car title

[jlkoldsman]

hi- i guess almost everyone has found one of these. a good restorable car for a real decent price but no title. is there any way to get a legal title for these cars and do they change in every state. i live in iowa and have found a 1960 olds dynamic 88 2 oor hardtop fairly cheap and in good condition and before i buy it i would like to find an answer to the problem. can anyone help on this? thanks

[gearheads78]

Rules vary from state to state. I would contact your DMV to see what steps you will need to take to obtain a new title.

[59-59-59]

Theres a company out of I think Alabama that produces new titles for the exact problem your having. They also produced a title for a '57 I bought a while back. They usually advertise in a magazine called Round-up that has older cars and parts for sale. I'm pretty sure they just need the VIN number off the car and about 200 bucks of your money. I had a new title from Alabama in my hand in 4 weeks. Then you transfer it over to the state that you live in now.

[joe_padavano]

Originally Posted by jlkoldsman

hi- i guess almost everyone has found one of these. a good restorable car for a real decent price but no title. is there any way to get a legal title for these cars and do they change in every state. i live in iowa and have found a 1960 olds dynamic 88 2 oor hardtop fairly cheap and in good condition and before i buy it i would like to find an answer to the problem. can anyone help on this? thanks

First, if the seller is saying that they "lost" the title, be wary. The DMVs of virtually every state in the nation each have a process for getting a replacement title for a car that is legally owned. Here in Virginia, it simply takes a form that you fill out, proper ID, and $5 the last time I had to do it. Other states will have a different process.

If the seller does not have the title in his name but does legally own the car, most states have a process called a lien sale. This process is intended for use by (for example) a repair shop where the owner of the car had work done then doesn't pick up the car. It is possible for the shop to put a lien on the car and follow a legal process to obtain clear title to the vehicle.

If the car is just abandoned, that's a more difficult process. Some jurisdictions actually have a process that allows you to get a clear title, but most just junk the car to avoid any legal liability.

[jlkoldsman]

i found that i can get a bill of sale from the man selling this car. he said that his dad bought it and when he died his dad's girlfriend burned all of the paperwork for all of the cars he had. she didn't want his son to get anything from him. however he got the ground and all of the cars on it so here we are. i am going to get a copy of the bill of sale the state has and have him fill it out and see what happens from there. i have found 2 other 1959 oldsmobiles that are out of state and might have to go the other way with those so will see.
thanks all