Hot Rods CA Title/Registration Question for Old Fords

Like what car? Even a Model A had it in two places, from the final ***embly factory (at-least in the US, except when they forgot).

 

Well, my 1953 Muntz Jet had/has one tiny VIN plate on the firewall, and it is held there with self-tapping metal screws. There are no other markings or stampings anywhere, and I've had several of them completely (and I mean COMPLETELY) apart. So, there is one example.
Nobody has mentioned AAA as a verifier, and I've used them on many occasions with wonderful results. They are very helpful on things that are out of the normal scope of other agencies. Good luck ...

 

Yes, I had 2 cars VIN verified by AAA. The VIN verify-er only looked at the VIN on the door jam and no other place.

 

My experience as well

 

When is the last time that you did this? As far as the licensing board has told me, AAA* and LEO's cannot do a verification anymore.

*Unless a specific person at AAA has a verifier's license.

 

My 47 Lincoln only has it on the front frame rail. Since the frame is welded to the body from the factory like a unibody car, I doubt it has one anywhere else, unless the long gone motor or transmission had that same number. If it did, you'd have to destroy the car to find it.

Just another reason I'm glad I live in a state where ***les aren't required on anything over 35 years old. They won't even recognize a ***le anymore if the vehicle is over 35 years old, even if you have a valid one from somewhere else.

 

While Ford Model "A" ORIGINALY had serial numbers in two places, if it had a motor 'swap', especially with a non-ford motor, the second place is gone, so now how is CA-DMV going to "find" the 'missing' number, other than the one on the frame, ***uming an original frame? Yes, I know this is a ridiculous question, but when interacting with the CA-DMV "ridiculous" is a way of life!!

 

Hi Gimpy,
This was about 6-7 years ago. I think I had to go in when the guy who normally did it was in the office. I'm unsure if he had a license or was just "the guy". These ***le/registration services are looking better all the time.....

 

I know that they can do paperwork for things that are in the system. If it is not in the system, you are best off with a service.

 

Which seems to bring us full circle since the "law" has changed.
If a car is coming in from out of state, reg'd or not, it apparently needs to be vin verified via two locations as of 10/2016. If you dont have that, you'll need to get in touch with CHP to verify.

FYI... GM cars 1948 and below used numbers off the motor and trans. Ford used numbers from the trans bellhousing, which was also stamped into the frame rail, usually located in the area above the steering box (in my experience).

 

I'd contact a ***le/registration service before going to the CHP.

 

My last one was out of the system. I had AAA VIN-verify, but they told me I had to go to the DMV to handle everything else. Which I did. It involved retaining original black CA plates, so that made me nervous that the DMV was going to deny me keeping them. It was a semi-PITA, but I got it done. I got to keep the plates on the car.
Yep, I'm using a service from now on.

 

This, above all else.

 

Knowing what I know now I dont intend to buy another out of state vehicle unless its an amazing deal. Being in CA I/we have access to some excellent tin... and there doesnt seem to be a really good reason to buy outside of state lines.

 

plan9 --> I've come to the same conclusion.

 

I guess the good old days of getting a sheriff's deputy to come to your house to verify a Vin are long gone. Did this with my 32 in 1992 in So Cal. It was ***led Special Construction when I bought it. The ***le used the engine number for vin. I had ripped the car apart and was cleaning the frame and found one of the 3 original vins at the rear kickup. Someone told me the Sheriff could verify it so I called and a deputy was there in 10 minutes and filled out a form for me with the vin. Found out later from the first DMV that only the CHP were now allowed to do this. Went to a different DMV and all was well.
I don't even want to talk about the process in WA state when I transplanted there in the early 90's with the car unfinished. Much like what it sounds like Socal is now.

That has all changed in WA. now.

 

Good info. I know there are tons of guys on the west coast who have acquired an original steel 32 or even Model A, and put an aftermarket frame under it or new frame rails. I was asking how you were
able to get id numbers on it and what kind of ***le you received. Everyone can't be doing projects with just pink slipped frames.

 

Personally I would be happy with a state issued VIN. That way anything you do with the car after that will not really affect the ***le. As to the comments that it will affect the value.. It's a hot rod, not a numbers matching Hemi Cuda!

 

***le needs to be "Old". Otherwise it is a 2017 SCV and must meet 2017 emissions. All of this is to beat emission laws and testing in CA. In my state I MUST get a replacement VIN for a non-VIN car. If it has not been continuously registered. But the replacement VIN can be for the Year of manufacture. Looks like CA uses the original SN# only to ***le pre-VIN cars.

 

When it comes to getting old iron registered, I'm not sure if there is anywhere easier than the state in which I live. For anything 35 years old or earlier, all it takes is a bill of sale, with the buyer, seller, and vehicle information on it, plus the purchase price. The signatures do not even need to be notarized. You take the vehicle and the bill of sale to the Highway Patrol inspection station, hand the nice officer a few dollars, they make sure the VIN on the bill of sale matches the number (one number, somewhere) on the vehicle, and then gives you a piece of paper that tells the folks at the DMV to let you register the vehicle. An hour later you have tags and registration, and in a couple of weeks the ***le shows up in the mail.

 

All of that is possible in California, too. They have just been tightening up who can verify the VIN/serial number.

Any LEO could previously do it. Now, it is CHP or DMV, or a state licensed vehicle verifier.

It is a CHP duty, but they don't want to do it. It is a scale/volume issue.

For perspective, Kansas has 2.9-million people. California has 32-million registered vehicles.

 

I wrote AAA on the page 1..

 

You did, and a nice gentleman that I spoke to, about a month ago, at the Department of Motor Vehicles, Occupational Licensing Section has informed me that AAA can not currently do a "off records" VIN/serial verification, unless the person doing so is specifically licensed to do so. They can only handle active paperwork.

This is an important thing to know, as many here are dragging a relic out of the weeds, and putting it back into the system.

 

I guess I got lucky once with the CA DMV. I had a 63 F100 that hadn't been registered so long that it was no longer in the system. I did have a CA pink slip. I was told I needed to get an inspection to get it ***led and transferred in my name. I wasn't in any hurry at the time. Fast forward a few years to 1998 and I was moving to WA and I needed to sell it because I did not want to haul it up here. I did get it running driving and stopping and I wanted to get the most I could get for it. This time I dropped by the AAA since I was a member and they had DMV services and didn't want to deal with the DMV itself. I still had the paperwork I started with the DMV and took it to the AAA to see what it would take to get it ***led. Lo and behold they ran the VIN and my truck was now in the system. They said all I needed was to pay the ***le and reg fees and the truck would officially be in my name. No inspection needed!