dnacuesta Posted April 14, 2007 Share Posted April 14, 2007 I'm buying a car with a bill of sale and lien papers I didn't want to go to the dmv with any car I purchased because I was going to gut it and race it. 1. do I need a title to race. 2. do I need the vin plates on car. 3. does it matter whos name the cars in to race. Let me know Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazy_ugly_coyote Posted April 14, 2007 Share Posted April 14, 2007 Why would you ever take off the vin plates?!?!?!?!?! And just trailer it in. Get an official statement that it is de-insured and no longer gonna be street legal. Please get a title though. It will save you alot of headaches. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zuperdave Posted April 18, 2007 Share Posted April 18, 2007 You need VIN plates regardless of how you are going to use the car. I agree with the previous poster: why you would remove them? You can have the registration status as "Non Operative" so you don't have to pay registration fees -- as long as it's not driven on public roads. You might have to have license plates, depending on the car's status as "junk," "revived junk," "salvaged," or something else. The previous owner -- the one who held the lien -- probably would like you to put the title in your name so he gets removed from the whole mess. Transfer of title is required, regardless of how you intend to use the car. Having the title in your name is simply your proof of ownership. You should look up the rules for the Department of Motor Vehicles. You can find them on-line or at the library. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jiobst Posted April 18, 2007 Share Posted April 18, 2007 The CA rule on “Non Operational†Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renntag Posted April 19, 2007 Share Posted April 19, 2007 Even here on the east coast it makes no difference who owns a car as long as it isnt stolen. That being said, it has to have VIN plates to prove as such. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
white_2kgt Posted April 19, 2007 Share Posted April 19, 2007 Why does a racecar have to have VIN plates? My race car doesn't, I have a bill of sale for it. There are plenty of BIW mustangs out there as race/track cars that NEVER had VINS. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renntag Posted April 19, 2007 Share Posted April 19, 2007 ok, fair enough. But I have heard stories of people being harassed to show proof of ownership of a car when there is a nearby investigation for a similar stolen vehicle. If you have a BIW, I am sure it can be documented as such. If you have a vehicle with a VIN plate, why remove it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
white_2kgt Posted April 19, 2007 Share Posted April 19, 2007 If you have a vehicle with a VIN plate, why remove it? to use it somewhere else Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renntag Posted April 19, 2007 Share Posted April 19, 2007 If you have a vehicle with a VIN plate, why remove it? to use it somewhere else Oh yeah, on that stolen car we just picked up....right... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zuperdave Posted April 24, 2007 Share Posted April 24, 2007 There are plenty of BIW mustangs out there as race/track cars that NEVER had VINS.I don't think so. I think every motor vehicle that comes off the assembly line has a Vehicle Identification Number. Even a kit car has a VIN plate. Even the little single-rail motorcycle trailer I built from a kit had a VIN plate. What's the big deal about a VIN plate -- you bought a car without one? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
white_2kgt Posted April 24, 2007 Share Posted April 24, 2007 There are plenty of BIW mustangs out there as race/track cars that NEVER had VINS.I don't think so. I think every motor vehicle that comes off the assembly line has a Vehicle Identification Number. Even a kit car has a VIN plate. Even the little single-rail motorcycle trailer I built from a kit had a VIN plate. What's the big deal about a VIN plate -- you bought a car without one? There's no big deal to me, and no, the 'true' mustang BIW do not have VIN's nor do they have titles, they came with a bill of sale. Some BIW were actually painted and may have received a VIN. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IGZOSTD Posted April 30, 2007 Share Posted April 30, 2007 Legaly you can't even tow or trailer any car, bike, truck without a reg., temp. permit or offroad plate in the state of California Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
white_2kgt Posted April 30, 2007 Share Posted April 30, 2007 Legaly you can't even tow or trailer any car, bike, truck without a reg., temp. permit or offroad plate in the state of California Really? Gezz, that sucks. Here in MD if it doesn't have tags/registration you can trailer it, you can even tow dolly it, the law says that No more than 2 wheels can ever touch the public roads. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
