Cars Without Titles

[oldschoolhotrods]

100's of cars, trucks, motorcycles, boats, rvs, trailers, you name it over the years, never 1 problem, course like i said there are loopholes, and posting them over the internet isn't a great idea....

so i'll just be quiet

 

[Gastrick]

100's of cars, trucks, motorcycles, boats, rvs, trailers, you name it over the years, never 1 problem, course like i said there are loopholes, and posting them over the internet isn't a great idea....

so i'll just be quiet

Don't get me wrong oldschool, I'm not saying not to do it. In fact sometimes, it's the only viable answer and I've done it myself. I'm not trying to put you or the method down. It works great in most instances. I was just pointing out that it is possible to end up in a bad situation even after using one of those services. I've seen it happen and have seen vehicles seized and never returned because of it.

I've got to ask though, how is it that you have purchased hundreds of vehicles without titles.

 

[donsrods]

I found a '70 Olds 98 sitting a few years back, had a 455 in it, and that was all I wanted. Found the owner, and he said I want $ 100 for it. When I asked him about a title, he said he had one, but that he "had to leave town unexpectedly like immediately." (cops were hot on his trail )

My girlfriend and I met him in the local Autozone parking lot, I handed him the money and he gave me a signed title. He was on his motorcycle with a backpack on the rear of it. Funniest thing, he was wearing a shirt with "F*** the Cops" printed in big letters across the back of it.

Now, I am no rocket scientist, but I think if you were leaving town because the cops were looking for you, the last thing you would do is put an anti-police billboard on your back !! My Girlfriend thought it was the funniest thing she had ever seen.

That car became a small square chunk of steel as soon as the motor and tranny came out of it.


Don

 

[oldschoolhotrods]

I've got to ask though, how is it that you have purchased hundreds of vehicles without titles.

well, we deal with alot of cars, let's see this last month, 30 model a coupe, 57 chevy truck, 40 mercury, 67 dodge motorhome, 74 boat and trailer

that's last month, waiting in line, another 40 mercury, 4 model a's, 60 falcon, 73 mercury, that's 13 in just last 2 months, and i've been trying not to buy much lately to finish up a few things. although i am planning to go look at 300 acres of titleless cars later this month.......now that i think of it over the years i've only had a few cars that actually did come with titles

100's is really probably a very low number, old ford (and most other brands) bodies have no numbers, so what good is a body with a title? people register cars off old frames all the time and then resell them...

and i feel like i pass on alot of great deals all the time.....

 

[SlipMag]

so where would i look for numbers on my 30 model a? i have the frame it came with...and another frame i got from a friend that is under it now...

where would numbers be on the body? lets say it has no numbers....can i get it stamped like a trailer...stating it was "home made" or "custom built" ???

thanks, joe

 

[BigDog]

Stamped

can i get it stamped like a trailer...stating it was "home made" or "custom built" ???

thanks, joe

Joe,
A friend of mine could not find the numbers on his '30 where they were supposed to be so he stamped some on that matched his paperwork. When he went down to the DMV he acted like he didn't know where they were then started looking around and said oh, here they are and got his ticket stamped. Just a thought!

BD

 

[SlipMag]

what if i got the car with no title?? i still talk to the guy i bought it from..he said they used to us it for drag racing so he never worried about the title...haha

 

[Tripper]

That's a good 1!!!

he said they used to us it for drag racing so he never worried about the title...haha

Slip,
Yeah... that's a good one... I'll have to remember it!!! ; - >

BoB

 

[SlipMag]

lol.....wtf so what do i do? when i got it the other frame had slicks on it and skinnies, someone had hacked in a small block...they used it at the sand drags....

 

[oldschoolhotrods]

a model a body has no numbers, the block has numbers which are only good for seeing what year the motor is, the numbers that mean anything are on the frame.

here's the fun part, the numbers are on the frame, top rail of the drivers side, under the cowl........ that's the stock location

A friend of mine could not find the numbers on his '30 where they were supposed to be so he stamped some on that matched his paperwork. When he went down to the DMV he acted like he didn't know where they were then started looking around and said oh, here they are and got his ticket stamped. Just a thought!

smart friend

 

[SlipMag]

so what do they do? make up numbers? lets say if its a home made frame..?

 

[joehalford01]

here in california only so many custom built cars are allowed to be tagged per year. I would think you are better off buying a clean title and vin from some one else or another car pre smog check and using the frame from it so you can use it's title and vin. i havn't done this myself yet though so i'm not sure what happens when the cops pull you over.

 

[35Mastr]

Only 500 year for the whole state.

 

[gassersgarage]

At the begining of the calendar year, they allow 500 to be registered as what ever the car resembles. After that, you have to wait for the next calendar year. The reason for this is because the State realized it was losing out in tax money. For example, if you put together a "kit car" and have $100k invested, you pay tax on $100k, which is why you must show receipts for everything you did. As for the question of frame numbers, the CHP is pretty good with finding true vin/frame numbers. They were trained by the NTSB for recovering stolen cars.

 

[Tripper]

Cow town!!!

At the begining of the calendar year, they allow 500 to be registered as what ever the car resembles. After that, you have to wait for the next calendar year.

Gasser,
I know Calif was tough but that 500 car limit deal is the craziest thing I have ever heard! Seems like they would be losing $$$ if they didn't register cars 500-600. It's *much* easier over here in cow country. We have more horses & cows than people & can get our chuck wagons registered pretty easily, they want to collect the fees... the more the merrier!!!

BoB

 

[DaJoker]

I always was under the impression the 500 limit was to limit the amount of possibly smog producing vehicles, not really for tax reasons. Learn something new every day I guess.

 

[gassersgarage]

You can still register your car, however, it will be as a special construction. That's why Coddington got in trouble and title companys are being investigated. Coddington was under reporting costs.

 

[donsrods]

Today I had to go to the DMV to do some business, and while I was there I figured I would get the title to my '39 Dodge transferred into my name. Normally, I would just take a signed title in and they would do their thing and in a week or two a new title would show up. Not this time.

The clerk asked me if I had the vin verified, I told her there was no vin, that it was just a bare body and was 70 years old. She informed me that I needed to have a cop or notary fill out a form that the vin was verified, because I had an out of State title. I told her I have done this a bunch of times, but she said the laws have changed. So she gave me a form, and I will take it to my local notary and have the "vin" verified. (time to get out my metal stamps)

I think the comments about the legislators trying to do away with these old cars is not too far fetched. Even good old Florida is getting tougher.

Don

 

[35Mastr]

Don,You have struck a good point there.Here In good old Cali.It is tough when you have a car from out of state.Vins need to be verified either from a local cop or take to the DMV and have it done.My 35 was from Mass.It did not have a VIN,But it did have the tag on the cowel that most of the older Chevys do.I did have the title for the car.The body number on the plate was on the Title.I was advised by some of my customers that build rods.They told me that make sure that you know where the numbers are on the car before you have them match them up.The ladyt old me at the DMV that it was not a true VIN.Then I had to explain to her that in 1935 there was no long didgit number VIN#.

I hope this helps you.

 

[donsrods]

Thanks George. Yeah, my title is one of those "swap meet vendor specials." It has never been a problem before, and it isn't like we are trying to retitle a 2007 Viper or something.

I may have the vin tag laying around here somewhere...........yeah, that's the ticket.

Don