Hi all,

I was just looking for some input. There is a local 914 for sale without title. It's in better condition than what I've been working on, and so I was wondering...

Is it possible to have a new title assigned to the car? Would it then be a salvage title? What problems are related to doing so?

Should I just use it as a parts car?

Thanks in advance for answers.

Many states (like Georgia) do not require a title for the older cars, so one simply gets a bill of sale, has an officer of the law inspect the car and check to see if it has been stolen, and then takes the documents (bill of sale and officer inspection) down to the "tag" office and registers the car, that registration acting as the title. It will then transfer to any state or country successfully.
If your state requires a title, you can go to the local state office, they can "run" the serial number and if it has been titled in that state prior, then can provide you with the previous owners information. With that you can contact the previous owner and request that he apply for a duplicate title in his name and then just simply assign it over to you.

Check with your local DMV. Where George lives is very loose with this stuff, the opposite would be CA where you must get a title. However, in CA the car falls off the books in 7 years if not registered so a new title is necessary. A bill of sale usually is the first step. Depending on how long the car has been unregistered, some state require you to track down the last know owner like George said. PITA, but if the car is decent it is worth it. The bill of sale allows for law enforcement to cuff the right guy should the car turn up as stolen (not likely, but not impossible).

If your state is like Oregon, all you need is the VIN and the sellers address. Go to the dmv, pick up a title transfer form and a bill of sale form. Fill them out yourself and go back to the dmv. You won't even need your id. Just 155 bucks.

The DMV in the state I live in wouldn't give any previous owner info , confitiantality law , hooked up with a title service out of Nevada , 150. bucks , a few weeks , got title out of Alabama , went to DMV regesterd in my name , few weeks later recieved a title from my stae in my name. The only thing not real crazy about is that the Alabama title didn't show mileage ( 75,XXX ) which would be a selling point , if I wanted to sell- not ). Titles can be had , just got to do some seaches , spend a little money . If you really want the car and it's worth the extra $ spent , it'll give a peace of mind doing it, just a judgement call on how much you want the car.

My $.02.......

Jaxdream / Jack

Jack - post the NV title research company you used contact info for him & others to find here.

I'd use that myself, to get the local OO/PO info here in SoCal from whom I bought mine in 75, since Calif DMV doesn't have it on even microfilm anymore! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif)

BTW - $150 doesn't sound bad, because Calif DMV was charging me $95 for an info request to search their "dead files" which turned up nothing (they did return my check)!

Dr. Evil - Calif DMV is now only 5 years off the records before they purge the books - not 7 anymore, unless it happens to accidentally survive in their data base, which sometimes happens. However, if a CA car remains registered in another State or US Territory on the national data base that they all share, then it stays on just as it would if registered here.

DMV in most states will no longer give out the previous owners information.
A title service is the next choice...they work fine.

Rich

I was trying to register a 70 teener in calif, went to a AAA office hoping for the best. The car hasn't been registered since 89. They were able to pull it up, still in the system but wasn't able to do anything because it was over their $ amount...will cost more than $500.

It sure would be nice if it goes out of the system after 5 or 7 years but not sure if that's the case. Hate to pay for the previous owner's mistake of not putting a non op on the car. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif)

Dave

Semi-related story.

When I graduated from college, I traded in my '93 Plymouth Sundance (previously my grandfather's) on a new Saturn LS.

About two years later, I got a registered letter (forwarded from a previous address) from a towing company, detailing approximately $1500 in towing and storage fees for my '93 Plymouth Sundance.

Turns out, the Saturn dealership had never filed the title but had almost immediately flipped the car to a used car dealer - who also never filed the title change. At some point, the car was stolen off their lot. Many months later, it was found abandoned on the side of a highway and this towing company had picked it up.

I considered paying off the towing bill to get the car back, $1500 was a pretty fair price for it... but then thinking about how it had probably been abused in the meantime, I just requested a new title and signed it over to the tow lot.

