Hot Rods Illinois Hot Rod Title

Can anyone tell me in layman's terms what it takes to get a title in Illinois for something totally home built?

I'm in the planning stages for a '32 coupe. Probably go with a frame kit, Fiberglass body. I would love to find an old Hemi, but my non-serious searches up til now have not come up with much as far as complete motors. I do know which ones to stay away from, from a Hot Rod magazine series on them.

Thanks,
Dan

 

Sell it to someone in Alabama and buy it back from them.

 

Finding a title= lucky
posting commiting a felony online =priceless

 

Wow, none of those are great ideas. Go to the IL DMV website and see how much of a pain in the ass it is before you pass on buying a real car with a real title.

 

Don't bother, it may be technically possible, but practically, it is impossible with Illinois laws.

Just FWIW, Illinois will not accept registrations as titles, so AL, NY and other non-title states need not apply, they will not be accepted.

Remember, the state does NOT care about old cars at all, it wants to stop vehicle theft.

Cosmo

 

They will take transferable registrations AL, NY ETC but they will inspect the car The VIN numbers on the car MUST match the numbers on the surrender document. Stamping a number on an aftermarket frame or putting one of those cheap body VIN tags on wont fly.

The process for a Street Rod title (Which is what you would have to do) is here:
http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/vehicles/title_and_registration/apply_custom_rod.html

 

you need a cetificate of orgin for the body. also all receipts you have for the parts. then you send them down state and wait for a reply. my dad did this it took about 6 months but he got one. he also called down and got the number to the desk that was taking care of it and called her every week the last month till it was done. sounds like a pain but he did lose a title because he didnt do it the rite way

 

really......... you prolly otta revise. now

 

Our car club and some local business owners had a meeting with representatives of the Secretary of States Office, (license and tittle people in Illinois). They said to keep every receipt, especially for big ticket items. The SOS office will arrange to get it inspected, you will have to trailer it to that place. They will issue a serial number and afix it with rivets to the left door jamb.

 

They want you to keep all the receipts because later they are going to TAX you on it.

 

Ah HA!! I DID get the information second hand, and I now think my informant was trying something a bit hinky. Which is why he said they would not accept registrations. Thank you for clarification.

Cosmo

 

Thanks Guys,

Well the guys with the legal ways anyway... Thanks for including the link to the Illinois page also. I hate trying to find that stuff on websites, and I appreciate it. Thanks also for the real world experiences. I am now confident I know the process. Even though anyone that has dealt with the DMV knows they do not make it easy.

And I am pretty sure Russco is right on the money that they want the receipts to tax you on it. My plan is a frame kit, a swapmeet body, and an engine I have lying around, or a boneyard score (Hemi, nailhead, old Caddy). We all know plans can change, but now I know the process.

Thanks again,
Dan

 

Some people have had problems with the state "losing" the receipts and suggest you send them copies.

Do as LilDuec suggested will lead to a bad experience.

 

i built a motorcycle from scratch, it is titled from Illinois SOS. What I did was call a number that I will find and post it when I do. There is one person in charge of the process and they are good to you if you are good to them, I had no issues, when you call you leave a detailed message of what you are asking for, Bike, Car Trailer ETC home made title: with your name and address they will send you a packet, it takes a few weeks, they will expect you will fill the answers in the packet with all the correct information return it with all your original receipts, (make copies because you don't get them back) what I did is number each page, I did get called looking for the serial number on the transmission and I went right to the page told her what page and what line number the S/N was on then we were good a guy from the state police call me set a time and day he came out and checked all the numbers against the paperwork. He stamped it and I received a title in 2 weeks. The process start to finish was about 5 weeks.

 

It is not impossible, or that difficult, But you are correct in asking because you need the correct documents. and a little patience. I found the folks at the secretary of state office helpful. For special constructed vehicle. You will need receipts for the engine, transmission, chassis and body that include the serial number and VIN from the donor car, in your name sellers name and date of sale. So you should get these when you buy the engine etc. and yes you need receipts for the tax man. and you will only need to pay tax for what you purchased. if you paid sales tax on parts verify it. If you bought it out of state you pay use tax. read that tax carefully and it can save you a lot.

The rules are different for a bonded title and the office can help you there.

 

They sell them as historical documents. Doesn't mean you can use it legally for a car you're building.

