switching salvage title to clear title

There are more reasons to seek a clean title other than just to "eff someone over".

1) The biggest reason you should try to get a clean title, is insurance. If you're doing a late model vehicle and you have a salvage title some insurance companies will only pay out 40% if you total it. So you just bought a truck that books at 32k for 20k, put 4k in it. So you've got a 24k truck, someone runs a red light and totals your truck the day after you finish it. Their insurance says your truck is salvage so only 40% of 32k. 12,800.

Just because you get a clean non-rebuilt title doesn't mean a carfax won't show damage records. Also, in most states regardless if you have a salvage or non-salvage title, if the car has had more than 3k damage and you know about it you must disclose that.

Sure, there might be people who do it for the wrong reasons, but there are legit reasons as well. So the guy saying "you're a cool dude", should chill. Just because you can't see any other reason (probably because you're that kind of guy, or you can't see the good in anyone) doesn't mean there isn't one.