Need help obtaining title

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I

Interceptor

Joined
Jul 17, 2009
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Hey all. I hate for this to be my first post here, but I'm sorta desperate. I've bought a '68 FJ40 with no title. It's the same old story, I got it from a guy who got it from another guy who lost the title and didn't want to be bothered filing the paperwork to get a duplicate title. Here in PA if you don't have a title you don't get tags. The only person who can apply for a replacement title is the last registered owner. The truck has been passed around and I don't know who the last legal owner was or if he's even still alive. This is an old rusty farm truck in poor condition, but I think it's worth fixing. I will get a National Motor Vehicle Title Information System report to show that the vehicle is not stolen or currently registered.

I'm looking for someone in another state to help me out. Here's my proposal to anyone who lives in a state who's laws permit it. I will "sell" you my FJ40 and mail you a signed bill of sale with the serial number. You will apply for a title in your state. You will then sell the truck back to me, sign over the title and mail it to me. With a signed out of state title I can then apply for a PA title.

If you are interested in helping me out and making a few bucks by selling my truck back to me, please let me know. You need to be able to obtain a title in your state from a bill of sale only! Alabama and Maine I think are two good candidates.

I apologize for my first post being of this nature. If I can get a title for the truck I'll be around a lot more for tips to restore it.
 
I would do it (live in SC), but the DMV requires that you drive the vehicle to the center so they can verify the VIN in person. Be sure to check that with whoever you decided to deal with.

If all else fails, drive down here and I'll try and help ya!
 
marks69cruiser said:
Sounds fishy... Do I have to send you money first???:ban: No thanks. Ill pass.
Click to expand...
He put the word "Sell" in quotes wich usally means no money passes hands. You could also look in the parting out section and buy a title vin tag and frame and "SWAP" frames (notice the quotes again) . Its been done a bunch on vehicles in your situation. South east states arent that big on inspections. When I started my fathers 78 for him I had the same problem and had about a dozen PM,s from folks offering to sell a title and vin tag , got one for $75.00 .Shipped my 40 from Utah and they didnt even go look at it. Just had a bill of sale.
 
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marks69cruiser said:
Sounds fishy... Do I have to send you money first???:ban: No thanks. Ill pass.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the warm welcome Mark. :rolleyes: I was actually expecting more like that.

The only person taking a risk is me. I will be signing over ownership of my FJ to some stranger, along with a fair amount of money, and trusting them to sign it back over to me. Maybe I should have said gift. I give you a gift and you sell it back to me.

It's basicly the same thing that Maine-ly Titles or Broadway Titles or ITS does, but without the $350 fee. I'd rather give some other FJ enthusiast $100 plus their state's transfer fees.

I have the option of buying a title and VIN from another truck and swapping VIN plates, but altering VINs is certainly less legal and less desirable. I'm trying to do this the right way and get a title for the one I have. I will swap if I have to, let me know what you've got. It's a shame to have to jump through hoops to register a legitimate purchase.

Jon
 
Ron B said:
He put the word "Sell" in quotes wich usally means no money passes hands. You could also look in the parting out section and buy a title vin tag and frame and "SWAP" frames (notice the quotes again) . Its been done a bunch on vehicles in your situation. South east states arent that big on inspections. When I started my fathers 78 for him I had the same problem and had about a dozen PM,s from folks offering to sell a title and vin tag , got one for $75.00 .Shipped my 40 from Utah and they didnt even go look at it. Just had a bill of sale.
Click to expand...

Beware - if you choose to to go this route, it is a federal felony to change vin tags to a different vehicle. I'm not saying you shouldn't do it, just be aware of the risks and that the penalties can be very high if you get caught.
 
crushr said:
Beware - if you choose to to go this route, it is a federal felony to change vin tags to a different vehicle. I'm not saying you shouldn't do it, just be aware of the risks and that the penalties can be very high if you get caught.
Click to expand...
I said "Swap" frames. Then its legal. At least here.
 
some notaries in pa are connected to the dmv and can tell you who the owner is by the vin nos.my notary has a list on her wall of people who do out of state titles.if it has a pa title i doubt you are going to be able to this because the vin nos will show up when you transfer it .if the title is out of state then your good to go .
 