racerrad8 Posted April 30, 2007 Share Posted April 30, 2007 The lien sale agent has given a "release of liability" to the DMV with your name on it. You will need to take the paperwork you have to DMV. Have it transferred into your name and then have DMV issue a "junk slip". This is the only way to remove the car from the database and not be billed for not registering the car. From experience on a motorcycle I bought for the engine, and did not register; they attached my wages at work since I did not respond to the bills for that M/C. After paying all of the late fees, they issued the "junk slip" and no more problems. DMV will get their money from you if you don't get that vehicle junk slip. Good Luck, Randy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swhiteh3 Posted May 7, 2007 Share Posted May 7, 2007 VIN Plates are Heavy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WRR Posted May 8, 2007 Share Posted May 8, 2007 I think every motor vehicle that comes off the assembly line has a Vehicle Identification Number true, if the body/chassis went far enough down the assembly line to get a VIN but if you purchase a BIW before it gets to the VIN stage then 'it was never actually a motor vehicle' just a body so you have no VIN.. that is the story behind mine but I have a donor VIN from a wrecked car and everything matches to the point that the CA DMV issued plates to me.. but, that being said.. I agree with every post so far ^^, keep the VIN in place and transfer title properly otherwise someone will claim ownership with title in hand and you will be fighting for years to sort it all out.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zuperdave Posted May 9, 2007 Share Posted May 9, 2007 Let me rephrase that. It may be that any motor vehicle to be operated on a highway has to have a Vehicle Identification Number, whether it's one that came off the assembly line or one you built in your garage. The DMV has a procedure for assigning a VIN number for those kinds of vehicles, or ones where the VIN is missing or in question for some reason ("VIN verification.") The exception in CA is that a purpose-built race car -- one that operates exclusively under the auspices of a sanctioning racing body and NEVER sees the street -- does not appear to have to have one. If your car had one, I would leave it alone, it just establishes the paper trail for that vehicle. Removing it is akin to grinding the serial number off a stereo: not allowed. Familiarize yourself with the California DMV's Web site so you don't get into trouble removing a VIN plate you should have left attached. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
National Staff Jeremy C. Posted May 9, 2007 National Staff Share Posted May 9, 2007 Legaly you can't even tow or trailer any car, bike, truck without a reg., temp. permit or offroad plate in the state of California I have never heard this. This does apply to Tow dolly's. You can't use a tow dolly if the car is unregistered. But there is nothing that says you can't transport a unregistered vehicle on a trailer or enclosed trailer. Keeping Vin plates on the car makes things much easier if you are ever questioned by law enforcement. If the car does not have them, it doesn't have them. Nothing you can do about that now. But you don't want to take them off if it does have them. Also, you can purchase a car with a bill of sale and not a title. Just don't ever expect to do anything with it other than race it. As far as the DMV is concerned, it doesn't exist! Actually, if you don't do anything with your vehicle for 7 years I think it is, then it falls out of the system...That is what I was told by the Cali DMV anyhow... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zuperdave Posted May 17, 2007 Share Posted May 17, 2007 It was a slow night... Here is why you want a VIN plate or the equivalent permanently attached to your BIW Mustang or any other high-value, portable piece of property you own (stereo, computer, generator, etc): "A vehicle identification number is the ... distinguishing number ... employed by the manufacturer ... for the purpose of uniquely identifying a motor vehicle or motor vehicle part ... " California Vehicle Code Sec 671(a) (edits and emphasis mine). "Whenever a vehicle is constructed of component parts with one or more different vehicle idenfication numbers, the vehicle identification number stamped ... by the manufacturer ... on the frame ... shall determine the identity of the vehicle ... " California Vehicle Code Section 671(b) (edits and emphasis mine) A VIN number is just the serial number of your car, trailer, etc. that identifies as different from all the other ones. Keep a record of all your serial-numbered property so you can positively identify it later. If it's stolen, the police can load the VIN number into national database: then when it's recovered (if you're lucky) and the cops run the number against the database, it can be traced back to you. Plus, about the only way the police/courts are going to return it to you is if you can show evidence that establishes your claim of being the rightful owner. A bill of sale which includes the VIN number helps. A title certificate showing it in your name also helps. The thief has to explain why he has it without permission from the documented owner. Without a VIN number, you are pretty much out of luck as far as ever seeing your stolen stuff again... Those VIN plates are not nasty, heavy anchors slowing you down: they are your friends! Here is why you do not need a license plate on your race car: "Subdivision (a) ..." (requiring registration and issuance and display of license plates) "... does not apply to ... (9) four-wheeled motor vehicles operated soley in organized racing or competitive events upon a closed course when those events are conducted under the auspices of a recognized sanctioning body..." California Vehicle Code Section 38010(b) (edits mine) That's from a 2004 Vehicle Code. I doubt there have been any changes in those sections... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renntag Posted May 17, 2007 Share Posted May 17, 2007 Nice post Dave. ...and I like the WA quote. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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