Title and VIN questions

[Sirshredalot]

I am going to be buying two rolling chassis'.

ONe has a title and another does not...is it legal to swap the VIN tags?
How can I get a car checked or plated as a no title car?...Kit car?

Where do I look for all the VIN information?

God bless
-Shred

[Badsunbird]

Shred,

Unfortunately it IS NOT legal to swap VIN tags, trim code tags or re-stamp a body serial number in any way, shape or form. I used to work for a place in Omaha, NE. called "Corvette Specialists", to make a long story short, the owner and the salesman were arrested for vehicle tampering and several other charges. He had been re-stamping engine blocks and frames, he was changing VIN tags & trim code tags. Some how he had managed to get ahold of a set of factory dyes and began to re-stamp vital information. The Feds walked in one day and confiscated 6 corvettes that we had in our sale barn. They were all "built" cars, none of them were legitimate cars. Needless to say, that was the beginning of the end for that business. He had been going to Texas and buying stolen cars and changing all the documentation on them in order to resale the cars. I always wondered why every car he brought back from there got a new paint job (different color ofcourse) and new interior. There was one instance when he approached me and asked me to sign a title in someone else's name. I then knew that it was time to "GET OUT", that was my last week working there, I never even returned to pick up my last pay check!
In some states you can get what is called a "Builders Title" or a "Salvage Title" and go about making the car legal again. Another way would be to do a title search and find the last legal and registered owned and have them get a copy of the title for you. Most generally people are willing to do so as long as you pay all the expenses. It is alot to have to go through, but then the decision you have to make is whether it is worth it or not to you. It is always worth a try, the worst thing that could happen is that they will say "No". Hope that this has been of some help to you Shred.

[spyder_xlch]

I can see where stealing a Corvette and swapping or making a vin would get you in trouble. The new owner buys what he thinks is a matching number car and finds out otherwise. Swapping a vin on a Vega that you plan to keep, who's gonna know? I wouldn't swap a vin on a 69 base model Camaro and pass it off as a Z28 DZ302 to a collector. That's asking for trouble. I once had a 79 Spyder titled as a 75 Starfire. Even got pulled over and the cop checked my vin. Guess he never saw an Olds like that. I'm not saying to go and swap the vins but if you try all the other options and they don't pan out then as long as neither car was ever stolen and you plan to keep them nobody will probably ever know.

[Sirshredalot]

Yeah....Ive been looking into this for the last hour and talking to my brother about.

The car that has the title, has not been title in the present "owners" name...but is still in the name of the dealer he bought it from.
The tubbed car with no title was purchased from the family of someone who passed away and no legitimate bill of sale can be produced.
This really sounds like hillbilly stuff. Im thinking real hard about just running the opposite way. This is too much headache for me to deal with...especially since its 5 hours one way.

None of the stuff has been notarized either.

Why cant people just do things the correct and legal way?
Now im hunting for another rolling chassis again....anyone got a solid and/or tubbed car they wanna sell for $2500?

CRAP!!!

God bless
-Shred

[spyder_xlch]

Another option you have is to buy them and use the parts to fix your Monza then part them out. Probably more than $2500 in parts you can use and parts you can sell.

[Sirshredalot]

HOw can I sell a car with no title? No bill of sale? No documentation?
I cant even scrap a car like that.

I wouldnt feel right about doing that...I know how much headache it can be.

IM just going to keep looking for a decent roller or a shell.

