My first TVR and my high school Mustang GT had both been totaled and then rebuilt.

The Mustang was built from two cars and other than the weld spot along the top it could not be told from a new car. After a number of years I sold it to a family friend who later may have passed it on to her kid. Great car.

The TVR was being delivered to its first owner when it was flipped into a canal by a driver unaccustomed to a TVR's very responsive steering when he tried to avoid hitting a horse. Over many years I owned it there were very few electrical problems and lots of sand that would come out of the weirdest places. I sold it with right of first refusal but it was sold away by the unscrupulous buyer who shuffled the title around and "cleaned" it.

This is all to say cars can be rebuilt right. It is the lack of forthrightness that seems to be the problem here. Most likely it is due to ignorance, semantics and/or people feeling the need to stand their ground while being backed into corners.

Or, maybe not.