I bought a car about 1-1/2 years ago with no title. It was an old racecar and the title was probably long gone, but it did still have the original VIN tag in place. I am in the process of making this car street legal and I am just about done with this project, but obviously I still needed a title so I could register this thing. So, I checked with the Colorado DMV, and it is a huge pain in the ass to obtain a title. I would need to have the car valued and bonded, have a certified (by the cops) VIN inspection, etc, etc. So, I did some research and came up with ITS. I filled out the paperwork and sent them $130, and crossed my fingers. A week later I get an Alabama (which is a "no title" state for older cars) "letter of title" for my car. After I got a "un"-certified VIN verification ($15), I went up to the DMV and turned everything in as if I just bought the car from Alabama. Well yesterday I got a clear Colorado title for my car in the mail!
Also, keep in mind this is just my experience and I am in Colorado. Things may be different for you in your state. Also, if the car was ever reported stolen, there is the possibility that you could loose the car.
As for the stolen part, surely you could find somebody you know or through a network to run the VIN number in a police database... Good info though!
I used those guys(ITS) to get a title for my 56 caddy ,from when I sent them the money to receiving the title was about 12 days,can't beat that .I too received an Alabama registration .
NC is/has gone through all the title that were generated though a Title service and are checking EVERY one out....ask me how I know......Luckily my truck had gone to Japan several years ago they could do nothing about it.
Thanks for letting us know that ITS worked for you! Last year I was stuck in a similar position, luckily I found a local title place to sort out my problems. $150 well spent!
I believe Boyd Coddington used a similar method of titling his cars and was on Federal charges for it?
I think this is who Boyd used when he got in all that trouble. But the issue with him was he was titling them to get out of paying taxes on a new construction, like titling a brand new $100k rod as an original '32 or whatever and claiming it was only worth a couple thousand.
Shhhhhhhhh. I think this procedure shouldn't be told to the whole wide world. Yes current law allows it but there's too many of them busybodies at the state shack legislature dreaming up new ways to submarine our hobby. Buffy McFadden (D. Colorado) would like for all recreational cars to be crushed so that we will have to buy new cars from Spradley New car Dealer!
WTF?! Why? International Title Service (and company's like them) is legit businesses. In my case (like probably many other people), my car still had the VIN plate in place and the car wasn't stolen. It was simply an old racecar, and the title had probably been gone for a while.
Probably, but it might help if you did the research to use an actual maker that existed and made the serial number match the format of those cars. Like a 1927 Moon or something. (just slap a Moon decal on it when you have it inspected...)
In Colorado you can, it's call assigned title. You can call the car what you want, the title lists origin as new manufacture. You have to post bond, get it roadworthy, get it appraised, etc. Drawback is it will be a 2008, and all components must meet emission standards among others.
Of course. I don't think anybody is questioning what you did. I'm just saying if all of these processes are publicized a lot, the more we educate them (our enemies in the legislature) in our passive conversations, the ones that don't know all of the process, will further educate themselves in their attempts to shut down our hobby. The more they know the more they can hurt us. Before, with the "lost title proceedure", when the "vin verification" and the "title search" was complete and there was no vehicle registered under that number, the title was issued. That proceedure had a form titled "In Lieu of Surety Bond". Now you have to have a bond anyhow. When the assholes at the legislature revised that proceedure and added the "surety bond" requirement, where the new owner of the vehicle has to post a bond based on it's value, so guess what? That meant somebody authorized to do it had to do a value assessment. In effect, They added two requirements to the chain for no reason except to harrass us. They are chipping away at us and don't be surprised if they don't add more shit to the requirements. They don't like us.
Why does everyone come back with "What the Fuck"? If you still have the VIN number go to the DMV and apply for a lost title. It shouldn't be hard. The VIN Number itself is the hardest thing to get on an old car. Some of us build cars that had no vin #'s and no title's and are very limited as to how we can register them. The jerks in power want you to register it as a kit car even though it's a real 29 body on a real 29 frame.
FYI, If you live in the wonderful state of Ohio dont even try it. They rejected my paperwork twice. First time I sent them the$160 they wanted or whatever. Then they sent it back and said they needed $360 so I sent it. Then they sent it back again saying no dice due to the new laws in my state.
I used ITS too and had no problems at the DMV in Aurora. Trickiest part was probably the VIN verification - looks like some of the emissions testing places do it for $10 - I just had to show the guy where to look for the numbers on my 'model A' frame (that I built....). Hey those stamping sets at Harbor Freight are real neat too..
