I'm looking at a 71 with no title. how hard is it to get a title and are there any risks?

 

Check with your states DMV.
Good luck.

 

U should check dmv probably get a bill of sale or maybe pink slip good luck. Check online dmv whats the status of vin

 

I wouldn`t touch a car without a title. There are those who say you can get a title through a company that deals with that.... paperwork goes through their state, then back to yours.
On paper, it looks like you sold it to them, then bought it back. Our state is on to that, and will give you a hard time for out of state titles from certain states known for that.
But for me, a car with no title is just not worth anything. If a seller says, "Oh, you can get a title easy", I tell him if it`s that easy, "YOU get a title in YOUR name, then I`ll buy it."
I agree with the above, the FIRST thing you should do is contact your local DMV and ask them just what hoops you`ll need to jump through.

 

I don't agree. In my state you do not need a title to register a car that is older than a 2001. I just registered a 2000 without a title. You do need other documents however, bill of sale & previous registration.

When I bought my 78 a title was not needed, a title was never issued in my name and when it comes time to sell I cannot provide one but can show it has been registered every year for the past 14. Again check with the dmv in the state you are registering the car to see what the seller needs to provide.

 

Exactly correct - totally agree. I tried this once - once ('67 Camaro). It was an absolute nightmare and I lost a lot of money and ended up selling the car as a race-only car, never did get a title. I got lucky and was able to recoup some of my losses, but definitely not worth the hassle. But then again, I live in FL just like OldGTO. Caveat emptor.

 

The car is from California and now located in new jersey. sound like this could be a problem. I do have an option to title it in florida also

 

When I wanted to register my 68, I had long since lost the title. The car had last been registered in California in 1985. It had since dropped out of the California DMV computer system. Therefore I had a car without a title. The woman at the So Cal American Automobile Club was very helpful. I filled out a form stating that the car had not been driven in the years between 1985, I was the owner, etc. She then went out to the parking lot and inspected the car to verify the VID and the mileage. Then we went back in and she generated a new title for the car, registered it, handed me my license plates and out I went. I imagine during the new title processing, their computer system must have verified that the VID was not on a stolen car list. I'm not sure this process would have been this easy if I'd gone to the California DMV and had to deal with a state employee.

When I went to the SoCal AAA, I did have my license plate showing the 1985 registration sticker. I also told her that if need be I could prove I'd had the car continuously insured for fire and theft. She indicated none of this mattered, but it probably made her think I was telling the truth.

 

Years ago I drove from western Pa. to eastern New York with my truck and trailer to buy a 1967 big block corvette convertible and when we were ready to close the deal I asked to see the title and was told that there was no title , just a registration. I never heard of this back then and almost drove away. We went down to the local JP to verify and he said that titles weren't issued for cars that old so I bought the car and was glad that I did. Made a nice profit on that one.

 

if it is a state that requires titles, then the car belongs to the person the state says it belongs to. if the seller does not have a title, it is not his car to sell and he is committing fraud selling the car.
as stated above, there are services that can get you a title, but make darn sure you get the car at a considerable discount before you even think of trying to use those services.
ask the dmv in that state selling the car and your state both.

 

If the car was ever registered in NJ, it had to have a title. NJ has had some form of titling for all cars, going back at least to the 30's.

Prior to the 60's, NJ used a Bill of Sale to determine ownership. These were state issued, legal documents, that looked very much like a modern title. As ownership of a car changed, all of the previous Bill of Sales stayed with it. In 68, we bought a 32 Ford, that had been in storage since 1952. It came with three Bill of Sales, one for each previous owner, going back to the original owner in 1932. We turned in all 3 Bill of Sales (after making copies of them), and received a title.

We did bring some cars into NJ, that didn't have anything but a hand written bill of sale. This usually required a little more effort, to get a title. One thing they use to require, was a tracing of the VIN stamp (today they'll except a digital photo instead). Once they have the tracing or photo, they'll do a check on the vehicle, and if there are no issues with the VIN, issue a title. Though they may require the Bill of Sale to be notarized, and/or a notarized letter detailing the purchase and explaining the reason there is no title.

For a car that was previously titled in NJ, and the title has just been lost, it's quite easy for the seller can get a duplicate title. It can be done at any NJ Motor Vehicle Agency location, by showing the proper identification.

 

Not to mention serious price hit, now,
and in the future. 20%? or so.

 

Our state Florida is a nightmare I had a legal titled kit car sit in red tape limbo over two weeks, would it be pricey yard art or a legal fl car, the DMV changed the "brand" on the title and it was okay.

In fl if you try to title an in state car it must have a fl title, then they do not inspect the VIN, if the car is from out of state the DMV will inspect the VIN, it's been a few years and will call the head lady I know at DMV and ask about titling a car in fl with out of state no title,
Last heard in fl you couldnt do it.

 

This is very doable in many states, including Florida. I know this fro recent experience.

Alabama does not title cars older than 35 years (it used to be made before 1975, but it is now a moving target).

In Alabama you can register the car in your name. That registration is your proof of ownership.

A current Alabama registration, a notarized bill of sale, with the seller's name matching the name on the registration is sufficient to get a title issued in most other states, including Florida, Illinois, Tennessee, and New York.

I know this due to recent transactions involving these states.

And for the record, no laws for broken in any of these transactions. This IS the process for getting a car titled in other states.

 

I wouldn't even consider that car without checking the hidden VINs first. If they match the visible VIN and the available paperwork, then I would worry about the title.

 

As they say depends on the state. Check all laws and VIN's carefully.

In Kansas you can transfer an old car via "Bill of Sale".. the Kansas Highway Patrol will inspect VIN and check against state and federal stolen vehicles and then an Insurance Data base (held much longer than States). They have recovered several cars that were stolen and even titled in other states. KHP told me about Mustang that he recovered that changed owners about 4 times and in two other states but was stolen about 10 years ago. When I asked what happened, he said it's returned to original owner, and the most new owner will have to file a Civil claim against the person he purchased it from.

Also some states if they are unable to match multiple VINS (I.E. body and frame) they are titled/registered as salvage and/or non-highway use even if not stolen.

John

 

Just to add to the 'in MY state, this is how we do it' conversation...

Here in NY, anything older than a 73 only requires a registration. (I think its 73, may be a year off in either direction)

Anything newer than that requires extensive paperwork and multiple signatures. (From seller, purchaser). So if you bought a 'missing title' 1980 Corvette from a guy, spent all winter restoring it and then tried to title it....you would have to track down the previous owner for signatures. I went through this with a kit car I owned. I had all the correct paperwork in place and waited a year to title it. The dummy who sold me the car wrote down the WRONG VIN (as this was a kit car, from the mid 70's, I also though he was showing me the vin plate) and ALL my paperwork was null and void. I eventually sold the car out of state.

SO the moral of the story here is.....just cut through everyones 'personal experience' bullcrap (including mine) and just call the DMV in the state you wish to register/title in.

 

I agree. Check with your DMV to make sure you can touch all the bases if you want the no title car.

 

 

As you can see, almost every state has different requirements so you should be positive about what you need from the seller before buying the car. If the seller is too lazy, clueless or shady to go through the title process himself that tells you something also.

I bought my 72 from the 4th wife of the deceased owner. I had to get a copy of the guy's death certificate as part of the documentation needed by the Mass. RMV. In Mass. even cars that originally had no title have to get one now. Curiously the 79 Vette that I bought before the 72 had a salvage title (recovered theft) but the new title that was issued to me was clean with no mention of the salvage title.



Rick B.