Help with a title...

[Conestogaman]

Has anyone out there had any title related horror stories? I have 3 going now simultaneously...

I guess I just need a bit of moral support. I know they'll eventually clear.

[Mike]

Well...sorta....long story short...

I'd registered my 54 wagon, insurance...everything.

I went to renew the insurance...and the lady at the AAA noticed the insur. and registration....the Vin numbers were different!!

I went to the DMV....they had to check out the car....they took about 30 minutes to figure out the vin. number was ok...but the same lics. no. was also on a 76 Chevy truck !!!! The 50's lics. numbers have the same number/letter configuration.
I filled out a coupla sheets of questions and off I went...not knowing if I was going to be able to keep the plates. The car was fine....but the "year of manufacture" plates were a big question

About two months later...I got a new pink slip and a note saying the plates could stay on the car.


Well...that's my positive horror story.

[Conestogaman]

Cool! Now that's what I'm lookin' for!





I got these 2 Conestogas, see...

And I went down to DMV, see...

And they gave me the run-around, see...

So I had ta do it!



Anyway, back to reality, My Champion (I've recently learned) apparently has a late '56 engine (dealer/factory replacement under warranty? ).

And the previous titled owner (long story to get there... ) filled out the title application with the engine# (off a 56 engine), where the VIN# should be.

So, our wonderful, helpful, curteous, DMV worker, finally, (after I drag the information out of her, thru carefully worded questions, while trying to look non-menacing to the bored Sheriff) tells me that I need a 'peace officer' or other DMV representative, or other DMV 'appointed' representative to 'verify' the actual VIN#






So I loads it up onto a flatbed, see...

and drive around to all the local municipalities, see...

and try to get them to verify that the engine# is what the title has as the a vin#, see and would he please record the actual VIN# so I can register it...

(I knew there was some weird feeling I got when I pulled the 'original' engine out, and plunked in my SB350... so I re-installed the 'original' engine to keep the car 'original')



But they all told be to f*** off!!


Well, not in so many words, but they all deferred to the CHP...





So now I gotta figger out how to get this car to a CHP during the week, without paying to do it... Anyone know if they do housecalls (without taking someone into custody...)?




Then there's my Commander...


I traded a '51 Chevy p/u for it at a junkyard and got a bill of sale from them.

I show up at the DMV window (at the same time as the previous) and get the same 'you gotta get a representative to verify the #'s" story...(this one has no axle, so won't transport so easily).

I think she was done f***ing with me, got bored, and wanted the next guinea pig..




Now for the 3rd.


I ran across a '59 GMC 3/4 ton longbed stepside for $400.

How can you pass that up??

Seems, the 'lady' I bought it from never titled it in her name and now I either...

1) gotta go to the titled owners home (about 10 miles from me) to see if he still lives there, and will sign off on the title and not say I stole it and have me arrested for GTA, or...


2) or send a certified letter to his last know address, and wait for it to be returned by the post office as undeliverable, or have the release of title signed and returned by him (see above)

3) better not go any further....

I'll take even money on if they tell me to get it verified too...



I'm glad I didn't have more cars to register... this week, anyway...



Please keep em coming! I need all the moral support I can get...

[Conestogaman]

Well, I got 2 of the 3 vehicles, not only titled, but registered...sort of...

The '59 GMC turned into a '58 GMC 150 (3/4 ton longbed stepside) and cost me $500 to transfer the title and register it. Most of the $$ was for back fees due as it was never non-opped (scheduled planned non-operation) before I got it.



The Champion Conestoga took me a bit more energy.

I got it registered after I dragged it to DMV and had all the #'s verified. I wanted to keep the blue w/ yellow plates that came with the car, but there has to be a determination made by some office somewhere in DMV, so they placed them in suspense (I'm on the edge of my seat...) until I either get in the mail a...

New '06 sticker with my registration paper,

New plates with a new '06 sticker to affix to them and a request (order?) for the original plates back,

Or a letter telling me to go back to DMV to work it out some more...

I got a question...

Since the previous owner (and who knows how many before him) used the engine# for the VIN# on the title and no one caught it, could this have been done by the first licensing dealer putting numbers in the wrong place on the sales form and overlooked ever since? Is there a database somewhere of all the sales reciepts for '54 Studes stating first buyer?

I had tried to transfer it to my name in 1998 and because of this 'anomoly' was told to have it 'looked at' by a CHP to verify the numbers. I put it back into my garage and sat on it for a few reasons.

First, I didn't want the CHP telling me they'll have to 'keep' it for 'further study' if something was fishy.

Second, it's tough for me to get time off to visit CHP (or DMV) during the week, with a car trailer, and get friends to help me load it onto said car trailer...during the week.

It's been on the back burner ever since.

Things have changed drastically in my car enthusiast life of late thus necessitating my move to register it.

You might say spring cleaning came early.



P.s. The Commander Conestoga will need trailering also, so will stay on the back burner... for now...

[studebaker kid]

You guys must live in some flakey states. I had to retitle my 64 and the door sill plate had popped off. I still had it but many years of drag racing puts a lot of vibration through such an old car.

Since my car was driveable all I had to do was get a trip permit and drive it to the State Patrol for inspection. You do not need a title for a car in order to lisence it. All you need is a registration and that is what I have. One of these year my title in finally gonna clear and if it doesnt it aint any big deal. Vintage cars are commonly sold with a BOS and just cause that is all you have doesnt mean that you cant get it lisenced.