i went through similar trouble and found its not worth it.

wanted a 350z shell for track car, stripped out, stitched frame, etc...
hit up salvage yards in houston, texas area after IKE and found insurance companies send them to auction after total where they get bought by salvage yards fixed and resold.

i went ahead and got 1 from a dealer and my friends thought i was crazy for stripping it down, media blasting, stitching, and a cage, but atleast i know there's no frame damage.

 

After my car was hit in my driveway it was 6K to fix



I really dont think you can find a salvaged Z with 3K in damages. States differ in laws but normally its around 80% or so making total value of the Z 5,600 or so. I havn't seen any Zs for less than 6k... ever.

 

wouldnt mind a salvage for a drag car!

 

In NC, your car gets salvaged if the cost to fix it is more than 75% of its total value.

It's possible to get a 03-05 Z and fix for about 7-9k, the price of the car is included. As my dad used to buy salvaged cars, fix them and sell them I have a little bit of experience in that field. Try copart auto auctions @ www.copart.com .

EDIT: When it comes to a sports car, though, you really want something that didn't have any major frame damage, it is possible to fix it, and it is possible to get fixed to the point where its damn near perfect, but it will never be quite as perfect as it was when it rolled off the production line. Most people wouldn't be able to tell the difference in how the car drives if one was fixed by a good body man and another one was never wrecked, but some would, especially in extreme driving. It's really easy to tell if the car was wrecked by the gaps and the paint.

 

you can get them for under 9k but I would just pay a few thousand more for a nonsalvaged. Not worth the risk for me

 

Generally,the lower the salvage price,the more its damaged.The outcome of rebuilding a wreck usually doesn't reflect the time and money spent.

 

my 07' Z cost $13K to repair but still wasn't considered salvage because the damage was mainly to the suspension and rear fender which could all be replaced. NO way you're getting a salvage up and running without looking like a total mess with just $3K in repairs.

In today's market you could find a Z that doesn't have major damage or a salvage title for ~$12K. I can't imagine you'd be able to fix up a salvage Z and be as reliable for less than that amount.

 

Near pittsburgh on craigslist there is a salvage 06 350 for 6500 the crash was in the front actually doent look like a horrible fix but I havent look at it in person to see what it would take.

 

it's called "***** rich".

 

in that case, you need to look for a more affordable car than the 350Z

 

Funny to see all these salvage Z threads pop up.. I just sold my stock 17's to a kid with a salvaged silverstone from philly............
OT:
And just so some people know some states don't require the "salvage" badge to be carried over when going from one state to another like Philly to NJ for instance! Be careful guys!