ragu

I bought my 68 convertible project a few months ago with a bill of sale only. I know I should have researched this subject earlier, but I plan on keeping this car in the family a long time. I'm interested in how much this hurts the value. The car is stock with the original 327/350, 4 speed, low optioned, international blue, black interior. Thanks.

Vet76te

By looking at you avatar, it looks like you're in Georgia. If so, Georgia does NOT have titles on cars prior to 1980. It will NOT hurt the value of the car at all. Should you ever decide to sell the car to someone in a state that still uses titles on older cars, all you will have to do is provide them with a notorized bill-of-sale and a tag registration. Then, when they return to their state, their state will issue a title.

Same issue for us here in Alabama.

1Fordman

Once you finish the car and register and license it, you'll have a Georgia title so everything prior to that is a moot point. That's assuming on my part Georgia is a title state and not a bill of sale state.

I can't see how it will hurt the value. If I bought your car with a Georgia title and brought it to California then registered it here, it's a Corvette with a legit California title.

markdtn

It doesn't make any difference on value. It is really a state by state thing. Alabama has no titles before 1975. Tennessee has them back to the 40s or so. Georgia does not require a title after 20 years I believe, but if you get a title with a bought car you can request to get one back (with BOS you get just a tag receipt). And so on.

ragu

Thanks for the replies. It reinforces my plan to do a quality resto. Unlike some other states, the Georgia tag office informed me they will issue a valid registration for this car with a BOS, but it can not be titled.

VettePower

This is incredable!! I am from the great state of Texas, and this is unreal here!!

Let me get this right......I live in Georgia, and travel to Texas, and steal someones pride and joy C3. I take it back to Georgia, type up a phony BOS on my Walmart PC, take that to the Georgia DMV, and presto, I get a tag and registration?????? This may be true, but it is still

L88Plus

I hope these guys are right about being able to register/title the car.
In Texas, we call cars with no titles "race cars", they're worth salvage value and little more.

VettePower

I know one thing....If I see a pickup with Georgia plates drivin real slow back and forth past my place...I am shooting first and asking questions later!! luckily that is legal in Texas!!!!

Vet76te

You're missing the issue here. To register the car in Gerogia, you must have a notorized Bill-Of-Sale from the previous registered owner, and a copy of their tag registration. You can't get that with a stolen car. It's no different than the title.

Vet76te

If you took this car to Texas, they would provide you with a Texas title. However, if you buy a car from Texas, with a Texas title, and register it in Alabama, they shread the title and give you a tag registration.

Check this out;

http://www.revenue.alabama.gov/motor...Title_FAQ.html

and this, taken from the Georgia DMV website;

Possessing a Georgia driver's license is highly recommended before trying to register a car in the state. If you are new to the state, make the driver's license office your first stop.

You must register your vehicle within 30 days of purchase or within 30 days of residency, whichever applies, and then reapply for a new tag each year. Applying for a title and registering your vehicle can be done with the same application. Georgia titles are not required for car models 1963 to 1985.

DZRick

It's the same in NY 1973 was when we started issuing Titles before that we only had transferable registrations.

My 68 is still on a transferable registration and all our registrations have this written on the back.

milo30

You can apply for lost titles or find other ways to forge it here in Texas too. It is still registered by VIN. If someone, let's say, stole it in Texas and took it to Georgia and forged documents to register it, when reported in Texas it would be entered into the computer by the vin number which would then show up in Georgia on their computer when it was registered.

Just how the state does it's business. No less safe than here.

Ron R

How long does the process take though? Seems there could be a window for some massive fraud if you knew what you were doing and know of a place where you can grab a car that won't be noticed if it's missing for a short time.

Take photos of a car you know you can grab and go on craigslist in Georgia and find a cash buyer before you even have it. Steal the car, register it with fake docs, then deliver it to the buyer, take the cash, and disappear before the owner reports it stolen?

Kap142

I ran into a similar situation when I bought my 72 in Alabama and brought it back to Florida.

I knew Alabama was a no title state for old cars so I drew up a BOS including vin, date, purchase price and such. However Fl DHSMV also wanted an affidavit on previous ownership, mileage and witnessed signatures. Ad to that Alabama registration had incorrectly recorded an S as a 5 in the vin and it only took 5 trips to the tag agency and a bud in law enforcement with a connection inside DHSMV to get a Florida title. OMG. But no worries cause this 72 BB will be under my butt for a very long time

427SIXPACK

I AGREE DZ
In NY they dont title cars prior to 1973
the registration is transferable ..........

joewill

This is also a basis of fraud called title washing,
A salvage titled car from state X is sold to via bill of sale only to a person in State Y, who subsequently sells it back to the guy in state X with bill of sale. State X issues a clean title and presto... original seller has a car worth thousands more since the title is clean and not a salvage title..

Ron R

Wouldn't he have to go to State Z? If it went back to state X the VIN would identify it as salvage.

joewill

Yes, you are probably right.. in some cases the title may have to be moved around to many states to 'wash' the title clean...

here is a neat link describing this...

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news0...na_titles.html

Merlinhaggard

Im in Texas and got my 68 from NY. I took the bill of sale to the DPS and they gave me a title.. No questions. They know that NY didnt title cars prior to 70 or so..

I did a 70 Suburban once that I bought from CA. and it was a nightmare. Had to do a bonded title..

milo30

Time for vin to be entered is dependent on when it is reported to the police. once they get info it goes in depending on the agency in a matter of minutes.

The issue of title or bill of sale is really a mute point. A thief is going to be a thief and someone is going to end up losing money in the end. Just athe way the world works. I'd be more afraid of the chop shop thief. You'll almost have no chance of getting your car back if they got hold of it.

Hopefully everyone has insurance that will cover it.