Fiberglass Conversion....No Vin...uh, oh...!

I've owned my Jeep for ten years and sadly, I've decided to sell her. That being said, I've had it "sold" approximately four times over the last few months to people outside of my home state of RI (where the Jeep has been registered for the last ten years). I have no title for the Jeep as I didn't get one when I purchased it. It was not required to register it as the Jeep was older than 10 years old when I bought it. Today, in RI, to register it, a buyer would only need a bill of sale and a copy of my registration.

The problem is that I can find no VIN tag anywhere on my Jeep. When someone from say, PA, NY, or CT buys it from me and tries to register it back home, they either need a title and / or need to have a VIN check done at the police station. Either way, it's a no go. I think my only option is to sell her to someone in RI.

I forgot to mention that I quickly peeked at the frame rail on the passenger side today by the rear wheel and couldn't find any #'s stamped anywhere in the frame.

Does anyone have any suggestions on how I can sell my Jeep to someone outside of RI and have them register it?

 

Frame rail over the front axle I thought. I bought a truck in PA and brought it back to MI. All the DMV wanted was a bill of sale, they threw the title in the shredder under the counter. Said it didn't mean anything to them and they didn't want it. Didn't ask me if I wanted it. original owner 79 Bronco. Regitering a car in PA or NY may be different. NY is kinda funny anyway (law wise).

 

I'll check there for the VIN tomorrow.

MI seems pretty laid back as far as registrations. I should advertise it out there...!

 

I am in the process of restoring a CJ5 frame right now. After having it sandblasted, I found a VIN located on the right rear wheel hump, but it's so faint, that I cannot make out most of the numbers, but anyway, that's where it's located. I think my frame is a '79, so I don't know if intermediates VIN's are located in the same place.


Where in RI are you? I live in North Kingstown.

Rich

 

Florida is bad about VIN's and title's. Without them, the car is basically worthless. It's even against the law to sell parts off something you don't hold title on.

 

You need a vin in all states regardless if the state requires a title or not. I would check with your DMV it’s possible they will issue you a new vin if say your tag was lost. Just make sure you drill 4 small holes where it should have been (firewall under the M/C).

 

If it is a 4 wheel drive hardware body they are numbered. Maybe you can use that. Drivers side kick panel up high where it is only one layer. It is resined over so it won't fade.

 

I would expect your registration to show a VIN. Your original post is a little unclear ... you do have a registration, but you do not have a title, yes? Mainly what you are missing is a VIN plate. The registration should have some kind of identifying number; the easiest would be the original VIN number of the Jeep, J4<something>. I think you're going to have to go with whatever is on your RI registration, regardless.

 

can you look at insurance policies on it? even old ones if you have them? in ca they go by vin's.

 

I was one of the potential buyers. It turns into a circular argument easily, at least for my state of PA

He is in RI, where the registration is the plates/title in a huge sense it seems, since it is 'old', because it is 'old' RI doesn't ISSUE a title. This is ok, as PA accepts that, and I am sure alot of other places.

However, all out of state cars now need a VIN tracing to register. (in PA) That VIN HAS to match the title (in this case the registration).

This whole deal all depends on where it is coming from and where it is going to.

Another RI buyer just gets the registration/title (since in RI there appears to be no required titles for 'old' cars, although they may optionally exist) and life goes on. RI's DMV websites seemed to indicate they WON'T make a title for an 'old' car.

So I was stuck needing the VIN tracing of a VIN that didn't exist to trace, yet had to match this RI registration.

I almost bought a rusted heap of another one just to have the paperwork and stupid metal plate for this white one, but the extra 1200$ (hey it had a plow!) plus the fact it's not well, legal, stopped my little evil plot via conscience.

although by the letter of the law illegal, there are places that sell both the special rivets (although basically chevy/vette directed) and MAKE 'replacement' tags for , again, other cars/makes......... Blows my mind.

I know PA will MAKE an issued VIN tag for you and 'reconstruct' a title...New title, new vin plate, new number.... IF it's ALREADY a PA car, or some titleless car 'found' somewhere....... by the way they made me understand it, this is a reconstructed branded PA title.. Of course then it's some spiral of inspections and fees to make a car exist again.

I'm still sad I couldn't buy this nice Jeep.

I know a lost title is far easier, like broadwaytitle.com, but here it's the numbers on a stupid little plate we're missing.

BTW Vin plate location on a 1974 is not below the MC as stated above, but above and to the right of it (when looking at firewall directly)

He cannot swap VIN plates WITHOUT having the registration/title matching, (and it's still probably illegal) or the car in at least my state is even more plunged into a debacle.

Of course there are probably several permuations of states and possible transactions that none of this hassle would matter, including a purely off road trailered toy, or states that are simply more easygoing. I just am unfort not aware of how to extract that as a list.

So sorry you have had this 4 times now man....I hope you are at least getting to enjoy her right now......
I do certainly have wish I could have bought that from you.

Al

 

sorry if I violated rules here, I was being honest with what I considered doing, but also mentioned as I understand it the fact none of it was permitted and it's very subjective to the requirements of each particular state.

 

Hi neighbor! I'm in Charlestown...

 

I do have a valid registration with a VIN on it. However, I don't have a title and I can't find a VIN # anywhere on the vehicle. I was able to register it in RI back in 1999 with no problems as the previous owner also had it registered.

 

Al,

Thanks for the words of encouragement. Unfortunately, I've unregistered her as I never have to time to drive her so she sits in the garage. I did list her on Craigslist this week (in RI only) and I've been getting some interest. She's been for sale since last fall which is not a good time to sell. If I still haven't sold her in June to someone in RI, I won't be happy. Right now, I'm still hopeful.

 

understood sparky, i apologize for the mis-communication...

JUST A COUPLE QUESTIONS HERE (with my current scenario), NOT RECCOMENDATIONS:

example: my current situation where i will be putting parts of my 73 body on a 75 frame, along with most of my drivetrain. technically my jeep is mostly a 73, but not a complete 73, this will still be registered under my same/current vin. this is legal?

if i were to take my jeep with the trashed frame, and build a tube chassis/crawler out of it, and make it street legal and put my vin on it. so i now have a custom tube crawler, using parts of my old body and the drivetrain, it would be registered with the ca dmv as a 73 cj5. THIS IS LEGAL? (this is very common among hard core cralwers and what many do with thier rigs.)

i'm just saying, if a vehicle that is rusted out to the point it is worthless and gets parted out, yet not totalled, would it not be the same to apply that to a street legal vehicle with no vin? isn't it in the same boat/legal? similar to the idea of a a complete reconditioning of a 'beyond use' junked jeep? this is NOT legal?


please explain to me WHERE if any of these scenarios cross the line:?
thank you

 

In Florida, you can have the DMV come out and look at the vehicle. Under certain circumstances, they can issue a title on a car with a vin, even if it has not history.

I also learned after a few years without a title, the history is purged from most states. At least they do that in NY and Florida has no access to the records.

So lets say you have a rusty tub with a Vin. And a good tub witthout a vin. And a title for the vin rusty vin tub. And a sales reciept showing who you bought the good tub from. Call the DMV dude and he comes out and checks all the paperwork and stuff. He can, if you are nice, make it work out, all legal.

So make friends with someone at the DMV and learn all the in's and out's, what is legal and not legal in your state. Go from there.

 

On my 74 the vin is on a sticker inside under the headlight switch I saw some reproduction tags somewhere couldn't you get a new tag with your legal numbers?