[persian54]

Originally Posted by loveskiing

I guess we will have to agree to disagree...but glad that you like one of my thoughts!
Most insurance companies are much wiser than the average bear...since they are some of the richest companies in the world and they didn't get that way by accident...granted, you can always find a "good deal" on a salvaged title car, but if you take the numbers in aggregate, they are not good deals at all...insurance adjusters do look at many things before writing the car off...besides just the $$$ to fix it...and yes, the actual numbers do vary from 50-75%, but cars that they deem for certain reasons to be unsafe to repair are given that designation and sold off.
As for not going to BMW for a PPI, that hasn't been my experience and one of my best buddies has worked for BMW for over 20 years. Customers can order what level of PPI they wish, just have to pay more. The key point was for the buyer to spend the $$$ and get it inspected thoroughly by whomever, rather than buy it w/o a full inspection.
Finally, while you would spend the 10k and "tear out the interior...etc", I wouldn't spend a dime on that car...rather take the 10k and invest it in something else that when I was done with the car, wouldn't have to sit on it for quite sometime...as many have to do with salvaged title cars, irrespective of what's been done to the car IMHO :

Ahh but my friend I must disagree with you again!

The beauty of a "cheap" track car is you can drive it with less worry

tracking a 10-20k car vs tracking 70-80k car is a big difference in worry : P

(my e93 M3 MSRPed for 83k, + taxes, so I do have to be more careful tracking it)

I guess insurance companies I've encountered are different :P

But we agree that they are some of the richest companies in the world!

Depending on the PPI, one can see how the frame is.

Personally, I wouldn't but a salvaged car...but if it's cheap enough from someone I know (like how the op knows the owner), I would look at it differently. Everything is case by case :P