Projects Why sell cars without a title?

I feel sorry for you guys that live in states that are a PITA to deal with the DMV and title process. It's pretty easy to title old cars here in Washington if the paperwork is missing....

But every state has its trade offs. It rains a lot here.

 

Its all about where you live. Here in ALabama a title is useless for old vehicles. A bill of sale is all thats required. I tried to get them to issue a title for mine and they said the state will not issue one even if I tried.
So if you have a nice car with no title, try selling it here as no title doesn't matter.

 

Ive only ever had 2 real titles to old cars
Never an issue getting licensed
The last one went unregistered for nearly 50 years. Took about 15 minutes to get a tag

 

Honestly, I didn’t even know titles was a thing for old cars until I started hanging around here

 

In New York cars manufactured before 1974 do not have titles. The registration would be the title. It is transferable. I have bought a few older cars in New York ( 1957 and 1958 ) without registrations and used the bill of sale and the vehicle number to get it registered.

 

Never had the tag office fail to collect that $10 or $15 title transfer fee. But never had them ask for one that never had one, or like now, not required to have one.

 

I had to read through 65 posts to find one from NY and 57 Fury440 is right. In NY there are no titles 73 and earlier just a transferable registration. I did buy a 65 Olds from a friend in CT and it came with a bill of sale SOP in CT NY DMV would not register it, good thing I knew the county clerk. He took care of it and told me not to buy any cars without a title.

Pat

 

Believe it or not in New York State it is relatively easy to get a title. I have never had to do it personally but I have a few friends who flip cars routinely and they say it’s not a big deal. In fact pre-1973 vehicles were never issued a title, just a registration card so it is even easier.

 

I’m well aware titles are a big deal in some states
Depends on where the buyer is located..i can get a title on any vehicle in my area if its vin does not appear to have been registered in the past 5 years.

 

I just drove to San Diego to buy a truck with no title. Drug it home….no biggie. I’ll Wait to get the title done when it comes up in the rotation. That way I’m not having to black tag it forever.

 

I'm in Texas. Tons of cars pass through the system without titles. Many companies process bonded titles for these cars. If it isn't on the hot sheet then a bonded title can be cut and later changed to a blue title after 3 years if I remember correctly. I think the cost was around $250-500 depending on value.

https://axcess-surety.com/guide-to-...texas-certificate-of-title-bond-bonded-title/

 

There is no "one size, fits all" answer for this.

 

Most cars it simply isn't worth it. Even if there were no fees if I'm trying to sell a $500 junker the actual time involved isn't worth it. When I do side work I average around $100 and hour plus service call fee. So $300 worth of labor to maybe make it sell for $50-100 more if any more doesn't make sense. Most actual buyers of cars that range that'll actually pay the asking really don't care. When I bought my 53 I went with cash assuming I'd have to get a title for it. When the seller showed up with the 1969 issued title in 1969 postmarked driver control envelope it was simply a perk lol

 

Yep , even Idaho , No title is no sale, (you buy, you are fawcked)(DMV will tell you to that you are screwed)... Alot of Idiots trying to sell "junk , no title, vehicles", way over priced, here to.

 

I have to agree. Having built a lot of rods in N.Y., I've never had a problem registering one...with or without a registration. Sometimes you have to be a little "creative".

 

The local no title sellers , Im sure many could get a title at the DMV before they try to sell ..., but they are just worthless, lazy, dumb, hillbillies... Heck they dont even bother washing mud off or haul the rusted POS out of the weeds before they take a picture and post for sale at some ridiculous over price


.

 

Locally it is harder to get rid of a no title car hulk at the scrap yard than it is to take a no title car with a bill of sale and receipts and bills of sale for major parts to the state patrol and have it inspected and go a half mile and get the the rig titled. You do get a three year provisional title but as other said that 3 years runs out pretty fast.

I'll agree 100% that no title cars or trucks do not have the value that all too many of these guys who are probably flippers ask for them.

As 1971BB427 said can be done in Oregon, I have done in this state. The gal I got a rig from and I went to the go to car license office where the knowledge base is top level and the owner new both of us and he pulled up the listings of every rig her late hubby had titled, found the one we needed, she showed him her paper saying that she was executor of the estate and he processed the title for us and I registered it. It the rig hasn't been registered for several years you have to pay a fee and wait until the clerk goes back and digs the title out of a file in Olympia and that may take some hunting.

 

I’ll take those worthless 35-36 ford 3ws and 49-51 mercs without titles. Will haul off at no charge. Your worries are over.
Might even make the same deal for 32s.

 

I can’t speak for all states but here in New York there are no titles for 1972 and older vehicles, Connecticut drops the title requirement on vehicles over 25 years old I have a story about trying to buy and a Connecticut car that no longer required a title but was post 1973 and register it in New York state

New York wasn’t a title state until 1973, and they still don’t issue titles for 1972 and older vehicles.

