Hi, I found a car that I want to buy & I asked the owner for the vin so that I can get an insurance binder. He told me that the car doesn't have a vin but that he has a title. He bought the car with no title & got a title after applying for it at the dmv. I was under the assumption that they assign a vin plate to the car in these situations? Anyone have any advice?
Stay away from that car and keep looking . Can't get a title without a vin plate from any state that I know of . Sounds like he got a title someplace to sell to someone like you . No title is one thing but no vin tag is worthless . You can always get a title or bill of sale for states that don't use titles with older cars . Retro Jim
Sounds odd. Call your state's central DMV, not a branch. Get an executive statement of the requirements and procedure.
If that car doesn't have a vin that matches the title, run away from it, it's very possibly stolen, especially in S Florida.
The title doesn't exist without a vin number. The DMV will normally assign a state vin number if there is nothing found before issuing a title. His story doesn't add up.
Almost all cars have a secondary V.I.N. If you tell what make, model and year is maybe I can tell you where to look to find it.
There has to be a vin number on the title. It may not be to that exact car but there has to be a vin number on the title or it isn't a title. It sounds like he put the car together and then bought an old title to use with it. That is pretty suspect these days. I'd pass or figure that I was going to have to jump through a bunch of hoops to get a clear title to it that actually fit the car after it was inspected an had a state issued vin assigned.
check it against the number on the engine, that was done too, but it does sound fishy, I think i would walk away....
Thanks guys. I'm going to call my DMV then ill ask him for the vin on the title and to check the vin the motor.
Vin number is on the frame, roughly under the body where the seats would be. And if memory serves on the block as well, we can all assume the block is not the original block though. Search specifically on Vin number locations on the model T.
Now that you've told us it's a Model T; why don't you go over to the Ford Barn Model T forum and pose that question. I didn't think "T"s had any numerical I.D.
Had the same problem, the state gave me a title in my name and I had the state police fill out one of their forms for a vin number--Pa. They were very helpful.
Early T's had the vin on the engine block and the # would be stamped into that blank area of a rebuilt engine if the original was to be replaced a lot of times, but it could be left blank or even have another # on it if the engine came out of another car. I'm not an expert by a long shot though.
Ford didn't start putting the ID number on the frame until mid/late 1926. They were also on the side of the engine block since the beginnings of Ford. What year is your T?
T original # was on the engine. likely changed by now of course. 1926 and 1927, MAYBE some 1925, have a frame number on top of rail under removable part of front floorboards. You can see how most T's are a problem... State title...is it for the Ford number (sequence from 1 in 1908 to 15,000,000 in 1927) or a state assigned number, lilely something like FL-short number? If state assigned, they rivet on a plate...no plate, no good.
i own a 60's wagon with title in my name and the vin tag has since dropped off. some time in the future i will take it down to the state patrol and have them inspect it and reassign a vin number.
Thanks for all of the advice, I ended up passing on it for a few reasons. I was sort of settling on the T b/c I couldnt find a model A that I liked but I'm just going to keep looking.
The Jalopy Journal
