so here's the deal. my step father has owned this 1931 model a since 1978, it hasn't been registered since 86. he passed away recently and today my mom and i went to transfer the title to me; well the vin on the title came up as a 1930 model a and never being registered to my step father or the classic used car lot he purchased it from in 1978. it looks like the only way to verify the number is to pull the body off; is this the case? any help would be appreciated. thanks
If you want to be sure..yep..thats how you will have to go about it. it really isnt that hard, and its worth it to do it right
You might be able to see some of the motor with the body on. The A pickup I put together, the very first body bracket under the cowl had rotted and you could see the whole thing with the body on. Had the bracket been there only about half of it would have been visible. And having no motor helped getting a look at it. But from what I understand they don't all get stamped in exactly the same place, too. Chances are it's a '30 with a '31 grille shell on it or something, even by '78 those had been around a long time for people to mess with. On the bright side, even Don Roberts (Model A parts vendor) told me the body bolts are regular cap bolts you can buy most anywhere, they're cheap, don't be afraid to cut them up and replace them if you have to. You can probably pull every one but the last two and just jack the front of the body up an inch or so to get enough room to see it.
well i looked under the car and i think i could have the body off in about an hour with some help from friends. it's pretty clean with no rust. anyway i looked on the engine for numbers but didn't see any, where would they be located? i have no clue if it's original, i do know it sits exactlt the way it did when my step father purchased it in 78. here are pics, not sure how to tell the differences between the yrs, maybe you guys can help by the pics?
Motor number is on the side of the block below the head http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=486057&highlight=model+motor+number
Cowl band usually means 31. Do you have any old registration reciepts that might have a number on them that could be searched. How did he tag it all those years ??
Nice car !!! What are you going to do with it ? My grand pops had one just like it . same colors and all . They are fun ol' cars , enjoy it if you can !!
Don't get wrapped around the axle on what year it is as far as registering it goes. If it turns out that the motor number on the motor matches the title, I wouldn't even take the body off. Nobody will ever make you do that. It's common knowledge with DMV experts, and officers of the law when doing a VIN verification that the Motor Number was on the original title. Hopefully that's the case with your car. On the other hand, it is very possible that the motor has been replaced. Then, to check the number on the frame would be in order, just for my personal knowledge. If it were my car and I could get the title transferred to my name, whatever the numbers actually are would be for me to know and for nobody else to find out!
well the title has the vin and the last time he registered the car was in 86-not sure they had computers running everything back then so it may have slipped thru. the only thing i can think of is it's titled off the engine and the actual frame is in someone elses hands or v/v. i guess the only way to tell is to pull the body.
All of that is in the past. You have the title. You have to prove you own the car. That's done different ways, but with the person whose name is on the title is deceased, then somebody has to prove ownership. Next of kin would be by law, absent specifics on a will. That person takes the title along with supporting documents verifying next of kin and a death certificate to DMV. In most cases a VIN verification isn't even necessary. If that person isn't you, then let the next of kin get a new title, then transfer it to you. Again, no VIN verification should be required. When at DMV, listen a lot, don't talk much.
Let's hope you've been putting some KARMA in the bank. Good luck on that Motor Number matching the one on the title!!
my mom has the death rites to the car and we went to the dmv with the death cert and that's when they said that that vin on the title is in another persons name and never shows being titled to my stepfather or the place he purchased it from yet we have an ohio title issued in 78 stating otherwise. they said i need either a pic or a pencil rub of the actual vin to prove what is actually on the car.
That is B.S. ! If someone wanted to contest the car was Theres or the DMV wanted to get Funky they WILL make you take the body Loose to check. Had a Buddy that couldnt Prove his VIN cus the Firewall VIN had been changed & the Local Police Impounded the car, Took it to THERE garage where they took the body Loose & checked for themselves. Frame didnt match & he LOST his car !! Unbolt it & have a Certified VIN varification done.
It's a late '31. You can tell this by the firewall indentation where the fuel bowl is attached on the rt. side of the firewall. Other differences are the '31 Model A has a one piece splash apron and the '30 a two piece and the '31 has a painted insert at the top of the grille shell.
BS....(I had a buddy....................???) We ain't talking about thieves and title launders, we're talking about numbers that match on the motor and the title. If they do nobody will ever have to take the body off. There ain't a firewall VIN on a Model A. That was their first clue that it was a scham.
The title your mom has might not be for this car. If that's the case I would get the number off the motor and initiate a "Lost Title" proceeding. DMV will help you with that. Affidavits declaring ownership, etc. and circumstances they ask for. Whether it's the car that goes with the title or not, your mom posesses it, owns it, unless somebody contests that fact. So, keep the actual number you find on the motor under your hat whilst sorting it all out. Good luck.
Waitaminit... The OP says they went down to DMV with the title and it doesnt match thier listing of ownership?. Thats fishy in itself, almost as if someone else owns that vehicle. Not saying the OP is wrong in any way, but the VIN verification proess should ALWAYS be done to prevent fraudulent titling of vehicles. AS others have said, you may not have taken the proper title to DMV... If your step father was like I am, I keep old titles around long after cars are gone. Check the Frame and Engine numbers and good luck!
you know i never thought about there being another car but the title was clearly in his name wether it be for this car or not. the dmv said their records don't ave his name or the previouse owner ever linked to it. i did find in the car a reciept for about 30 parts from 1977 for a model a truck. he didn't own this one until 78 and my mom has never heard of him owning a model a truck so who knows. i'm going there tomorrow to check the engine number-crossing my fingers! not sure for what at the moment.
He, he, he. Gramps might have been running more than one car, switching the plates to the one he was drivin' at the time......It's been done before.
The vin number is also the same as the number on the drivers side of the motor. and the vin number is also located on the upper section of the frame around the front shock area if I remember correctly. Good luck with the process.
I would spend the time now and do it right. Get it registered as a 1931. Pull the body, get the number to verify it is really a 1931 and the DMV will probably want to install a tag on the door. If anyone knowledgeable about Model A's looks under the hood they will see the late '31 indented firewall and say "something is wrong here". If I went to buy a 1931 that was registered as a 1930 I would pass. Charlie Stephens
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