Ron B said:
He put the word "Sell" in quotes wich usally means no money passes hands. You could also look in the parting out section and buy a title vin tag and frame and "SWAP" frames (notice the quotes again) . Its been done a bunch on vehicles in your situation. South east states arent that big on inspections. When I started my fathers 78 for him I had the same problem and had about a dozen PM,s from folks offering to sell a title and vin tag , got one for $75.00 .Shipped my 40 from Utah and they didnt even go look at it. Just had a bill of sale.
Click to expand...

Ron B said:
I said "Swap" frames. Then its legal. At least here.
Click to expand...

Yes, you said "SWAP" frames in quotes, which as you noted in your first post, means that the swap is not actually done. By law, the title must stay with the frame. It appears you are suggesting that he buy a frame and VIN tag and put the new VIN tag on his truck and not actually swap the frame. That is a violation of federal motor vehicle law and not legal anywhere in the US. The fact that you haven't been caught (yet) does not mean that it is legal.
 
shelfboy1 said:
some notaries in pa are connected to the dmv and can tell you who the owner is by the vin nos.my notary has a list on her wall of people who do out of state titles.if it has a pa title i doubt you are going to be able to this because the vin nos will show up when you transfer it .if the title is out of state then your good to go .
Click to expand...

The notary I use is great, he won't do anything illegal but he really knows his stuff. He's connected to Harrisburg, or online as they say. I had him run the VIN already and it's not in the system which means it has not been registered in the past 5 years (likely much longer). There won't be any problems registering it, but I need a title. In any case, PA does not make inquiries to NMVTIS before issuing titles. You turn in a title and they issue a new one. If you turn in a PA title, the person who's name appears on the front needs to be present.
 
crushr said:
Beware - if you choose to to go this route, it is a federal felony to change vin tags to a different vehicle. I'm not saying you shouldn't do it, just be aware of the risks and that the penalties can be very high if you get caught.
Click to expand...

I'm aware of the legal issues which is why I'm trying to avoid that route. It would certainly be unlawful in most situations, but what do you do when you are restoring a vehicle and using parts from two or more trucks. What if your frame is rusted and needs to be replaced? I'm sure there are plenty of restored trucks that have a frame, fender and door post from three different trucks. Is it illegal to swap the VIN tags around to make them all match? Where do you draw the line, who makes the decision on what's legal and what's not?

I won't swap VINs on my truck, but I may buy another one that has rusted away to nothing but the VIN tags, then use my truck as parts to fix it. ;)
 
This does not really help you since you are on the other coast.

But


In California, for $75 a California Highway Patrol fills out a DMV form while doing a physical inspection of the vehicle. Once the from is filled out, it goes to the DMV and they see if it is stolen, etc. You get the title in about a month via snail mail.
 
lcwizard said:
Lost Automobile and Old Car Titles

IT actually works!
I've registered a 40, and a 55 in the past. You are sent a legal title from another state so you will need to take it to your DMV to transfer to whatever state you live in.
I know at least three other "classic" builders that have used it
Click to expand...

X2 on Broadwaytitle.com. I'm also in Pa. and bought a 1970 Bronco with no title.
They sent me a legal title that I took to a notary in Pa. and had it transfered to a Pa. title. Very easy.
 
I have gotten 3 titles from main including a 1984bj42 title,which I still have . the truck is sold to Vintageoffroad and he was titling the truck as somthing else. I have about 7 titles and vin plates,if you need one let me know. Please no warnings from the Mud police on this. I know Im gonna go to jail soI don't need you telling me so........Contact Mainly title.com. I paid about $600 for the bj42 title and it was a maryland title so I paid extra,but you can get one from them for about $300 and then you have to bring the paper work to Motor vehicle.

Good luck
 
Does your state not have any type of lost title retrival...
In oregon they will send a certified letter to the last registered owner. If the last reg owner accepts the letter, signs it off and returns the letter...or if the letter is returned up-opened (most likely) you get a title. I would be real suprised if there is no way for you to try to get a title through your state DMV>

Note: If the truck was last registered in a different state, you will have to deal with that states DMV.
 
Broadway title is easy to use and cheap for what I considered my time was worth in dealing with all the forms the DMV wanted from me...

I was able to obtain a title for my '59 unimog 411.
 
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