Irma=200k-400k more flooded cars

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ABC news this morning quoted KBB in that a lot more cars will have been in high water adding another big pile of cars to the already big pile created by Harvey. At least these won't have boat propeller and rudder marks across the tops:( This batch will be harder to detect as most of the water was gone in a day.
 
The only "tricks" I know to help us identify a flooded car is to check a prospective car on a sunny day and see if the carpet is sparkly.
The cleaners used on carpets leaves a coating (a soap lube, if you will) which glistens.

Also, I've heard to look deep and up in the front footwells for silting or even rusting.
 
The used car market is going to be dicey for some time to come. A lot of these cars will be shipped to South America too.

As mentioned above, check for silt in crevices underneath the vehicle. Also check under the dashboard for evidence.
 
Originally Posted By: PimTac
The used car market is going to be dicey for some time to come. A lot of these cars will be shipped to South America too.

As mentioned above, check for silt in crevices underneath the vehicle. Also check under the dashboard for evidence.

White glove check?
 
What I don't understand is why there aren't strict rules in place by the insurance companies (and DOT) which clearly outline a flooded car so it NEVER enters the market with a clean title ever again. These cars should be used for PARTS ONLY. You just don't know what damage was caused to the electrics, etc.

Imagine getting into an accident and say the airbag never deployed cause it was damaged by water when the car was covered to the roof...

Having said that, I currently own a 2004 Mazda RX-8 with a flood title. Not sure how bad the water line was but the entire interior is original, down to the carpet, so I guess it was salvageable. The car is other MINT and in perfect condition inside and out.

It's my 3am 10 min drive to work car where it sits for two days while I'm out of town and then I drive it back home 10 mins at midnight when I come back. Perfect for my needs @ $1,300 I paid for it. I definitely wouldn't drive this car beyond that. It's not a safe vehicle to me, although EVERYTHING WORKS except the electric power steering... but these have been known to fail, so who knows if it's from the water damage or not.

I guess it boils down to a case by case situation. Some pics of these cars stranded in water are simple fixes. Engine probably hydrolocked and the car stalled in the water. No other damage to report. Replace the engine (or fix it) and the car is good to go, even with a flooded title. You can save THOUSANDS.
 
I know of two cars with flood titles that the water supposedly never got into the interior. Both have put on over 10k since. But now with 100s of thousands cars hitting the lots the damages will be far from a dealers lots getting some minor flooding
 
Originally Posted By: LeakySeals
Would a 3 hour tidal surge from Irma be as bad as a week long fresh water dunk from Harvey?


Salt water is the kiss of death for any flood vehicle. Some cases, you can put lipstick on a pig and pass off a freshwater total, but a saltwater one is a junk in place.
 
Some cars have the rear seat attached with spring clips, if you know the model you can pop the seat loose and lift it out. Thats where you find signs of water damage. I did that once to a dodge spirit. The salesman about sheet his shorts. I asked him to check the history. He did and it was clean. There were many flood damaged cars that showed up in Charlotte in that time.
 
All excellent recommendations here, but some rust on unprotected steel under the dash and on seat springs I've seen on rust belt cars that were never flooded. Unless you can detect a definitive water line somewhere in the interior, it's going to be tough to detect, especially for someone savvy in hiding this. I'm fine with it as long as the buyer knows what he/her is getting. My BIL had an AWD Chevy Astro conversion van years ago that he bought as a flood vehicle. It was perfect for them the 8 or so years they owned it.
 
I can see a post on BITOG-

I came across this used Crown Vic from South Florida-only has 95,000 miles on it. And they only want $3,000.00! Should I buy it?
 
Come on CKN. We all know "panthers" are impervious to flooding.
grin.gif
 
Originally Posted By: JTK
Come on CKN. We all know "panthers" are impervious to flooding.
grin.gif




Good one!
smile.gif
 
Originally Posted By: Artem
What I don't understand is why there aren't strict rules in place by the insurance companies (and DOT) which clearly outline a flooded car so it NEVER enters the market with a clean title ever again. These cars should be used for PARTS ONLY. You just don't know what damage was caused to the electrics, etc....
.
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I guess it boils down to a case by case situation. Some pics of these cars stranded in water are simple fixes. Engine probably hydrolocked and the car stalled in the water. No other damage to report. Replace the engine (or fix it) and the car is good to go, even with a flooded title. You can save THOUSANDS.

Agreed (except for the parts only idea). I can understand the desire to keep flood cars out of the mainstream market, but at the same time I wouldn't want to deprive a flood vehicle to someone who is willing to put the time in to restore it and have a relatively good car for his own use. There is so much gray area in between a car that has been totaled for minor reasons and one that is just horribly flooded. I think the only way to control this is if all states agree to record salvage titles and share the information.
 
I know around here if you have a non-flooded car, the prices just went up. My brother has an Acura he is getting ready to sell (needs an alternator first). It sat in his driveway high and dry from the flood waters. He said he had an offer from a coworker with a flooded vehicle for it for about $500 more than what he was going to sell it for.

I know we are planning on buying another vehicle in the summer of 2019 when our daughter starts driving.
We are seriously debating buying a new vehicle for my wife (or a used one made after September 2017) and giving my daughter the Scion.
 
If you are in the used car market and are concerned about flooded cars just avoid cars that have record of being registered in Florida or Texas around the time of Irma.
 
Originally Posted By: GMFan
If you are in the used car market and are concerned about flooded cars just avoid cars that have record of being registered in Florida or Texas around the time of Irma.


Not always easy to figure out.
Some of the guys that buy and sell these are able to wife the trail of where the car came from without some good detective work.

For me it is a moot point since I am in the middle of the flood area.
Like I said, my solution will be to buy a vehicle made after the flood. Luckily I am not in the market for one right now.

It is one of the reasons I bought the motorcycle last week.
I had looked at the bike the day before the flooding started, and know the area where the bike was did not flood.
I know on bikes it is a lot harder to tell if it was flooded and much easier to clean up since they are out in the weather more than a car is.

The used bike market is also going to see a lot of flooded bikes as well.
 
Originally Posted By: CKN
I can see a post on BITOG-

I came across this used Crown Vic from South Florida-only has 95,000 miles on it. And they only want $3,000.00! Should I buy it?




Thats normal for a used panther. If its flooded, you're being ripped off.
:p
Yeah, I would look at unprotected metal surfaces. Often the dash structure is not coated in anything. Removing plastic interior panels, trunk lining, etc to look for a water line might help too.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: JTK
Come on CKN. We all know "panthers" are impervious to flooding.
grin.gif



A little unrelated, but I've found out why people love those cars so much. I have a 2000 Mustang 4.6 with basically the same powertrain and they also have a rep of lasting forever and on top of that they have never seen police cruiser use either. It's easy to spot one that has been modified too and avoid it.
 
Is it too early to be considering making a run down with a trailer to find a 6-speed Challenger RT? For salvage value, I can replace the wiring.
 
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