 

Its not against the law to sell old titles, it is against the law to commit fraud by trying to register a vehicle with a title from another vehicle. I personally know of 3 local guys that have had to take their cars in to verify that the VIN matched the VIN on the surrender document. One was a completed glass roadster that had been titled already in another state. With a 32 Ford title and VIN. They were not happy to find out is wasn't a real Ford and it took him months to get a title and cost him a bunch of money and headaches.

 

Definitely like to have that number Pistnbroke. Like I said earlier, nice to hear the real world stories. Kind of apprehensive about the documentation since I have 5 motors and 7 transmissions I can use and I have no documentation for any of them. Like a motor I pulled from a 65 imp before it was junked and a motor I traded something else for, etc. I wonder if that will be a problem...

Pistnbroke, your avatar looks familiar. Looks like one of mine from failed steel head gasket during storage. Hydraulic lock is not a good thing...

Dan

 

here's a good thread about this topic;

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=468816

 

Interesting. I just enjoyed seeing where all the Illinois members are from. I lived in Pekin and was always lucky to have titles. Here in Floriduu a kit type title can be had and they put a new VIN on.
Good luck everyone.

 

Every time that I read a thread like this it reminds me why I always ask about the paperwork when buying a car. No paper=no sale.

 

So Denny, Do you know the "process" in Florida? Is it easier there? I do have relations in Florida and if it is easier there, am not adverse to hauling it down there and having the b-in-law title it for me.

Dan

 

OK, what a cluster. Thank all you guys for providing the links. I now have enough info that I will put my project on the back burner. After reading the posts in those links, I will be working on making sure I can keep my current cars licensed. '59, '66, '69. It seems that Ill. is pulling titles older that 25 years and making the owners prove that they are legit. Not that mine are not legit, but proving it to their standards is another thing. I might be retitling all of them in another state...

Moving to another state does not seem like a good option for me.

Thanks again, I was not aware of all this BS going on in Ill.
Dan

 

So, if a frame was replaced because it was rusted beyond safe repair and the old engine serial was transferred to the new frame they won't accept that? Or perhaps even cutting out the serial portion of the old frame and attaching it to the new frame?

Interesting what the issues could be with a new tube frame under a legitimate old car in a non-title state...

 

I would expect and I believe its the law in Illinois if you are going to replace a frame of a vehicle due to damage, you are supposed to have the proper authorities ( Illinois State Police) come out and inspect the damaged frame before its replaced, THEY then affix the new VIN number on the new frame. That's how its supposed to be done. Now if you come in and try to transfer title or transferable registration with a car and inspect it and they find the VIN doesn't match the surrender document, you can still get a title, they just make you go through the bonded title process.

 

Instead of creating a new thread I will bring this one back.
Maybe someone on here will know...I have been in a circle jerk run around with calling different people all over the damn state...telling me "oh yea call this guy its who you need" and then that guy telling me I need to call the people that told me to just call him. You know, the usual Illinois run around.
What I am trying to do...I have a 53 Chevy..good Michigan title...numbers matching car and all...but the title number mathes the engine block number...which I will be replacing the engine....so I would like to change the title to the numbers on the body...but having no luck what so ever with anyone. I'm about to just leave the title alone with the engine numbers.
Anyone know anything about this process?

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If it were me, I would just transfer the good Michigan title to an Illinois title and not worry about it. I'm not well versed on 53 chevies but I think by 55 there were hidden numbers stamped on the frame. If you go to the state wanting to change VIN numbers on a title I think you are going to open a big can of worms that doesn't need to be opened. Just my opinion.

 

Might be lots easier to go the bonded title route. You can bond the title off the serial numbers. The process cost just the cost of the bond more then a simple title transfer. Bonding was $50/$1,000 of the cars wholesale value, mim $2,000 wholesale value. The car has to be appraised by a someone that is a licensed IL auto dealer, you need a bill of sale with the serial number on the bill of sale, and a picture of the serial number. I did mine through a license and title company and had a title in my name in 2 months for $100 over the cost of a regular title transfer. Gene

 

You know after thinking about it I think you should call the state police and ask them about it. They are the ones that assign new VINs see what they say, I still think trying to get the SOS to change a VIN on a title (unless its a typo)is going to raise a big stink.

 

I fail to see how a Bonded Title serves the questioner's purpose any better than getting an Illinois title since he has a legitimate Michigan title.