God bless
-Shred

[monzaaddict]

http://chicago.en.craigslist.org/wcl/cto/915993585.html
http://fresno.en.craigslist.org/cto/909742884.html
http://providence.craigslist.org/cto/904596064.html
http://norfolk.craigslist.org/cto/903840169.html
http://reno.craigslist.org/cto/901506322.html
http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/cto/895318287.html
http://fresno.en.craigslist.org/cto/890607181.html
http://tampa.en.craigslist.org/psc/cto/884175362.html
http://atlanta.en.craigslist.org/cto/882509577.html
http://inlandempire.craigslist.org/cto/911803178.html
http://springfield.craigslist.org/cto/917469408.html
http://duluth.en.craigslist.org/cto/896322112.html
http://denver.craigslist.org/cto/916447905.html
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/nby/cto/916705881.html
http://reno.craigslist.org/cto/915607105.html
http://slo.craigslist.org/cto/915649291.html
http://akroncanton.craigslist.org/cto/913916907.html
http://akroncanton.craigslist.org/cto/913916907.html
http://longisland.craigslist.org/cto/913849472.html
http://newjersey.en.craigslist.org/cto/911328732.html
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Chevrole ... 3aUSQ3a101
http://portland.en.craigslist.org/mlt/c ... 83969.html
http://phoenix.en.craigslist.org/nph/cto/906026310.html
http://raleigh.en.craigslist.org/cto/904245462.html
http://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/cto/903162855.html
http://phoenix.en.craigslist.org/nph/cto/897493879.html

[marco_1978_spyder]

Did you ever go 60 in a 55? Drive without a catalytic converter? Its about as illegal as that.

[spyder_xlch]

HOw can I sell a car with no title? No bill of sale? No documentation?
I cant even scrap a car like that.

I wouldnt feel right about doing that...I know how much headache it can be.

IM just going to keep looking for a decent roller or a shell.

God bless
-Shred

I didn't say you could sell the cars, I said you could part them out. And a sawzall works good for scrapping a car without a title. But if you don't feel right about it don't do it.

[Sirshredalot]

Did you ever go 60 in a 55? Drive without a catalytic converter? Its about as illegal as that.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Yeah, But Im the guy that gets a ticket for going 60 in a 55.

I know people that have done it, and Im sure people on this board have done it. I just dont like doing "questionable" things...because Im the guy that always gets caught.

The only thing that makes me feel a little comfortable, is the fact that its a "piece of crap vega" and no one will ask too many questions about it....plus...how many differences are there between a 72 and a 73?

I dunno...I'll have to thin and pray about it....bad things is...IM LEAVING IN HOURS!....lol

I could always get a rebuilt title too...The guys says both cars are legit...But you know how that goes.

Hey Matt...I didnt mean to sound like a jerk with that last reply.

[Spare Parts]

Have you looked in to a mechanic's lein ? I have used this in the past on a few cars with no problems .You just need to know the rules in your state .

[steelhead]

Its a long way but heres another Monzaaddict missed
http://seattle.craigslist.org/sno/cto/916213284.html

[SunbirdMan]

Don't do it. Its a felony, state and Fed. Like Spare Parts said, there's got to be a legal way to re title it. Here in CA you can lein it for storage fees just for being parked on your property. Have the seller go through the motions of trying to find the owner and after a time the vehicle will probably be his to sell. Get the vin numbers and take them to the DMV(?) and tell them whats going on and see what they say.

[Sirshredalot]

The owner is dead....I would need a death certificate, official bill of sale, family/spousal consent, documentation and identification, state police inspection, crosscheck, and new/reissue title.

It doesnt sit right with me and I dont want to take the chances, even for a misdemeanor let alone a felony, My good name isnt worth the risk.

IM going to let it go, But I will have a a new project soon...either way I wont be empty handed, im going after a 57 sedan, 6 hrs the other direction...WITH A TITLE!...hehe.
Dont worry...Im keeping the monza for as long as the wife lets me...itll get a new skeleton eventually...IM still an H-body guy at heart...nothing will take that place...this is just a chance to go fast for cheap.

God bless
-Shred

[hammerdown7]

Will the 'owner' give you a bill of sale? I would think that the mechanics lien is the way to go, what about kit cars and the like. Most states have a legal way to own cars that do not have a title. Many states don't even issue titles on cars after they reach a certain numbers of years. I would check with someone at your DMV before giving up totally. I know you are trying to do the honest thing, is there any way to contact the family of the deceased to confirm the story?

Dick