Talking to and working with hundreds of Rebuilders across the country who work on a wide variety of Cars, Trucks, SUV’s, and Vans provides great perspective on not only the challenges we face but also what makes many successful. For some, success comes from specializing in a certain Make like Honda or Chevrolet. For others […]

As a Rebuilder, we know that you debate whether to Retail or Wholesale your vehicles. We feel that knowing more about AutoSavvy, as a potential buyer for your wholesales is a critical part of your considerations. Did you know… So, will you pull it off with a couple of months left in the season? Partnering […]

The Black Book report from July 24, 2024 shows that the Retail Value of Used Vehicles (2-6 years old) is falling in 2024. That may not be too big of a surprise, but when you compare it to the rate of depreciation of 2022 and 2023, you’ll see that it’s falling even faster than in […]

One of the most Frequently Asked Questions we get revolves around Sourcing Parts. We all have our favorite websites we visit when looking for parts (and they’re probably the same ones) but what do you do when you can’t find that $10 – $20 module that is holding up your entire build? We turned to Alex Ortega, […]

Tax Return Season has arrived. Car shopping season is in full swing. Search Engine impressions for used cars are up and retail impressions on auto listing sites are spiking. As I’ve said, we think there is a chance to double-dip right now. What does that mean, “double dip”? It means you can: According to Cox […]

The average sales price for most salvaged title vehicles had fallen for 3-4 straight months at auctions around the country.  We posted over the last few weeks about a few specific vehicles where this trend was apparent: Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Mazda CX-5, Toyota Highlander, and the Nissan Rogue.  The response that the AutoSavvy Rebuilde…

We’ve encouraged Rebuilders to anticipate the Ups and Downs in the Wholesale and Retail markets. Demand for vehicles tends to spike in late Winter (Feb) and early Spring (Mar/Apr). To maximize your profits and take advantage of these trends, you also want to purchase the vehicles you’ll be selling at their lows. Maximized Selling Price [&hell…

According to Black Book Market Insights, we typically see a decline in both wholesale and retail values during the last few months of the year… the “ber” months. However, we also see a recovery on the horizon when Retail & Wholesale prices increase. Looking historically, we often see prices increase as we head into Spring (Tax…

One of the most frequently asked questions we get is about Pricing a rebuilt vehicle, both for Wholesale and Retail. We’ve talked quite a bit about Wholesale pricing using the AutoSavvy Rebuilt Wholesale Value Tool. However, as the nation’s largest retailer of branded title vehicles, we certainly have a strategy and strong opinions about Retai…

Recently we asked for feedback from this Rebuilder community. We are still tallying the results and will share those with you. But, some feedback or questions we did get revolved around Insurance Auctions. To help you make informed decisions and optimize your purchases at auctions like IAA and Copart, we have compiled valuable tips and […]

As Jerry Maguire once said to Rod Tidwell, “Help Me, Help You.” If you haven’t seen the ’96 classic, Jerry Maguire, consider it homework. All kidding aside, we appreciate the responses, feedback, and input from recent emails and users on the AutoSavvyRebuilders.com site. We want to continue to provide content and material th…

“What vehicles are you trying to buy?” is a prevalent question that our Purchasing team gets asked when they begin working with new rebuilders. The answer is simple, we are trying to buy the cars that are hot right now – we call them our ‘desired vehicles’. For example, a builder recently asked me this […]

Recently I was asked about holding technicians more accountable. The Rebuilder I was talking with told me about how he had some issues with a few cars lately that clearly came back to the quality of the repairs from one of his technicians. He explained that when a sale (retail or wholesale) comes back to […]

Running your business on a cash basis likely means you’re limited in the inventory you can buy (unless you’ve got infinitely deep pockets). Limiting your inventory means you’re limiting your customer base and a limited customer base means limited cash. Sometimes it can feel like an endless loop or cycle you can’t get out of. […]

Rebuilders pay close attention when rebuilding a vehicle: we double-check if the body lines are straight, if the panel gaps are even, if the paintwork looks seamless, & we even test drive our rebuilds & listen for wind shear. However, one area that is often overlooked or treated as an afterthought too often is Tires. […]