The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Title issue trying to figure it out still.

So i have a title the vin number starts KAD its for a 1953 chevy 5 window according to the owner. Also according to the owner (previous) he says these trucks werent titled as 5 window chevys,, is this true? He stated the title was just like any regular truck, the titles dont show if they are 3 window or five window....

That is correct.

thank you sir. good day to you

Another issue you need to be aware of is that most states used the engine number as the VIN through '55. If yours is the engine number and you're planning to change the engine you'll need to re-title afterward.

See thats the problem ive run into... the 5 window cab i have has a vin number on the driver side door,,,, the title is the kad number like i mentioned above,,,, which is shorter than the vin so that means it could of been titled by engine,,, the engine is nowhere to be found...

in my state i would have to take it to the dmv, they do a level 2 inspection then i get a bonded title,, which means in three years someone can claim your truck.. i know no one would come to claim it but the though would haunt me... all this money into the truck and a small possibility it could be taken from you? sounds like too much risk to me....

Did you buy this truck?

yes

Titling & Registration

go to Tage & Title toolbox

pick your state...

may or may not help.

Good luck,

-W

Awesome link. That was very helpful.

Got any friends in KS? We just have to get a VIN inspection by the highway patrol and we need a bill of sale from the previous owner. I had a title that used the engine number but I just threw it in my file and used a bill of sale. They came out and ran the VIN in the door jamp...didn't find any record of it in the system...so gave me a new title. Cost about $75.

Purpose of the bond is, 'if' any previous owner does show up to
claim the truck, he gets the bond, you keep the truck.
The court will order a nation wide search of you vin or engine
number to see if it's still registered anywhere. If not then an
insurance company can issue the bond, which is held by the
state till the time is up. If no one claims the bond by the
time the waiting period is up the bond goes away and they are
out of luck. Either way, the truck is yours with a clear title.

The only catch is if the initial search turns up a registered owner who
says that the truck was stolen, then you bought a stolen truck
and your out that money.
That's the way I read the Illinois application for lost title.
Had a friend once that went thru the same thing.

Denny G

Most states have different rules for vintage vehicles. In KS we simply produce the Bill of Sale, which either you wrote, or the Previous owner wrote, doesn't matter and they issue you a title. No inspection, no nothing. Of course, they will check if there are any abnormalities. The previous owner is checked, you are checked, the VIN (you decided on by just putting whatever on the Bill of Sale) is checked and if nothing comes up, about 4 weeks later the title arrives in the mail.

Don't accept your DMV rules are universal. There is a totally different set of rules for vehicles that are XX years older.

sounds like kansas city is the place to be... i actually do know someone in kansas city....

All this is interesting information. I have wondered what experience could be shared with a title issued in a less restrictive state like Kansas then sometime later selling the vehicle to someone in a more restrictive state? I could imagine some dmv type in the new state getting their bloomers in a wad real quick? Anyone had experience with that?

Most all states have a actual eyes on VIN inspection if you are transferring an out of state title. A DMV rep will actually match the numbers on the title to the numbers on the vehicle. Can really muddy up the water when one state uses the motor number and another the VIN tag number. Another issue is a DMV rep who doesn't know, much less care about antique or classic vehicles. They can make the title process a real nightmare.

My own personal rule is I don't buy any vehicle on a bill of sale or open (signed) title. It's gotta be in the persons name I buy from and we go to the notary together for the signing.

Good luck on your project.

be careful buying any truck or car check the vin # and title # to make sure it is the right year. i bought a 56 truck in la. with matching # on vin and title .when i went to reg it in fla i found out the vin # on the truck was coded for a 58 not for a 56. now i have a parts truck that imay or may not be able to part out.

