The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk A Title -- Finally!!

Hello all,

I just wanted to add that I now have a free and clear title to my old truck. It may not mean much to most, but I've spent about 5 months trying to get it.

Looking for any relevant signs of identification a few months ago, I found the original title and 20 years of registrations under the seat (Lucky me). It even had the original excise tax reciept. The bundle of papers was in great shape, considering its damp, mouse-infested life.

I called the state DMV to check the ownership of the truck, and they told me it did not exist. I suppose the motor # had been transposed several times, and the truck now has a different identity. After a long chat with the state title dept., the guy said that I could transfer the original title like a new car since I had the original title. And that's how it worked.

It took as long as it did only because the tag agent back home had to do a VIN inspection and whatever else. They ended up taking quite a while, working on it every other week, I guess. Needless to say, I'm fairly excited. Now I just need to get the ole girl going...

Has anyone else had crazy title experiences?

Yours truly,

I bought a used 79 v8 Monza once, had the back of the title full as it had been sold numerous times w/o being registered. I went back to the original dealer & he refused to sign an affadavit stating it had been sold to me instead, as some of the owners had got into trouble around town w/it. I pleaded w/him & he said he would do it only if I got it inspected, showing I was serious about licensing the car. I never told him I inspected cars at work. The 64 C10 I have now had a "replacement" title, not sure why but it went thru fine. Brian

i have a 56 pontiac ambulance and had to mail lots of people to get to the end of the paper trail. its no fun.

I managed to get a title from a guy in Japan a few years ago. It took months, but he finally mailed it to me.

It was from another state and had the engine serial number instead of the body serial number on it. At the time regisitering an out-of-state vehicle here required an inspection.

Once I got that done another inspection allowed changing the number on the title to that on the serial number plate.

Bunch of work to get it all the way I wanted it...

old cars in Georgia don't need titles, only a bill of sale... so far the legislature seems to understand that a lot of parts can change on cars that are 20-25 years old...

I've read some real horror stories about the state of California tho'... yeesh.

-W

Got 2 Titles a 52 1/2T and early 55 3/4 T. + the door plates.These are chevys.The truck are junk,But the titles, well ya know it goes.The 52 title has a JP stamp already for transfer.the fellow I brought the trucks had them samped before he died.That was a smart move,and saved a lot of troble.If need be,I'll part with the titles.E-mail if ????

I've got an interesting story for y'all.

Just this week, I discovered that I still have the title to my 58 Apache that I haven't seen in 18 years.

Back in 1986, my dad and I stored the old girl on a friends farm between the graineries because we were moving off our farm. Well, I forgot about the truck with the struggles of life and everything else.

So, I started looking for it this week. A fellow stovebolter (Richard2005) lives in the vicinity of the storage yard and he volunteered to go and check the place out yesterday. He found a bunch of other trucks but not mine. ;-( Someone must have taken it.

I checked with the DMV and they tell me that I am still the registered owner of the truck and that it is not actively registered in any other province or territory in Canada.

So I hold the title to the truck but not the keys.

Now I'm on a quest to find the old girl. Hopefully I will find it.

It's all just crazy.

Zeke

I am moving to California. I own several old cars & and a 45 1.5 ton and have no titles on any of them. I talked to California DMV and they suggested I apply for a lost title replacement before I move them out here. Does that make sense?
JR

With all the stories that I have heard about other California state agencies, and the difficulties that people encounter on simple issues, I wouldn't chance it. I think that a better plan would be to try and obtain titles before you take them out of state. I would head their advice, it will most likely be far less expensive to try from your state first.

Just my opinion, good luck with however you decide.

My 54 GMC 100 I believe was built in the Oakdale CA plant and aparently when it was registered in CA originaly they actualy Change the VIN ID on the title from the factory VIN to what I think is the original motor number and they also remove the factory VIN plate. The number on the Title is A228xxxx54, which I believe means that this truck came with a 228 engine that was built in 1954. I had always believed that the original engine had been a 248, but some where along the way it had been swapped out for a Chevy 261. I have yet to try and register this truck, since I am still in the process of doing a frame-off on it at the time. During my restoration I plan on installing a new VIN plate, but I do not want to stamp it with the number on the title. Is there anyway to cross-reference the motor S/N on my title to the original VIN that would have been on the chassis? I did purchase a 54 GMC cab and title off ebay and may register the truck using this VIN and title, but I rather determine the true VIN and have the title corrected. I have talked to people here in NY about this situation and they all tell me it would very difficult if not impossible to have the VIN changed on the title. The title for my truck was issued in WA and I wrote to them to see if they could help, but no luck. Was the VIN stamped on the truck anywhere else besides the door plate?

My grandfather had an old Studebaker truck that was left out in the grove at my uncle's farm. My uncle told me I could have it, but he didn't know where the title was. My uncle (who was the executor of the estate) went with me to the Minnesota DMV and they told us that I needed to place a bond and have a title search and this and that and the other thing and pay out $300 to $400 even though we knew who the owner was and the executor was right there. I just took the VIN and license plate numbers to the South Dakota Highway Patrol, Auto Theft Dept. (I live just on the other side of the state line) and they ran a check on it. It came back clean and they signed a paper stating their findings. I took it down to the South Dakota DMV and $25 later I hade a title and plates. South Dakota is still pretty easy, but they are starting to stiffen up a little. If I don't transfer the title right away in SD, they will charge $1 a day up to $50 in fines. Minnesota and Iowa are ugly.