If insurance companies totalled a car every time the owner wanted them to, then you would be paying about $20K a year in premiums. Fortunately, what the owner wants is not a factor (in 99% of the cases).
Flood repaired cars are sold/bought all the time. There are certain stigmas out there about collision repaired/flooded vehicles that are simply un-founded. No insurance company is going to total a car at a cost of $10,000 when it only costs $1,500 to repair it. Most flood cars that get repaired only cost $1,500 or less to repair.
FYI, if totaled check with your lienholder (if you have a lien). That is usually going to be up to the lienholder on whether you can retain salvage or not. If you have clear title, then it is up to you, but most major carriers will no longer insure a vehicle that they consider to be a total loss (but most will allow you to carry liability). If it is totaled, you will also get a branded title.
I wonder if your insurance company will give me a reward for tipping them off to the thread about you wanting to get rid of your car and then this one.
Sorry I didn't make the suggestion privately. I had a car when I was a teenager that I wrecked and it was totaled. My father bought it back at auction. We bought another one of the same model that was good except the engine. We switched the engines and then sold the wrecked one to someone else who wanted its floor-boards. Made some nice money on the whole deal and got my car back.
You shouldn't have much to worry about. Insurance companies don't tend to look into fraud on flood losses or driving into high water. However, if they even remotely suspect you intentionally drove into high water and they send to SIU to investigate, then they will find out about a divorce, income deficiency, child support payments, etc. and then you might have problems.
You might want to blur the plates. Otherwise it would be easy to track back, and I am not sure you can trust everyone on the bbs.
You better pray they don't see these threads. You would be toast if they do. Insurance fraud is a big deal.
