Purchasing a car with no title/VIN tag
 

Guys,

Someone local to me has a car that I'm thinking about purchasing. I would turn it into a strictly off-road vehicle (ie: track car). He's had this for a while, and somehow had no title or VIN tag for the car. He tells me he bought it this way, and I have no real reason to doubt that...

My question is, what kind of problems could I have with this car? Is there any secondary hidden VIN identifier on the 2nd gen F-bodies? Is there any way to validate the identity of a car? If I'm not going to drive it on the street, do I even have to register the sale? I'm assuming not...

I've never looked at one like this before, so I'm curious what others think...

I know there are 3 vin numbers for 1st gen but not sure about 2nd. Is it just missing from the dash pad.

There is a hidden vin. You have to pull the heater or ac box from the engine bay side. Between the hole for the blower motor and heater hole is where you will find the hidden vin. Use some sand paper as it may be covered by paint or goo.

Would you still be able to have a new VIN issued?

If it's never going to be driven on the street, there's nothing to worry about IMO.

Exactly. Its just another race car.

That's my thought as well. I just worry about the possibility of there being another way to identify the car and someone coming out of the woodwork in the future to "claim" it. I'd rather do my diligence up front if there is any to be done.

I'd love to have a real 2nd gen racecar though. :)

I may call the DMV and see what they suggest.

I don't have any input on the VIN issue but a pic of the car you're thinking to buy would certainly help my morning in general.....I'm just saying....

Are you going to Tow it with Tow? hahaha....

Call the Highway patrol, around here, the CHP has jurisdiction in this area.....

bout 15 years ago i bought a 66' Malibu Convert, built it, then when it came time to registrar it (and the paperwork was clean, just non-opped), the DMV said it already had that VIN in the system for somebody else. Well, it wasn't the vin# we both had, it was the model # on the pink, so i took it to the CHP, they "confiscated" for a day to verify it with what they called "confidential sources", and then ended up using the vin that came with the car, (and then the DMV denied the paperwork)....its a funny, long story that also has to do with 9/11 :flag2:

Funny too, the CHP told me the data base for all cars in the US is in Texas, is that near u? haha

Without a proper title and vin, the original owner, 2nd, 3rd, etc or last titled owner can always claim ownership in a court of law. Doesn't matter if it hasn't been registered in 30 years. The owner can say it was stored away and was just recently stolen, etc. I know that's far fetched and I'm reaching, but in all seriousness, the last titled owner is the legal owner without there being any legal transfer of title. The law is different. Now, I do understand you can produce all of these witnesses about how you bought it from the guy you are gonna buy it from and he'll have witnesses on how long he's owned tha car, etc. But, when it comes to the law, it's not what you know...it's what you can prove. And the last titled owner can "prove" it's his....especially if he has the actual title and vin tag in his possession. So, just be careful. Nothing may never come of it, but like you said...you don't want someone coming out of the woodworks trying to stake claim on it. Especially, after you dump your money into it.