Buying a truck w/ no title

[682XLR8]

Hi all-noob here, along with a noob question...

Thinking of driving up to take a look at this GMC

https://sacramento.craigslist.org/cto/6142552301.html

I talked to the current owner a little while ago, and he states he bought this truck from the 2nd owner thinking he might fix it up, and decided not to. According to the guy i talked to, this 2nd owner parked the truck in 2001 and has not drove it since. Neither he or the 2nd owner have the title....

I did several Google searches on the subject of buying a vehicle w/o a title here in CA, and I'm seeing all kinds of conflicting info, and I want to be armed with knowledge BEFORE I make this long drive and possibly buy something I can't register, or have to pay some outrageous back fee. I have already checked the DMV website but getting info from someone that has actually been through the registration process would be much more helpful.
So my question is...has anyone here been through this process recently? Would getting the VIN in advance help?
Thanks