How I legally registered my rat rod with no title

[jamesgs4]

I still haven't got around to doing it yet, but ill post an uupdate when I do.

[TIMOTHALE]

I was at the car show at ISU in Pocatello and the United Street Rods of Idaho organization had a booth there. I asked about registering-titling home built cars. They told me to check their web site and Idaho DMV .They said I would need a bill of sale for all the parts,, then an inspection, then the car could be titled as the year and nodel the car most closely resembles and a glass body roadster would only have to meet the requirements fo 20's 30's.

[Nailhead A]

Here in BC we are very lucky we have a "lost or missing title search" available. Since we don't have private insurance there isn't as much red tape. You can literally take your bill of sale and an affidavit and apply to have the car registered in your name, even if the last registered owner is not the seller. If there are no serial #s left anywhere on the body or frame they'll give you a new one it only has to pass a government safety inspection.

[Skip]

I just filled out all the paperwork to start the process on my 39. Hopefully it will be painless. Most of the people at the DMV seemed easy to get along with. Wish me luck.

If it all goes well, I have a second set of forms to do BEFORE I start the next project. I think...

[Willowbilly3]

I have found the easiest process here is to buy a car with a clean title, second best is using my favorite towing company to do the title work. The process is only available to bonded towing, wrecking yards or dealers. It takes a couple months and costs me $100

[Skip]

Originally Posted by Skip

I just filled out all the paperwork to start the process on my 39. Hopefully it will be painless. Most of the people at the DMV seemed easy to get along with. Wish me luck.

If it all goes well, I have a second set of forms to do BEFORE I start the next project. I think...

Well, the person that gave me the forms said I could bring them back and they would have a state police officer come out and do a VIN check at my place.

The person today said, No you can't do that. You have to bring the vehicle in for us to inspect. Then, when we don't find a VIN, we have the state police look it over. I was very polite to this person also. This person spent a lot of time reading the rules and misinterpreting them. Obviously did not have a clue. "Not reconstructed because all parts are not 39 , "assembled" and registered as this year (requires 2017 emissions, yea, that gonna f'in' work), well..., maybe reconstructed will work if it will look like a 39. Sigh...

I suspect that it will be a different person that looks at the truck when take it in. Hopefully soon.

First, I have to make sure it runs and stops. It should. Then I have to clear a path to get it out of the back shop, through the house garage, and onto a rental trailer. This is what I was trying to avoid.

I was dreading this process, and so far, I have not been disappointed. I will prevail. And next time, I will have the title before I build the dang thing.

[exador]

111

[Skip]

Originally Posted by exador

111

If all else fails. For now, I have the time to play the DMV game. Makes for good stories.

[8 Deuces]

Another decent option is to buy an existing title for the same (or similar year and model) from one of the people on eBay or other forums like this that sell "vintage titles".
Here is an email address of one such person. ***Disclaimer... I have not bought a title from him myself but have heard he's reputable**** Most titles sell for $200-$450 depending on what it is and the demand for it is.

rdz69@aol.com

Side note: If you get a title for an old car you built and have to have the VIN verified... Call a VIN verification service to come to you and do it. (if your state offers that) Everything in California is tough but I buy and sell a lot of old cars and I have a side business buying, restoring, and selling Classic Step Vans like the Metros, Jeep Fleetvans, and Chevy P10 Stepvans. Whenever I get one from out of state I call a verification service and the guy comes to my house checks the VIN and fills out the form the state of CA. requires and I walk into the DMV and transfer the title with no issues whatsoever. When I bought my '29 Chevy Rat Rod from TX it had a title but because it was from out of state the DMV requires VIN verification to make sure the vehicle is actually IN California before they will issue a title and registration. There was NO WAY I was gonna roll up to the DMV or Highway Patrol office in my '29 and take a chance they see it and won't register it etc. Plus...there is NO VIN PLATE! Just a little metal plate with the VIN number hand stamped on it riveted to the frame rail. I didn't want the DMV or Cops to say "that's not the original plate" or "Hey...that beer keg is NOT DOT approved to be a fuel tank" Etc etc... and make it impossible for me to get the title transferred. So, the VIN Verification service solved this problem. Don't know if this will work where you are from but chances are...if it works in CA it will be even easier elsewhere!!! Seems like from the YouTube video and the OP of this thread Vermont doesn't care if the car is actually in the state as long as they get their fees they are happy! LOL Gotta love a state like that!

[Bamamav]

Originally Posted by 8 Deuces

Another decent option is to buy an existing title for the same (or similar year and model) from one of the people on eBay or other forums like this that sell "vintage titles".
Here is an email address of one such person. ***Disclaimer... I have not bought a title from him myself but have heard he's reputable**** Most titles sell for $200-$450 depending on what it is and the demand for it is.

Only problem with that is the numbers won't match between the title and your vehicle, unless you stamp them yourself, a no no in most places. And there is also the possibility of you having the title to a car, and that car actually being in a no title state for years, something happening with that car and you get checked somewhere, you might be going to the pokey for something you didn't do!

If the vin numbers on the title and the car don't match, then you don't have a title for that car, plain and simple. You have a worthless piece of paper and a car with no way to say it's yours. What do you think Johnny Law would do in that situation? The car would probably be impounded, and you'll be headed to the gray bar hotel.