Mac's dad Keith, here...
This was a "no title" when we bought it back in October.
I'm happy to report that the bonded title application process is now complete, we have legal registration, and antique vehicle licence plate valid until 2013, and should be recieving in the mail that blue clear Texas title in a few weeks...
It was challenging to complete the process within a reasonable cost... Without an appraisal, the bond would have cost $300 or more. Finding someone that charges a reasonable or no fee to give an appraisal wasnt easy. In the end, got an appraisal for free, the bond premium was only $50, and tax/title/registration for 3 years, was $120.
We would have had to spend the $120 anyway, so the only extra cost of buying a "no title" truck was the $50 for the bond... If we can make it 3 years now without a previous owner making a clain on the truck, we'll be in the clear! The downside is, if a previous owner comes along, we'll have to re-pay the bond...
We feel pretty save, though... The previous title/registration didnt have a correct or valid VIN number, and the county clerk changed the record, so if there is a PO out there with papers in hand, they dont have the same VIN# that is on this truck. Engine and transmission have been changed, so those numbers wont match either, if that is what was on the previous title...
So, the next project for Mac will be to repair the license plate/tailight bracket, and mount this new Texas plate!
Then he gets to rebuild the master cylinder... He did all 4 wheel cylinders already. The MC didnt want to come apart easily, so we thought we'd give it a try as it was, before we risked damaging it with heat and vise and clamp, etc to loosen the thing up. But, no joy. The old thing needs rebuilt, if we can get it apart. We'll have to think about a disk brake upgrade if we damage it beyond repair trying to loosen it up. Might as well invest 3 or 4 hundred in disk brakes, as 100+ on a new MC...
Stay tuned.... We'll keep our progress updated here ...