The name of the title service I used is :
International Title Service
3230 Flamingo Rd.
Suite 8-357
Las Vegas , Nevada 89121
702-456-4027

Before I contacted them , I checked them out by the BBB , they had a good rating so I went for it , no regrets yet . Thier address has changed from when I used them in 08 , but they still have a web site , and I do reccomend them.
There is another title service used by a lot of hotrodders , Broadway Title Service which is located in Alabama , I know a few guys that have used them in the past successfully, they were a little higher than International , so I went with International . Good luck , BTW when I went to my state's DMV before the title service , they did inform me that the car wasn't stolen which helped out a lot , but that's all the info they would give me.

Jack / Jaxdream

Dave, that may not have been the DAPO's fault, cuz DMV was terrible about sending out renewal notices on Non-op's & then tried to hammer you for fees if you didn't catch it before renewal - & who always remembers on the ones sitting in the garage?? I personally think that they were doing it on purpose under Wilson's orders to bolster the finances & force everybody back on full reg., as that was back in the early 90's big recession when the state budget was hurting.
... Remember those big reg fee hikes back then! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif)

That happened to mine in Dec 93, after it had been non-op since 87, & they just didn't send a renewal at all that year & I didn't catch it until 12/29 or 30 - it's a 12/26 renewal date - I mean really - they were closed then anyway! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif)

So I let it go since they required me to drive it to DMV to re-register it & pay fines even a couple of days after, so I said screw you cuz mine wasn't running & on blocks in the garage since 5/85 (took it off in 86 to re-smog cuz IIRC non-ops were harder to get or not around then), still had accident damage, IIRC they still required a smog & they wanted $1-2000 then!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/mad.gif)

Mine is off their DMV computers per both AAA & DMV, & not in microfilm either per a DMV "Information Request" search, & their reply was stamped gone "...after 5 years, records not available."

So I don't know why yours would be still on their records now, unless it's been registered out of state since 89? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif)

What Architecture School & year are you? I was USC 74.

Thanx Jack - I'll get to them soon, & hopefully so will the guy in KY who started this topic! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

Tom,
Calif State, Fresno 84. I found another teener, a 73 that I'm in the process of registering now. I see why everyone that's into these have more than one. Nice to have extra parts.

Dave

Thanks Jack,

This is looking like the way to go...the DMV wasn't of much help.

CA does not require title. if anyone in CA needs assistance, send me a PM, I'll help. Its just too much to type. the problem in CA is teh COST to reg a long time squatter that is out of date

I would consult your local AAA or a registration service BEFORE any trips to the KY DMV

soo...No luck with AAA, no luck with the DMV...and I got this response from ITS:

The total cost will be $480 including license plates good for one year. No insurance or inspections required on all cars and trucks.

Thinking this would be (IMG:style_emoticons/default/screwy.gif) considering that I could probably buy a 914 with a title for this...

someone mentioned replacing the VIN with one from another...a joke? illegal?

Ask them for the price for the research ALONE & you'll get the plates yourself, because I'm sure they're marking them up for their "service" _ & tell tham that your Buddy on here who recommended them only paid the research fee of $150 for the same service a little while ago.

Also check their competitors' prices for the research only.

With the research in hand, either AAA (best option & more helpful) or your local DMV can help you register it for just their flat DMV fees - without the service's add-on fee to do it for you (unless you'd rather they handle it for you - but then make them guarantee it & the fee with no more add-ons).

stupid illegal not worth it. There are many ways to LEGITIMATELY title register the car without doing that.

Porsche only advises it when buying one of their bodies in blank to fix a heavily smashed car or a total rust bucket of historical significance. When the car is rebodied and the old wrecked numbers put in place, a state government motor vehicle inspector looks at the old wreck and the newly replaced body to make sure that it was repaired properly, sends the paperwork in and your so called serial number switch is approved!!

I recently used a title service in the state of Maine. Name is Maine-ly titles you can do a Google search. It was $300.00 and for that I received a state of Maine registration,license plates. I then went to Florida DMV and transferred the registration and at the same time requested a Florida title. In my case the car had been off the road since 1991 and when I bought it as a roller I didn't get a notarized bill of sale. Just a hand written bill of sale. I've learned my lesson for any future buys but Maine-ly titles did all right by me.