Amen! I can relate to that! Just my 2 cents: They need to see the VIN for ***le stuff when there's no ***le at all, at least here in CA they do, which means you may want to do that part while you have the car on the trailer, since it's cheaper than paying someone to come out to the house to verify the VIN. I was in the same boat, bought a car with no ***le, so the first thing I did was get one, I figured if I was screwed I'd better find out sooner rather than later. Too many people on here ask about paperwork *after* they've spent $$$ on the car. So you're ahead of the game! I don't think you'll have any problem. At least in CA, if you know the system its not bad to get a ***le for an old car. My suggestion for that is to contact AAA and see how to proceed, or use a DMV registration service, better yet, just do a search for them locally, I'm sure they have them. Best of luck!
SleeperStang, I have a similar issue here in Ohio. And I just wanted to mention that a company here has WAY better priicng for trailers than U-Haul. I don't know if they are national, but they seem to be all over the midwest. They are called Sunbelt Rentals. They'll let you have a trailer all weekend for pretty much a one-day price, so long as you have it back a tad before 8 a.m. the following Monday.
It's not that big a h***le if you have the abandoned vehicle papers from the Sheriffs department. That and a bill of sale from the person who has it. Read Scotts Enterprises post about five times (post #25) and forget the shady ****. That tells it exactly how it is in this state. Here you make an appointment to have the car inspected, take it and the paperwork to the inspection station and they crawl all over and under it to make sure that it is the car that you say it is. They most likely run the vin against stolen reports to see if it shows up but the sheriff should have already done that. They really don't let on too much about what they check outside of looking for vin numbers. As He said in post 25 it takes 3 years to get what you would call a "clear" ***le in this state. You can drive it and even sell it but there is a three year wait until the ***le is considered clear and then you have to apply for a ***le. I have that on my sailboat trailer right now and could give a rip if I have a three year wait, I just wish I would have had it inspected and registered it six years ago when I first built it. The total cost to me was 112.00 for everything but the tax on the selling price of the rig would make a difference. I think the inspection fee is 15.00 now and that is paid when you register it. Check with the Oregon DMV inspectors and find out what hoops you have to jump through and what is needed. Also ask if they can inspect it on the trailer when you first get it. If it is a whole car with engine and trans they should be able to do that. I'm not sure about the thing about the rim breaking but I always take along a set of roller wheels and tires that will fit the car or truck to be able to roll it around. They don't have to be fancy, they just have to hold air and fit the car. As someone said, take a good stout come along or I take my smaller chain hoist and a couple of extra chains. My first stop after I left where I picked it up from would be a car wash where I could take a pocket full of quarters and clean as much crud off the top an bottom as I could.
You could try a lien sale once you get it in your possesion. Use a Lien company.They'll do a search on who had the ***le last with a whole history of who owned it over the years. It used to cost about $45.00 out here. Once DMV clears it as not being stolen property just pay the fees and register it in your name. Totally legal with no repercusions !!!!
Congrats on your purchase and since you are only 17, I would like to thank you for pursuing your interests in old cars. We need more young guns like yourself to help this hobby survive when the old guys are gone. My 16 yr old has a LT-1 Firebird, but he and I share ownership and wrench on our `58 Dodge ( in the avatar ). The HAMB is THE BEST place to ask for advice.
I'm pretty sure he went ahead and bought this car and posted a thread in like, October with better pictures of it and so forth. Yes, I was right. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=400611
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