I am looking at buying a 1930 model a 2dr sedan with no title. It is a basket case with orig motor. Any ideas on how to get a title or where to buy one??
Two basic suggestions, a DO and a DONT. DONT ask at your local Highway Patrol/State Police, or any other Police Agency, not the place for that info. DO ask at the local DMV or better yet the on-line DMV site for your state, this way you dont get any B.S. because someone is having a bad day. Print the info off the DMV site and go from there.
Every state has different laws. Here in Illinois it's a nightmare to try to do what you are doing but it can be done. Contact the DMV in your state and ask for the procedure for applying for a lost title. Are there numbers on the frame???? These are important as they would match the numbers on the missing title. I suspect your dmv would run a check of those numbers to ensure it is not a stolen car before issuing a replacement title. Don't get to far into the build as you may be taxed on your own labor. That is what Illinois is doing. Get the frame together and body looking like more than scrap value and then have it appraised if that is one of Iowa's conditions.
If its a original frame you have to raise the body to find the #'s on the top of the frame rail, drivers side right around the cowl. FWIW, they are considered serial numbers and not v.i.n. numbers. Someone chime in if a original 30 frame wouldn't have numbers, thanks.
The numbers on the engine are the same as the numbers on the frame. As the cars came down the assembly line they stamped the numbers from the engine on the frame. So the VIN number is the engine number as long as it is the original engine. There should be a build date on the left side of the firewall. the numbers on the frame can be found on the left side behind the steering box. They might be under the body.
i here iowa is a real stickler for the correct title..ie worse than most states.make sure you get and keep alot of documentationtk
There is supposed to be numbers on the frame but I had a 28 Sedan... No pitting and No numbers...ever!
Here in Michigan, it's easy. Go to the Secratarty of State (DMV) and get a vin inspection form. Have a local State Police officer come by and do a "vin inspection". He'll look at your car, check your driver's licence and fill out the form and then sign it. In my experience, they're happy to do this. Go to Secretary of State with the form, and tell them you bought a car with no title. They do a search to determine if it's been stolen or other issues. If not, then fill out another form, include what you want to tell them you paid for it, pay them, and they submit it. Get a new title in a few days. As has been said...laws are different state to state. I've always thought that some of you guys from states that are more difficult could "sell" the car to somebody living in one of the more accommodating states, have them title it in their name, and then "buy" it back from them. Of course, would have to be someone you trust.
Some states are easy, some are hard, all that matters is what yours wants. A '30 will have a frame number.
I went to the trouble of lifting the body on my 31 pickup,I found no ser. # on the frame ,under the drivers side cowl. Nothing but rust and pits. I do have the org. engine w/ stamped #. When I contacted DMV they said ,that # was not in there data base. At this point I'm still trying to contact the previous owner so they can file for a lost title. ..............Jack
I think your state is a lot like Illinois. The absolute most important thing is to get a "notorized bill of sale" don't buy it on a Sunday, set it up so you can do the transaction at a bank or a currency exchange and a notary can sign as witness. If you have numbers on your car you may be able to apply for a lost title. If you have no numbers you may end up having to bond the car and get a new title and vin number. The first thing you should do is to go to the Iowa dept. of motor vehicles, in most cases they have a services division. Inquire as to the process, ask them if they have a bonded titles department, ask this first as most states do have a bond procedure if they issue titles, the person in this department will be the ultimate authority on the process, be patient and become informed.
Most times, you can simply look on your states DMV website for the rules. in Oklahoma its called title 42 and pretty easy. Other state can suck, so if you family in an easy state, go through them. Another option in most states is getting an assigned VIN number, which involves building the car and having it inspected by the DMV, inspection station or the state police, then you get a new title with the vin and you have to have a plate installed. The car will be classified as a custom build, so you can't legally sell it as a 1930 model, it will legally be a 2010 or whatever year you do it.
You can buy a clear title in the classifieds here and put the vin number on the car and then transfer the title . 30 fords only have a id number. They didn't have vin numbers back then. It may not be the right thing for everyone but it is being done and it works in most cases.
Lost title questions come up here almost daily. I did a search on "iowa title" and came up with this: http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/search.php?searchid=10728440&pp=25 Do some checking through there, you may find some useful information from someone else who's gone through this before in Iowa. As the other guys have said, every state is different in how they do these things.
Depends where you bought it from. For example, if you bought it from New hampshire they don't title old cars, but the seller can give you a bill of sale and a VIN inspection signed by a local police officer. Find out from your DMV what they want, then make them happy.
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