Hello Hambers, I've done a search but I need a more specific answer if possible. Picked up a 1950 chevy coupe basketcase. The guy a bought it from never finished registering it in his name from original owner. Looks like his next step was to get it inspected. The car is out of the dmv system. Have what he started. Problem is the engine number was used as the vin with dmv...and no engine in car...went to the dmv/doh(dept. of hell). Of course lady at counter was rude as always and short. Basically she tells me car needs the original motor with numbers or cannot register it. I Don't believe that could be the end all answer. has to be another way. She wouldn't give me any other answer. So should I try AAA? What to do now??? Thanks for any input. Trying to register in California.
The A Pillar tag S/N should have been used as the VIN but it isnt always consistent. Is the tag still rivited to the pillar? If so, you may have to get it bonded and start from scratch or apply for a lost title. Trying to get it registered, using a number that doesnt exist on the car anywhere, may just be an enormous headache.
Yeah, the number is still on pillar. But engine number was used to title it way back when. I have the original title from owner the guy i bought it off of. Its from 1970. And yup..the damn engine number is right there...in the veh. id part. Awesome. No og engine. In fact was putting together a 57 235 with t5 behind it and s10 rear all sitting in my garage just waiting...Thinking about heading to AAA, buying a membership(good thig to have anyways) and trying my luck there.
I've ran into this several times on vehicles from the midwest, and the title is worthless. Fortunately, it's not a big hassle in KY to get a new title. Write a letter stating that you've owned the car X years (more that 7 in KY) and have lost the title. Get it notorized. Apply for new title. Rich
Triple A wont be any more help. See PM I sent you or apply for duplicate title. Last time I did this I had to have the car bonded. I now let a VIN Verifier handle all this type of crap. Well worth the money it cost.
It is a cali title, but it is from 1970. And the back has been filled out to the guy I bought it off of. The guy I bought it from started to register it. Payed the fee. he was supposed to go get it inspected by chp because it has been out of the system so long and the title does not have a year of veh. on it. I've never seen anything like this. So now I have that title, his bill of sel, and the numbers on title and bill of sell go to an engine that is no longer in car. Now I have to go get it inspected, but no numbers to inspect. Except for body tags which are not listed on title.
?????..huh..I never thought about that. Guess I was trying to do it on the up and up. But good call. Going to search where to stamp it.
last year i had similar problem. i used a titling company. they did all the paperwork for me . we applied for a new title since we didn't have one. dmv guy checked the vin on pillar, and needed to see the trim plate that said it was the correct year that we listed. never looked at engine. didnt care that it was not yet roadworthy, in fact i trailered it to the dmv. and all done in calif
Call and speak to Nancy at CARS, they are a registration service out here in Temecula by me, she can tell you exactley what to do..more than likely, probably tell you to disregard the current pink and register it as a lost title and use the correct numbers from the vin plate... their number is 951-694-4331
The old titles have "engine OR serial number" ...many old cars were titled off the engine number as you said...if you have a private vin number verifier come out he will verify the door tag vin number and just go from there...you can always do a lien sale by the way instead of lying on paperwork...they would similarly go by the number in the doorjamb...
Thank you everyone for the good info. I'll be calling some numbers tomorrow and hopefully get this all taking care of....so I can get back to getting the 50 together.
i guess the laws in california have tightened up in the last few years. in the early 80 s i titled a car in california that was using the engine number. it was last titled in california in 1969 and there was no vin verification or inspection. because it was a california title.
CA DMV has option of Engine number "or" ID number... this is from a 1950 Buick. They used the engine number. Had a model T years ago, same thing.. Someone was not thinking back then that the engine might be replaced... If you think you might swap out an engine, best to check your registration to avoid problems. Go to DMV or CHP first and see if you can have switched to another VIN while they can still see the old one.
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