How do I title a Camaro without one?

[nuch_ss396]

Hi all !

I'm looking at a local Camaro that needs lots of TLC.  I may want this for a project car.

The car comes with a bill of sale, but not a title.  What are my options for getting a clear,
legal title to the car so I can put it on the road at some point?  If it helps, I'm in NC.

Thanks,
Steve

[lakeholme]

In NC, the short answer is the seller is supposed to supply a title. 

I asked the guys at Old Muscle in Winston-Salem, and they said no title is a "big red flag".  The most obvious thing is it might be stolen --even if you trust the present owner...  So, get the VIN (and they said no VIN buy it just for parts) and have a check run on it.

Beyond that, to get a title on an untitled vehicle in NC requires what is called Supporting Documentation.  That's going to require a trip to the local DMV office, a form and the gathering of those documents; then another trip (or two) to DMV.  If the last title on the car is from out of state, you will have to go through the process with that state.  The good news is that NC does have some info. more than 10 years old on microfilm.

Here's a link to that DMV info.  (It's 10MB, so it will take a minute to download.)
http://www.ncdot.org/dmv/vehicle_services/registrationtitling/titlemanual/download/NCTitleManual.pdf

Good luck!  And BTW, if you are from NC like me, then surely you know to go to a DMV office in a smaller county --much shorter lines and generally better dispositions...

[DanZ10]

Steve, I'm in NC too, and based on my experience it depends on how knowledgable (or helpful) the person is you talk to at the NCDMV.

Assuming you visit a "good" DMV, you can have a car re-titled in NC using it's born with VIN by claiming a lost title. They will want to inspect the car (or see a pencil rubbing of the VIN), run the VIN through the stolen car database, and have you fill out a mountain of paperwork. Assuming all is clear they will issue another title. Digital pictures of all numbers and tags usually help the paperwork process.

Another experience I have had (on another car, different DMV office) was they insisted on giving me a "North Carolina VIN". Basically issuing me a metal plate with a number that I had to rivet on the car in the doorjamb.... I refused and found another DMV. Their reason for the new VIN was that my '69 13 digit VIN didn't match the modern 17 digit format.

I would strongly suggest dropping by a DMV and discussing your options prior to actually trying to title it....it may save you some headaches down the road. In my opinion...the more remotely located DMVs seem to be more helpful.

Let us know how it turns out.... I'm curious what your experience is.....

[Tinkerr]

At one time their were a number of places in  hemmings that advertised they could provide a title for any vehicle between specific year I think nothing newer than early 70's. My understanding is there are several states that don't issue titles, Georgia being one. A little detective work may resolve the theft issue and a bill of sale from Bill Suckaluski in Georgia and problem solved.

[KevinK]

 In as much as there seems to a rash of 'missing' VIN's and VIN swaps lately, ...there are times were for whatever reason paperwork gets lost.
  I had just this case about 6 months ago for a '67 I purchased. Prior to purchasing the car I contacted DMV (NY), and went from there. As DanZ10 mentioned, ...be prepared to make multiple trips to DMV, ...the requirments on what paperwork you need completed differs depending on who you talk to.
  Anyway, ...if you're serious about the car, ...start with DMV. Get ALL the DMV forms NC requires, ...and fill out as much as you can. HAVE THEM WITH YOU WHEN YOU PICK UP THE CAR, ...and have the seller sign wherever it's required. I even went as far as including digital photos of the VIN tag and the car itself in printed Bill of Sale (MS Word document).
  Quite a bit of paperwork, ...just be prepared for it and it really wasn't that bad.

[nuch_ss396]

Well,

It really doesn't sound too bad, does it.

One other question.  If I buy this car and the VIN turns out to be from a stolen car, what are my liabilities? 
I expect to get a bill of sale, so I would be the one trying to justify posession of the car in question.

Steve

[KevinK]

... Do what you can to have the VIN checked BEFORE you purchase the car. There must be someone you know that could run the number for you...? (a friend in the police?, ...insurance?)
   If you don't have the VIN checked ahead of time, ...yes you could risk running into problems.  If it turns out the car is/was stolen, ...assume you lost the money you paid out, ...and that the car will be impounded. Short of that, ...it depends on the seller and/or a good lawyer.
In my situation the car was a basket case and there was no reason to suspect it had 'issues'.  If the VIN tag matches the hidden VIN's, etc. and the tags haven't been tampered with, ...along with some history on the car (ie. mine was owned locally), ...you should be in better shape to have an idea on what you're dealing with.
 

[1968RSZ28]

Steve -

   Why not just go to your local police department and be honest. Tell them you are interested in buying this vehicle, but you think the car might be stolen. It is then in their best interest, not to mention their job, to check it out. And if it turns out to be stolen, you will be a hero for finding someone's baby! Good luck.

Paul

[ggtsvnv]

 You can go through a company called Brodway Title ( just look them up on the net), they request that you do a VIN# check in your state first to make sure the car is not stolen. Once you have the VIN# check sheet they will send you some paperwork, and once you fill it out and send it back they will get you a title for the car. It takes about 12 weeks at the longest, is legal and costs about $150 with no trips to DMV just to your local law enforcement to get the VIN run. I have used the twice once on a 71 SS 350 Camaro that had no title and the other was a 70 SS 396 Camaro both times it was easy.
Good luck