Every state is different and the laws seem to change almost every 6 months. Best thing to do is hire an auto title company. They deal with this stuff every day and know all the ins and outs. They also are on a first name basis with the local DMV people and can get stuff done quickly. I have a buddy that owns a title service here in Texas and he does all of mine. They can also check the system ahead of time to see if it's stolen or has a lien against it without raising any red flags. If you have a law enforcement officer or DMV agent do a verification and something comes up, you are screwed. They can impound it immediately until they can clear it up.

In Arizona, where you live, if you have a title on an old vehicle, you just take the title in to get it into your name, not the truck. So in your case it would be no sweat. If the next owner after you does not like that the title does not match a number somewhere on the vehicle then you would have to explain what has been said about engine numbers. Not sure if you are wanting to get title into your name or you already have done that and are concerned about the serial plate/eng ID not matching? I assume you are talking about all this boded title stuff so you can get a plate that matches a title. First thing is get it into your name. DON"T go to the DMV. Go to a satellite office, nicer,easier but a little more money. DG's answer is how AZ handles bonded also. BUT it's usually for NO TITLE people. I believe after going thru all that, you still would not have a plate matching the title. Getting it re-serialized could be a nightmare. Everybody knows the DMV is a dangerous/annoying place, you could be opening a huge problem for yourself for no reason. You said you have a title, get it in your name and move on. If they give you a new title that should be proof nothing is wrong.(at least with that number). The DMV could say "that title is nice but we don't know it's for that vehicle, so we can't re-serialize it/fix door plate until you go back to all previous owners and..........so we will keep this title until you prove......"

Just re read your first posts. Need AD gurus to explain to me please, I want to learn. Hope this is not off topic.
Poster says he has a title and has a Serial plate on door.
1. Did that truck come with a plate on door?
2. If so, did that number match the title originally?
3. If not, what does it mean that he has a plate on door?
4. Poster: Does the door plate almost match title or what?
5. What was PO explanation why door plate not match title even though engine gone? If back then it was standard to have a door plate and they used the engine number as the serial number, why would title not match door plate?
6. I don't know AD factory serial procedure.
7. Maybe all you wanted to know was......does serial indicate 5 window or not.

1953 Chevrolet truck

1. No - there was a Vehicle Serial Number plate on the cab between the driver's side door hinges

2.
- Depends on who (the state, official-person, DMV office) titled/registered the truck
- The engine serial number or the vehicle/cab serial number might have been used

3. Maybe he means the plate between the door hinges?

4. only the poster knows
5. only the poster knows

6. Do you want to know - for 1953?

7. Serial numbers tells series/size of the truck (no optional equipment information)

ok hey everybody,,, lots of posts. Finally figured the issue out. As all of you guys know i bought several cabs, two chassis and lots of parts... The gentlemen said that the 5 window cab had a title. Ok, i heard yes to title and made the deal. I took everything home and nothing matched the title, had two engines, didn't match, three cabs, didn't match. I googled and found out that these trucks supposedly before 55 were titled through the engine vin number. I put the title in my name anyways. Say i go to sell the truck.. the person i sell it to would have the same problem. Someone suggested to get a repro vin plate and just stamp it to match the title. I bought a repro vin plate and was going to do that but it just didn't give me peace of mind at all. honestly,... who would ever know the difference?
Called third party title service, explained the situation and they said i needed a level 2 inspection. they only send someone out to do level 1.
towed the truck to DMV, inspector (real jerk) inspected gave me a piece of paper. went back to DMV and then they put a 30000 bond on the truck. 300 to buy the bond. went back to DMV and got a bonded title.
Here is the kicker the darn piece of paper the moron inspector gave me said level 1 inspection........!!!! i could of saved 120 dollars on towing. Anyways now i have peace of mind and one title that matches the cab and another title that well,,,,, doesn't match anything.

Thanks TC. No. 6, thought all AD would be same answer.
Tiddlar: Glad you got a title that matches the pillar plate. or will have in 3? years.? I guess peace of mind costs $300. Sometimes at DMV you get three different answers from three different people.

Well in three years I'll have a clear title yes, but I know for sure no one is going after my truck.