Do all wrecked cars go to Graveyard Heaven?

[Timbbuc2]

 Do you ever wonder what happens to all of the wrecked cars that are totaled by the Insurance company. Well first off you would think they go to local wrecking yards. Many do but they don't all go local.
I spend a lot of time in Central America and you wont believe the amount of cars (U.S) that are being towed away from the port. I have a friend that all he does is rebuild cars that he has purchased at U.S. auctions. He has a full time staff that repairs the cars. Items like hoods and doors he might replace but if it is part of the UNI body these guys will hammer it out. Don't know how they track down the road but they do amazing work. No down draft paint booth here!!!! just luck of the weather!!!!
Cars are very expensive here, for example a car costing 5k in the U.S. will be double that here(Honduras) Flood cars no problem ,alittle cleaning and shampooing that baby is ready to go.
This friend of mine is a Doctor by trade but he found out he can make more money on rebuild these wrecks. Going to visit him soon I will try to get some pics.
Not many Mopars here!!!! LOL

[Marc70challenger]

Local repo guy here buys POS cars back from the bank after seizure, does the once over and ships em out.   Makes a killing.

[RUNCHARGER]

Cheap labour makes for big profits.

[HP2]

In my neck of the woods we call them Mexican Road Trains.  They purchasing low dollar,  running cars off craigslist, police auctions, insurance salvage, and salvage yards. They'll put tow bars on two of em and run them three long per train and head south with 3-6 drivers each driving a train.

Decent money to be made in it, IF, you have the south of the border connections for distribution. Not exactly illegal, but  the ability to skirt a few laws is helpful.

[Timbbuc2]

Remember the days where shops could buy two cars cut them in half and make one, several people were killed because of this. Thats one reason  Insurance Company's started putting a salvage title only to keep them from getting back on the road . Heck here a parts only title is a good title. Very few rules about cars here. Flood NO problem, But I will say this, these guys have a talent to restoring cars, and for a buck a hour big profits.
I work in a textile plant ,average wage is $1.00/hr. its sad the conditions these people live with. Could you imagine making a dollar a hour and paying  higher prices for food and gas as we do?

[manycj]

Actually totaled cars are either deemed "Salvage/Rebuilt" or "Scrap" after they are claimed by the insurance companies. "Scrap" cars can not be registered in the US, since they are scrap.  Outside of the US is anyone's guess.  "Salvage" titled cars can be registered. They are designate so based on the fact that it would cost more than 55% of the car's value to rebuild it.  Their value after repair, at least here in Vermont, is estimated to be 80% less than a comparable "clean" titled car.  Both "Salvage" or "Scrap" titled cars are sold at auction.  Every daily driver car I have ever owned for the past 35 years is a rebuilt "Salvage" titled car that came from an auction.

Attached to this post is a picture of the 2012 dodge charger that I bought at auction 6 years ago. It had only 6,500 miles on it.  It cost be about $8K to rebuild it since I did most of the work myself.  I haven't had an issue with it ever.

Here's a link to the auction company my car came from:
https://www.adesa.com/locations

I look at it from time to time since there are the occasional wrecked classic car up for auction.

On the subject of cars that cross the border, north and south, I believe some of these cars are bought for the "paper work" if you know what I mean.

Chris