Anyone ever bought a flood Corvette?
Intermediate
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 29
Likes: 0
I bought a 98 flood car changed the electrical parts reasonably cheap (used Parts) It has turned out to be a great car but must admit if I had not done the work myself it would have been expensive. But it is not a peice of cake doing the work. Good luck man.
Instructor
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 188
Likes: 0
From: Atascadero California
Originally Posted by Daleford
I ask again............. If it was possibe to find a C-5 flooded only up to the bottom edge of the fuse box, might one have a trouble free car, electronically speaking. 
If it didn't have a flood title, and sustained only minor damage, I would consider it.
Like I said, for me, it is much easier to rebuild a wreck than a flood... takes less time, and usually requires less work and parts. None of you on this forum would touch the 2001 I am building now with a ten foot pole, and that is as it should be...
It will have a salvage brand when i am done, but i don't care.. resale is not important to me. but for 99.9% of the car enthusiast public, I would never reccomend doing what I am doing.
That said, it is too unfortunate that many of these flood cars will get "title washed" (no pun intended) in spite of efforts to prevent it.
A rebuilt wreck that is poorly done is usually fairly easy to spot by any good mechanic you have check out the car. A flood car is harder, as there may be no visible damage. I would favor a national database for any and all cars declared a "total loss" that would include the type of gamage sustained, and the value of the car the insurance company used to write it off.
Race Director
Joined: Jul 2000
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From: Out Where the Buses Don't Run, Eglin AFB/ Niceville FL
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Was it a salt water flood or fresh water? I just looked at a 2004 Jag XK8 Katrina victim. From 40' the car looks repairable. Up close, it's not even worth parting out. All salt water damage on this one.
It's hard to sell a salvage titled car. If it was fresh water damage and the price is right, it might make a good parts or track car. My $.02
It's hard to sell a salvage titled car. If it was fresh water damage and the price is right, it might make a good parts or track car. My $.02
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,065
Likes: 41
From: Kensington PE
Originally Posted by 3XBlack
Was it a salt water flood or fresh water? I just looked at a 2004 Jag XK8 Katrina victim. From 40' the car looks repairable. Up close, it's not even worth parting out. All salt water damage on this one.
It's hard to sell a salvage titled car. If it was fresh water damage and the price is right, it might make a good parts or track car. My $.02
It's hard to sell a salvage titled car. If it was fresh water damage and the price is right, it might make a good parts or track car. My $.02
There are a number of them to choose from and they are all Katrina cars.
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4th Gear
Joined: Nov 2020
Posts: 4
Likes: 0
From: Charleston, SC
I bought a flood car in july of 2002 the car had 1,800 miles on it at the time. the car lot told me that they had changed all major electrical parts. the car now has 22,000 miles and no trouble what so ever. I my just be lucky but the salesman said that they have been in business selling only flood damaged cars for 15 years. I checked them out from quite a few sources and everyone recomended them. OH yea the car is 2001 corvette coupe 6 speed with all options. So far so good.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2021
Posts: 8,342
Likes: 489
From: WI
My vette is a flood title. Previous owner owned it after flood for 12 years and put most of the miles on it, so that was my reassurance- any flood related issues would have come up in those 12 years and 80% of its miles. I was coincidentally in the same town as the car at the same time the flood happened so I recall the modest severity of the flooding in the area in general. No salt water in the midwest.
If I wasn't as familiar with the flood situation, I would definitely pass or lower my offering price accordingly to account for worst case.
I was shopping for a Miata of the same era but got my C5 within the same budget, because of the flood title.
If I wasn't as familiar with the flood situation, I would definitely pass or lower my offering price accordingly to account for worst case.
I was shopping for a Miata of the same era but got my C5 within the same budget, because of the flood title.
Advanced
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 84
Likes: 5
I'll confess my sins. 
Years ago, we bought an older Vette that had been salvaged for flood damage, and flood damage only. The car, itself, was
in pretty good mechanical condition and drove well. The plan was to use it as a project car.
Worst mistake ever...
Had the car for a few years. At first, the car seemed fine. As time passed, the smell became unbearable, to the point
it gave me a headache just sitting inside. It reached a point where the entire garage began to smell so we ended up
selling it to a local salvage yard at a big loss. Pretty sad as the car was mechanically sound and had very low mileage.
Years ago, we bought an older Vette that had been salvaged for flood damage, and flood damage only. The car, itself, was
in pretty good mechanical condition and drove well. The plan was to use it as a project car.
Worst mistake ever...
Had the car for a few years. At first, the car seemed fine. As time passed, the smell became unbearable, to the point
it gave me a headache just sitting inside. It reached a point where the entire garage began to smell so we ended up
selling it to a local salvage yard at a big loss. Pretty sad as the car was mechanically sound and had very low mileage.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 2,375
Likes: 426
I worked my way through college in the '70's taking apart cars at an auto salvage yard.
We all made money fixing "insurance wrecks" on the side.
Everybody had a "specialty".
Some liked very light wrecks.
Some guys did high performance wrecks.
Some guys liked to "clip" two wrecks together to make one good one.
A few weirdos liked fire damaged cars. (yuck)
I liked "unusual" or foreign cars.
But even the guys who specialized in fire damaged cars wouldn't touch a flood car. They just sat dripping and stinking until we sent them to the metal scrapper. We wouldn't sell a thing off them.
We all made money fixing "insurance wrecks" on the side.
Everybody had a "specialty".
Some liked very light wrecks.
Some guys did high performance wrecks.
Some guys liked to "clip" two wrecks together to make one good one.
A few weirdos liked fire damaged cars. (yuck)
I liked "unusual" or foreign cars.
But even the guys who specialized in fire damaged cars wouldn't touch a flood car. They just sat dripping and stinking until we sent them to the metal scrapper. We wouldn't sell a thing off them.
