Thread: title legality?

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Like I always say, there is the perfect world and the real world. This is one area that fits into that philosophy. In the perfect world every old car you find in a field would come with a clean title and you and the previous owner would go to the DMV or tax office and transfer it like you would your 2005 grocery getter. We who play with these things know that isn't what usually happens. The chances of finding a 30 Ford body that rats have been living in for 50 years with the title are slim to none, so you have to improvise.

Sure, you can go through some title company, but I have even heard where some of those don't quite fit the letter of the law. You can do a reconstructed title or built from parts title, but State to State these vary in what you have to equip your car with to meet current laws. (emissions, safety equipment, etc)

The fact is, we rodders make up such a small percentage of the total cars on the road that it is sort of understood we aren't stealing them and aren't running chop shops. We are simply hobbyists who rebuild a car that has been laying dormant for so many years that the title has long since disappeared, or we are building a reproduction that never had one.

I know there will be flack on what I have just said, but if everyone is totally honest they know this is exactly what happens. Go to any rod run and if you think people are laying out $ 200 to $ 1000 for a title to frame and put on their wall as a "historical document" ........I have some great swamp land in the Everglades I would love to talk to you about.

Don


Oh, now for the legal disclaimer: I do not endorse or suggest anyone do anything such as outlined in the above. I have never met anyone who would do such an act, and if I did I would feel it was my duty to tell them to amend their ways and go straight. Nor have I ever seen any of the 6,000 cars that show up at a rod run like Turkey Run that I would suspect of having anything but a totally legitimate title for only that vehicle. (there, that should do it)