$5,000 to repair this car. (a LARGELY generous estimate of replacing a
rear quarter panel).  Likwise, the salvage title would have only been
assigned if the repairs cost over $25K.  This would indicate a hell of a
lot more than a mere quarter panel.
    So, here's what I think happened as was suggested by a
fellow-digester.  I believe that the body shop owner either saved all of
the stickers from the original body panels OR this car was never wrecked
at all and is stolen.  This would indicate that the owner bought an
actual salvage car and then stole a similar one and then swapped the VIN
numbers.
    Unfortunately, I live all the way accross the country and cannot
easily check this car out although I would really like to see it.  I am
pretty good at checking out damage histories and hidden VIN numbers
(i.e.--> the DME).
    Oh well, thanks again to all those who helped out..

- --Mike.

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