Number of totaled/salvaged GT's


skyrex

FORD GT OWNER
Mark II Lifetime
Apr 11, 2008
2,115
Lake Las Vegas, Henderson, NV
I am new to the forum and hopefully joining the ownership ranks in the next couple weeks. Had a question that I tried to search previous posts before I asked. I noticed you guys have great stats on color breakdown of all GT's and can tell the background story of most any GT listed for sale but I was wondering if anyone has kept stats on how much the numbers of available GT's have been diminished through totaled cars/salvage title cars. Just an odd curiosity on my part I guess.:wink
 
Hello,
SAAC is attempting to do that. It is very hard data to get. Remember, if you pay for a repair yourself, which means no insurance company it will result in bypassing the CarFax system. That is one reason why a PPI is a must. The stats of crashed cars can be argued all day long, I was once told it was as high as 20%, that may be wrong, but it is more than 10%. Crash means cars that have been repaired and may be back on the road again.
Cheers,
daniel
 
IMO almost all of the salvage titled GT's have been/are being repaired and resold. No doubt some titles will be washed and some unsuspecting buyers will purchase a previously crashed GT without knowing it. The number of GT's out there has probably not decreased; however, the number that have not been crashed gets smaller every day. Spend the time before purchase to know what you are really buying :cheers
 
I tend to agree with Kirby, on all points. A proper PPI will discover most faults, I asked one member who has offered to do them to detail what he believes to be important. His reply is eagerly awaited.

Unless someone changes the vin number, if a car has a salvage tittle it should show up on Carfax. If the car has been repaired outside an insurance company it would not have a salvage tittle, so it becomes a non-issue. Washing a tittle is a crime.

A properly repaired salvage tittled car would not deter my buying decision.
 
The rate these cars are being wrecked is alarming. I have recorded seven just from the past 45 days that have been totaled including one TT. Please be safe guys!
 
salvage cars

There is another one on EBAY right now, blue with white stripes in Huntsville, AL. At least the lister is being forthright about it.

"This GT has a story; damaged in the front requiring the replacement of both front fenders, nose/bumper/splitter, one headlight, windshield, radiator, a/c condenser coil, and other smaller parts. GT was totally repainted from white with blue stripes to blue with white stripes. This GT was repaired when I purchased it and I have put several hundred fun miles on it."
AND
" It has had a salvaged title in its past but for some reason the current Alabama title does not indicate salvage don't know why, but I am trying to be totally forthright in this sale. The only evidence of it's previous mishap are a few body panel gaps which could be more closely adjusted;"

So obviously, irrespective this seller trying to be upfront about the car's history, buyers have to be very careful given the # of these cars that have met an ugly fate.
 
It is impossible to ignore a salvage title/crash in history if you have respect for the fact that you may decide to sell at some point. I bought a '04 Viper with 900 miles that had a factory engine replacement done with a clear title that I thought was a good deal. It was great fun, no problems and I put 3,500 miles on it. When I went to sell it even though the car was a clear title and actually had more warranty than the actual in service date due to the fact that Dodge reset the warranty when the engine was replaced it was a pain to sell. I got a decent price because I was patient and had great documentation for the car but people get freaked out even though the problem was no longer a problem. I guess my point is that I have yet to have the car that I feel I am going to be mated to for life so to me more money spent for no stories will help you down the road when you go to sell. Unless of course you wreck the car yourself and create the crash history.:wink
 
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There is another one on EBAY right now, blue with white stripes in Huntsville, AL. At least the lister is being forthright about it.

"This GT has a story; damaged in the front requiring the replacement of both front fenders, nose/bumper/splitter, one headlight, windshield, radiator, a/c condenser coil, and other smaller parts. GT was totally repainted from white with blue stripes to blue with white stripes. This GT was repaired when I purchased it and I have put several hundred fun miles on it."
AND
" It has had a salvaged title in its past but for some reason the current Alabama title does not indicate salvage don't know why, but I am trying to be totally forthright in this sale. The only evidence of it's previous mishap are a few body panel gaps which could be more closely adjusted;"

So obviously, irrespective this seller trying to be upfront about the car's history, buyers have to be very careful given the # of these cars that have met an ugly fate.


This particular car was wrecked at 2093 miles back in August '06, it was hit up front but still ran. It came from the houston area.
 
whoever washed the tittle belongs in the graybar hotel... a federal crime, hope he spends a lot of time in the showers picking up bars of soap :-(
I would drop a dime on the perp in a New York second.
 
This particular car has been discussed here before.

http://www.fordgtforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8159&highlight=HeritageGt
 
The rate these cars are being wrecked is alarming. I have recorded seven just from the past 45 days that have been totaled including one TT. Please be safe guys!
That really should not come as that much of a surprise. I would say there is a pretty significant percentage of GT buyers who have never had any real seat time in a car with the power and handling characteristics of the Ford GT. This being the case, I'm sure several folks have gone out looking to test the limits of their new toy and discovered, to their regret, that the limits of the car far exceed the limits of their ability to drive it.:frown
 
Due Diligence Questions

I am new to this forum. As a lifelong Ford enthusiast, I have lusted after the new GT since the earliest word of its offer by Ford. Just my luck, I could not swing a purchase of a new car when offered. That has changed and I am now starting to outline my due diligence for a "used" car. I live in the Phoenix area and would love to purchase a car locally, if possible. I am terrified at the number of these treasurers that have been wrecked by purchasers not motivated by the actual car itself, but by the concept of "big guying it up" with the next new thing. In my experience, the older a car such as a GT gets, the more "stories" are involved with it. I hope its not to late to purchase a non-storied car for a reasonable price.

Could any of you provide me with some referrals beyond Car Fax as to how I might get a candidate reasonably inspected, before purchase. For example, I have seen the term "PPI" bantered about in this forum. What is a PPI, and where can I get one? Oh yea, while I respect dealers and their efforts, I really want to purchase my car from an original owner, directly, and hopefully hear the full story from the source whom drove the car home from the original dealer. I am not looking to steal a car, just want a fair deal and to imerse myself in the process and learn all I can before taking the leap. This was the procedure followed many years ago when I began collecting TVR Griffiths. I am honored to own five of these little bad boys. I have found the pursuit was a lot of the fun. Thanks for the help.
 
Welcome!

Arizona has some great GT owners. You can do a search by state and try to hook up with them.

Kingman is the home of Rich aka as GT Tech and a build team member.
A ppi is a prepurchase inspection by an extreamly qualified gt expert.

There are cars out there, just search and do your due diligence.
 
"PPI is a "Pre Purchase Inspection". This should be done by an experienced PRO. There are several who are members of this Forum.
 
Arizona GTs.

I am terrified at the number of these treasurers that have been wrecked by purchasers not motivated by the actual car itself, but by the concept of "big guying it up" with the next new thing. In my experience, the older a car such as a GT gets, the more "stories" are involved with it. I hope its not to late to purchase a non-storied car for a reasonable price.

Blawson,

I live in Scottsdale and we have a very active Ford GT owners group in the Phoenix area. A lot of GTs have been wrecked but the vast majority of them have not.

Examining hundreds of these cars at our various rallies reveals that most of them are in pristine shape and have received excellent maintenance. Most Ford GT owners are older, successful gentleman who's responsible lifestyles have enabled them to afford such a toy. You won't see many teenagers or twentysomething kids street racing in a Ford GT. Feel free to PM me for further information any time. Rich is an outstanding local resource and we will also be bringing the GT Guys out to Scottsdale's Rally before Rally III. They are probably the most qualified people to perform your PPI.

Chip
 
Just check and make sure if Chip has dyed his hair.