Buying a car with no title?

[Andrew1990]

Well looking on craigslist found me this add for a 1988 Chrysler New Yorker Turbo for $200.

http://chicago.craigslist.org/sox/cto/1716183898.html

Now, it has now title to it but I figure $200 is an awesome price if it runs. Someone told me it is possible to get a loss title claim through the DMV.

Now if I were to buy the car with no title for $200. Would I be able to claim a lost title through the DMV and become the new owner "legally"?


If not, would it even be worth buying this car for parts?

 

[RockinZ28]

No idea about the car but can't you just get a new title form at the DMV? I lost the title for one of my cars, it's just a $18 fee and you fill out a form and they send you a new one as far as I know. Asked when I went to register my other car and that's what they told me, gave me the form.
They also have forms to transfer title to new owner and get a new title in one form if the owner doesn't have it. At least in Cali anyway.

 

[thedarkwolf]

No idea about the title issue but whats the plan with the car?

<----- 89 dodge caravan turbo beater/sleeper

 

[ElFenix]

sweet turbo mopar

last year of the E-body, the k-based new yorker was sold alongside the C-body new yorker that same year (chrysler had an annoying habit of naming cars on completely separate platforms the same thing, 87-88 chrysler sold lebarons based on 3 different chassis at the same time)

 

[Andrew1990]

No idea about the title issue but whats the plan with the car?

<----- 89 dodge caravan turbo beater/sleeper

Plans for the car would be to use it as a stepping stone so I can sell my camaro and hopefully buy a fiero/Foxbody mustang.

My camaro is my DD so I just need another DD to fill it in. I can then sell this car when I get a new DD in the form of a fiero or mustang.


But if I cant get a title for it, it may be worth it to just buy it for the turbo for my car and then sell the rest of the parts on ebay or something.

I just can't really do anything with the frame without the title. I cant even junk it.

 

[Bignate603]

That has lemons racer written all over it.

 

[Fenixgoon]

here's a fantastic question... why not keep your current camaro?

 

[halik]

Well looking on craigslist found me this add for a 1988 Chrysler New Yorker Turbo for $200.

http://chicago.craigslist.org/sox/cto/1716183898.html

Now, it has now title to it but I figure $200 is an awesome price if it runs. Someone told me it is possible to get a loss title claim through the DMV.

Now if I were to buy the car with no title for $200. Would I be able to claim a lost title through the DMV and become the new owner "legally"?


If not, would it even be worth buying this car for parts?

In MI you can get a new title with bill of sale if the vehicle is more than 6 years old and worth less than $2500

 

[Andrew1990]

In MI you can get a new title with bill of sale if the vehicle is more than 6 years old and worth less than $2500

Hopefully Illinois has something like this. Time to check with the DMV tomorrow.


Also, I got this camaro as a decent "first" car. Im a stupid kid so I am bound to go from car to car until I get a tad older. I loved how fieros handle and I liked the size of the foxbodies.

 

[thedarkwolf]

But if I cant get a title for it, it may be worth it to just buy it for the turbo for my car and then sell the rest of the parts on ebay or something.

Its not worth it for the turbo. The stock turbo on the TI cars which is what that car and my van were are tiny worthless junk. The biggest improvement in power my van received was when I junked the crappy little stock mitsu turbo for a TII garrett turbo.

http://www.thedodgegarage.com/turbo_turbo.html

 

[Andrew1990]

Its not worth it for the turbo. The stock turbo on the TI cars which is what that car and my van were are tiny worthless junk. The biggest improvement in power my van received was when I junked the crappy little stock mitsu turbo for a TII garrett turbo.

http://www.thedodgegarage.com/turbo_turbo.html

Ok, so the only worth while thing with this car is if I can get the title replaced on it.


So lets say it runs ok and after buying it and title fees it comes out to about $450-500. Would it still be a decent deal?

 

[RockinZ28]

Get a 98-02 ls1 camaro/firebird, people are selling them for pretty damn cheap because of the economy. Still faster than most new cars under 50k.

Picked up this for $7800 a few weeks ago, 2001 WS6 6-speed manual with over 400hp/tq at the wheels. My '01 z28 is basically stock but still spanks most cars. Both are fully loaded, power everything, air conditioner, cheap cars but not beaters.

 

[BoberFett]

Gawd, Firebirds got ugly towards the end.

 

[zerocool84]

Gawd, Firebirds got ugly towards the end.

Yea but they've got incredible engines. You bought those cars cus they killed everything in their pricepoint not how they looked.

 

[BoberFett]

I won't argue with you there. It just annoys me that they took what was a sexy design

and did this to it.

Edit: And yes, I realize that's a Trans Am, but even the earlier 4th gen Trans Ams didn't have those massive nostrils. They were more understated.

 

[RockinZ28]

Yea but they've got incredible engines. You bought those cars cus they killed everything in their pricepoint not how they looked.

Yep this is all that matters .

And the hood is at least functional ram air Bober. I'm not crazy about the look either, but apparently it works well. There aren't any aftermarket mods or free mods that I've found to improve it like the non-ram air camaros/firebirds and the ss camaro ram-air that can be improved.

 

[halik]

Yea but they've got incredible engines. You bought those cars cus they killed everything in their pricepoint not how they looked.

You can buy an LS1 for dirt cheap and stick it into just about anything.

There's no sense dealing with what essentially is upgraded 1982 chassis with live rear axle and just shit-awful interior.

Of all the 4th gen fbodies, i think the pre-facelift camaro has the sleekest, quintessentially 90s, design.

 

[HarryLui]

\


So lets say it runs ok and after buying it and title fees it comes out to about $450-500. Would it still be a decent deal?

Is a running DD worth $500 to you?

 

[StageLeft]

Seller should be getting the title and then selling. I'd not buy a car without a title unless I was using it for parts.

 

[Meghan54]

Be aware, one of the weakest points on that car, outside of it possibly having the Mitsu turbo (which sucks as noted above) is the head gasket. It's so common to blow head gaskets on the old 2.2/2.5L Mopar fours that true Mopar "fanatics" of that era's cars get very well acquainted with replacing the head gasket on them, and you NEVER replace the head gasket with a Fel-Pro but instead use the Mopar Performance gasket.

 

[HarryLui]

After 22 years, chances are, the headgasket is ready replaced.

 

[thedarkwolf]

The headgaskets aren't that bad. I've only blown 2 in 8 years . At least they are super easy to work on. The biggest problem with these cars is nobody takes care of them at all. These were cheap beater cars they day they rolled off the assembly lines and most were treated so. I'm surprised they hold up as well as they do.

 

[ElFenix]

I won't argue with you there. It just annoys me that they took what was a sexy design

and did this to it.

Edit: And yes, I realize that's a Trans Am, but even the earlier 4th gen Trans Ams didn't have those massive nostrils. They were more understated.

i think that second pic is the model used in dragon age. quick, it's going to wipe your party and kill the warden!

 

[SparkyJJO]

I won't argue with you there. It just annoys me that they took what was a sexy design

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2d/1993-97_Pontiac_Firebird.jpg

and did this to it.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/91/Purple98ta.jpg

Edit: And yes, I realize that's a Trans Am, but even the earlier 4th gen Trans Ams didn't have those massive nostrils. They were more understated.

I guess - I've always liked the 98-02 birds more than the 93-97 birds.

But I'm a Camaro guy myself. Or, should I say, "catfish" lol

 

[Fenixgoon]

I guess - I've always liked the 98-02 birds more than the 93-97 birds.

But I'm a Camaro guy myself. Or, should I say, "catfish" lol

lol i don't think i've seen that camaro before! i always remember them having nostrils