Topic: Is a car title necessary?

Looking at a car, but the owner lost the title. Is that necessary, or is a bill of sale sufficient?

Re: Is a car title necessary?

Check with your DMV. Rules likely vary by state.  I am in Massachusetts.
I just bought a car with a title, but did not get a Bill of Sale.  The BoS is really bulloney...I just went on the internet, searched for something, downloaded it, filled it out, signed for the seller, and used that.  I fudged the price, hoping to pay less in taxes, but they did not care....they just looked up the value in their computer and taxed me on that...
I also recently purchased a junker car...with not title.
After stripping it, no junkyard would take it without a title.  So we went to the DMV, paid around $250, filled out some forms, fudged some data, and got a title in the mail.....no big deal
I think they just run the serial number to make sure it is not stolen.

I think the rules are different for really old cars also.

But be careful buying a car with no title....make sure the seller is legit.....

z

MarioKart Driving School: 1987 Honda Prelude Si (Opus #28) 
Loudon, NH 2014 - Millville, NJ, Lightening 2019 (RIP)
New and improved: 1987 Honda Prelude Si (Opus #11) Pittsburgh, PA 2021 - ??
and finally won something, Class C Win: Loudon, NH 2022

Re: Is a car title necessary?

I meant as an entry for a Lemons race.

Re: Is a car title necessary?

Nobody cares if you have a title or not.  These are race cars.

You are only entitled to the space you occupy.

Re: Is a car title necessary?

clayshaw wrote:

I meant as an entry for a Lemons race.

You don't need a title.  The only reason you'd want a bill of sale is for BS inspection, and even then you'd only need it if the car is questionable, or considered cheaty.

bs

Re: Is a car title necessary?

Depends on what you want to do with it. Our car is tagged and legal to drive on the street. If you need a title you can get one thru a title service. I used National Title to get one for a motorcycle.  FWIW tagging the car makes it easier to test and tune...

"get up and get your grandma outta here"

Re: Is a car title necessary?

Do you happen to recall the website for National Title?  A quick web search for those terms brings up an awfully large number of similar looking businesses.

Captain, For Parts Only (Team FPO)
#111 VW Golf - Currently Orange with tiger stripes (Calvin and Hobbes theme)

Re: Is a car title necessary?

bshorey wrote:
clayshaw wrote:

I meant as an entry for a Lemons race.

You don't need a title.

True. The only potentially awkward practical consideration, as MZAVARIN mentioned, is that if you want and/or need to dispose of the car (or what's left of the car) at a local wrecking yard instead of hauling it home after the race, many yards are reluctant to accept a car with no title.

This is perhaps more of a concern for those of us without a full-sized trailer.

1982 MG Metro 1300: IOE 2015 Pacific Northworst GP, Longest Distance 2010 Cd'L Box Wine Country Classic
1980 KV Mini 1: Worst of Show and Fright Pig Supremo 2009 Concours d'Lemons
1978 H Special: Second-Round Elimination 2010 Lemons Pinewood Derby at Sears Pointless
1967 SAAB 96: IOE 2012 Pacific Northworst GP, Organizer's Choice 2022 Hell on Wheels California Rally

Re: Is a car title necessary?

However, if you use gross application of a sawzall or torch and cut your no-title ride into scrap yourself, I've never had a problem with the scrap yard accepting it. I've sent several cars into the great Chinese razor blade remanufacturing facility in the sky that way.

Pat Mulry, TARP Racing #67

Mandatory disclaimer: all opinions expressed are mine alone & not those of 24HOL, its mgmt, sponsors, etc.

Re: Is a car title necessary?

GoFastEnthusiast wrote:

Do you happen to recall the website for National Title?  A quick web search for those terms brings up an awfully large number of similar looking businesses.

sorry this is who I used.. http://www.its-titles.com/

"get up and get your grandma outta here"

Re: Is a car title necessary?

Mulry wrote:

However, if you use gross application of a sawzall or torch and cut your no-title ride into scrap yourself, I've never had a problem with the scrap yard accepting it. I've sent several cars into the great Chinese razor blade remanufacturing facility in the sky that way.


^^^  This.  And it can be a fun way to spend an afternoon with friends and family.

"She's a brick house" 57th out of 121 and 5th in Class C, There Goes the Neighborhood 2013
"PA Posse" 21st out of 96 and 2nd in Class C, Capitol Offense 2013.
"PA Posse" 29th out of 133 and Class C WINNER, Halloween Hooptiefest 2013
"PA Posse" 33rd out of 151 and 2nd in Class C, The Real Hoopties 2013

Re: Is a car title necessary?

Gotta find sketchier junk yards. I've gotten rid of two cars by just dropping them at a local yard. They asked no questions when I said I had no paperwork.

20+ Time Loser FutilityMotorsport
Abandoned E36 Build
2008 Saab 9-5Aero Wagon
Retired - 1989 Dodge Daytona Shelby 2011-2015 "Lifetime Award for Lack of Achievement" IOE, 3X I got screwed, Organizer's Choice

Re: Is a car title necessary?

racinrob wrote:
Mulry wrote:

However, if you use gross application of a sawzall or torch and cut your no-title ride into scrap yourself, I've never had a problem with the scrap yard accepting it. I've sent several cars into the great Chinese razor blade remanufacturing facility in the sky that way.