When my dad and mom moved to South Carolina in 1980 dad had a bit of a difficult time registering his 1972 Ford Ranger X-LT that he bought new here in New York State because it didn’t have a title which it never had!

After a few phone calls the South Carolina D.M.V. confirmed with the New York State D.M.V. in Albany that they did not have titles in 1972 and would not issue a title, and South Carolina issued a new title for an eight year old truck!

I need to get back to work I will tell the Connecticut title story later.

 

Nebraska has the bonded title process, however the first step should be a title search, for $1.00 the DMV will search for the last registered owner & if you're lucky locating that person & they agree to provide title or step through the lost title process you may be in luck... I did this process on a 50's Ford pickup but the last owner even though a so-called restorer refused to do so, stating it was only to be used for parts, as far as I know he never admitted he still held title & never applied for a lost title. The new owner after repeated attempts to convince him otherwise to no avail,he in this case located a parts truck & needlessly had to use that title while a perfectly good title was wasted.

 

Over my years in the hot rod business I used to build what I called package cars. Mostly 32 metal highboy roadsters built to the stage when the buyer could install the motor,trans plus do the paint and interior his way. If the buyer needed it I provided a notarized NE bill of sale. Never sold one with a title as they are virtually impossible to get in Nebraska. What they did for a title I have no idea. Never had any blow back from the buyers?

 

It's not illegal to sell a car in TX without a title. But it is a total pain in the ass to get a non-titled car titled legally in the state. I had several friends ask me what it took, so I wrote up the entire process I went through. Note, these instructions get you to the bonded title phase. After three years with no issues, the state will send you the final legal title to the vehicle.

Maybe it will help someone, even if it's by keeping them from buying a car without a title in TX

 

Had an old pickup that was rusted out like none other than I've ever seen. Ran good.
Came across a guy selling one with no engine, trans or title. The body was awesome.
Got it cheap because of the lack of title.
I cut up the old body and put the good one on my frame. I might have, and I won't say for certain, changed the vin tag to the new body with custom made rivet's that looked right so it would match my title. I miss that truck.

 

The last 47/53 Chevy truck (roller cab and chassis no engine or trans) that I sold without a title I wrote the buyer a bill of sale for the cab and a bill of sale for the frame/chassis. He didn't have a problem getting it inspected.

 

I think what krylon32 was doing was commonplace with builders, as the new owners would then apply for what is commonly referred to in Nebraska as an assembled title, a means by which the owner provides receipts & steps through the process of which includes proper inspections etc. Certainly, a perfectly legal & recommended way that normally is concluded at the point the project is road worthy, these procedures may vary from year to year & certainly by the state in which you reside most of which provide the written step by step guidelines at the local or state DMV.

 

I don’t think people realize how drastically motor vehicle laws vary state to state, and that just because you have a title it is a breeze to register a car.

There are several states that drop the title requirement after a certain number of years both Connecticut and Maine do this.

Somehow Maine allows non residents to register trailers, about 90% of the race car trailer in the pits around here are registered in Maine!
A trailer registration in Maine is five years New York is only one and Maine is only a few dollars more!

Now the Connecticut title story, this was about 2006 to about 2008 I was looking for a cheap car to bomb back and forth to work.

I found a 74 Granada in Connecticut called the number asked if I could come look it over.

The car (he was a car guy had a full fendered flathead 32 five window and a 36 Chevy Coupe that had raced Riverside) was clean rust free, the man’s mother bought it new she died and he inherited it and drove it.

However since it was over 25 years old at the time didn’t need to change the title and registered it in his name.

I told him I was still interested but I need to do some research, if I could register it in New York.

I found out it could be registered with a letter from the executor of her will who was her lawyer who had also died!

There were other legal was to do this but let’s face it this was a 74 Granada not a 74 Pantera it wasn’t worth the time and money!

 

I’d drive a Granada.

with a big ole grin

 

@RodStRace I'm still aghast that you bought a Pinto for $800, hahahaha
Seriously, as stated above every state wants your money and they're going to get it one way or another. UNLESS you know a few tricks. My 57 had no title history- last registration was 1976 and I bought it in 1990. The DMV wanted sales tax on $20,000 as that was book value plus exize tax for all the years it was off the road AND title fee. $1600 bucks and change. After some intel from the girl at the DMV and some research a couple days later I was registered and title application done for $135.00. Do your homework

 

I currently own three cars that were purchased without a title. Two from private owners, one from an auction. Got a bonded title (Iowa) on all of them. Not difficult to do in Iowa, not very expensive, amount of bond depends on price and/or value. Usually takes 6-8 weeks for the paperwork to come through. All the information is on the Iowa D.O.T. website.

 

I have many ol cars bought in Texas without titles. 10 1940 Ford trucks, 7 1950 Fords, a 35 sedan, others. Its easy and cheap to get them titled in my state.