Thread: Thinking about buying a HotRod in NJ

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I just went through the licensing process here in Missouri, a lot of times rod builders buy a open title, sign there name and fill in a purchase price and take it to the inspection station and tell them this is the title & VIN # of the car, they (local mechanic doing the inspection) fills out the inspection slip and you turn it all into the local license bureau and get a title in your name, very easy but....
I Had a friend who did this and sold the car at auction (very high $$) it went out of state (the main problem with doing this) as the state it went to required that states Highway Patrol to inspect the car and verify the VIN tag, they find an original title with original VIN on the title and no factory VIN tag on the car, these guys are pro's so the look alike VIN pop riveted to the cowl doesn't work as they see car VIN plates all day long (the manufacturer or assigned state used & uses special rivets) and they can tell the car isn't original (lets be real here, it's glass and has a new frame) so anyway the state seized the car from the new buyer who was registering it, called my friend told him the money must be refunded and his car is seized by their state as its not an original car which its titled as. To make a long story after hiring a lawyer and refunding the money he had to start over.
Many problems are only seen when the car goes out of state as thats when it actually gets its VIN verified, remember the Department of Revenue never see's a car when its transferred in your own state (States I know of)
Anyway thats why I went through our states licensing procedure for a replica (SEMA Law) takes longer but you can sell it. If you buy a car out of state and must have it inspected and VIN verified your rolling dice if its licensed as an original car and its not especially if your state requires the HP to do the verifing...Best of Luck Matthyj

Originally Posted by Matthyj

I just went through the licensing process here in Missouri, thats why I went through our states licensing procedure for a replica (SEMA Law) takes longer but you can sell it. If you buy a car out of state and must have it inspected and VIN verified your rolling dice if its licensed as an original car and its not especially if your state requires the HP to do the verifing...Best of Luck Matthyj

Ditto, same here. I did the same and after the State Police did their inspections, (2 separate visits, first for paperwork and second for the actual car) the car had to go to a state contractor for proof of roadworthiness. It passed both easily, but the contractor - after inspecting the car - said I probably added 10K to the value of the car with the clean title. He then outlined the process that was being put into place, needless to say, "playing with old cars" is a thing of the past in Mass.

This is why I am adamant when anyone asks the process to title and register a hot rod, it isn't always crystal clear. So I always tell them to go to their nearest DMV and get the real info. Routinely the internet is wrong, when I looked at the data on the listing for the 50 states, it wasn't even close to reality for what it takes in MA.

Originally Posted by 34_40

Thais is why I am adamant when anyone asks the process to title and register a hot rod, it isn't always crystal clear. So I always tell them to go to their nearest DMV and get the real info. Routinely the internet is wrong, when I looked at the data on the listing for the 50 states, it wasn't even close to reality for what it takes in MA.

Here in Missouri everything was incorrect online, and the Department of Revenue even sent incorrect info, here the vehicle is inspected by the patrol and the DOR simply processes the paperwork and take the money, the DOR paperwork stated the vehicle inspection must be notarized and the HP said that's incorrect. It would be much easier if one branch handled everything saving mutiple trips to the patrol & state capitol and 2 months worth of "limbo". It wasn't hard, just hard to find out what to do! Like Henry Rifle mentioned this all manifests usually when you try to sell it out of state, or your lowering your resale by limiting possible sales, Lord help you if its incorrectly registered and got stolen and your trying to recover it! The HP put a VIN tag that says "State assigned VIN" tag on my door jamb by the striker after all was done, doesn't resemble a factory tag at all, the title (thanks to our state having the SEMA law) and it is registred as a 1937 Ford and goes by all laws pertaining to original '37's (no seat belts, bumpers etc) under body style I believe it says "Replica" but for all legal reasons its a '37 with our state. Best of Luck Matthyj

Originally Posted by 34_40

This is why I am adamant when anyone asks the process to title and register a hot rod, it isn't always crystal clear. So I always tell them to go to their nearest DMV and get the real info. Routinely the internet is wrong, when I looked at the data on the listing for the 50 states, it wasn't even close to reality for what it takes in MA.

What's even worse is when people at DMV don't have a clue. To register my '34 in VA, I couldn't get clarification how to register/title, even with a Manufacturers' Certificate of Origin for my Gibbon roller. The only way I got it done was to send a registered letter to the Governor of Virginia outlining my situation and ask him to refer someone at DMV HQ to get back to me. Within a week, I got a phone call from one of the Governor's aides, who referred me to one of the top dogs at DMV. Once that happened, it was easy - except for the State cop who attached my VIN plate. He completely misinformed me about the inspection process. Of course, I ignored him because I had the real info from DMV HQ in hand to show to the inspection station. In VA, the car was titled as a '34 Ford, with a "Replica" remark.

When I moved to Texas, called TEX DOT headquarters to find out how to transfer my VA replica title to Texas. He referred me to a site with the proper forms and told me exactly how to fill them out and where to send them. Even with that, I had to take an email from TEX DOT to the inspection station to explain what they needed to do. In TX, the car is titled as an ASVE (ASsembled VEhicle), with a "Replica: 1934 Ford remark.

To avoid any complication with a traffic officer if I happen to get stopped because I don't have an inspection sticker on my windshield - and don't need one, I carry a copy of an email from TEX DOT explaining why.

The purpose of this post is not to give advice about how to register a car in any particular state, but to reinforce what has been said more here more than once: Don't guess, don't trust the web, don't rely on what others have done. Go to the horse's mouth.