Salvage wrecked cars are becoming increasingly popular, especially in a depressed or slow economy. In the endeavor to save money, you may be considering buying one, but haven’t made the decision yet. When you hear the words, salvage wrecked cars, you may get the image of a lot filled with rusted out, old clunkers with the hoods, doors, and roofs missing and ready for the car crusher to be smashed flat. Such cars have indeed sustained damage, but they are certainly repairable and can be transformed into serviceable or even dream vehicles.

Salvage wrecked cars are more than just cars. You can find trucks, vans, recreational vehicles, motorcycles, and boats. They have suffered damage from collisions, severe weather, fires, or some other catastrophic event such as a chemical spill. When the vehicle is inspected by the insurance company, they estimate the cost of repair versus the time it would require to make the repair. If they determine that the cost and time is above their predetermined limit, they will write the vehicle off as salvage. This does not mean that it is not repairable. It only means that the cost and time of repairing it is more than they want to undertake. The vehicle is then taken to a wrecking yard where it is auctioned off to people who are willing to invest the time to make the repairs.

Some of these vehicles may only have damage that is limited to one area, such as the rear end, or the hood. You can save a lot of money repairing these cars versus buying a new or used car off the dealer lot. You may even make some repairs using parts from other damaged vehicles and they will still be safe to operate. Be sure to check with the Department of Motor Vehicles in your state before you buy a salvage wrecked car since each state has different laws governing the sale, registration, and operation of these vehicles.