[carcrazy]

If I'm just looking for a driver, a salvage or rebuilt title wouldn't bother me too much. I would rule out this type of title if I was looking at the car for investment purposes. In any event, a salvage/rebuilt title would most definitely have a very serious impact on value.of the vehicle.

[400 4spd.]

Originally Posted by vertigto

Bought mine 2 years ago out of Georgia with a title.

Good thing for you Brian. Otherwise you may have ended up with a North Carolina issued V.I.N. in your door jamb. That happened on a 70 Challenger that a customer picked up there with a bill of sale.

[400 4spd.]

I'm almost finished up with a '68 Chevelle that my brother bought with a California salvage title. It was a complete and running abandoned vehicle at a local L.A. repair shop. It's really a shame that it's branded as such because it's a very straight and rust free example that you only find once in a life time.
After he bought it about 12 years ago he had a crate motor dropped in and a local body shop paint it. He hasn't been happy with it since so I have ended up with it here.

http://www.barrsrestoration.com/1968...-chevelle.html

[Goatracer1]

These cars are 50 years old now. In that time most of them have had a major rebuild. If you buy a car with a replacement frame or major body work it should have a salvage title but most don't. I have known new cars with salvage titles. Some have been repaired so well that the average person could not tell where they were repaired. I have also seen one new car that did NOT have a salvage title that was repaired and was 1 inch shorter on the right side than it was on the left.If you want the car have someone qualified check the car for major problems. Also check with your insurance company for what they might say. Check with your motor vehicle department on their requirements. If all is okay buy the thing,unless you are planning on flipping it.

[tooski]

I don't understand the no title aspect. That some states will not issue a title. Is a title not an official document of ownership required to obtain registration to operate a vehicle? Here in Ontario (not sure about other provinces) one cannot get a licence plate sticker (registration tag) without presenting ownership card (title) no matter how old the car.

[mgarblik]

Every State in the US has their own unique title rules, regulations and types of titles. Or no titles at all. This makes it a complicated mess when buying and selling between various states. Where I live in OH, the state is "Title Crazy". Every stupid piece of equipment has a title, from a garden trailer, to a collector car. Outboard motor powered boats have 3 titles!! One for the motor, one for the boat and one for the trailer. It's pretty crazy here.

[72projectbird]

Originally Posted by tooski

I don't understand the no title aspect. That some states will not issue a title. Is a title not an official document of ownership required to obtain registration to operate a vehicle? Here in Ontario (not sure about other provinces) one cannot get a licence plate sticker (registration tag) without presenting ownership card (title) no matter how old the car.

Some states dont issue titles after a vehicle reaches a certain age. To me titles are nothing more than another tax on us.

I buy cars out of NH all the time. No titles after a certain age. Here in MA we need them, which I hate. That said, it's not any more difficult registering a car without a title than with one. I just need a previous registration and a bill of sale.

[Chief of the 60's]

In NY, any motor vehicle prior to 1972 has a transferable registration only. No title because there never was one.

[Greg Reid]

Originally Posted by vertigto

Pretty sure Georgia classic cars have titles.

None needed, none given. If you have it, you can use it but if the title is gone you just use a bill of sale and it helps if that bill of sale is signed by the guy that last owner in the DMV's records.
Can't recall what the age cutoff is...18 or 20 years?

Originally Posted by 64speed

Georgia does not title cars before 1980. Have bought many there including this Tempest

You don't have to go back that far...I have a 1980 280zx with no title. Remember, that's a 40 year old car now!

[vertigto]

Originally Posted by Greg Reid

None needed, none given. If you have it, you can use it but if the title is gone you just use a bill of sale and it helps if that bill of sale is signed by the guy that last owner

Thx for the info.

I guess I'll consider myself lucky as 3rd owner.

[chris66]

I have a 74 GTO that I bought out of PA years ago. Complete car no issues with the PA title.
The title ended up having one digit off in the vin, which I did not notice when I purchased. I believe a key stroke error.
I registered the car in NY, without an issue, until NYS DMV caught it.
I had to have the car inspected by the NYS DMV Investigators, all of the hidden vins matched on the car, but
I was still given a rebuilt salvage title.
I am still going to drive it until I can't anymore and not worry.....

[red1975pacer]

Now going back to Fred's original question, what value hit should be considered "reasonable" for a car that one probably would sell a few years down the road? 40%, 50% ?

