Title for car where engines are swapped

[Synchro909]

In Australia, we do not have titles for cars so this thread and any other mention of titles leaves me thoroughly confused, especially when I am told "Don't worry about that - I can get a title for you."
Your system seems very complicated and cumbersome, just like your land titles system. Has there ever been anything suggested in your country to streamline them?

[alexiskai]

Originally Posted by Synchro909

Your system seems very complicated and cumbersome, just like your land titles system. Has there ever been anything suggested in your country to streamline them?

As Chesterton said of his fence, I might let you tear it down if you can show me that you understand why it’s there.

[Big hammer]

Yes it’s been though about ! But then we would have millions of attorneys on the unemployment line !

[Synchro909]

Originally Posted by Big hammer

Yes it’s been though about ! But then we would have millions of attorneys on the unemployment line !

Vested interests?
These guys are not stupid - they got through law school. Just imagine the benefits of having them do something productive.

[Bob Johnson]

One of the reasons for all the VIN checking is to get money for the DMV. They do not want a $100K hot rod registered as a $10K Model A. They also do not want people re-registering stolen vehicles.


Bob

[2speed]

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So who exactly is from the DMV is going to come to your house, pop the hood and examine the serial number(if they even know where to find it) and double check all this stuff? Are you planning to register the other car too? If you got stopped by the police and they want to check the numbers, you think that some 25 year old academy trainee is going to know where to find any of the numbers?

[Charlie Stephens]

The California DMV used to (and I assume still do) delegate this task to the Highway Patrol. I was lead be believe they knew what they were looking for.

Charlie Stephens

[JayJay]

Originally Posted by Charlie Stephens

The California DMV used to (and I assume still do) delegate this task to the Highway Patrol. I was lead be believe they knew what they were looking for.

Charlie Stephens

Not always. When my ‘30 TS was brought into California from Wisconsin the California DMV clerk checked the stamped engine number against the Wisconsin title, then issued a new California title and plates. No discussion of VIN anywhere else on the car. I gather that it’s something of a crapshoot among different offices, some can be really anal and some sorta go through the motions. Since I have the body off the frame I’m going to have an official independent VIN Verifier cross reference frame number, engine number and body number in the records.

[ronn]

These guys are not stupid



beg to differ...........many are quite stupid. Book smarts does not always translate to intelligence.

[Planojc]

First thing, check with your Florida DMV for their requirements, then go from there. Every state is a little different.

[Planojc]

Just a note, some states require the auto theft guys to check on the vin numbers to make sure that it's not reported stolen. For this reason, they frown on re-stamped engine numbers.

[David in San Antonio]

The auto theft special deputy sheriff of the seller’s county inspected The Wretched Roadster because the title number did not match the engine number. With the seller, the floor mat and floor boards were removed and he crawled all over searching for a number in the frame, to no avail. Finally, he looked up the title number and the engine number and found neither corresponded to a stolen vehicle. That, plus the thick folder of old receipts and photographs, and the seller’s anecdotes was enough. No metal tag was issued. Instead the Sheriff’s Department signed an official document allowing the old out of state title number to be used for a new, Texas title.
Back at the motor vehicle bureau for the third time, there was some discussion about the old title having the name of the seller’s long-deceased brother on it. We also had to go to a truck stop to use the state-inspected scale and pay $14 for an official document stating the weight. There was at least one other wild goose chase item but I don’t recollect just what it was. Finally I had my temporary tag in hand and returned to the Wretched Roadster in the parking lot to find someone had scratched the paint on the driver’s door with (presumably) a key. And unlike all those Teslas running around, the 1930 Ford did not have 360 degree video recording triggered by vandalism.

[Gene F]

Originally Posted by David in San Antonio

The auto theft special deputy sheriff of the seller’s county inspected The Wretched Roadster because the title number did not match the engine number. With the seller, the floor mat and floor boards were removed and he crawled all over searching for a number in the frame, to no avail. Finally, he looked up the title number and the engine number and found neither corresponded to a stolen vehicle. That, plus the thick folder of old receipts and photographs, and the seller’s anecdotes was enough. No metal tag was issued. Instead the Sheriff’s Department signed an official document allowing the old out of state title number to be used for a new, Texas title.
Back at the motor vehicle bureau for the third time, there was some discussion about the old title having the name of the seller’s long-deceased brother on it. We also had to go to a truck stop to use the state-inspected scale and pay $14 for an official document stating the weight. There was at least one other wild goose chase item but I don’t recollect just what it was. Finally I had my temporary tag in hand and returned to the Wretched Roadster in the parking lot to find someone had scratched the paint on the driver’s door with (presumably) a key. And unlike all those Teslas running around, the 1930 Ford did not have 360 degree video recording triggered by vandalism.

The key thing really ticks me off. And trust me that is the nice version.

[ronn]

FL does have a strong inspection- TX is diff and a piece of cake. every state varies. In NJ we have no inspection, so do whatever the heck you like!

[Synchro909]

So from the point of view of an outsider, it seems to me that the states are NOT united. Hmmmm.

[alexiskai]

Originally Posted by Synchro909

So from the point of view of an outsider, it seems to me that the states are NOT united. Hmmmm.

There is no national law requiring cars to be titled. All 50 states independently started their own titling process at various times over the past 100 years. So every state originally had that more “streamlined” system you were inquiring about, but for some reason they all abandoned it.

[Synchro909]

Interesting.

[ronn]

Synch, it is always a crap shoot. Sure, each state has their own requirements, but take it one step further, who did you get to work with at dmv? Many love the word NO


but every once in awhile you get lucky and nobody cares.
somebody wrote on the AACA yrs ago that he was from down south and he always took a fine bakery cake into the ladies from dmv......... and he NEVER had a problem. They loved him.

[halpeters]

Automobile Vehicle Identification Numbers (VIN) did not start until the 1954 model year. A VIN is unique to each vehicle, and is assigned by the manufacturer, in accordance with Federal Law.

Prior to 1954, cars had what ever the manufacturer chose to put on it, and what the State chose to use. Most States used the motor number.

The Ford Model A, started with Motor Number 1, and was given to Thomas Edison, and went up from there.... There are potentially many cars with the same motor serial number - I'm not sure what states do, if your serial number matches an old Chevy, or Model T, etc.

DMV's incorrectly refer to it as a VIN, and I'm surprised this doesn't cause more problems.

[gdmn852]

Hello, Pennsylvania usually wants and vin number tracing if you bring in a car from out of state, this is done by a notary, if there is any problem then you have to go to the state police for them to check if listed as stolen, if vin number doesn’t match or they can’t find it a special state issue number is assigned to be attached usually on firewall or door jam .On my roadster it was erroneous listed as a convertible, I had the title changed to that , luckily the engine number match the title.The engine number actually is a late 1930 , car is a 31 and titled as such , has the indented firewall, but as I mentioned before it’s probably a flea market Frankenstein.