I don't think the process of paying someone to send you a bill of sale for a car they have never owned is legit. Perhaps they offer services Im not aware of?
maybe you guys can shed some light on my situation. Im in colorado, i have 3 cars with no title, but i do have a bill of sale for each car (55,56,57 Chevys). All the cars have VIN tags. My question is, i have converted 2 of the cars (55,56) from a 4-dr sedan to a 2-dr sedan. The VIN makes no mention of the number of doors. Am i going to have a total shit show on my hands or should i be able to sneak them by? Also, if anyone has a 55-57 sedan title, does your title designate between a 4-dr or 2-dr? Ive dealt with the dmv office over here many times and they seem pretty cool (small town) but will i eventually just have to pay for a title service?
I used ITS to get a title for my 55 bel air . I don't know what new laws your talking about, but this was about 5 years ago. They might be hip to it now. My registration was from Maine. I didn't feel so shitty about using ITS because I actually had the original title for the car until my mom threw it away. The guy I bought it from owned it long enough that it still had a yellow copy, which isn't in the state database. Anything titled before march of 93 was recorded manually. So, its not so easy to file for a lost title, and I couldn't find the guy whose name was on the title. If he had notarized it for me, I would have transfered it the next day, but noooooo.... Long story short..I got my out of state inspection, handed my papers to the lady ,put on my poker face and walked out with a title. I was scared at first, because they kept flipping through the law books, they had never heard of a non-titling state. They did send me an audit, asking to disclose what I really paid for the car or I would be in trouble. The thing is I wasn't lying, so I filled out the form and never heard about it again. It shouldn't be this hard to title an old car, but if it was any easier, there would be some asshole to exploit it and ruin it for the good guys.
The VIN won't make a designation, but the body tag on the firewall will. If it was a 4 door, title it as a 4 door. Trying to sneak stuff like that by is what get your ass in a sling. Your state DMV website has a VIN search, which should pull up any record of the car. If nothing comes up, you can use the title service. Just don't try to title it as something that it wasn't originally. Even if the state doesn't catch it , a new owner might, and they just might follow that paper trail back to you.
. There is a VIN Verification process, on that form it asks for Make, Model, Body style, Color, etc. The information on that form goes on the new title. If you don't want to do it yourself, a title service will do the same things you can to do on your own. You can download all of the forms froms from State of Colorado Dept of Revenue, but it's not necessary, your county has a package of all of the forms and instructions on what to do all stapled together for the purpose. http://www.colorado.gov/cs/Satellite?c=Page&cid=1212139246080&pagename=Revenue-MV/RMVLayout . .
I just went to http://bmv.ohio.gov/title/title_directives/2008/2008.htm and got this information. Looks to me like there is a way. FROM: DEBBIE COUCH, ACTING CHIEF, DEPUTY REGISTRAR AND TITLE SUPPORT SERVICES (D.R.A.T.S.S.) DATE: JANUARY 25, 2008 SUBJECT: (REVISION) NEW & USED MOTOR VEHICLE DEALERS OBTAINING SALVAGE MOTOR VEHICLES TITLE BROADCAST 08-0124-7 Several title offices have inquired if they should title a salvage vehicle to a licensed used motor vehicle dealer. • A licensed “new” (ND) or “used” (UD) motor vehicle dealer may buy salvage motor vehicles and make application for a certificate of title for the salvage motor vehicle using their UD or ND permit number. • A licensed new or used motor vehicle dealer may rebuild a salvage motor vehicle, at a place other than the dealership location and make application for a “used” motor vehicle title that will be branded “rebuilt salvage”. • A vehicle titled as rebuilt salvage is considered a used motor vehicle and may be sold at retail by a new or used motor vehicle dealer. • A used motor vehicle dealer is not required to obtain a salvage motor vehicle dealer’s license to sell rebuilt salvage motor vehicles. There is no limit on the number of rebuilt salvage motor vehicles that a used motor vehicle dealer may sell. • A salvage vehicle cannot be retail by a ND or UD, but it can be wholesale to any other type of dealer (i.e. ND, UD, SD etc.) If the ND or UD has obtain salvage and they want to retail, the ND or UD must obtain a rebuilt salvage title. According to the Department of Taxation, the SR exemption code should be used when any dealer is obtaining a salvage title to a vehicle that is to be dismantled and sold as parts, or to sell the salvage vehicle on a salvage title to a new or used dealer or individual. However, if a dealer rebuilds the salvage vehicle, and wishes to obtain a "used" motor vehicle title with the rebuilt salvage brand, the exemption code should be RN. Please review with your staff to ensure we have uniformity statewide. If you have any questions, please contact our 1 800 line.Thank you.
Anyone use this service in California? Did you have to have the VIN verified by anyone? Other than your affadavit to ITS? Thanx.....
The key is to have a valid VIN #. IF you do, then you're in good shape. PM me if you want more details as I have been through the process a couple times, and there is one simple way and about 100 ways that will make life absolute hell. Nothing illegal- I have had to learn it the hard way, and am glad to share.
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