Title Anyone?

[68 TT]

Originally Posted by 72freak

Registration is proof of ownership...it comes with VIN numbers......However...YES....no title is STUPID!

I agree. For the amount of money, time , blood and sweat we put into these trucks it is really dumb to start with one that has no title. There are plenty of them around with a clean title that will give you a whole lot of piece of mind vs. a truck with a questionable history or no documents to prove it is yours.

I would be afraid the last guy with the title for the truck would show up at my door and want his truck back after I had spent countless hours and dollars on it.

I had a Camaro for two years that I had a title for but when I got hit by a guy running a red light and the insurance company was looking it over they found it had mismatched VIN's. Turns out the car was stolen 20 years earlier and the dash VIN had been swapped with another Camaro of the same year. The VIN plate on the dash was held on with screws that were only visible when the dash pad was off the car. The insurance company that paid out the original claim 20 years earlier took the Camaro with no compensation to me what so ever.

Moral of the story, the last person with a legitimate title for the vehicle can take it from you at any time no matter what. A bill of sale from somebody who really doesn't own the vehicle legally or a title that really doesn't belong to that vehicle won't save you from the real owner with title in hand.

[Fitz]

Originally Posted by tonypaul

I feel that swapping vin tags on old restorations like this should be totally legal. As long as you have legally own both the trucks whats the harm? Its not like someone is stealing something. But thats just my opinion.....

Below is a photo of a friends small window stepside. It was stolen two days after this show and the vin tag was swapped with one from a wrecked truck using the correct rivets which were then aged with acid after the switch was made.
The thief sprayed it flat black but didn't change the wheels, grille or any of the rest of the details. When my friend saw it in a shopping center parking lot he checked for the fuel pump bracket I had welded to the frame above the rear axle...it was there, along with the stainless hardlines we installed for the holley pump. DMV and the local cops would not assist in the recovery as the donor wreck was leaglly titled out of state and then the title was transferred.

Mayhaps this will happen to you!

[tonypaul]

Originally Posted by Fitz

Below is a photo of a friends small window stepside. It was stolen two days after this show and the vin tag was swapped with one from a wrecked truck using the correct rivets which were then aged with acid after the switch was made.
The thief sprayed it flat black but didn't change the wheels, grille or any of the rest of the details. When my friend saw it in a shopping center parking lot he checked for the fuel pump bracket I had welded to the frame above the rear axle...it was there, along with the stainless hardlines we installed for the holley pump. DMV and the local cops would not assist in the recovery as the donor wreck was leaglly titled out of state and then the title was transferred.

Mayhaps this will happen to you!

cause if your actually read my statement I said if I owned both trucks, not owned one and stole another one..... My statement is this should be legal in the world of restorations.......

Oh course this is not legal, is it done in restorations? yes.... But if thieves want to steal someones truck they are going to. Swapping VINS in restoration projects has nothing to do with the fact that your buddies truck got stolen. The problem is that the thieves were so stupid not only to change the vin but they did nothing to change the appearance of that hiddious truck after they stole it.......

[ehuth1]

Originally Posted by 72freak

the easiest, quickest and only legal way to do what you want if the chain of title has been broken is to sell the truck to a friend, family member or trusted board member in another state that does do titles (South Carolina) and once the S.C. title has been issued buy it back. South Carolina will issue a title on a Georgia Bill of sale, sale, and you dont even have to have proof of insurance to register it in S.C. You now have a titled truck. Its done every day and its legal!!!

So who is our S.C. hookup on this board? I'm having a title problem as well.

[Fitz]

Originally Posted by tonypaul

cause if your actually read my statement I said if I owned both trucks, not owned one and stole another one..... My statement is this should be legal in the world of restorations.......

Oh course this is not legal, is it done in restorations? yes.... But if thieves want to steal someones truck they are going to. Swapping VINS in restoration projects has nothing to do with the fact that your buddies truck got stolen. The problem is that the thieves were so stupid not only to change the vin but they did nothing to change the appearance of that hiddious truck after they stole it.......

I read your entire post and understood it. When you allow swapping vin tags you open the door to crooks cheats and thieves. Keep that door firmly closed!

[jablack]

I've bought 3 of these old trucks without a title. I know someone who works at a dealership processing titles and I have her check out the vin before I buy. So far no problem. I do wish I could have a title though..

[raycow]

CA is pretty good about this. Not only is it illegal to swap VIN tags, but it is illegal to even possess a tag that is not attached to a vehicle.

Ray

[rsavage]

Just a statement of fact. There are lots of folks who switch out their rusted cabs to a solid one. Since the VIN plate is on the cab, it necessarily has to be removed from the old cab and placed on the donor cab to remain numbers matching (partial serial on frame to VIN tag partial serial). You are not registering the donor cab. Your truck is already registered or titled depending on the state. I can not understand the discussions that often take place on this subject.

[jablack]

That's one of those, to each his own..
You do what you have to with these old trucks.

[72freak]

Originally Posted by ehuth1

So who is our S.C. hookup on this board? I'm having a title problem as well.

There are plenty of SC board members.....my contact is not on the board.