[nogavel]

I have a question and I guess this is the best place for it on the forum. I have a 70 GTO and I am trying to obtain a title for it. The car is not stolen but it has set for many years and changed hands several times. I have learned that the last time it was on the road was sometime in the mid 80's. I do not have a previous registration nor a copy of the title(yes I know it is a big risk to buy this type of vehicle). I would like to put the car on the road when I am done with it. I am trying to deal with VA DMV and they want a previous registration number for the car before they do anything. I will do the leg work to get what I need but don't know where or how to start searching. Do I start writing different state DMV's to see in I can find where it was last registered? What can be done online to this end? I have done a VIN search online and it came up clean there. All I know there are a lot of street rods from the 30's and so forth that have been put back on the road, this can't be impossible.

[buds56]

I titled a 64 catalina using the abandoned vehicle method in Va.

http://www.dmvnow.com/webdoc/citizen.../abandoned.asp

Its a pain in the rear and a bit time consuming,
You will probably have to write 49 letters to state dmvs for record searches if you can't find an old tag or registation card.
Usually you can find someone in the dmv that will be helpful in the process, if not go to a different dmv.
Its going to be time consuming, but a 70 gto is worth the trouble, and a clean title eliminates any questions down the road.

I would not go through one of those Alabama title services now that youv'e been to the dmv and asked about a trace.
Good luck, Bud

[Cammer-6]

Humm,I wonder if I can do the same in state of Florida?

[Formulabruce]

Use the abandoned car site to do a VA search for previous owners.

Know the name of the previous owner? how long have you owned it>?

[md1twal3]

www.broadwaytitle.com is also a good resource, pretty painless and has a resonable cost. In short, you do paperwork with them, they register your/their car in a no-title state and then "sell it back to you" with it having valid registration. You take the paperwork to your DMV, they recognize it as a car that was registered in a no title state, do the paperwork and send you a clean title in your state a few weeks later.

[Stuart]

Before you go to a title company, make sure you find out what the state of Virginia's opinion is on titles from those places...some states take a dim view of laundered titles, Minnesota is one but I don't know about others.

SEMA has a website with titling information for every state, take a look there to find the rules and forms: http://www.semaactionnetwork.com/mai....aspx?id=62843

One method that is used in many states is to get a bonded title. Do a google search on 'bonded title' and you'll find some information on how it works.

I found this site which appears to have some useful information on how to get a title without spending a lot of money: http://scoot.net/faq/Register_a_barn_find It's a motorcycle page, but the titling procedure should be similar and it has instructions for a number of states including Virginia.

[nogavel]

Hey All, I appreciate all the information, you have given me soome other avenues to get this done! Thanks for taking the time to read my post and reply.

[md1twal3]

Originally Posted by Stuart

Before you go to a title company, make sure you find out what the state of Virginia's opinion is on titles from those places...some states take a dim view of laundered titles, Minnesota is one but I don't know about others.

SEMA has a website with titling information for every state, take a look there to find the rules and forms: http://www.semaactionnetwork.com/mai....aspx?id=62843

One method that is used in many states is to get a bonded title. Do a google search on 'bonded title' and you'll find some information on how it works.

I found this site which appears to have some useful information on how to get a title without spending a lot of money: http://scoot.net/faq/Register_a_barn_find It's a motorcycle page, but the titling procedure should be similar and it has instructions for a number of states including Virginia.

Stuart is correct, make sure VA isn't on Broadway's exempt list. Back when I did it, they provided that list on their site and paperwork so it was relatively easy. Good Luck!

[SRR]

I wouldn't put another dime in it until it's legal. Please let us know how you make out. Neat car!

[GaryK]

PM sent

[moparcolt]

I had to get an Ohio title for a car I bought from Georgia, It was fairly easy to get a georgia title, and then transfer it to an Ohio title. Just had to had to get two notarized bill of sales and they would issue a title. basically had to sell it to a friend for $1 he sold it back to me for $1 and then we gave it to a friend in Georgia (same deal sold it to him for $1) then he was able to get a georgia title and sold it back to me for $1 with the new Georgia title. All states may not do this but that one does and the car wouldn't have to be from there.

Chris

[nogavel]

I want to thank all that put in time to respond to my question. I obtained a VA title last month and now have it registed and tagged, inspected and on the road! This year has been very busy for me at work and did not find the time to respond to all the PYr's that provided information. I ended up using the abondoned vehicle process here in VA to get the title and it is clean. Not a hard process at all and cost me $25 for the vin serach throught the DMV (which they run) and then waited @15 days and then submitted intent to auction and @21 days later I was able to go to DMV and get a title and tags! Very exciting! Buds56 and Formulabruce the info on the Abondoned Vehicle Process was spot on!

[Formulabruce]

Grats!! Glad you got that out of the way!

[SRR]

Very nice, glad it worked out for you!

[LeighP]

Nice job....I've heard of a few nice cars being parted out because of this Title problem.