My GF stuffed my Evo IX MR into the back of another car. It was a double air bag hit. The fender to door gaps were not affected. I took it to a frame shop that told me to pull the engine and trans to make sure that they could see all of the damage. They said that the repair would cost $3200. The insurance company totaled the car. That was 2 years ago. The car is an AZ car and has seen rain maybe 5 times. I spent the insurance money and kept the car. I am currently torn between restoring the car with a salvage title or parting it out. I probably have $10K in mods. It is a lot of cash to restore. I'm guessing $6K minimum for the frame and body. I have the OEM stock parts to replace the high performance parts damaged with the front collision. At the same time it is a ton of work to strip the car, clean, photo, Ebay list and ship out the car as a part out. What I don't know is the market for a salvage title Evos. I doubt that the professionalism of the frame shop helps much with a salvage title value. My GF wants me to fix the car. Has anyone gone through this? I am looking for well informed advice to fix or part out. I am interested in the financial considerations. As much as I liked the car, it seems like a part out is a no brainer. Am I wrong?

 

From a financial stand point, the worst decision you can make is restoring the car. No matter how perfect it turns out, it will always have a branded salvage title and be worth substantially less than one with a clear title.

If you want to restore it to keep it forever for sentimental value, then do it. If you don't care about the car, part it out with everything you currently have and find another Evo. That is what I would do in your situation. Just my .02 worth.

 

Buy a clean title rolling shell and swap all your parts into it. You could even find an VIII shell (i.e., cheaper), and swap over your wiring harness.

Check craigslist as well https://seattle.craigslist.org/see/cto/5268090105.html

 

As a rule of thumb, the salvage title car will be worth 50%-60% of a clean titled car. And they are more than twice as hard to sell. If you have the time to take pictures and ship the parts, then parting it out may be the way to go.

 

Part our sell the cage build a new one

 

def part out. I had a guy who crashed his, totaled it out, traded parts and a lil bit of cash to people who had broken parts before insurance picked it up.

 

Part out the GF and keep the car

 

Turn it into a track beast! Seriously though, that's what I'd do in your situation. I'd remove and sell/keep the parts you don't need on a race car, fix the damage, then have fun with it. You'll still be spending money to fix it, but at least now you'll still get to enjoy your Evo in the manner it should be driven and won't feel as bad should the car get damaged again since it's already salvaged titled.

Completely parting out the car takes so much time and space due to the fact you'll be waiting for the right buyer to come along to pay your asking price. After a while you'd get so sick of the car and the pile of parts just sitting there that you'll sell them off at rock bottom prices to help move things along. At this point you'll start to hate life, curse the day your GF crashed your car, curse at the lowballing Evo community, buy an STi, stance it, and still hate life.

 

I would do this as well. Keep the motor and drivetrain and sell everything else then buy a clean rolling shell and you're good to go