The devastating effects of Hurricane Ian in Florida during last year's storm season not only affected real estate but also the automotive industry. Most people don't know there's a market for flood-damaged vehicles whenever a massive storm wreaks havoc. As opportunistic as it might seem, it's the perfect chance for enthusiastic car lovers to get their hands on rare exotic cars.
They say, "Amid chaos, there's always an opportunity." For DIY car influencer Sam of Samcrac YouTube channel, the devastating effects of the hurricane got him a 1991 Chevrolet ZR1 Corvette and, much more recently, an Aston Martin Volante.
If you know anything about flooded cars and salt water, you wouldn't be found within 10 feet of a flood-damaged car auction. But if there's anything we've learned from this DIY car influencer – he thrives on finding the cheapest and easiest ways to repair cars.
The Aston Martin DBS Volante cost about $286,910 for the 2011 model year. Sam bought the exotic car for 90% off the original price. That's approximately $28,631 – a big bargain for a convertible British standard exotic vehicle.
Unlike the 1991 Chevrolet ZR1 Corvette, this V12 Aston Martin showed no water seepage into the engine (advertised with a low flood line). But from the YouTuber's assessment, there were signs of considerable electrical damage, including a corroded control module.
The first hurdle was getting it to roll off the delivery trailer. The 'Park Interlock' on the DBS Volante is located behind the driver's seat, but since the electricals had malfunctioned, Sam had to manually move the seat to flip the 'park' switch.
Once he got his hands on the control module under the front passenger floorboard, it quickly dawned on him that it would need a replacement. It had severe rust with some fuses gummed on the board.
"This is a disaster, and I have seen a bunch of waterlogged modules before, but I have never seen anything this bad. Ever. There's really nothing left usable on the circuit board," Sam said after checking out the internals of the flood-damaged control module.
Fortunately for him, the sticker on the Aston Martin DBS Volante's control module casing had a component number with Volvo branding. To the YouTuber's surprise, it was the same control module used on one of Volvo's cheapest cars. That's not all; they cost around $50 to $100.
"I bought one for $60 shipped, and I'm anxiously awaiting it in the mail. Could you imagine if we fixed this thing for just 60 bucks?" Sam said.
Well, to say he'd fix the flood-damaged Aston Martin DBS Volante for $60 is wishful thinking. But based on his assessment, the control module is the only damaged component on the car.
However, there's no telling if the malfunction on the control module affected other electrical components in the car. In the video, Sam powered the flooded car before assessing the damage – a wrong move dealing with electrical faults from water damage.
While it's improbable, we hope the Aston Martin DBS Volante's problems end with the $60 replacement module. It wouldn't be the first time Sam fixed a significant malfunction for less than $100.
Humphrey is a car enthusiast whose love and passion for automobiles extended into collecting, writing, driving, and working on cars. He got his passion for cars from his Dad, who spent thousands of hours working on his old junky 1970 E20 Toyota Corolla. Years later, he would end up doing the same with a series of lemons he’s owned throughout his adult life. Full profile
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