[Opie]

So I see it all the time, people looking for a car and specifying a "Clean title only". And I wonder why people are scared of cars with branded titles.

So many of you know myself and Dave-RoR like to keep quite a few 86's on the road, from cars written off by insurance companies, to clean title cars just needing repairs we fix quite a few. I started doing it to build myself a track car at a lower entry price, since then we've done quite a few other track cars and we have also repaired a few for street cars.

We hear frequently from those who want nothing to do with a "Rebuilt" vehicle and I'd like to educate some of you on how this is sometimes something that is not very clear, and what a "Salvage" or "Rebuilt" vehicle may really be.

Trust me I get it, no one wants a vehicle that is going to be trouble prone, and many think that if a vehicle has been "totaled" that it must've been in some gruesome accident and will never be safe, or road worthy again. Let's break this down and set some things straight.

First, vehicles get totaled solely due to math, if a car is damaged, an insurance appraiser looks at the car and see's if it is financially beneficial for them to repair it, or if the financial outlay is too much, to write it off. It's not about safety, it's about money and the cost of repairs. Damages can be collision/accident related, vandalism, theft, flood, etc. Each causes different types of issues to repair but I think we can all agree that a stolen car that has been recovered with little to no damage is an easier repair than a car that hit a tree at 80mph. And a flood car that was in 3 inches of fresh water would have much less potential for issues than a flood car that was submerged in salt water. Yet all would be issued the exact same "total loss" designation.

That being said, manufacturer's actually publish service and repair manuals to return a damaged car to pre-damage condition. Body damage, mechanical damage, electrical damage are all able to be repaired. The differences are the quality of the repairs. I've seen super shoddy repairs, and repairs that left absolutely no indication any damage had ever occurred.

The 86 chassis is a very well engineered and safe chassis that tends to get "totaled" very easily, why you ask? Because of the combined cost of parts and labor. If you rear end another car in your BRZ at low speed, but with enough force to set off the airbag. The actual damage can be minimal, bumper cover, hood, headlights, radiator support and the airbag. The cost of the parts adds up quick, especially considering that the insurance company is required to return the car to pre-accident condition. The few large parts listed above retail for $4,878.75 not including all the small clips, emblems, trim, paint work, body labor and taxes. You can see how this quickly adds up and results in a car with relatively minor damage to be deemed a total loss with no regard to the safety of the vehicle.

As an example, look at the two cars in the pictures below. Both had the same type of collision, low speed, rear ended another vehicle that was higher profile than the BRZ. No uni-body damage, just core support, headlights, hood, airbox, etc. Both cars are limited trims, one is a 2013, one is a 2015. Both have similar mileage. Both run & drive. Looking at the cars decide for yourself and compare the damage. Would either, or both, or neither of the cars be deemed a total loss in your estimation? The Carfax on both cars list one "Minor Front End Damage" accident.

Reply below, in a day or two, I'll tell you if you are right.