Unveiling the Hidden Secrets of Car Flipping: A Breakdown of 5 Copart Tricks They Don’t Want You to Know
- Jessie Miller
- Feb 12
- 3 min read
It Started With a "Great Deal"
I knew better. I really did. But there’s something about seeing a salvage car at a dirt-cheap price that makes you think, “Maybe, just maybe, I’ll get lucky this time.” Spoiler alert: I didn’t.
There it was—a theft-recovery vehicle on Copart’s auction list. The photos looked decent, the listing said “runs and drives”, and the final bid? Way lower than I expected.
I thought I scored. But the second I got it home, the reality check hit me like a brick.
Step One: The Walk-Around Reality Check
You ever get that feeling when you open a Christmas present and immediately regret asking for it? That was me.
🚗 First look: The car did not look like the photos. Scratches, mismatched panels, and something off about the way the rear door closed. Not great, but still fixable.
🔧 Then came the missing parts: No engine. No transmission. No side mirrors. No radio. And the real kicker? None of this was mentioned in the listing.
😡 Oh, but it gets worse: I found a wiring harness cut in half, interior trim held together with zip ties, and enough hidden damage to make me question every life decision that led me here.
And this is why I always say: Never trust an auction photo.
Who Really Wins at These Auctions? (Hint: Not the Buyer)
Let’s talk about how Copart really works, because if you think these auctions exist to get you a great deal, you’re already losing the game.
Copart is the middleman between insurance companies and unsuspecting buyers. The goal? Maximize profit—not help you get a bargain.
✔ Insurance companies dump their problem cars.✔ Copart collects fees from both sellers AND buyers.✔ Buyers? Well… we get to gamble with incomplete information and hope we don’t lose our shirts.
📢 And that whole “runs and drives” thing? That just means the car moved five feet under its own power at some point—it doesn’t mean it won’t explode on your way home.
This is why so many people get burned.
Lessons Learned (So You Don’t Make the Same Mistakes)
1️⃣ Never, EVER trust a single auction photo. What you see is not always what you get.
2️⃣ If the car has been through multiple auctions, ask yourself why. If nobody else is biting, there’s a reason.
3️⃣ ALWAYS check the VIN history before you bid. If the car has bounced between different states? Walk away.
4️⃣ Budget for surprises. There’s no such thing as a "cheap salvage car"—only cars with hidden costs.
5️⃣ Be ready to part it out instead of fix it. Because sometimes, that’s the only way to make your money back.
So… Was This a Total Loss?
The short answer? Not yet.
I’m still debating whether to flip this thing, part it out, or torch it for warmth. But one thing’s for sure: Copart doesn’t make it easy for buyers.
I’ll be documenting the entire process—from teardown to repair (or total disaster)—on my YouTube channel. Want to see how this plays out?
📢 WATCH THE FULL BREAKDOWN HERE:📌 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uubWNAMXqzM]
Your Turn – Have You Been Burned at an Auction?
Drop a comment below or hit me up on Facebook. Have you ever bought a salvage car that turned out to be a complete nightmare? Let’s share some war stories.
📢 Follow Wrecks2Rides for more salvage flips, auction exposés, and rebuilds!
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