Would you buy a truck titled by engine number and from another state

[918733]

Got a guy that has a truck on ebay for sale or trade for a Harley I have the bike he wants so I was thinking why not but I used a vin decoder on stove bolt and it comes as a 1960 cab and chassis. He is supposed to call me today so we can finish talking about and I am gonna ask him about. But should I be wary of the situation. I have been told some states used to title off the engine id, I just don't want a situation or problem if I change the engine. And the ladys at the DMV are no help. What would ya'll do. And the auction has ended

[dwcsr]

try calling
(409) 658-3019

Auto Title Recovery,
PO Box 8724,
Lumberton, Texas 77657.


Terri Gloede
www.autotitlerecovery.com

very good with Texas title issues

[Rambow]

I'm curious about this as well.

My truck has a clean title, however it has the motor VIN on it- not the body vin.
I have (still down in Bend though) the original motor- but its not in the truck anymore and won't be going back in.

I know i won't have any trouble transferring the title as-is- but if i ever leave the state how is that going to work??

Not sure how much hassle its going to be to try and get that corrected. Really don't want to have to keep that old 216 block around just because its numbers match the title... and the truck's cab numbers don't.

Thanks-
Ben

[Rc4mike]

I bought a 56 willys from a widow. She couldn't find the title. So I,used auto title recovery service and got a bonded title using vehicle serial number. She happened to have an Arizona title using a previous engine serial number but title was 15 years old...they never transferred to tx title. It was easier to just do bonded title claiming lost title.

Also bought my apache without title then did bonded tx title. No,big deal.

[mr48chev]

I guess one has to ask if the truck in question has the original engine in it or with it that matches the title. Every title question brings out the BS brigade and the automatic you have to run to the slippery title office rather than just investigating things and seeing if everything is on the up an up.

Personally If I was seriously interested in the truck I'd make the trip to where it was at with the stipulation that the seller/trader and I went to the proper state license office in that state and documented that the title was correct and for that specific truck. Let him know ahead of time that that is what you intend to do and go from there. If he knows he has a good and correct title he shouldn't have an issue with it. In that case you used up an hour or two on the road trip. If you discover that the title doesn't jive with the truck you wasted a road trip but didn't trade your bike for a truck with a bogus title.

I bought my 48 in Texas in 1973 and when I did the seller had gone to the trouble to have "engine change" placed on the title and it was titled by the number on the door post. That smoothed things out when I moved back to Washington a few years later an had the V8 in it. The old fart that I bought the truck from was thankfully quite meticulous with the small details.

[55dude]

i made ebay purchase and vehicle was from california and had notorized tow auction paperwork and washington state did not recognize it and lucky for me my job took me to california and i was able to get title. paperwork is a pain!

[mr48chev]

Sooo, what's the word? And what model is the truck supposed to be?

I still say it is up to him to provide proof that the title is valid. That can be by providing a close up photo of the vin on the truck and a photocopy of the title, or having the truck inspected by the proper inspector and having paperwork certifying that the title is the correct one for that truck. I don't think that is too much to ask when you are talking the dollar value of the Harley.

[918733]

I'm gonna say it's a now go can't get the fellow to answer the phone

[fluffster]

I used Lawrence Title Company in Taylor, TX. Filled out the paperwork on a Wednesday ( no title or bill of sale), picked it up the following Monday and dropped it off in Belton at the Tax Accessors office.

[OrrieG]

Sounds like you may have called his bluff and he moved on to someone asking less questions....You didn't say what the truck was supposed to be, if it was a 59 some states used to title vehicles in the year they are purchased, not production year.

[mr48chev]

Originally Posted by OrrieG

Sounds like you may have called his bluff and he moved on to someone asking less questions....You didn't say what the truck was supposed to be, if it was a 59 some states used to title vehicles in the year they are purchased, not production year.

I think you are right, the seller may be moving on to greener pastures where
less questions are asked. It sure sounds like something is suspect and the guy figured out that you are wise enough to check things out totally before making a deal.

One titled by the engine number rather than the body number would be ok as long as he provided the block that had that number on it. Then it would be simple to say that the original engine was broken and you have the block with the correct engine number in the back of the truck to for show and tell.