Automax sells cars that have been totaled, then rebuilt

Nabil Sayegh says he couldn’t have lasted almost 15 years in the car business without his office manager and right-hand woman, Rene Holmes. Heck, he might not have gotten started at all.

The two were working together for another dealer when Holmes gave him a push.

As Holmes recalls, “I said, ‘You’ve got the smarts, you’ve got the intelligence, you need to get your own place.’ ”

Of Holmes, Sayegh says: “She keeps me in line.”

Sayegh owns Automax on South Broadway, specializing in cars that have been rebuilt after being declared a total loss by insurance companies. Sayegh makes sure his customers know the history of the vehicles, showing them photos before and after repairs.

Indeed, that’s the selling point.

“You make new affordable to people,” he said.

Or nearly new. For instance, a red 2012 Nissan Rogue with 23,000 miles on it had been totaled because of damages to a door and rear quarter panel.

Sayegh replaced them and was selling the car – originally priced at about $24,000 and currently valued at about $17,000 – for $10,995. Other vehicles were priced between $5,995 and $21,995.

A native of Lebanon, Sayegh followed a cousin to this country in 1989, earning a degree in international business from Wichita State University while working as a parking attendant, cook and car repairman. It was the last job that suited him best, he said, even more than international business.

“I’ve always liked cars, always worked on cars,” he said.

Although he subcontracts out the bodywork on Automax cars, Sayegh uses his expertise to figure out which ones are worth buying from insurance auctions in the first place.

“To me, it’s just a challenge,” he said. “Before I get it, I can imagine it done.”

Not that Sayegh guesses right every time. Just this week he bought a “beautiful car” whose beauty was, unfortunately, only exterior deep.

“I lose at least $2,000 on it. I just get rid of it and start over,” he said.

He has a couple of hard-and-fast rules.

“If the car is full of trash, I don’t buy it,” he said. The same goes with vehicles that have badly worn tires. To Sayegh, both are indications that the previous owner probably didn’t maintain the car properly.

Flood damage is another no-no. Sayegh says engines, once submerged, are unreliable.

Hail damage, collisions and other problems are fixable. After the bodies are repaired, Automax has its own two-car bay for fixing brakes, oil changes and other work.

Holmes said some customers are turned off by the idea of buying a car that has been totaled, but enough like the savings to make the approach work. Sayegh says there’s a fair amount of competition in the salvage car business.

“I’m not going to say I’m the best,” he said. “I try to be the best. You can’t make everybody happy, but 99 percent are thankful.”

He says he relies on repeat business and referrals for many of his customers. Some customers ask him to find certain vehicles.

“I had a lady want a Honda Civic with low miles,” he said. “She picked it up yesterday.”

Just then, a phone call came in from a man seeking a newish black truck with low mileage and plenty of features. Holmes told him there appeared to be one in the pipeline.

“I couldn’t have made it without that woman,” Sayegh said of Holmes.

As for Holmes, what does she get out of the arrangement, in addition to a job and seeing her friend succeed?

She gets to drive any car on the lot.

This story was originally published October 21, 2015 at 3:32 PM with the headline "Automax sells cars that have been totaled, then rebuilt."