why are you fussing so much? if your really that interested call the dvla tell them you just bought a damaged car and ask if it needs a vic, if it does its a bartering point and will be wrote on logbook at bottom, if it doesnt then mateys telling the truth
if the cars worth it and priced well go for it.
id say a good quarter if not third of the cars on the road are right offs, prob 70 percent of them the owners dont even know it.
i do lots salvage allways declare it though, but then i only do ka's corsa's etc... easy sellers