^^^  This.  And it can be a fun way to spend an afternoon with friends and family.


I turned a VW Scriocco into small enough pieces that it all fit in my Ford Contour trunk. I just make a few trips to a dumpster to dispose of said pieces.

Re: Is a car title necessary?

TheEngineer wrote:

Gotta find sketchier junk yards. I've gotten rid of two cars by just dropping them at a local yard. They asked no questions when I said I had no paperwork.

Yep, this. Last car I scrapped at a local yard they didn't bother asking about a title until they had already speared it with their forklift and dropped it in the scrap pile. Not that they would have cared that I didn't have the title anyway, but at that point it was far too late.

Sorry For Party Racing! - 1985 Pontiac Firebird - Car #35

A race car exists only in two states: broken or in the process of becoming that way.

Re: Is a car title necessary?

TheEngineer wrote:

Gotta find sketchier junk yards. I've gotten rid of two cars by just dropping them at a local yard.

Mulry wrote:

However, if you use gross application of a sawzall or torch and cut your no-title ride into scrap yourself...

If one has the luxury of finding a sketchy yard and/or chopping the car into tiny pieces, that's fine. My concern is more along the lines of having the car become untransportable (or at least not desirably transportable) on, say, late Sunday afternoon at a track hundreds of miles from home, knowing that it needs to be removed from the facility in a short period of time. At that point not having a title might lead to some awkward discussions with the track management and/or the local surprisingly virtuous scrapyard.

I keep my car titled and licensed for a variety of convenient reasons, but the above scenario is why I bring the title with me to each race. Again, though, I don't have a trailer for it, so my other options are limited.

1982 MG Metro 1300: IOE 2015 Pacific Northworst GP, Longest Distance 2010 Cd'L Box Wine Country Classic
1980 KV Mini 1: Worst of Show and Fright Pig Supremo 2009 Concours d'Lemons
1978 H Special: Second-Round Elimination 2010 Lemons Pinewood Derby at Sears Pointless
1967 SAAB 96: IOE 2012 Pacific Northworst GP, Organizer's Choice 2022 Hell on Wheels California Rally

Re: Is a car title necessary?

mharrell wrote:

I keep my car titled and licensed for a variety of convenient reasons, but the above scenario is why I bring the title with me to each race. Again, though, I don't have a trailer for it, so my other options are limited.

There's always the option of a Viking funeral.

"I don't suffer from insanity, I enjoy every minute of it!"
IOE winner in the Super Snipe -- Buttonwillow 2012
IOE winner in Super Snipe v2.0 -- Buttonwillow 2016
"Every Super Snipe in Lemons has won an IOE!"

Re: Is a car title necessary?

CowDriver wrote:

There's always the option of a Viking funeral.

Fair enough. As long as there is absolutely no paper trail connecting the car to oneself, several options remain available.

1982 MG Metro 1300: IOE 2015 Pacific Northworst GP, Longest Distance 2010 Cd'L Box Wine Country Classic
1980 KV Mini 1: Worst of Show and Fright Pig Supremo 2009 Concours d'Lemons
1978 H Special: Second-Round Elimination 2010 Lemons Pinewood Derby at Sears Pointless
1967 SAAB 96: IOE 2012 Pacific Northworst GP, Organizer's Choice 2022 Hell on Wheels California Rally

Re: Is a car title necessary?

What's this about an Allegro? Did someone call for me?

Re: Is a car title necessary?

For Lemons, no.

For getting rid of it once it's lived its life, it's helpful.



The nightmare scenario has happened in drag racing a couple of times - cops show up and start running VINs and people start losing heavily built drag racers because they were stolen 20 years and 6 owners prior.


If you're going to do something you can't financially and emotionally afford to have suddenly taken away from you at no notice, make sure you get a title.

Driver, Pit Monkey, Rod Buster and Engine Fire Starter
Team FinalGear

Re: Is a car title necessary?

If you're going to do something you can't financially and emotionally afford to have suddenly taken away from you at no notice, make sure you don't put the car on a racetrack.

Re: Is a car title necessary?

hoverducky wrote:

If you're going to do something you can't financially and emotionally afford to have suddenly taken away from you at no notice, make sure you don't put the car on a racetrack.

wrecking a car and NOT being able to dispose of it is also a nightmare. The isn't being taken away form you,,,you are trying to get rid of it.

"get up and get your grandma outta here"

Re: Is a car title necessary?

Mr.Yuck wrote:
hoverducky wrote:

If you're going to do something you can't financially and emotionally afford to have suddenly taken away from you at no notice, make sure you don't put the car on a racetrack.

wrecking a car and NOT being able to dispose of it is also a nightmare. The isn't being taken away form you,,,you are trying to get rid of it.

No title?  Disposal is easy around here with two opposite variations:

Drop it off the trailer in a bad neighborhood (Gary, IN is 3 miles away) and let it get stripped...it sits thereafter for 3.8 years on blocks.

Drop it off the trailer in a strip club parking lot at 5-6 AM when there is no security and it will be in impound by noon,