Salt-belt rust and the Indiana truck market
INDOT and Marion County salt heavily through winter. By year 8 most Indy cars have visible undercarriage rust; by year 12 it's structural. The body deteriorates faster than the drivetrain — engines and transmissions don't care about rust, but rocker panels, brake lines, and exhaust components corrode steadily. Our pricing reflects this with a small body-condition discount; the drivetrain side stays normal.
Indiana's truck market is one of the strongest in the Midwest. Roughly 35% of our Indy pickups are full-size trucks or large SUVs. Older Silverados, F-150s, Rams, and Tundras pay above national medians here because the parts demand is deep — Speedway-area mechanics, Avon-area independents, and the broader Midwest used-truck market all pull from the same pool.
What we pay, and the cold-weather factors
Across recent Indy purchases, payouts on 8+ year-old cars cluster about 5-10% below national medians because of rust. Newer cars run on par. Trucks and SUVs in working condition pay above national medians thanks to regional demand. Hail-titled vehicles take a 15-25% salvage discount but still pay.
Cold-weather mechanical failures drive a lot of our Indy pickups. Cracked engine blocks, dead alternators, frozen brake calipers — typical February stuff. The car runs fine for years and then a single cold snap finishes it.