[64speed]

Originally Posted by red1975pacer

Now going back to Fred's original question, what value hit should be considered "reasonable" for a car that one probably would sell a few years down the road? 40%, 50% ?

Depends on the quality of the car and the buyer. As you have read on here some people care and some don’t. As long as the price is realistic someone will eventually buy it

[Chief of the 60's]

Originally Posted by chris66

I have a 74 GTO that I bought out of PA years ago. Complete car no issues with the PA title.
The title ended up having one digit off in the vin, which I did not notice when I purchased. I believe a key stroke error.
I registered the car in NY, without an issue, until NYS DMV caught it.
I had to have the car inspected by the NYS DMV Investigators, all of the hidden vins matched on the car, but
I was still given a rebuilt salvage title.
I am still going to drive it until I can't anymore and not worry.....

Let me guess.... You went on Dingens St? Some of those guys can F'up a wet dream as well as Albany. I will tell you personally as well as professionally, you got screwed. Someone didn't know what they were doing, now you're stuck with a branded title.

Unless there is more to this than what you are saying, all you needed to do is to take the car to a NYS Trooper's barracks to have the VIN confirmed. What you had was a title discrepancy which only requires a visual VIN verification or a pencil scratching of the VIN tag. Dingens St. NYS Inspection Station can also verify a VIN but get the wrong guy or go in with the wrong application and you'll walk out with a branded title or worse, reassigned VIN.

[Goatracer1]

In NH you can title an old car IF you want to but you don't have to title it. If you buy an untitled car it must have it's VIN checked by a police officer or someone from an inspection station. Not a big deal but a pain in the butt.

[chris66]

No more to the story...
Had to go to the DMV field office in Rochester, NY for inspection.
They still insisted on having the title branded.
I will use it as is... PA screw up, NY didn't care.
I will use it, mys kids could care less and someone will want it when I'm gone..

[mgarblik]

Originally Posted by red1975pacer

Now going back to Fred's original question, what value hit should be considered "reasonable" for a car that one probably would sell a few years down the road? 40%, 50% ?

There is no exact correct answer and I believe it would be a sliding scale. IMO, it would start at about 25% for a driver quality collector car. The % hit would increase as the value of a car and the condition increases and the pool of potential buyers gets smaller and more particular about originality and correctness. Examples: Plain Jane 1969 Grand Prix. One of 90+ thousand produced. A really nice driver quality example. Clear title 20K. Rebuilt title 15K plenty of potential buyers. 1970 1/2 Trans AM Ram Air IV. 1- 2+ condition . Clear title 85K rebuilt title, salvage title, 40-50K. Very small buyer pool, people with that kind of cash would be less likely to pay big bucks for a car with a checkered past JMO.

[poncho-mike]

I've found several title issues over the years caused by DMV.

I had a 1973 Grans Am w/455 that came from another state. I always save a photocopy of the original title when I buy the car. The original title had the VIN, then under "type" it had CP.

The DMV office appended the CP to the end of the VIN number when it issued the new title. I went to sell the car and the problem cropped up. I showed DMV the original title and how they made a mistake, but they still required me to take it to DMV inspection to get an official DMV person to inspect it. It tooks months to straighten that out.

Mike

Originally Posted by red1975pacer

Interesting comments on this situation. Supposedly the seller of this car didn't know what the title situation was until he completed the deal on the car when he bought it 9 years ago. Buyer beware, but let me ask you guys how many of you would check the title when buying a car of this type? Be honest.

[TAKerry]

I think the value is def diminished, how much really depends on the honesty of the original owner that had it put on the title, how much work was done, and what the damage was.
Its kinda funny how many are monday morning quarterbacks ( I suppose myself to a certain degree) in saying that the designation will severely impact the value. I would be willing to bet that there are a lot of cars that have been restored, rebuilt that we own that should have a salvage title as well but dont. How many restored cars have replacement quarters, floors, doors, interiors, etc. etc.

[Region Warrior]

As long as in good shape, I buy it to keep.
Years ago my brother inlaw bought two 3/4 ton vans to make 1 good one for work.
Got a salvage title and drove it 2-3 years. I bought it, used it 7 years, then sold to another guy probly still driving it.
Still regret selling it. Was most dependable vehicle owned...